The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
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Personal Goals for the Challenge
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Sandy, Moderator Emeritus
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May 27, 2012 05:53AM
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Ok, I'm not shy. I'll go first.My goals for the summer 2012 challenge are 4 fold.
1. Finish the challenge
2. Avoid the "Wall of Shame" by reading and re-reading the task posting requirements before posting.
3. Read at least 20 books by authors that are brand new to me. (I love finding new authors and series). Unfortunately this can backfire on you as it did when I read my first "in death" book by J.D. Robb. Sure I finished 1 book but then "had" to add the other 35 books in the series to my tbr list :)
4. Listen to at least 15 audiobooks that I already have loaded on my iPod so I can delete them and make room for others that I have ripped and waiting on my computer.
I very much look forward to hearing what others are planning as their goals.
My goal is always to finish the challenge! Aside from wanting to find books that my students will enjoy, I love creating tasks, so I've got plenty of incentive.
I would love to finish the challenge. I'm just not sure I can read that much. But, I'm going to really work hard this challenge.
Oh, yes! I agree with #2, Sheila. I felt dumb when the first post I posted after my SRC hiatus had a mistake in it. I also try to use as many books from my own collection as possible, since I own lots of books I haven't read. It's so easy to get books from the local library that will fit tasks that I sometimes have trouble reading only my own. I'm working on that, though! My goal for this mini-break between challenges is to archive all my books so if I need initials or titles I can just run a search.
1. finish the challenge2. read book set in at least 10 different countries around the world (although with some of the tasks, this might be easier than planned) - hopefully, all new to ones for me for my around the world challenge
3. don't make the wall of shame...lol! i'll join sheila on that one
4. remember that I got to do more than just read - stupid schoolwork ;)
1. I will be the first to say that my first goal is to get at least 50% of the total points. 2. Complete 50% of the tasks. This one is a bit harder as it is easy to get 50% of the points by doing the higher point tasks but that will not mean that I would meet this task too by that strategy.
3. Have fun. For me, this means giving myself permission to substitute other books that I might read for other groups for books that I had planned. In other words, stop being a slave to my plan!
I have a very modest goal. I know I'll never complete the challenge (all points/tasks), but I would like to at least reach 300 points.The first two times I participated in the challenge, I only "scored" 195 points each season. I didn't even get that much the third time and I skipped the Winter challenge entirely. I finally topped 200 points in the Spring challenge, which I considered my personal goal when I started it. :D
Dee wrote: "2. read book set in at least 10 different countries around the world (although with some of the tasks, this might be easier than planned) - hopefully, all new to ones for me..."
ooh I like this goal Dee, so far I have a Sweden, England and a Russian book planned for summer.
I have papua new guinea, cook islands, aruba, and a couple other caribbean islands, lebanon
My goal is always to read at least 5 points more than the previous season. It looks like this time I will hit 345, so next season I will shoot for 350. I also like to do a bingo challenge in another group, so I will be working to maneuver those books into this challenge wherever I can stuff them.
My goal is to finish The Winds of War audiobook in about 35 days. (This will be tough for me.)
Also I want to try to read all books that I have at home already. I am working at not spending so much money on books. :)
Maybe this season I may get around to another classic. It has been a couple of seasons since I read one.
★Meghan★ wrote: "I also like to do a bingo challenge in another group, so I will be working to maneuver those books into this challenge wherever I can stuff them...."I did pretty good this time -- I didn't do any planning for the Spring challenge and I was able to slot quite a few bingo books.
However, I'm not signing up for the next bingo game. :)
my bingo game starts on Friday...i haven't slotted books into any of the easier to fill categories, so hopefully i'll be able to put bingo books in them
I would love to finish the challenge, but that's not plausible in my life just now. So instead, my goal is 500 points. I've only gotten to it once, but maybe for the summer challenge. I can hope! I am always amazed at the people who do finish the challenge--or finish it season after season! I don't know how you do it, but I am quite impressed with all of you.
★Meghan★ wrote: "My goal is always to read at least 5 points more than the previous season. It looks like this time I will hit 345, so next season I will shoot for 350. I also like to do a bingo challenge in a..."
Oh, Megan... I am always trying to cut back spending on books. It has yet to work though. I do try really hard not to buy anything exclusively for the challenge. The one is exception is if I find it at a Goodwill or St. Vincent's or something, but that has also quickly expanded my TBR list. :)
I don't think I will ever finish the challenge. My goal is just to get to 200-250 points. I usually do about 10-12 tasks a challenges and read around 15 books per challenge. I try to get books off my TBR list.
I don't buy books - except in the library semi-annual book sale or from their for sale cart for $.50 a book. I'm like so many others here; I have a lot of unread books in my home. So, if I cannot find a book on my shelf or get it at the library, I would skip the task. Thus far, my library has come through. They do not always have the book but they will get it for me through inter-library loan if another system library has it. Nice, huh?
I love my library inter-library system too Bea!! I can search the catalog from home and in a few days the item is delivered to my home library. No muss, no fuss and NO STORAGE. I read a lot but about the only books I own are my Bible and some cookbooks. Other than that my library meets all my reading needs.
I would like to get half the points, and in doing so knock a significant amount of books after my tbr. I try to only use books from my tbr list and so far slotted tbr's into most of the tasks. I won't finish because I've got uni at the same time, but would still like to spend plenty of time reading.
my library is awesome as well, and ILL doesn't cost me anything - I have 3 books for this challenge already from there and 2 more on the way
The only thing that keeps me buying e-books is that I've been spoiled with the "instant gratification" of not having to wait for my books to arrive. I get them instantly.I've got several books this challenge that will be coming from the library, and it's going to drive me nuts having to wait for them to arrive. LOL
lol, poor sassy ;)I tend to use the library for those random books that I don't want to buy, or my around the world challenge books because they often aren't available in ebook
This is my first challenge and I know I have lots of work/social commitments over the next few months so I'm not gonna set my goal too high! I will start with a 300 point goal this challenge, see how I go and maybe increase it next challenge. I have looked at the tasks and I can meet all of them with my current tbr books so at least I will reduce them too!
Sheila wrote: "I love my library inter-library system too Bea!! I can search the catalog from home and in a few days the item is delivered to my home library. No muss, no fuss and NO STORAGE. I read a lot bu..."
Sheila, I do the online search too which saves me time and helps with my planning. However, I own a lot of used books 'cause I used to love going to used book stores and walking out with a bagful! Even though it is an economical way to get a bunch of books, I have no more room!
My goals for the Summer 2012:1. To get 500+ Points & Complete 28 Tasks.
2. To read 2 1000+ Paged books.
3. Read several more books that my Mother really liked or was reading the year she died.
4. To read more books outside of my favorite genres.
5. See if I can actually read 15,000 Pages this Summer.
6. Still write a review for each book I read.
7. Have fun, fun, fun and chatting with my SRC friends about the books we read for the challenge.
Whew! I'm already tired!!!
1. Finish the challenge (a very lofty goal - but hey, a girl can dream, right?)2. Earn 400 or more points
3. I own many books that I haven't read yet and I would like to fit as many of those books as I can into the tasks of this challenge, instead of going out and buying new books.
4. During the spring challenge I mostly read whichever books sounded good at thr moment. For summer's challenge I would like to focus on reading the books that will award me the most points.
5. Have fun during this challenge and discover new authors!
1. My goal is to kick start my reading! This year has been really slow so far. I did the winter 2011 season and read a ton of books (maybe too many - but that's another story). 2. Earn at least 400 points.
3. Have fun!
Read more new authors.Finish the challenge (Summers are difficult, my job is busier during the summer).
Enjoy the books I read.
Here are my goals:1. Have fun! (I'll definitely do more "mood" reading like Judy)
2. Keep reading! (There's a lot going on in my life and during the Spring challenge I got sidetracked and ended up reading just a few books.)
3. Get as many books off my TBR list and get to know as many new authors as possible.
It's great to read what goals the others have for the summer. I felt a bit guilty that I wasn't able to finish the challenge due to my real life.
My personal goal for this Summer Challenge is that I don't have a goal :)I have really worked hard with the previous two seasons trying to fit in all the books I read and achieve at least half the points possible.
So this time I will just have fun and do the "mood" reading also. If the book fits in some of the tasks - good, if not - no problems.
Also with all the outdoor activities during summer I read less than I read during winter, so I will enjoy my summer, my visit to CA and some good books.
But I will be back meaning business for next season!
Not likely I'll ever finish the SRC, though!
Italics = previously stated.1. Achieve at least 50% of the total points.
2. Complete 50% of the tasks.
3. Have fun and stop being a slave to my plan!
4. Find at least 3 new authors. I'd particularly like to read more GR authors.
5. Read more TBR books than I add to the TBR. Right now I have 718 books on the GR TBR.
6. Finish off two of my series that I have started.
7. Continue to read more books from my own shelves than I buy. (Need to get the number I own down.)
Well, that's it for now!
I just joined the SRC for the Spring Challenge, and set a personal goal of 600 points. I was surprised and pleased to achieve that this time around, because unlike some of you by the looks of this, most of my reading is "mood" reading. I let the challenge decide for me if I had two books in mind, but was able to fit a lot of my mood reading somewhere.The Summer Challenge will be a little harder for me, as the kids are home from school, and I will be prepping myself to go back to work after a year off (UUGH!).
My Summer Goals are:
1. Achieve 700 points
2. If attain number 1, be in top 25 on the Readerboard.
3. Read more non-fiction (tough for me, unless it is work related!)
4. Purchase as few books as possible, maintaining my self-imposed book buying ban until I have cleared out the 100 books in my closet.
5. Lap up as much reading as possible - things will change drastically for my reading habits in September! (unless of course we can count children's books, then I will be laughing, but...)
Sassafrass wrote: "The only thing that keeps me buying e-books is that I've been spoiled with the "instant gratification" of not having to wait for my books to arrive. I get them instantly.I've got several books t..."
I hate waiting, too. But what helps is that I've got all the books I know I'll need requested now! (Okay, I requested them last week and they already arrived). But I'll start the challenge with those so I can return them, then work on my own books when I'm done with the library books.
Does your library lend ebooks? Mine does, but for either a week or two weeks. I do that once in awhile, but if I finish the book early, I can't return it and get a new one until the time limit is up--so I don't use it that often.
Mod
Fortunately, our library e-book policy is much better - I can check out up to 6 at a time, for up to 3 weeks. And I can check them in early.
I thought that I couldn't check them in early, because I couldn't find anything on Overdrive to allow that. I then found, tho, that by going to Amazon and pulling up the list of my ebooks, I could end the loan there, and that checked them in on Overdrive. If you have some other kind of reader than a kindle, I don't know how/if it can be done.
The other thing, as a practical matter, is that even if your loan period is up, the book is going to stay on your e-reader until you go online with it. I typically stay offline, just go online when I'm ready to download books - so if I need a few more days to finish up one I've checked out, I just don't turn on my wireless connection.
Ms. Anderson, my library has e-books and audiobooks downloads, CDs and tapes for books, movies on discs, as well as books!
Sandy wrote: "If you have some other kind of reader than a kindle, I don't know how/if it can be done."I have a B&N Nook. With the Nook, you check library ebooks in early using Adobe Digital Edition. This takes the book off my total books checked out on Overdrive and allows me to get more books.
Ms Anderson wrote: "The other thing, as a practical matter, is that even if your loan period is up, the book is going to stay on your e-reader until you go online with it. I typically stay offline, just go online when I'm ready to download books - so if I need a few more days to finish up one I've checked out, I just don't turn on my wireless connection. ..."
Do you have a Kindle Ms. Anderson? I was frustrated by this too and just figured out how to return books early. You go to your account on Amazon/Manage Your Kindle and under my books click the action, return book. It works like a charm.
i think the new edition of overdrive that just came out let's you return books early from it for ebook and audiobooks - I know that was a huge pet peeve of mine
Christina (AKA Babbling) wrote: "★Meghan★ wrote: "I also like to do a bingo challenge in another group, so I will be working to maneuver those books into this challenge wherever I can stuff them...."I did pretty good this time -..."
I had so much fun with it last time! I want to try again. I am working on cutting down on the number of challenges I am doing though. I have already decided to drop a couple of them. Most of the ones I am dropping are for personal goals though and nothing big.
It looks like I might manage 275 points this challenge so I'm gonna aim for 300 in the Summer Challenge. I'm hoping no school will mean a lot more reading time.
My other aim is to read paperbacks I own or borrowed books so I can save the books on my kindle for when I (hopefully) start Uni in September.
As a lot of people have been saying, I'm in awe of the people who manage to finish the challenge (or even manage half the points). I have no idea how you do it. 300 is going to be a big enough challenge for me!
Sandy wrote: "Ms Anderson wrote: "Does your library lend ebooks? Mine does, but for either a week or two weeks. I do that once in awhile, but if I finish the book early, I can't return it and get a new one until..."I'll have to try that. I thought it was just my library being the way they are. I don't borrow Kindle books often since I'm generally able to obtain physical copies through my library system, but that annoyed me the few times I have borrowed them.
My library lends ebooks. I just recently figured out hot to return them early too but I think that is a newer development with the kindle lending. But still there the more popular books have a waiting list. I really try to be patient...I do.
Each season I increase my personal goal. This Spring Season I set my goal to at least achieving 800 points and I'm proud to say I reached it with my posting today. I work as a Library Youth Associate and homeschool my 17 year old son, so I'm pleased with my seasonal reading accomplishments. However, one of these seasons; I will be able to say that I've completed all of the given tasks! Life is never boring for me with a book in my hand and a pug by my side. :)2012 Summer goal will be 900 points, and to also give myself permission not to plan too many books ahead. Just be flexible with matching books that "come across my path" with tasks requirements.
Lindy-Lane wrote: Each season I increase my personal goal. This Spring Season I set my goal to at least achieving 800 points and I'm proud to say I reached it with my posting today.That is so great! I've almost reached my goal for Spring. I try to read at least 4 hours a day. I don't know how I'll ever finish a Challenge. But if I do better than I did in the last one - I am a very happy camper ;-P
Sassafrass wrote: "My library lends ebooks. I just recently figured out hot to return them early too but I think that is a newer development with the kindle lending. But still there the more popular books have a wa..."
For the popular books, I put holds on the book and the electronic versions when available and then cancel the hold when I get one version.
i try to fit books into the the next challenge that I didn't get to in the previous one.
My goals are to achieve at least 600 points, and try to use some of the books I bought at a library book sale a couple of years ago. I only plan ahead for about half the tasks. Then I pick up books that interest me as I go through the library and try to fit them in to tasks that have many options. The most important thing is to have fun reading.
★Meghan★ wrote: "I had so much fun with it last time! I want to try again. I am working on cutting down on the number of challenges I am doing though. I have already decided to drop a couple of them. Most of the ones I am dropping are for personal goals though and nothing big......."I'm with you on cutting back on the number of challenges. I've slacked off on a lot of them lately. If, and when, there is a 6th round of bingo...I'll probably jump back in. :)
The Seasonal Reading Challenge
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