Yes, it’s time for my Reading Challenge progress report again.
My Goodreads Challenge tally is finally ahead of schedule, although it easily slips behind as soon as I have a long (400 page) book to read. I don’t understand why I am behind my four-plus books a month target, yet I’m way ahead of books reviewed on my blog – as you’ve seen I resorted to two reviews a week during August, and that’ll continue for a short while, I think. Of course I have occasionally missed a review Saturday, but not that many – just one or two during April, and the Book v Movie adventure at the start of this month. I enjoyed that exercise and would do more, if I had more books and movies to compare!
This month I have read Frankie Dupont and the Science Fair Sabotage (short), In the Shadows of the Mosquito Constellation (long), The Edible Garden (reviewed on Goodreads, but not here), and The Wrong Stuff, and also about a third of E M Forster Aspects of the Novel, which I started after reading a review of Self-editing for Fiction Writers and thinking I really ought to know more about the craft of writing. I’m in that situation where I know it, but not consciously.
That has put me ahead of schedule, on 38 of 60 books, and apart from the one mentioned above I’m in the middle of two other books. I do think I should be able to count those ARCs and re-reads of my own books! I’m probably ahead of target for the Mad Reviewer’s Challenge because that counts reviews on Goodreads, but I’m sometimes late in posting them. I think Edible Garden ought to count for the BookShelf Gargoyle’s Oddity Odyssey, because it’s not normally something I’d sit down and read, but I also realise that I’ve a few more I didn’t include, like Apocalypse Weird: Reversal and A Midsummer Night’s Steampunk, so I’m now well ahead of schedule on this one, in fact I’ve already beaten it. Maybe I should go for the next level up – ‘Strikingly Strange’.
I’m signing up for a second year for the Tackle your TBR list readathon, which runs from September 14-27. I don’t think I need to catch up in the same way as I did last year, but with those long days in the garden rapidly passing, I have to get ahead for the switch to winter reading habits. You can read more about the Readathon here.
There’s still time to join the Local Heroes Challenge for the year. We have a small but select group, and unless you think I should, I won’t repeat the challenge next year. Maybe another year. Tell us in the comments how you’re doing.
I haven’t read any more books for the Challenge and I still haven’t started The Rings of Saturn, which counts, but it sits on my table and gets ignored for other books on my kindle. I need to complete two more to get to my target, and since an Elly Griffiths will count, it’s easy to leave it to the last moment. I’m looking forward to the Elly Griffiths event at Noirwich in September.
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READ BOOKS!
Come back every last Wednesday of the month and talk about them!
You’ve set yourself some pretty hefty goals, Jemima. I managed to get through four books while on vacation – now I’m lucky to get a few pages in, Of course I’m in a major rewrite and also volunteered to be a beta reader for the books of two friends, Not the best move!
Well, I have to read to have some stuff to review, and it does help my writing, I think. Most of the sub-goals contribute directly to the major ones anyway! I’m in the middle of two books at present. One is ‘meh’ and the other is great fun!
I’ve fallen behind on my goal–which is about 3 a week, a slight increase over last year. A few kids’ books will take care of that. I have actually read many more, as GR doesn’t let me count re-reads (not of my books, but of old favorites, to which I turn when stressed). Also a beta-read….
Yeah, those beta-reads should count. Although we’ll be able to add them straight away when they get published!
Guess we both need to get on that!
Way to go. I did the GR reading challenge this year after barely doing any reading last year. It has really helped me. Of course, my TBR pile keeps growing because I find interesting books.
I know what you mean!
I’m intrigued by all these challenges and how you find time! I used to be a real book worm but find if I read my book group title I’m struggling to fit more than one other in each month, if that. I’ve just read a book set in Glasgow so it might not be too late to read 2 more before the end of the year and be a bronze Local Hero. We’ll see……
Yeah, go on, sign up! In theory I should be able to read one a week, and the first year I did more, so I upped the challenge total and beat it. This year I really do feel it’s a lot harder – possibly due to the weather. Not enough sitting on the lounger in the garden (in the shade).
Have been having a think – fairly sure I’ve read at least 3 books set in Glasgow this year. Is it cheating to do it retrospectively?
As long as they were read in 2015, they’re fine. (I can make up the rules, it’s my challenge!)
I’m 2/3 of the way through the rather prosy book of local history photos. After that, I have to go further afield for local books.