The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
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How do you work on the challenge?
Mod
And, of course, if you figure you'll probably finish, the order in which you do the tasks doesn't matter.
My first challenge, I had no idea that I would finish, so I just focused on books that sounded good that fit a task. Toward the end, when I realized that I probably would finish, I started looking for books to fit the other tasks.
Now, I start by working in books that I know I'll be reading in the next 3 months - books for my two real life book clubs, new books that I have holds on at the library and that I should be able to get during the challenge (and probably won't be able to renew), books that my daughters have highly recommended to me.
Beyond that, tho, I leave it pretty open. I look at books that other people post for tasks, and often find that I've never heard of them, but they sound really good - so, if my library has the book, I check it out.
When I joined the challenge, my reason was to diversify my reading - I was in a rut and wanted to try some books I wouldn't have read otherwise (same reason I joined my book groups, for that matter). I figured that if I were having to find books to fit challenge tasks, it would encourage me to be more experimental.
And it has worked - I have found many new books/authors and read a lot of books that I wouldn't have otherwise.
Good idea about fitting in the real life bookclub books Sandy. I totally missed that and we have them planned out a year ahead too.I would love to incorporate the new books I have on hold at the library but that is a crapshoot for me. There is no way to tell where I am in the queue. I could be # 2 or # 152.
Happy wrote: "I'm the same way. It was my first time, and I was excited to finish, but I'm not sure if I can do it again. I dropped a lot of other things to just read-read-read and I think I'll be a lot more cas..."I too forced myself to finish a few books that were awful, mostly because the genre or list theme had no interest for me. I don't think I'll do that this time, either. I usually drop books I don't like at all.
But again, I read a lot more books I did like, and discovered some new authors, too. And I forced myself to read some books I'd been putting off, most of which I liked. :)
i wish i had a local bookclub - or at least one that does books of interest to me - all the ones hosted by my local library, they pick the books - and none of looks intriguing
My local bookclub forces me out of my rut. For example this month's book is The Red Tent which I NEVER would have read otherwise.
Mod
I would love to incorporate the new books I have on hold at t..."
Fortunately, my holds list on my library account shows my position, once the book has come in - 4 out of 22 or whatever. And when I put a hold on a book that hasn't come out yet, the listing does show how many holds there already are, so I just note down where I fit in. That way, when I see how many copies they order, I can pretty well guesstimate when I'll get the book.
I also found that the reference librarians can see more info than I can, so they can find out where I stand.
I can't say it enough - I love my local library and the librarians!
Mod
For me, the point of doing this was to have someone else pick books and to try ones that I wouldn't have picked up otherwise. It's a crap shoot - sometimes I hate the books they pick, but sometimes I have read books that I loved and would never have picked up otherwise.
The neighborhood book group, on the other hand, we decide as a group which books we want to read. But, again, you're going with other people's choices, which may or may not work out.
the last few library groups have all been books i've already read as well
Teri-k and Happy I am with you on the 'forced' reading. It was truly dreadful to get through some of these books that would have ended up in my DNF pile otherwise. But for the most part, I have been pleasantly surprised when reading a book I would never have picked up on my own, without a challenge pushing me out of my comfort zone. As far as my plans for Spring, I don't have any. I will choose books for the challenge first and also what I need to read for my local neighborhood book club.
I have done other challenges on GR and I will say, though, that this challenge totally consumed my life. I read a lot, but I found myself reading practically every second of every day. I hope my marriage can stand another season. Just kidding...about my marriage anyway.
Sheila wrote: "My local bookclub forces me out of my rut. For example this month's book is The Red Tent which I NEVER would have read otherwise."That's why I enjoy book clubs. Although I'm still figuring out how to fit A Good Man in Africa, my current book club book, in!
Dee wrote: "i wish i had a local bookclub - or at least one that does books of interest to me - all the ones hosted by my local library, they pick the books - and none of looks intriguing"
You have us! :-)
The Lifetime movie version of "The Red Tent" was really good. Because of that, I want to read the book.
So how do you keep occupied the last few days before the Challenge starts? I mean, besides checking several times a day to see if any new tasks have been released. lolHere's what I'm doing:
Rearranging my TBRs, library catalog and tasks over and over.
Making a list of books I want to read but haven't found a place for yet, and alternates for tasks.
Writing the claims posts for the first few books I expect to finish. (Don't want to mess up too soon.)
Reading Big Books. Unfortunately (?) I've got some really good ones, and now have had to stop before the 50% mark, though I want to keep going.
Cleaning house. (Yeah, right.)
What are you doing?
I check the tasks lists as well to see if new ones are posted. I'm finishing some books for other challenges. I've ordered books from the library for the 5 pointers. I tend to try to do the tasks in order for convenient record keeping. I've also started one of the big books (25 cds)Plus I am cheering on those that are close to finishing. The more tasks, the better.
Lol! I'm checking for new tasks too. I've arranged all of the tasks and book selections in Evernote and I've been going through and adding all the books to a special SRC shelf here on Goodreads. That way I can try and fit them into other challenges.
I am trying to finish up a group read book for the RWS challenge. I check for new tasks. I try to fit in books that I haven't read for the current challenge into the next one. I try to read books I already own to start the new challenge.
As soon as the challenges tasks are made known, I go through my pile of unread books (usually picked up from a second hand store). Then I start maxing out my library card, my husband's library card, and my 2 daughters library cards. If I ever get a divorce, I will have to get custody of my husband's card. I read the books in order of when they are due back at the library if I can't renew them. I'm actually considering a kindle, but I SO LOVE the feel of a book in my hands. I spend about 2 hours a day doing something out doors (walking the dog, yard work or whatever), so I also try to get audios to fill those bits of time. I also listen to audio's at work.
I thought the same thing about kindle vs. real books. Now it is just so much easier on my paperwhite. Instant gratification is obtaining and returning the books etc. I'd never go back to just physical books now.
Sheila wrote: "I thought the same thing about kindle vs. real books. Now it is just so much easier on my paperwhite. Instant gratification is obtaining and returning the books etc. I'd never go back to just ph..."I will have to look into that. But there is some truth to the old saying that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. I do hope to evolve though.
Donna wrote: "Sheila wrote: "I thought the same thing about kindle vs. real books. Now it is just so much easier on my paperwhite. Instant gratification is obtaining and returning the books etc. I'd never go ..."I hear ya on the old dog thing. My kids gave me my FIRST kindle for my 60th birthday.
Sheila wrote: "Donna wrote: "Sheila wrote: "I thought the same thing about kindle vs. real books. Now it is just so much easier on my paperwhite. Instant gratification is obtaining and returning the books etc. ..."Do you borrow from your library or do you purchase books for your kindle?
I don't buy a lot of books. I'd go broke. So I love my library. I should see what kind of selection they offer in way of ebooks.
Thanks Sheila for sharing the info. I may have to get one for Mother's Day. You have kind of convinced me.
Donna wrote: "Sheila wrote: "Donna wrote: "Sheila wrote: "I thought the same thing about kindle vs. real books. Now it is just so much easier on my paperwhite. Instant gratification is obtaining and returning ..."I read many books on my Kindle, and I borrow them through OverDrive. I get audio books through it, too. It's a program my local library participates in - our branch is called Tennessee Reads, and they have tens of thousands of books available. I could never afford to buy most of what I read, nor would I want to fill my house up with that many books for my kids to deal with when I'm gone. :)
I wish every reader would check out the e-books available through their library. They might be surprised at what's available.
I read a lot of library ebooks on my iPad using the Overdrive app. Over the past few months the selection has really improved. It's so simple to download them. I have put library books on my kobo ereader, but it is a more complicated process to get them on there.
Thanks Teri-k. I'm looking into my library now to see what kind of availability they have. I see overdrive, which I do use for audios, but I also see Oneclick Digital. Have you ever used that one?
I have used it Donna. Works great. Overdrive is better though in my opinion
Thanks Louise. The selection of ebooks is what I am concerned with. Books always seem to be available and even audios can be found in abundance.
Donna if you do decide to get a kindle I highly recommend the paperwhite. The clarity and brightness is terrific and it is really lightweight.And really I am not affiliated with Amazon in any way. haha
Donna wrote: "Thanks Louise. The selection of ebooks is what I am concerned with. Books always seem to be available and even audios can be found in abundance."I'm sure every system is different, but with my OverDrive I can check out 15 books and put 15 more on hold to wait for them to be available. Also, while they're on hold I can delay the hold for a week at a time, so if I don't want to fall to the end of the list but I'm not quite ready I can put one on hold and it will bypass me and go to the next person, but I won't loose my spot.
TN Reads also buys a lot of new books and takes recommendations from it's readers, so they buy a lot of books that I request.
Of course, if I had an awesome local library it wouldn't matter so much, but my county only has 2 very tiny part-time libraries, so OverDrive is my lifeline. :)
Does anyone know why OverDrive varies so much depending on the library system? Teri-k, you can check out so many more than I can. I can only have 10 checked out at a time, and I can only have 5 on hold at a time. That just doesn't make sense. What is the deciding factor? Does anyone know? I have to be choosy on my audio selection. Thankfully my library has a great CD-audio collection.
Hi Donna - I think it's library specific, i.e. how much is budgeted to overdrive.
My library also offers audiobooks on Oneclick digital and streaming on hoopla, so there are more options for audio. I find that the holds on digital books tend to come up faster than on real books, which is one advantage.
Thanks Louise. I'm going to ask about that the next time I'm at the library...but only if the nice librarian is there. Oh, and I finally did get a fit bit last week. So thanks for the info on that. I'm evolving technologically anyway.
Great! Hope it works out well for you.
Donna wrote: "Does anyone know why OverDrive varies so much depending on the library system? Teri-k, you can check out so many more than I can. I can only have 10 checked out at a time, and I can only have 5 o..."They way it was explained to me is that OverDrive is just the source of the books, each library that uses it decides how they want to set up check out numbers, lengths, etc. And depending on what they spend they may have access to a lot or a few books.
Because the state I live in has spent a lot for a state-wide system I have better access than a lot of folks. But even here each county decides for itself whether to belong. My friends who live in the urban county next door can't use OverDrive at all, because their libraries don't belong.
I have online friends who pay for out-of-area library cards that give them OverDrive access. They only have to drive to the town once a year to renew their cards, everything else can be done at home. So that's an option for some folks, too.
@Teri - I wonder how you find out where you can get an out of state card. That would be well worth a yearly fee. I'm thinking it would be nice to have a card to the NYC library. I bet they have a ton of ebooks.
if your library offers one-click digital, then as of right now kindle paperwhites won't work on it - you'd need to get a nook/kobo/kindle fire (since you can install apps on it)
Philly has a great out of state card - i think likes like $50 a year; also check and see if your library has any cross-town agreements, where you can get a membership by being a member of yours
@ Julie, I would love library privileges like yours. I have learned to stock pile audios though, so I will always have something worth listening to and I always have a stack of books on my nightstand. I think I have "library-envy"!!!!
Sheila wrote: "@Teri - I wonder how you find out where you can get an out of state card. That would be well worth a yearly fee. I'm thinking it would be nice to have a card to the NYC library. I bet they have ..."The only one I'm aware of is the Philadelphia Free Library. I don't use it but I know online readers who do. You could try googling to see what pops up. I'd also check with libraries in neighboring counties. Depending on their rules, they often have reciprocal agreements for a fee. I used to pay $50 a year to use the system in the big county next to me, but now I don't bother. Some libraries will require you to register in person, others like Philadelphia I think, won't.
Also, don't forget to check out Project Guttenberg and other sources for non-copyright e-books. Many of the classics are available free from them or even through Amazon, though the quality of the e-book will vary. I love the classics and get quite a few that way or for perhaps 99 cents. That I can usually afford. :)
I love real books, but I also have two different Kindles, both gifts, and I use them all the time. They're great for travelling, Dr. appts, etc. It's especially nice at night if my eyes are tired to just increase the print size some and keep reading. Then when I get up in the morning and turn on my Kindle I think, "WOW, I guess my eyes were worn out!" lol
Dee wrote: "Philly has a great out of state card - i think likes like $50 a year; also check and see if your library has any cross-town agreements, where you can get a membership by being a member of yours"I am fortunate to be a member of the Philadelphia library system. As Dee mentioned, they have a $50 a year fee for out of state members (http://libwww.freelibrary.org/registe...). I have always said that if I would move, I would definitely pay the money to use their on-line resources.
They currently have ebooks and audiobooks from the following resources:
Overdrive (over 6000 audiobooks and 23000 ebooks, can borrow 6 books at 1 time for 3 weeks, place 10 books on hold)
OneClick Digital (seems to now just be audiobooks, usually classics, 3 week check out)
Freading (checkout based on certain number of "tokens" a month - I don't use it as much as I should, lol!)
You can also stream books from
Hoopla (can borrow 10 books per month, new service so the selection isn't as great as Overdrive, check out for 3 weeks).
Hope this helps anyone who might be interested in checking them out!
Mod
I got my first kindle in my 50s. My brother gave my mom a kindle for her 79th birthday - she LOVES it!
I don't have a Kindle, I have a Nook. I love it because I can make the font size bigger. I am vision impaired. I so love large print books. I can read like an average sighted person when I read large print because I don't have to have the book so close to my face.
Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "I don't have a Kindle, I have a Nook. I love it because I can make the font size bigger. I am vision impaired. I so love large print books. I can read like an average sighted person when I read lar..."Jayme, my Kindle also allows me to increase font size.
I started reading ebooks on a Sony Reader about eight years ago. Since then I have used the Kindle and Nook apps on my laptop, tablet and phone. I also have Overdrive for library books on my tablet. While I prefer to hold and read actual books, ebooks are perfect for my book-a-day habit when I travel. I am most technologically challenged so it was a major change for me to make the switch to ebooks. It hasn't been without its challenges, but I'm glad I have the opportunity.
Sheila wrote: "I thought the same thing about kindle vs. real books. Now it is just so much easier on my paperwhite. Instant gratification is obtaining and returning the books etc. I'd never go back to just ph..."I never thought I'd be an e-reader fan, but I have become a convert. I mostly read on a dedicated e-reader (I have a few….5 Kindles and a Nook Simple Touch) but will sometimes read on my iPad or iPhone with the Kindle and Overdrive apps (great way to get in a few pages when I have some unexpected reading time). I borrow lots of ebooks from my library. (And like Donna, max out my kids' and husband's library cards) That said, I have been frequenting a local indie books store lately and have bought quite a few actual books in the last few months. I just find that I get so much more reading done with ebooks because of the convenience. I am never without a multiple books, all of them right there in my purse.
Sheila wrote: "@Teri - I wonder how you find out where you can get an out of state card. That would be well worth a yearly fee. I'm thinking it would be nice to have a card to the NYC library. I bet they have ..."Philly Free has already been mentioned-it's $50 a year. NYC doesn't do out of state memberships, but the Brooklyn Public Library does. They are also $50/year. They have a great selection.
Fairfax County Virginia also does out of state memberships for $27/year.
Ebooks are nice for when you travel or say petsitting at a friend's house for three weeks and you don't want to bring many books.
Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "I usually do the SRC challenge, the RWS challenge and the Historical Fictionistas challenge so I try to find a book for all three challenges. I can usually fit it in two of the three. I also write ..."what group is the rws challenge part of?
The Seasonal Reading Challenge
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This is only my second SRC, and I'm pretty sure I'm never going to complete one (assuming I stay employed, touch wood), but I aim for half. I managed it last time. I'm hopeful for this time.
I'm still developing a strategy of the best way to do it. Next time I think I'll start with the 20pt and one-book 15pt, and then start on the larger ones. Most importantly, I'm trying to work down my TBR list (okay, more like TBR bookcases), rather than buy lots of new books for the challenge