The Reading Challenge Group discussion

Okay, this could be a goal with too much pressure but I love to read and don't do it enough so I'm thinking my challenge for next year/new year's resolution will be one novel a week for the whole year. So 52 books in total. Let me know what you think and if you are planning to do something similar.

That's a lovely idea, Vicky! I've been aiming to do that this year, but things have been going a lot faster than that, and months are far more busier than others for me.

It's a lovely goal, and I'd love to see how it works out!

Holly wrote: "That's a lovely idea, Vicky! I've been aiming to do that this year, but things have been going a lot faster than that, and months are far more busier than others for me.

It's a lovely goal, and I'..."

I will try and keep it going, maybe post each book as I read it. I need to remind myself that I prefer reading to television after a day's work!!

Watching TV shows has been the biggest downfall of my reading this year! I'm now basically abstaining myself from watching anything. It's amazing how much my reading has gone up since I've stopped watching TV...

Now, I don't even consider watching TV any more. It's always 'I've got to read the next chapter in my book' rather than 'I've got to watch the latest episode of Show X'.

That sounds like an excellent goal!

That is quite a goal.

I don't think I'd be able to keep up that pace for a full year, a few weeks maybe, but I would be done in as soon as I attempted a novel of 300+ pages. That would throw me off and put me behind. But that is me.

I must admit, it does depend what you're reading, and how much time you have. You could edit it a bit to do 4 books a month, Kirk.

CaptKirk42 Classic Whovian wrote: "That is quite a goal.

I don't think I'd be able to keep up that pace for a full year, a few weeks maybe, but I would be done in as soon as I attempted a novel of 300+ pages. That would throw me of..."

You could always balance it out with a shorter novel the next month.

That is true. I've been reading plays/short stories over the last few days, and it's felt really refreshing not having like 600 pages to go like I had with Middlemarch!

True balancing the lengths can help. I don't usually base what I want to read on how long the thing is I go for content quality not quantity.

I'm completely the same, Kirk! Although a long book does intimidate me a bit. It's why I put Middlemarch off for so long!

I've had Lord of the Rings: The Trilogy sitting on my shelf (both on Goodreads and in reality) for two years, because the length intimidates me! I pick picks I think will be interesting and I will continue to do so. For me this challenge is more about making time to read instead of putting it off for "easier" recreation. Though in reality I don't know what's easier than curling up with a book. It depends on the nature of the novel to a certain degree, because some books are thought-provoking (most) and that is mentally stimulating, then exhausting!!

Vicky, I wholeheartedly recommend The Lord of the Rings Trilogy to you. It is beautiful writing, and the story is just wonderful. Tolkien makes a world come alive, even though it is completely different to your own.

If you read it, I wouldn't bother with the first chapter about the history of Hobbits. It's very easy to be put off by it, but it's not really needed in the story. It was basically Tolkien showing off how deep his world was. I went back and read it after I read the books, and I didn't see much point to it!

If you can, read them. :)

Personally I'd start (and did when I read them ages ago) with "The Hobbit" and then go into Lord of the Rings.

That's what I did. The Hobbit almost 'sets you up' for LOTR. It's simpler, and shorter, so you can get a feel for it and get into the world of Tolkien's writing.

I enjoyed The Hobbit very much and I have got just beyond the Council of Elrond with lotr. I think Concerning Hobbits at the start was quite offputting, which meant I have struggled to get into it... The Hobbit was so good I dreamed in The Shire.

The amount of books I've read during the summer has decreased drastically due to the introduction I've had to good tv shows. I'm proud to say that I haven't watched anything besides a little Dr Who since the end of October!

I'm hoping to read at least thirty books this year. Hopefully I can reach my goal.

Currently, a two dollar book found in a New York thrift store, by the name of A Dying Art has taken over me. I'm glad to say it's my twenty-sixth book this year :)

The Hobbit has been sitting on my shelf for almost years now. I've read the first few chapters, but then stopped due to both writing style and my intimidation with new tv dramas. I'm going to restart it this winter holiday. Wish me luck! :)

I'm also doing a book a week in 2014.

Fatima wrote: "The Hobbit has been sitting on my shelf for almost years now. I've read the first few chapters, but then stopped due to both writing style and my intimidation with new tv dramas. I'm going to resta..."

I can relate - I once started to read The Hobbit, quit after a few pages, and have never been interested in trying again. I did manage to get through the Lord of the Rings series a few years after that, though.

Whaaa? I loved The Hobbit! It was the writing style that drove it all home for me. I liked how Tolkien spoke to the reader. Awesomesauce.

Hobbit = amazing. To me anyway!

I'm giving myself some guidelines for this challenge.

1) If I only manage four books a month I will count that as a win.
2) Books of more than 400 pages will not be counted towards this challenge.*

*Considering my reading habits I think I could read a book of around 300 pages in a week but when it starts getting to 400+ I think that would be too intimidating.

Yeah, That's great Vicky.
I tried to do that, but unfortunately I couldn't - especially with More-Than-900-Pages books!!

Good luck :)

I'm going to try this as well but it might be difficult with long books. Reckon I can count Shantaram as 2? :)

Good luck Vicky. Have you figured out what you are going to read first? just curious.

Good luck Vicky, that's a great goal. For me, it all depends on how interested I am in the book. I can whiz through a 700 page book in a week if it's really interesting - but I can also drag a 300 page book out for two weeks if it isn't. Your goal to read when you finish work for the day should get you a long way in this challenge.

This is my personal goal, too, Vicky. I really enjoy reading and feel more balanced when I can carve out the "me time" to do so. Good luck!

I tried desperately to like LOTR. It(the trilogy) is one of my favorite movies, and in fact, it's the only example I can think of where I prefer the movie to a book version. I stopped when they were wandering about in the snow. I love the story and the characters and I know there are pieces in the book that are missing from the movie, but it just didn't work for me. I still haven't been able to make it through the Once and Future King, either (I was hoping for swords and magic and so far there's a lot of changing into birds and fish). I like the genre so much that I disappoint myself for not liking the book.

I read 174 pgs in the last three days of predator by patricia cornwell

My idea is to read a week each week next year too. This year I'm just cruising to see how many I can read.