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Do any of you do reading challenges?

I am currently doing the Early Bird Books Summer Reading Challenge, which I also did last year. They have a closed Facebook Group but it is very easy to join.

It does get me out of my comfort zone, at least a little bit, and I am not too concerned whether I fulfill the challenge or not, but it is a different way to look at reading and books.

How about you? Have you done a reading challenge? Like them? Hate them? Don’t care?

Kathi wrote: "Do any of you do reading challenges?

I am currently doing the Early Bird Books Summer Reading Challenge, which I also did last year. They have a closed Facebook Group but it is very easy to join...."

I just started my first challenge (new to ŷ������) in another group. It is timeless, which I like; your goal is to get through a game of Snakes and Ladders with reading prompts on squares you land on. I liked it because there was no time limit and also I like rolling dice. :)

I think I would also like to participate in a shorter challenge, like a seasonal one, that also had prompts. Not very into "ABC" challenges or anything like that; finding a book title starting with an E isn't as fun to me as finding a book that has a revolution in it. I like looking for books that fit certain prompts I wouldn't ordinarily have read, but I have to balance it with a reasonable list/time limit because I don't want ALL of my reading to be restricted for a challenge.

I like the idea of reading challenges (I probably could use some prodding out of my usual genres), but I'm not organized enough ;) Maybe when my kids are older and parenting is less hands-on...

I love reading challenges! I'm doing the general GR one (x books in 2019), two with another book group and two personal ones.

Gabi wrote: "I love reading challenges! I'm doing the general GR one (x books in 2019), two with another book group and two personal ones."

I am also doing the general ŷ������ one. I upped my goal from 60 to 70 books this year.

Kathi wrote: "Do any of you do reading challenges?...."

No. I read for pleasure, which means what, when, & if I feel like it. I usually do. My successful reading is measured in the average number of stars for the year, not in the number of books. I find the number of books is ridiculous for me since a couple of dozen last year were short stories. Pages are worse since GR insists that a CD counts as a 'page' for an audiobook. About 2/3 of my reading is now audiobooks & my wife insists that's not reading. I disagree. Luckily she doesn't make a big deal out of it since I'd hate to get rid of her at this late date. It's been almost 40 years...

I fill out the 'year on ŷ������' book & list the best of various categories. Last year that included most genres as well as poetry & lectures as you can see from my review here:
/review/show...
It was a good year & this one seems to be on par.

Anyway, I find keeping up with my GR friend & group recommendations & my own curiosity challenge enough. I don't need any more judging by my huge TBR pile.

Jim wrote: "My successful reading is measured in the average number of stars for the year, ..."

In addition to letting ŷ������ track my number of books, I also keep my own list in a spreadsheet and I rate on a 1-10 scale, and yes, I definitely look at the average rating for the year. Most years have been about 7.3-7.7, but 2016 and 2017 averaged just over 8.0, and then last year was down to 7.2.

You read a wide variety of genres already, and I don’t, so the Reading Challenges and the Amazon First Reads program are good ways for me to broaden my horizons. But like you, I read for pleasure, so the majority of my reading will always be SF, fantasy, thriller/mystery/intrigue, and historical fiction, since those are my favorite genres.

I can see where challenges would help broaden your reading. I might do that myself if I weren't so moody. Even the best book just doesn't work unless I'm in the proper frame of mind for it. Other times I can enjoy the worse dreck. If I added in any kind of restriction, I'd never enjoy it. I guess I'm just picky & weird.
;)

I am very similar to Jim. I am so mood driven, that there are times I'm not even in the mood for my most favorite of books.

The few years before I joined ŷ������, I got into a rut and did a lot of rereads. My goal when joining this site was to get myself out of that rut and try to find more authors that I'd not heard of before.

Other than that, my only other goal would be to have fun and enjoy myself. Reading for me was always about the pleasure, and that is not an aspect I want to loose.

And that's as far as I've gotten with any reading goals.

As with Jim, not a fan of "challenges"
For me its not the number of books but how well I enjoyed them
I am reading a few dense books this year and they take longer to read. Firstborn and War by Michelle West, Firstborn took me a month to read, War is due up in Oct or Nov.
Right now I am trying to finish the final two Malazan books. I tired of them a few years ago and wanted to finish them.
If I was in any sort of thing now these four books will severely restrict the numbers of books read

Ken wrote: "Right now I am trying to finish the final two Malazan books. I tired of them a few years ago and wanted to finish them."
During year or 2 that we were reading the Malazan books in the group, I really struggled to get very many other books read. In fact, for 6 months straight, I didn’t read anything else! So I hear you.

“Hate to get rid of her�� that made me laugh. I’ve joined challenges in the past but I get competitive and end up not enjoying what I’m reading. I’m currently doing one, that said, where I’m reading whatever I like, that I’ve owned for over a year. I have a lot of choice!

Helen wrote: "“Hate to get rid of her�� that made me laugh. ..."

Good, because it was in jest, of course. Just like her leaving me for a rich man so she can winter in the Keys. She'd never leave her horses for that long.
;)

Kathi wrote: "During year or 2 that we were reading the Malazan books in the group, I really struggled to get very many other books read. In fact, for 6 months straight, I didn’t read anything else! So I hear you.."

When I started the series I would read them from May to Oct. I would read one, try something else to cleanse the palette and then back to Malazan, I was reading 3 or 4 a season
When I got to book 9, I just wasnt feeling it, I would get 100 to 200 pages into it and just stop reading. I took a long a break, I think 2 or 3 years and when I started reading it again, it was great again.