Robin’s Comments (group member since Jan 07, 2015)

Robin’s comments from the 2017 Reading Challenge group.

anytime! I was glad a coupke books on my TBR actually qualify so I can just read one of those.

and I must be one of the only people in the world who still haven't read that book (probably because I know the premise and thinking it would depress me to read I keep putting it off) but I have it on my TBR along with Paper Towns which I have heard is slightly lighter.

I was considering The Devil Wears Prada since I have seen the movie but not read the book otherwise I am likely going to read one of John Green's books since I have a couple on my TBR list and he was also born in 1977.

I always try to give a book a chance before dropping it, in fact it is really rare that I just point-blank stop reading something, but there are a couple books that so many people loved that I just don't get why.

seems like many people loved all the light we cannot see (which I read for my Pulitzer awarded book last year for a reading challenge and because my grandmother kept saying how wonderful it was). I found the writing style to be pretty and I kept waiting for more to happen being that the book was so long, but that was it. I felt the book was soooo long and drawn out where it didn't really need to be. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it.

I am currently reading the book thief. another book that so many people loved. I am finding it is moving a little more now that I am further into it, but once again, not totally holding my interest enough that I can't wait to find time to read it. I am basically just reading it to finish it now.

usually I like historical fiction so me not loving either of these books is surprising and disappointing to me. and jumping genres, I have read the fifty shades of grey series, the crossfire series, the maze runner series and red rising (which I found so boring I didn't even bother to continue with that series) and I found most of those books to be totally drawn out and boring.

and let's not forget after waiting for so many months how disappointed I was with allegiant (and not just because of how it ended - I had issues with the entire book). I enjoyed both other books so I felt like the last book was a real letdown.

so I guess I have a few books I really wanted to like but just didn't.

Teresa, goodness that is certainly ambitious!!! I will let you know when I get to the mental health choice(s). Luckily there is some overlapping otherwise I don't think it would be possible for me to do even just the 2016 list since I cut it really close to not finishing the 2015 list. of course that also is because I read a lot of other books too or more than one for some categories, but still I am proud of myself for accomplishing that and hope to do at least most of these.

Teresa, I am wondering if that will be the case for me, too because it may be TOO much since unfortunately reading books I want is not my full-time career and I don't like to read books because I have to or not read books because they don't fit criteria. but since some can overlap I figured I will try at least... aside from the one we are doing here I am also planning to try this one:
JANUARY: Benchwarmers (books that have been sitting on your shelf for a while)
FEBRUARY: New Adult/Romance
MARCH: Horror/Suspense
APRIL: Re-reads
MAY: Finish/Catch up on series
JUNE: LGBTQQIAAP+
JULY: TBR Catch-up
AUGUST: Non-Fiction/Biography
SEPTEMBER: Small Books (200 pgs or less)
OCTOBER: Mental Health
NOVEMBER: 2016 Debut Authors
DECEMBER: Graphic Novels, Comic Books, etc.

hopefully it will all work out! :)

I'm all for doing buddy reads if our schedules mesh - sometimes people are reading things I want to read but if I've already committed to other books or have to wait if it is a library book and I don't get to participate when that occurs, but if I have read it and can join in a discussion I enjoy that, too, because it is a lot more fun if you have people to talk to about what you are reading/ have read. I am currently reading persuasion, the rose society and eventually will go back to the GoT book I am in the middle of but I still have to read cinder, the book thief, and wuthering heights and since I am trying to keep up with a couple challenges I will probably read those first. I am always happy to have new friends to talk about books we are reading so feel free to add me, too. I have read a couple books already for more than one challenge which means so far I am off to a good start and hopefully can keep it up all year!

I am almost there and hoping to finish before this month is over but know it is going tough. I still need to read my graphic novel, a book my mom likes, a book a friend recommended, a play, and like one or two more I can't remember right now. I read a lot more of these than I expected and it got me to read some stuff I otherwise probably wouldn't have so I am not complaining even if I don't manage it.

ive read a lot of books in the given categories, but i still have plenty to go, too. i am hoping to be able to do all of it, but like a few people have said i am not going to NOT read something or hold off in order to squeeze in others first. i am finding i have a lot of books that apply to two or three or more categories. for example, i chose all the light we cannot see for my pulitzer, but it is also over 500 pages, set in a different country, and also by an author i havent read before. because ive gone with the a book can count in more than one place theory, my thought is if i am going to do that, i should have more than one book in those categories (no this doesnt apply for EVERY category). this has helped with making the challenge not seem like im being forced to read certain specific types of books. i have been enjoying doing this because it has opened doors for me to read some things i maybe wouldnt have bothered with beforehand. so dont feel defeated. even if you get a handful of these accomplished it is still something to be happy about.

i am doing a lot better than i expected but that is probably also because some of the books i have read or have interest in can fall into more than one category and when that occurs, i have been trying to make sure to have more than one book in those categories so it doesnt just seem like i want to put a book in more than one category. i am also liking that this challenge is opening me to reading books i may not have normally considered and hopefully this means my reading is becoming more diverse, too. as much as i favor certain categories, i hate to keep reading the same types of books over and over again too close together so i try to read totally different types back-to-back or simultaneously.

i dont have anything against reading nonfiction but i dont want to read a business book based on MY occupation...

i like the idea of reading a book with a main character of a different race/ culture - i learned a little bit about sweden and korean cultures from several books that actually were informative even if they were works of fiction

overall i enjoyed/ like a lot of the categories on this year's challenge because it is opening me to reading some stuff i might not have bothered with otherwise and i think that is good for all of us who are trying to complete this challenge. there are really only a few i dont love/ am not looking forward to dealing with eventually on the current year's reading challenge:

A book you were supposed to read in high school, but didn’t I didn’t want to read it then why would I want to read it now?

A book with bad reviews - it has been a little difficult actually trying to find a book I WANT to read that has bad reviews

A book that takes place in your hometown – I chose one of the closest major cities because my actual hometown isnt cool enough to be a book setting.. guess I can always do that again if need be

A book you started but never finished ¬– I don’t see the point in of torturing myself with struggling through reading something I am not enjoying