The 2024 Annual Reading Challenge Discussion Thread

[Tarana]

My TBR actually went down by 3. Bought 6, read 9! 5 books left to reach this year's goal.

[issybird]

It's not a specific goal, more just a general awareness, but my TBR is down 32 so far this year.

[library addict]

My TBR is down 36 overall.

I have read all but four of the books I purchased this year and should get to them all before year's end.

[pdurrant]

11/12ths of the year gone. How has it been for you? I hope there's been many enjoyable reads.

I have a good reading year. 162 read this year so far, with many 5/5, and only a few abandoned.

But November had several sales that mean that I bought 32 books in November. So my TBR pile has now grown by 3 instead of shrinking.

I still hope to have reduced it a little by the end of the year.

[DrNefario]

I've changed my priorities a bit and am less bothered about the spending - mainly because of how much I was spending on other hobbies for less return - so although I'm missing some of my goals from the start of the year, I'm not too concerned about it.

I'm still pushing for some reduced goals.

I have still read more than I bought. As long as I conveniently ignore the huge Battletech bundle I bought in May. At least I resisted the later Shadowrun version.

The actual books have largely been good. There is one huge fantasy tome I should have abandoned early on, when it became clear it wasn't for me, but pushed through because I wanted it for my Reddit bingo card. And it's hard to think of many real standouts, but most things are in the 3-4 star range.

[issybird]

I am in good shape to hit all my goals this year. I have to finish two books I've started to hit my ancient history/lit challenge and my pre-20th century US history challenge; I've already met my pre-20th century fiction challenge.

I don't think I've ever hit all my goals before, so this is significant to me. But, I have to buckle down just the same. My Thanksgiving company left this morning and will be back in a little over two weeks and if I needed the reminder, this past week proves I can't get substantive reading down when I have company. I also have a book club book I need to read (thankful that it's short) and ideally I'd like to clear out everything and start next year fresh. At least also finish the two other nonfiction books I've got going; I'm also in the early stages of another Victorian novel and I wouldn't mind carrying that forward or even chalking it up to a false start.

[Tarana]

I've had a slow reading year. Lots of family and pet health problems. I'm dealing long distance with the estate of a family member and wow, that takes up constant space in your brain even when not working on it.

I did make my page goal of 20,000 pages yesterday, so yay!! I have 2 books left to go on my 60 book goal. I don't think I will meet other goals although I'm going to try on those magazines. My books have been mostly hit rather than miss although I think I had more miss this year than in the last couple of years. Only one abandoned but 5 or 6 rated 2 or less.

[pdurrant]

The new 2025 list thread is up. Grab a place:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=365093

[JSWolf]

I will finish my last book next week n the Storygraph Mobileread 2024 challenge.

[issybird]

I've hit all my goals for 2024. And with a week to go, too.

But the true reason for my jubilation is that this is the first time I've hit all my goals, ever. So yay, me.

I've got four more books on the go and I'd love to finish them all and start the new year fresh; I've got a decent shot at it. At least two are certainties. But this is a trifle, not meaning to distract from the main thing.

2025 is going to be tough. But I can bask for a week before it becomes pressing.

[JSWolf]

Because I caught a pretty good cold, it took me a little bit longer then expected. But I have finished my 2024 Storygraph reading challenge.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

November had several sales that mean that I bought 32 books in November. So my TBR pile has now grown by 3 instead of shrinking.

I still hope to have reduced it a little by the end of the year.

I have cheated slightly - I sorted bmy unread books by page count, and read lots of the tiny books. 11 finished today, in fact.

This means I end 2014 with my TBR at 671 - ten down on the start of the year.

I did add quite a few very small books this year too, so it's not quite as much of a cheat as it seems....

I think I must set a more challenging target for 2025. I think getting below 650 sounds good to me.

It was an enjoyable reading year for me, with some different reads from being in an in-person book club.

[Byrdie]

My 2024 Reading Challenge Results:

45 books (that counted) read. Goal was 24 and I met that at least 6 months ago.

Shortest book read was 32 pages. Longest one was 8,400 pages -- no, that is NOT a typo. "The Deathworlders" by Philip R. Johnson (aka Hambone) took me around 3 months to get through by reading for an hour, sometimes longer, every single day. Worse book hangover ever when it ended and I live in hope there will be a professional edition, maybe even a sequel, someday. As I recall, reading at least one long novel was on my list. Safe to say, goal met -- and then some.

TBR pile reduction? Yeah, right. Have given up on taming that beast, especially after the latest round of Stuff Your Kindle/Ereader days and the Smashwords End-of-Year sale. At least I didn't spend as much on new books as in 2023, so that's a point in my favour. I hope. ;-)

Have not thought about 2025 goals, yet. Maybe when the holidays are over. Anyways, Happy New (Book) Year!

[pdurrant]

The 2025 list thread can be found here: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=365093