New year, new reading challenge starts!
Yes, we’re in 2025 already (and I’m posting later than usual so even my west coast friends will not be “so last year!”
If you’re anticipating an IWSG post, that’s next week, by order of the hangover cure elves. I considered the possibility of flash fiction today, but decided to wrap up last year’s reading challenges and launch the new ones.
2024 Reading Challenges
As with 23, I had a lot of time on my hands, due to not being able to do much with my hands. So I met most of my challenges, including the Goodreads one, by August. I held off a few, but earmarked the books, so I finished the X of Alphabet Soup in November, and the final step on my TBR Mountain in December. Just call me an over-achiever.
Why do I do Challenges?
I think I like to have a plan of some sort. There is still that ‘what shall I read next?’ dilemma, when I look at the bookshelf, scroll through the kindle, or scan down my TBR list on Goodreads, wondering what I fancy, but something usually catches my eye as it waves gleefully, reminding me that it’s been waiting patiently for me for years. Some of the challenges remind me of authors I know I like but haven’t read for some time. Others just give me a challenge to find something to fit, like the Alphabet Soup challenge. But I am getting bored with looking for X titles.
New Challenges… and Old
I checked a couple of new challenges in December. There are some interesting ones with themes or prompts, a bit like the ones Bruce Gargoyle used to do. Bruce’s used to be about six to eight books. The ones I saw were either monthly, or weekly, and wanted you to do them in the correct timespan. I think that’s too prescriptive for me. Which is not to say I couldn’t borrow the prompts and do them in my own time…
But I do want to change things a little. I’ll continue with the Non-fiction Adventure, because that’s a ten/twelve year commitment. Although the originators have disappeared…. I’ll also do another Finishing the Series Challenge, (who also seem to have stopped blogging) as there are always new series I’ve read the first one of, and want to read more. I’m just more open to dropping some if they are no longer of interest.
The TBR Mountain has served me well for years now. This year I deliberately went back to look at those books I listed in 2015 and earlier, and deleted those I hadn’t got, had not listed as priority, and could see no other reason for listing. I dropped 85 titles! Last month I added 10 Booker prize winners, but my TBR is still just below 900 again.
Booker prize. I suddenly had a desire to read more of them. I have read two… Hotel du Lac in the 80s or 90s, and Bring Up The Bodies which I reviewed here. I couldn’t find a specific challenge that would fit what I wanted to do, so I’ve invented my own challenge for it.
I’m dropping the SpaceTime Reading Challenge. I’ll read sci-fi anyway, and the number of people joining in has dropped off steadily. So why run it? If you want me to, let me know in the comments. Top of my list for Booker prize winners is Sci-fi…
Reading Challenge for 2025
- Non-fiction Reading Challenge: read another ten books or pass 70
- Finishing the Series Challenge 2025: finish five or more series from those listed
- Mount TBR Reading Challenge; climb three mountains (36 titles)
- Booker Prize Challenge: read 4 prizewinners
And just to make me do something ridiculous I’m going to either resurrect the Colour-coded Challenge, or find something with themes that I like, or redo the Bruce Gargoyle themed one. I’ll decided by the end of the month. And… I think I’m hooked on the Alphabet Soup Challenge.
Oh and my Goodreads target, once again, is 52 books, which gives me my weekly book review. Although for Middle Grade Monday I ought to add ten more. Hm… I’d better make that 60.
I hope that this year my hands will allow me to spend more time doing things, like gardening and painting, and clearing out stuff which has been in boxes since I moved in five years ago. Less time sitting and reading, anyway. If I could, I’d cross my fingers 😀
Have a happy new year. As happy as we can make it for our friends, family, and people who need our help, anyway.
Happy new year! I never have a plan, beyond what my monthly book group chooses. I managed 37 this year which is my second highest since I started keeping a note in 2015. I know I used to read more pre social media / blogging days!
Happy New Year, my friend. You are so organized and planned. I have nothing planned except for three trips (Utah to see my son and his family), the beach and Maine to sell books. Maybe it’s a result of all the years having every day detailed with all I had to do! I know you will accomplish all of it!
I spent much of last evening planning my big trip for 2025 :). As for reading, I think I’ve accepted that I’m just going to be disorganized and read according to the whim of the moment and what I can find at the library. For the second or third year in a row I failed to hit my Goodreads challenge target, because I exclude most re-reads, and I’m still doing a lot of those. No problem getting in lots of non-fiction, mostly of the sort that reads like fiction—adventure narratives and history. Natural history will also continue to show up in there, and books about walking 🙂
Happy 2025!