Check-in!

[Libby]

I'm one book away from my goal and six books ahead. My goal is 43, but since I'm close to meeting it, I'm revising to 50 for the year. I count audio books because I counted them last year, even though I read less of them this year because I no longer have a one-hour commute.

[Michael]

Frankie wrote: "Stephanie wrote: " Come out of the audio closet! This is a safe space! :)"

between Tanya's reasons and Frankie's comment above, I hope everyone feels just fine about counting audiobooks! I count them and I count graphic novels too!

What I'm trying to decide is if it's okay to count this:

Nursery Rhyme Comics

It only took me 20 minutes to read....

[Tracey]

Michael wrote: "Frankie wrote: "Stephanie wrote: " Come out of the audio closet! This is a safe space! :)"

between Tanya's reasons and Frankie's comment above, I hope everyone feels just fine about counting audio..."

It counts!

[Lil]

I am wondering whether I should count a longish Kindle Single The Long Run. It took me about an hour to read.

[Jana]

Michael wrote: "Frankie wrote: "Stephanie wrote: " Come out of the audio closet! This is a safe space! :)"

between Tanya's reasons and Frankie's comment above, I hope everyone feels just fine about counting audio..."

Michael, I would count a small graphic novel! My personal justification is that I've read a few tomes this year as well. Not the least of which will be War & Peace. Audible and graphic novels are staples in my reading and I count 'em all

[Joanne-in-Canada]

I finished my #11 oldest-books-on-my-reading-list this weekend. The last one straggled past the finish line--I tried Embers and The Savage Detectives and couldn't get into either one. The next couple books on my list necessitated interlibrary loans, so I picked the next book in our local library, Cape Breton Road by D.R. MacDonald. The protagonist is a 19-year-old boy, born in Cape Breton but raised in Boston, who is evicted from the States after a series of car thefts. He is living with an uncle, trying to grow a few marijuana plants to raise some cash, and discovering the joys and sorrows of living in a place where everyone knows "who you belong to". His summer exploits are tendersweet.

[Michael]

I'm one book ahead of schedule! 56 of 61 read!

Congrats to everyone who has already finished the challenge, good luck to everyone within view of the finish line. And to those who aren't going to make it this year, try for +12 in '12!

[Linda]

I'm 51 out of 120. I've got a bunch of poetry books to get through, so I may make my usual 60 (last year I had a paying job with nothing to do, so I read - too bad that only happens every 10 years!)

[Bobbi]

Woo hoo . . . I've surpassed my goal of 61 books read this year; am currently at 72, with a month to go!!! I have quite a collection of Christmas books, and try to reread a few each year (in addition to buying new ones, of course) so I should be able to add more. Life is good.

[Callie]

Bobbi- Nice! Congrats! What Christmas books are on your list? I do the same thing with rereading some every year, including A Christmas Carol and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Last year I also bought The Christmas Chronicles: The Legend of Santa Claus, which I really enjoyed. I'm always on the lookout for new titles to add to my list!

[Tracey]

Callie wrote: "Bobbi- Nice! Congrats! What Christmas books are on your list? I do the same thing with rereading some every year, including A Christmas Carol and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Last year I also b..."

I LOVE The Best Christmas Pageant Ever! I was a bit disappointed when my kids didn't take to it. So I just read it myself. :)

[Jay]

Tracey wrote: "Callie wrote: "Bobbi- Nice! Congrats! What Christmas books are on your list? I do the same thing with rereading some every year, including A Christmas Carol and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Las..."

That was one of my absolut favorite books as a kid. I checked it out year round and read it over and over. I haven't gottent that one for my kids. My daughter may have to find that one under the tree this year.

[Jo Ann]

Callie wrote: "Bobbi- Nice! Congrats! What Christmas books are on your list? I do the same thing with rereading some every year, including A Christmas Carol and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Last year I also b..."

I just sent The Best Christmas Pageant Ever to my Twin Grandchildren, and hope they like it as much as I do...it's one that I love to re-read each Christmas, too.

[Jo Ann]

Jo Ann wrote: "Callie wrote: "Bobbi- Nice! Congrats! What Christmas books are on your list? I do the same thing with rereading some every year, including A Christmas Carol and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Las..."

Just had to add another Christmas book that I LOVE and re-read every year: Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory." I LOVE this story!

[Lisa]

My goal for this challenge: read 51 books with 11 of those being published in 2011. I have read 55 and need only 2 more books published in 2011 to complete this. I am currently reading Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards so I hope to finish the needed books before the year ends.

[Julie]

Congrats on finishing 11 on your list IN ORDER! I'm impressed, Joanne! I'm well ahead for my 2011 goal but not overachieving like some in this group (you know who you are ..) Right now I'm enjoying the Yarn Harlot's latest: All Wound Up.

[Joanne-in-Canada]

Michael wrote: "try for +12 in '12!"

I'm using two challenges to guide my reading in 2012.

First, "What's in a Name 5" (thanks, Suzanne), which suggests reading six books based on suggestions of what is in the name of the book. Two recommendations from BOTNS are on my list: for a book with a creepy crawly in the title I will read The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey. For a book with something you'd carry in your pocket, purse, or backpack in the title I will read Doctor Olaf van Schuler's Brain by Kirsten Menger-Anderson. Don't you keep brains in your backpack? See http://www.bethfishreads.com/2011/11/... for details.

Second, I have decided to "read like it's the end of the world", inspired by Simon of The Readers. I haven't made up this list, but like his idea of reading books that you really want to read, but keep "saving". I plan on reading 12 of these, one a month. To start I went to the library today and took out The Secret History by Donna Tartt and The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell. See http://bookbasedbanter.co.uk/thereade....

[[deleted user]]

Joanne wrote: "I'm using two challenges to guide my reading in 2012...First, "What's in a Name 5" (thanks, Suzanne), which suggests reading six books based on suggestions of what is in the name of the book."

I'm signed up for the What's in a Name? Challenge #5 too! I'm actually using each of the books in the challenge to set up a theme every other month or so for my 2012 reading. For instance: I'm starting with The Scarlet Letter (by Nathaniel Hawthorne) - Something you'd find in my purse, backpack or pockets; and then I'll be posting reviews for The Handmaid's Tale (by Margaret Atwood) and The Unit (by Ninni Holmqvist) - both of which are re-reads for me; and then moving on to When She Woke (by Hilary Jordan) to wrap up my January reading. If I can, I'd also like to read a couple more Atwood titles that have been in my TBR stacks for awhile (The Blind Assassin and, The Year of the Flood.) I'm also trying to read more Classics *and* make a serious dent in my hoardings! I think for 2012 I will try for 12x12!

[Beth]

Last night at 11:09 pm I finished my +11 in '11 goal to read 81 books, 11 of which were books I owned. Right now I'm not feeling as elated as I should, especially considering I was 6 books behind for several months. In fact, I'm feeling a little sad and lost. I guess this is the Stockholm Syndrome of reading goals!

[Stephanie]

It looks like I will not meet my goal of 75 as I am currently at 56 books read to date. I feel confident I can get to 60 by the end of the year but but not 75. However I set my goal before I was aware of the +11 challenge and if I had used that as my goal (would have been 49 books) I would have surpassed it so I'm going to feel good about the amount of reading I've made time for this year and feel inspired for 2012.

I am in awe of those of you in the >100 books category. You should have your own society like mensa! I am jealous that you are experiencing so many more books than I am. And I will aspire to join your society!

[Linda]

I've known for awhile that I would not make 120 books this year. In 2010, I had a job where I could read since I had nothing else to do. This past year I had a job where I could barely get the newspaper read each day. I'm on book numbers 57 and 58 which means I may make 60 by year end. That's an average for the past decade, so I'm happy with that.

[Pam]

I have read 93 books so far and plan to read several more before 2012. Maybe I'll reach 100! My goal was 83 so I feel good about accomplishing this. It was interesting to look at my stats and realize that about 1/5 were audiobooks and another 1/5 were ebooks. Technology has certainly changed the reading process but not the enjoyment of it.

[Amy]

My goal was 70, and I am currently at 80 books for 2011. I don't think I am going to be able to add +12 in 2012, maybe the next year after I finish my MBA I can aspire to 100 books in one year!

[Linda]

Amy wrote: "My goal was 70, and I am currently at 80 books for 2011. I don't think I am going to be able to add +12 in 2012, maybe the next year after I finish my MBA I can aspire to 100 books in one year!"

If you read 80 books and are working on your MBA, I bow down to you, Amy.

[[deleted user]]

I did it! I hit my fourth reading goal for the +11 in '11 Challenge! Today I finished George F. Kennan: An American Life (by John W. Gaddis) for a total of 125 titles for the year! I was tempted to go for 132 so that I would be 12 less than my goal for 2012; but realistically, I can only get 3 more books in before the end of '11, so I'll "stay!"

This challenge has been great for me: I've been reading more; trying more material outside of my usual genres and; watching less TV! In a related note, I've also been playing more Angry Birds. I don't like the sound of the pigs laughing at me when I fail to clear an episode though, so I've been muting the nook and listening to more hours of audiobooks on my iPod :-)

[Jana]

Tanya/dog eared copy wrote: "I did it! I hit my fourth reading goal for the +11 in '11 Challenge! Today I finished George F. Kennan: An American Life (by John W. Gaddis) for a total of 125 titles for the year! I was tempted to..."

Impressive, Tanya!

[Amy]

Linda wrote: "Amy wrote: "My goal was 70, and I am currently at 80 books for 2011. I don't think I am going to be able to add +12 in 2012, maybe the next year after I finish my MBA I can aspire to 100 books in o..."

I really like to read :)

[Robin]

DONE! I finished 100 out of 100 books for 2011. It was a bit stressful as I read a lot of journals, magazines and papers - hard to stay current this past year. Still reading one more book, so may get 101 books. This challenge was great for me as I only read 35 books last year.
Only thing better than reading, for me, are Librarians.

[[deleted user]]

Robin wrote: "DONE! I finished 100 out of 100 books for 2011. It was a bit stressful as I read a lot of journals, magazines and papers - hard to stay current this past year. Still reading one more book, so may g..."

YAY! Congratulations! (Me? I have *no* idea what's going on in the "real world!")

[Shona]

Completed my reading challenge for the year!! I read 75 books all from my BOTNs recommendation shelf. What an awesome year I've had! 26 of those were published this year, but most have been sitting for quite awhile just waiting for me to pick them up. Just want to say a big thank you to Ann and Michael for such great recommendations. Any Human Heart, The Sparrow, The Unit, The Virgin Suicides, The Complete Maus, all the wonderful books by the Booktopia authors, along with loads of others made this the best reading year I've ever had.

So my goal was to make a dent in the huge number of books recommended on the podcast and although I have read 75 of them, I also noticed that I ADDED over 90 books to that list in the past year....hmmmmm

[Kate]

I won't make it...completed 60 of 64 and will probably finish only 1 or maybe 2 more,but I am not disappointed as I read some great books this year thanks not only to Ann and Michael but all in the BOTNS community. I have been introduced to authors and genres I would never have considered and I am very much appreciative. For 2012, I will try for 64 again, but will try for 12 Classics and 12 nonfiction in the total. My pile at home is huge and will try to complete some of the books I keep staring at when tryin to fall asleep at night.