What counts as a book for a reading challenge?

[Nairabell]

As I'm new to the whole challenge thing, I was just wondering what some of you count as a book for a challenge? Looking at different peoples lists it looks like some count stories in anthologies as a book, while others don't. So...what do you think counts? Are anthology shorts a book? What about the online freebie exclusive things? How about young adult?

Cheers, Nairabell

[Kasia]

Nairabell, it mostly depends on you. As far as I'm concerned it's all fair game: audiobooks, rereads, short stories, graphic novels, eBooks, freebies, arcs, young adult, kid books, anthologies, comics, stuff that has nothing to do with romance whatsoever...

Now, if you prefer to impose stricter rules upon yourself, feel free to do so.

If you read 30 full lenght books a month and feel like reading 30 page novella is cheating, put in longer books for the challenge. If you can squeeze in only a few books a month, go for something on the shorter side. It's still fine. Whatever works for you. Does that make sense?

[Yz the Whyz, Moderator]

Pretty much what Kasia said.

The end-goal of the challenges is to have fun, and read what you really like. They are more like guideposts to help you select your next read.

[Nairabell]

Thanks guys! I'll probably count novellas and stuff separately in challenges as I read in spurts. Sometimes a standard novel will take me a couple of hours, sometimes it'll be a fortnight or more. Plus, if an author has created a whole world in a novella I think it kinda deserves to be counted as a book - like Buying Trouble by Karen Chance in On the Prowl. I loved it, and hate the fact that's all she's written in that storyline.

Plus with the amount of challenges I've signed up for I need all the help I can get!

Thanks again :)

[Jim son of Jim (formerly PhotoJim)]

Nairabell, everyone uses a different scale. I will count a collection of short stories as one book. If there is an anthology of three novellas (each 100+ pages), I'll count it as one book. Also, I don't count audio books. However, I do count Harlequins as books.

This is obviously different than the self imposed rules of many others. There is no grade assigned. Nobody is going to check to see that you have actually read the books. Do you want to count re-reads? Up to you. Do you want to count books that you read 75% of it and skim the last couple of chapters because you no longer care for the author? Your call.

Whatever makes you happy.

[ஐ Katya (Book Queen)ஐ]

I usually will count about anything short of children's books I read to my kids. On the other hand, I've had some really difficult categories to fill on occassion and have resorted to a children's book now and then.

Reading a book with an amphibian either on the cover or in the title, comes to mind. I read a Beatrix Potter book with a toad on the cover for that one. I also borrowed my 4th grade son's story book about a bug's picnic for an insect category. All this was for the It's a Jungle challenge. I think for the fish category for that challenge I read my son Dr Seuss's One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish. lol