The 2023 Annual Reading Challenge Discussion Thread

[Paperbackstash]

I've switched from library loans to KU Urban Fantasy series again. Reading has picked up, and got back into mystery audio. Have been happy with progress this year with exception of my print-reading goal (0!)

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

March: Bought 5, read 6, TBR down 1 (to 682).
Success!

April: Bought 3, got 1 freebie, read 15, discarded 1, TBR down 12 (to 670).
Success!

I've bought fewer books in the first four months of this year than in the first four months of any year in the last 20+ years!

[issybird]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

April: Bought 3, got 1 freebie, read 15, discarded 1, TBR down 12 (to 670).
Success!

I've bought fewer books in the first four months of this year than in the first four months of any year in the last 20+ years!

Good on you!

I've been successful in my own right, as I'm still on target or slightly ahead in all of my goals, even though I feel a little frantic, as if I'm playing Whac-a-Mole. I don't think I've had as successful a run from the start of the year in a long time and I knowingly overcommitted at that.

[HLS]

I am reading walking With Ghosts Gabriel Byrne Worst memoir ever written. it's all jumbled with no clear timeline.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by HLS

I am reading walking With Ghosts Gabriel Byrne Worst memoir ever written. it's all jumbled with no clear timeline.

I loved it. I gave it five stars at Goodreads and it made my ten-best list in 2021.

[astrangerhere]

Goal Status through April:

Length Goals:

• Total Books: 50 (stretch goal of 75) 34/50 - On Target
• Total Pages: 15,000 (stretch of 20,000) - 10,673/15,000 - On Target
• E-TBR Reduction: 25 - 8/25 - On Target
• Read from Print-TBR: 10 - 10/10 - GOAL MET

Substantive Goals:

• Read at least 51% non-American authors - 31%/61% - Off Target
• Read more female/nonbinary authors than male - 64%/36% - On Target
• Read at least 52 short stories - 17/52 - On Target
• Read at least 10 books across all our collections that are selected by my wife. - 6/10 - On Target

[PlatinumWarlock]

Originally Posted by Paperbackstash

I just went on a mini buying splurge after I'd been doing so well :/

OMFG!!! Your spreadsheet!! I am in awe. I am not worthy. I want to come learn at your knee.

Seriously, that's incredible. I especially love the colorful pie charts. And how satisfying it must be to track all of that data!!

BTW, where are you from in Central FL? I grew up in Tampa, although I live in the PNW now. Hate the heat...

[Paperbackstash]

Originally Posted by PlatinumWarlock

OMFG!!! Your spreadsheet!! I am in awe. I am not worthy. I want to come learn at your knee.

Seriously, that's incredible. I especially love the colorful pie charts. And how satisfying it must be to track all of that data!!

BTW, where are you from in Central FL? I grew up in Tampa, although I live in the PNW now. Hate the heat...

Aw, thank you. It's actually a mess right now as I need to update stuff and am all over the place (like my brain)

I do live in Lakeland, so not far from Tampa. Do agree completely on the heat and humidity, though! Maybe that's one reason my brain is so chaotic

[Tarana]

April Wrapup

Books to read: 33/60 Meeting so far
20,000 pages: 11,954 Meeting so far
6 books over 600 pages: 1 Meeting so far
6 books from GR WantToRead Fail so far
Storygraph Mobile Reads Challenge: 3/12 Slight blip
Read 12 ebooks costing over $6: 7 Meeting so far

TBR Down 10 for each category:
Ebooks: Up 26 Fail so far
Audiobooks: Up 5 Fail so far
Magazines: Down 1 Meeting so far

Plenty of reading and plenty of buying. I have discontinued my Audible membership for now.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

April: Bought 3, got 1 freebie, read 15, discarded 1, TBR down 12 (to 670).
Success!

May: Bought 3, read 14, TBR down 11 (to 659).
Success!

Although I did have a wobble this month and almost bought nine books on offer, but managed to resist.

[astrangerhere]

Goal Status through May:

Length Goals:

• Total Books: 50 (stretch goal of 75) 36/50 - On Target
• Total Pages: 15,000 (stretch of 20,000) - 11,704/15,000 - On Target
• E-TBR Reduction: 25 - 8/25 - Off Target but only slightly. Made a lot of ground on the print and wife's list goals though!
• Read from Print-TBR: 10 - 12/10 - GOAL EXCEEDED

Substantive Goals:

• Read at least 51% non-American authors - 31%/61% - Off Target - the short stories are killing this one for now...
• Read more female/nonbinary authors than male - 63%/37% - On Target
• Read at least 52 short stories - 17/52 - Off Target but only slightly.
• Read at least 10 books across all our collections that are selected by my wife. - 8/10 - On Target

[Tarana]

May - Ebooks - Bought 15, read 2. Audiobooks Bought 11, listened to 2. So failure on both but did mostly stick with goal of buying only authors I am currently reading.

Edited to add: Had to update my numbers for a last minute deal. Despite the minimal reads in May, I'm still ahead for total reading for the year.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by issybird

I've been successful in my own right, as I'm still on target or slightly ahead in all of my goals, even though I feel a little frantic, as if I'm playing Whac-a-Mole. I don't think I've had as successful a run from the start of the year in a long time and I knowingly overcommitted at that.

Lather, rinse, repeat. I'm slightly ahead on all categories except for keeping pace with the Storygraph challenge. Now, I need to use that slack to take on some of my longer or more difficult books, or at least that's my intention. Summer can be a complicating factor. Not that I don't have the time, but the inclination to tackle some of the more sloggish books on my TBR is in abeyance. I hope I'm still up to the mark on Labor Day!

[HLS]

Originally Posted by issybird

I loved it. I gave it five stars at Goodreads and it made my ten-best list in 2021.

I hated it lol. I love the actor tho

[HLS]

I can't seem to get the motivation to read. I find myself rushing theww the books, skipping pages... etc for i am getting bored fast.