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Reading Challenges


Athena

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I wasn't sure if a general discussion on reading challenges should be in the Reading Challenges forum or in the General Book Discussions forum, so feel free to move it if I made the wrong choice.

 

I see several people on here doing one or even multiple Reading Challenges. I think it's great that these people are challenging themselves, based on countries, famous lists, literature, etc. However for me, at least with my busy schedule lately, I couldn't handle the pressure of doing a reading challenge (or any other kind of challenge for that matter). Maybe in a while this will be different (I hope to be less stressed at least) but right now I don't want to do it. I want to enjoy reading and read what I feel like reading, not what I think I should read (other than literature for university). So if I feel like reading a work that's not so famous, not so literary or whatever other reason, then I just want to do so.

 

Now I'm very proud of all of you who do do reading challenges and who manage to succeed in them! So don't take this as any sort of critisism on what you're doing or any bad comments on your progress or anything. I'm simply saying I don't think it's for me. I've never tried it though, I didn't know about reading challenges before I joined this forum. Right now I just couldn't handle the pressure, and even once I become less stressed I might just want to enjoy reading what I feel like at that specific moment. If that happens to be a famous literary book (for example) that is on many lists, then so be it. And of course I want to read all the unread books on my shelves (and reread ones I have read). And I did say in my reading thread that I'd try to read more of this or that this year. But right now I'm just reading what I feel like reading (I should point out that I have read some of what I stated in my thread I'd try to read). Even making a TBR-soon can be difficult, as it depends on my mood. Right now the TBR-soon contains books of various genres, so if I'm in the mood for science-fiction right now the book I might read would be Replay (because I've heard a lot about it from others on this forum). However I might not be in the mood for science-fiction for a while. It by Stephen King has been on the TBR-soon for several months now, but it's big and horrory and I haven't been in the mood yet. For a read-a-thon I do prefer to have a TBR-soon otherwise I might lose too much time spent on trying to pick a book from all the books on my shelves.

 

How do you deal with a reading challenge or making a long-term reading plan?

 

Anyway, I applaud all of you who are doing one or multiple reading challenges but I don't think it's quite for me :hide::shrug:.

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I cannot of course speak for others, as I am sure that everyone has their own reasons for wanting to do challenges (or otherwise), for me though I love reading books about other countries and cultures - it is something to do I am sure with my love of travel. When I found that I was reading more and more of this type of book, and actively seeking them out, it therefore made sense for me to do the Around the World Reading Challenge. 

 

I know that this is a big one - there are after all a lot of countries to get through, with more being created all the time, but this is what I love about it, the fact that it throws up so many possibilities and so many interesting books to read. It is not actually all that difficult once you get started, for as soon as I finish a book Amazon is recommending more of them from similar countries or with a similar theme. I also get recommendations of course from others that are undertaking the challenge, and from various other websites such as Fantastic Fiction and Good Reads and so on. It is a long term thing that I expect to take at least another 2 to 3 years, but really it's something that for me at least will never really stop, as even when I have managed to complete it, I will still read and seek out more of this type of book. It is a lifetime commitment.      

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Although its called a 'Challenge' I see my world wide challenge as a list which I can tick books off as I go. I don't make a particular effort to search out books from different countries but I liked the idea of tracking what countries books I have read are from. I do understand what you mean about the reading 'stress' though. I sometimes get that if I have a deadline to read to if I have borrowed a book or someone wants my opinion on it. The best thing about books though is that you can read however you like and its great to have a place like this to discuss it all.

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I do two challenges - Around the World and 1001.

 

I very much doubt I shall ever finish the 1001 challenge (which is at 1305 I think with all the revisions) but it was about encouraging the breadth of my reading. I certainly havent set deadlines to complete them - the full lists are there for me to tick off in my own time.

 

I have set myself the "challenge" of reading 10 for each in 2013, and I shall probably read more than that off the 1001 list simply because these are books I'm desperate to read anyway, and a few come up in reading circles too! As for Around the World, I didn't make the target last year, and I didn't give two hoots about it!

 

It depends how you interpret the word challenge I suppose. For me, like my reading generally, they are just a bit of fun!!

 

I have a large and growing TBR and I pick books off it at random whenever I feel like them - if they tick a book off for a challenge great. If not, I shall read it anyway.

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That is why my challenge is an ongoing/no pressure to finish by a certain date. Just books that are part of Bookcrossing and have been on my shelf way to long and need read and moved on. I find it fulfilling when I do read one of these then find a new home for it.

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My challenges are just for fun.  I did a 'decade' challenge (a fiction, non-fiction and children's book from the 1900s, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s...) - which I completed last year. 

 

I'm doing the 'World Challenge', but my title has the words "very long-term" in it - it will take me years and years to complete but I've read some brilliant books (and some not-so-brilliant ones!) that I wouldn't have otherwise picked up. 

 

But for me (like those above me) it's about the books - not about the speed at which I can read them - so they don't make me feel pressured.  :)

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  • 5 months later...

I totally understand and identify with your stress from reading, Athena. I'm not the fastest reader in the world, and I'm trying to read a book a month. It's a challenge I set for myself, to read a book of one genre per month. This month is more than half over and I'm not half finished with my book, so I'm feeling the fire. Stressing out a little bit, and I already fell behind last month and don't want to do it again this time. I like having a deadline, though, because without it, I'd be stuck on one book for months. 

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