Reading Challenge 2020

[Defining]

1 minute ago, Harriet said:

Thanks for the suggestion. I just googled it. It sounds like fun. It also sounds really, really specific. I'm imagining that it gets a bit samey after a while, so I think I'll just add some of the first or best works to my list.

I'd recommend the Mistborn trilogy (Brandon Sanderson), if you need a place to start.  

[Harriet]

27 minutes ago, Defining said:

I'd recommend the Mistborn trilogy (Brandon Sanderson), if you need a place to start.  

 

Oh, Chris Tarly was reading that, too. I guess that's two recommendations, so I'll bump it up the list  

[Scaly Freak]

Anything sci-fi by Jules Verne might also count as "metal". Those books read a lot like precursors of the steampunk genre.

[TheGreyJedi]

I'm game... my reading habit fell by the wayside, so I'm committing to reading at least 12 books this year.

 

[fitnessgurl]

On 12/31/2019 at 6:03 PM, Lateral Planet said:

My goal for this year is to make a dent in all the unread books I have lying around. I always seem to buy them faster than I can read them!

I should do this as well. I have so many...but...

[Jupiter]

[fitnessgurl]

2 minutes ago, Jupiter said:

Yessss!!!!

[Lateral Planet]

37 minutes ago, fitnessgurl said:

I should do this as well. I have so many...but...

I never said I was going to stop buying books  

[Merrin]

In for this. 2020 goal is 4 books per month. I've got all of Sandman to read, plus almost a dozen novels to start. 

[Akari]

On 12/31/2019 at 3:26 AM, Defining said:

**Audiobooks count!**

That suits me perfectly. As a teenager I could sit for hours and read. Now I carry my smartphone with me and listen to books when walking the dog or driving around my babyboy in his carriage. Currently I listen to 'Becoming' of Michelle Obama. 

But I picked up a few real books to read. For example 'Le chut de giants' (Fall of giants from Ken Follett) and 'Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal'. 

[Captain Gilly]

Yes!
I want to be part of this challenge!! Keep me accountable! I really want to read more, this year I am going to make it a priority. 

 

Goal - At least 1 book a month. At another suggestion I have already downloaded my libraries cloud app and got the kindle app. Starting with the Dresden files. 

 

@fitnessgurl Thank you so much for linking me this!!  

[fitnessgurl]

2 minutes ago, LostValkyrie19 said:

Thank you so much for linking me this!!

You're welcome. 😀

[Defining]

Nice to see so many keen readers! Are you guys interested in a 'progress & tracking' spreadsheet, or do we prefer the more organic 'post when you can' method for this challenge?

 

[TheGreyJedi]

13 minutes ago, Defining said:

Nice to see so many keen readers! Are you guys interested in a 'progress & tracking' spreadsheet, or do we prefer the more organic 'post when you can' method for this challenge?

 

I'd prefer a spreadsheet of some kind; it not only helps keep me accountable, but I like to go back to review how long I spent on a particular book/topic/genre

 

[fitnessgurl]

6 minutes ago, TheGreyJedi said:

I'd prefer a spreadsheet of some kind; it not only helps keep me accountable, but I like to go back to review how long I spent on a particular book/topic/genre

 

Seconded, but it could be optional if people don't want to use it.

[Scaly Freak]

1 minute ago, fitnessgurl said:

Seconded, but it could be optional if people don't want to use it.

 

It would have to be optional, since my goal would be very difficult to track in a spreadsheet.

[SMintYoongi]

24 minutes ago, Defining said:

Nice to see so many keen readers! Are you guys interested in a 'progress & tracking' spreadsheet, or do we prefer the more organic 'post when you can' method for this challenge?

 

 

I would definitely love a spreadsheet - the structure of it just makes me more motivated

[Defining]

13 minutes ago, TheGreyJedi said:

I'd prefer a spreadsheet of some kind; it not only helps keep me accountable, but I like to go back to review how long I spent on a particular book/topic/genre

 

1 minute ago, SMintYoongi said:

I would definitely love a spreadsheet - the structure of it just makes me more motivated

 

I will see what I can whip up!

 

6 minutes ago, fitnessgurl said:

Seconded, but it could be optional if people don't want to use it.

 

4 minutes ago, scalyfreak said:

It would have to be optional, since my goal would be very difficult to track in a spreadsheet.

 

Totally optional, I'm not a fan of making ANY reading a 'task to be completed' rather than a 'way to enrich our lives'.  

[TheGreyJedi]

20 minutes ago, fitnessgurl said:

Seconded, but it could be optional if people don't want to use it.

 

9 minutes ago, Defining said:

 

 

I will see what I can whip up!

 

 

 

Totally optional, I'm not a fan of making ANY reading a 'task to be completed' rather than a 'way to enrich our lives'.  

 

Agreed!

[ShadowSilk]

I'm in.

 

Most of my reading over the past few years has been via the wonders of Audible, but since discovering the joys of the podcast "Knowledge Fight" early last year, I kind of let it slide some.

I've been...fairly isolated/depressed for the last few years, and kind of hooked on the internet, to be honest, and let my reading slide.  Which is just stupid when you're a writer.  I mean, I was reading fanfiction, and fanfiction is great, I love well written fanfiction (At Least There's The Football, MueraRashaye's Valdemar fanfics, the BBC Sherlock Guitar Man series) but I need to read other things, too.

 

I think my goal is probably going to be at least one research book a month -- I started to say a book a week, and then I remembered that my current book, The Outfit by Gus Russo, is a research book for The Work and is horrendously thick (well written!  Very well written and lots of details which I really need) and I'm not finishing that this week.  For self-improvement, also one book a month.  Mainly because I can read a self-improvement book in a few days tops, but to really dig down and deep, I'm going to want to revisit it -- like currently I'm rereading You Are A Badass one chapter a day and digging into it as much as I can.  For pleasure, at least two books a month, really.  I can do at least that.  Gonna hit up the rec list y'all build later to help with that.

 

So I've got that, Klondike by Pierre Berton, Family Secrets, I Hear You Paint Houses, The Silent -- might be The Quiet Don, I've got two books about the Red Mafiya and the Odessa for research....Berton's books about the Canadian Cross-Continental Railroad, need to read those (those are great, btw.  Really quite funny in some places and heartbreaking in others and I haven't finished them, I've started them and never finished them).  More Mafia books that the titles escape me right now and they're in the Big Box o'Books that doubles as my printer stand.  I need to read all of those.  The World Without Us -- I could absolutely use more recommendations in that sort of genre, you know, what would happen if humanity just kind of, disappeared, or disappeared for the most part (that's for the post-apoc work).

 

I'm also currently rereading, slowly, a chapter a day, You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero.  It's kind of Law of Attraction-y, very personal coach.  I like it.  I'm ordering UnF*ck Your Life this weekend, that's the next on that list.  I have Think And Grow Rich on my Audible, and my Kindle, but for certain topics, I tend to get more from a physical page.  Can't explain it, it's just the truth, and self-improvement/self-help is one of those genres.

 

Recommendations:

Neil Gaiman.  You just cannot go wrong with Gaiman. 

Joe Hill if you like horror.  His short stories are amazing, N0S4A2 was fantastic, Wraith was divine.  I didn't care for Horns, but I need to try The Fireman.  HEART SHAPED BOX MESSED ME UP HARD, fair warning, and I've been reading Joe's Daddy's work (Stephen King) since I was NINE.  The only stuff that messed me up as bad as Heart Shaped Box by Steve was Pet Sematary and The Shining.  So hope that helps

Nora Roberts writing as J.D. Robb -- it's not Nora's usual work.  That reminds me, she's done a post-apoc series now as Nora that I need to pick up.

 

Behind The Throne by Adrian Tinniswood -- a look at domestic servants to the throne of England.  It's really good, I listened to it on Audible.

Caitlin Doughty's books, both Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and From Here To Eternity: Traveling the World To Find the Good Death, are both really fantastic.  You might know Caitlin better as Ask A Mortician from YouTube.  Very well written, and she reads both of them.  They're great.  Not morbid per se at all, in my opinion.  Really good.

 

I've got more recs, especially when it comes to British history and stuff, so ask me if you want more.  @Defining I'm tagging you for the recs stuff, and thanks for inviting me to this thread.

[Scaly Freak]

Tagging @Gemma and @Chris Tarly, in case no one has done that yet.  

[Quickie]

I think it's a great time to jump in here with my reading goals!

As many of you guys I have set 12 books to read this year. I'm currently reading The Miracle Morning, and I really hope this opens up even more time to read on those mornings. 

Good luck to everybody else!

[Stronkey Kong]

Here's the list of books currently sitting next to where I am sitting:

 

Moby Dick, Herman Melville (started, need to finish)

Player Piano, Kurt Vonnegut novels (one of my favorite authors)

God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, Kurt Vonnegut (I've been trying to read one a year since 2009)

The Sirens of Titan, Kurt Vonnegut (I'm behind, so I need to read these three)

Earthsea: the First Four Books, Ursula K. Le Guin (I need to read the last three)

Gunslinger, Stephen King

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, George R.R. Martin

Dune, Frank Herbert (started years ago, never finished cuz I've seen the movie, sigh, I know)

Les Miserables, Victor Hugo

The Silmarillion, by what's-his-face... <troll>

 

I also have three Terry Pratchett novels:

Guards! Guards!

Mort

Wyrd Sisters

 

... that I really ought to get on as they've been sitting for several years now... these were recommended at one point by @sarakingdom in a previous reading challenge.

 

That should be enough to try to get through this year.

[SMintYoongi]

So I've actually set a couple of goals since my last post. First I want to do an indent in my physical tbr. I own a lot of unread books and I somehow manage to get more books than I finish. I want to change this habit. Another thing I want to do is use the library more. Both for studying, but also for lending (more) books and reading these. Our library is really nice and I really enjoy spending time there, but I just haven't made it a priority.

 

Now, I have made a January/start of February tbr. As I am a mood reader it has a lot more books that I will choose from, than I will actually read - please tell me if you see anything you would recommend.

 

1. Vildheks #1 by Lene Kaaberbøl (completed: 04-01-2020)
2. Vildheks #2 by Lene Kaaberbøl
3. Vildheks #3 by Lene Kaaberbøl
4. Vildheks #4 by Lene Kaaberbøl
5. Vildheks #5 by Lene Kaaberbøl
6. Vildheks #6 by Lene Kaaberbøl
7. Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins (currently reading, library book)
8. Warcross by Marie Lu
9. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
10. Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
11. Krystalhjertet #1 by Josefine Ottesen (currently reading)
12. Krystalhjertet #2 by Josefine Ottesen
13. Heltemod og kragelort by Josefine Ottesen
14. Serpina #2 by Helle Ryding
15. Ravnenes hvisken #2 by Malene Sølvsten
16. Ravnenes hvisken #3 by Malene Sølvsten
17. Frøken Smillas fornemmelse for sne by Peter Høegh
18. Percy Jackson #1 by Rick Riordan (currently reading)
19. Percy Jackson #2 by Rick Riordan
20. It Only Happens in the Movies by Holly Bourne
21. Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne
22. De måske egnede by Peter Høeg
23. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
24. Only Dull People are Brilliant at Breakfast by Oscar Wilde
25. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
26. The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
27. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Sallinger

[Defining]

Okie dokie, I've added a spreadsheet to the first post, but you can also find it here. I tried to set it up to accommodate several different types of tracking, let me know if you have any suggestions to improve/change it!