The Reading Challenge Group discussion

Hello everyone. I have decided to set 2 aggressive personal reading goals for 2014: 150 books and 50,000 pages. For 2013, I am currently at 92 and 36, 075, respectively. I am not sure what I will read since I select books at random from my queue, which currently has 239 books that I want to read.

Rob, they are two great goals! It will be interesting to see what you end up reading from your list. 92 books this year is very good though!

Good luck Rob! Let us know what you will check out. I'll be following you on your 2014 reading challenge on here. ^_^

Awesome goals, Rob! As you noticed already from my thread, I'll be trying to read 150 - 200 books this year, and I'm looking forward to following your reading journey :)

Good luck!

Thank you all. I just finished my first book of the year (actually started in Mid-December). So, my first 3 this year will be The Shining by Stephen King, A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, and Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. I am also reading In Search of Lost time but that will be broken up to about 20 pages per day.

January
1. 1/1 Why You lose at Chess by Tim Harding 130 pages
2. 1/2 The Shining by Stephen King 512 pages/642
3. 1/4 A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole 394 pages/1,036
4. 1/6 Catch-22 by Joseph Heller 463 pages/1,499
5. 1/10. Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally. 429 pages/. 1,928
6. 1/12 The Christmas Train by David Baldacci. 260 pages/2,188
7. 1/13 Animal Farm by George Orwell. 112 pages/2,300
8. 1/16 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling 310 pages/2,610
9. 1/19 Horns by Joe Hill 368/2,978
10. 1/21 The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. 121 pages/3,099
11. 1/24 In Cold Blood by Truman Capote 343 pages/3,442
12. 1/26 I am David by Anne Holm 256 pages/3,698
13. A Fan's Notes by Frederick Exley 385 pages/4,083
14. Banished by Lauren Drain. 304 pages/ 4,387 total pages for the year

You are welcome, Narin. Good luck with your goal as well. 200 is a massive number.

I love the idea of measuring in pages as well Rob! I'm having a bit of a challenge with getting my iBooks to count the pages the same way as GoodReads does but if I can get that sorted out I think I will do the same thing!

Kassandra,
I ran into the same problem with the page count differing by format. I decided for the sake of consistency (and sanity) to use the number on GR to track my count (although GR still hasn't given me credit for the 130 pages read with book 1).

With both challenges off to strong starts, tonight I will begin my attack on the 7-headed beast known more commonly as "In Search of Lost Time".

You seem to be doing great on both of your challenges. Keep up the good work!

What did you think of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone?

Bouchra,
Thank you. Same goes for you. Nice job so far!

I honestly thought Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was a pretty good book. It had really good characters and the description at the end when the kids went through the trap door was very nicely done. Plus, I finally learned what a Muggle is :)

February
15. 2/3 For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway 471 pages/4,858
16. 2/4 The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho 197 pages/5,055
17. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 374 pages/5,429
18. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowlings 341 pages/ 5,770
19. The Sweet Science by A.J. Liebling 267 pages/6,037
20. Swann's Way by Marcel Proust 615 pages/6,652
21. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins 391 pages/7,043
22. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen 251 pages/7,294
23. Think of a Number by John Verdon 432 pages/7,726
24. The Intercept by Dick Wolf 387 pages/8,113
25. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 324 pages/8,437
26. The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder 160 pages/8,597 total pages for the year

Lorah,
I read the 1st Harry Potter book and have the 2nd on hold at the library. For Whom the Bell Tolls was okay. I didn't like the ending and I thought some better closure was needed for the Robert-Pablo build-up.

Lorah wrote: "I hate it when the ending isn't as good as you'd hoped, it's so frustrating. I hope you like the second Harry Potter :)"

Thanks Lorah. Still waiting on that one to come in. So, up next by random draw is The Hunger Games

Lorah wrote: "I really enjoyed the Hunger Games trilogy, the second book is my favourite. I'm hoping to read the Maze Runner books, there supposed to similar to The Hunger Games."
I really liked Catching Fire best, too! And I have read the first Maze Runner book and it was great!

Lorah wrote: "I really enjoyed the Hunger Games trilogy, the second book is my favourite. I'm hoping to read the Maze Runner books, there supposed to similar to The Hunger Games."

really? I loved the Hunger Games trilogy. I have been debating Maze Runner and I wasn't sure if I wanted to read it or not.

The Maze Runner is on my to-read list, but I doubt I'll get to it soon. I would be interested in doing a buddy-read of it though!

Holly maybe in a month or two

I got the maze runner recommended to me so its on my tbr list too but got other reads to check out first so maybe I'll read it in the spring.

I'd be interested in reading that in the spring/summer too.

The Hunger Games was really good but I thought the last 100 pages dragged by and the ending was a bit anticlimactic.

Book 2 of the Harry Potter series came in, so that is next for me.

Enjoy Harry Potter; it's a fantastic read!

Lorah, Kassandra, and Narin, Thank you.. I have < 100 pages on Harry Potter #2. It is okay but not as good as book 1.

I have the remaining 2 Hunger Games' books on hold at the library and will read them when they come in.

Rob, you're putting me in the mood to re-read HP! I'm excited for you to read Hunger Games as well. Like the movies, I found the 2nd even better than the 1st.

I enjoyed reading all 3. The first was great, the second was even better because you have an attachment to the characters...and the ending of the 3rd is awesome. I haven't spoken to anyone - yet! - that didn't like reading this series.

I liked the series!!!

Sandy, Yes, I have decided to go with Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen for the genre challenge.

I just finished 21. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. It was really good although it left me with more questions than I started with.
Next up is Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen for the genre challenge.

I agree Catching Fire was slightly better.

Northanger Abbey was hard for me to get through as well. The book was okay but I kept waiting for something dramatic to happen,

I just finished my 26th book of the year. Both of my goals are on target through February.

I am going to open March with Book 3 of the Harry Potter series and then Mockingjay. I also started volume II of In Search of Lost Time.

March
27. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling 468 pages/ 9,065
28. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins 390/9,455
29. The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allen Poe 83 pages/9,538
30. The Faithful Spy by Alex Berenson 331 pages/ 9,869
31. The Purloined Letter by Edgar Allen Poe 22 pages/9,891
32. Cross My Heart by James Patterson 531 pages/10,422
33. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 215 pages/10,637
34. Fearless by Eric Blehm 273 pages/10,910
35. Chess Story by Stefan Zweig 56 pages/10,966
36. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco 486 pages/ 11,452
37. The Queen's Vow by C.W. Gortner 382 pages/11,834
38. Killing Jesus by Bill O'Reilly 293 pages/12,127
39. Within a Budding Grove (In Search of Lost Time #2) by Marcel Proust 511 pages/ 12,638 total pages for the year

Just finished Mockingjay. While it was interesting, I thought this book was not as good as the first two.

wow you are doing awesome!

I'd have to agree with you about Mockingjay being just not as good as its predecessors. I think Collins would have benefited by making in into two books honestly.

Thanks Roseanne. Hope your challenge is going well.

Chase, I totally agree. 2 books would have better. For me, there was a lot of little things that irked me about book 3. For example, based on the reaction in book 2, I was thinking Rue's song would play an important part in book 3.

Lorah, I agree. I will reread the series as well after I get my TBR pile under control.

Harry Potter-3 was really good. I just didn't like the whole time turning part at the end.

Mango Bookworm wrote: "Is hunger games any good to read then? My younger brother has read them and he says the 1st one is a little full throttle and the second one is pretty good!"


Mango,
I thought The Hunger Games was pretty good- though I thought the 3rd was just okay.

I am through 3 of the Harry Potter books. They are pretty good thus far. Once, I get through all 7, I will probably watch the version.

Just finished The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allen Poe. This one ranks among my all-time favorite crime novels/short stories.

The Murders in the Rue Morgue sounds great for August crime/mystery challenge, plus it would counts as a classic. I've added it to my TBR list :-)

Kiwi, I agree with both points. Plus, Poe wrote it when the genre didn't really exist.

so true!

April
40. Never Go Back by Lee Child 400 pages/13,038
41. Accused by Jeani Rector 209 pages/13,247
42. Killing Fear by Allison Brennan 314 pages/13,561
43. Command and Control by Eric Schlosser 728 pages/14,289
44. The Day Before Midnight by Stephen Hunter 354 pages/14,643
45. My Story by Elizabeth Smart 258 pages/14,901
46. I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai 327 pages/15,228
47. Gone by James Patterson 516 pages/15,744
48. Jaws by Peter Benchley 246 pages/15,990
49. Shark Trouble by Peter Benchley 159 pages/16,149
50. Sharks and Other Dangerous Sea Creatures by Idaz Greenberg 62 pages/16,211
51. The Guermantes Way (In Search of Lost Time vol 3) by Marcel Proust 640 pages/16,851 total pages for the year

May
52. 5/1 The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson 644 pages/17,495
53. 5/5 Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews 411 pages/17,906
54. 5/8 12.21 by Dustin Thomason 326 pages/18,232
55. 5/16 Sycamore Row by John Grisham 447 pages/18,679
56 5/17 The Quest by Nelson DeMille 458 pages/19,137
57. 5/19 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest By Ken Kesey 325 pages/19,462
58. 5/21 Deliverance by James Dickey 176 pages/ 19,638
59. 5/21 Stranded by Jeff Probst 100 pages/19,738
60. 5/22 Trial by Fire By Jeff Probst 93 pages/19,831
61. 5/23 Survivors by Jeff Probst 96 pages/19,927
62. 5/24 Sodom and Gomorrah (In Search of Lost Time Volume IV by Marcel Proust 515 pages/20,442
63. 5/27 The Flanders Panel by Arturo Perez-Reverte 268 pages/20,710
64. 5/29 Carrie by Stephen King 161 pages/20,871 total pages for the year

June
65. 6/2. NYPD Red 2. By James Patterson. 494 pages./. 21,365
66. 6/5 King and Maxwell by David Baldacci 629 pages/21,994
67. 6/7 The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank 241 pages/22,235
68. 6/11 Sophie's Choice by William Styron 465 pages/22,700
69. 6/15 The Captive The Fugitive (In Search of Lost Time vol 5-6) by Marcel Proust 660 pages/23,360
70. 6/17 The Luzhin Defense by Vladamir Nabokov 198 pages/23,558
71. 6/21 Columbine by Dave Cullen 441 pages/23,999
72. 6/23 Private L.A. by James Patterson 425 pages/24,424
73. 6/25 The Serpent and the Rainbow by Wade Davis 305 pages/24,729
74. "F" is For Fugitive by Sue Grafton 308 pages/25,037
75. The Target by David Baldacci 420 pages/25,457
76. Time Regained (In Search of Lost Time vol 7) by Marcel Proust 380 pages/25,837
77. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom 322 pages/26,159 total pages for the year

July
78. 7/3 David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell 305 pages/26,464
79. 7/6 Stalingrad by Anthony Beevor 493 pages/26,957
80. 7/8. The Auschwitz Escape by Joel C. Rosenberg 468 pages/ 27,425
81. 7/12 The Kill Room by Jeffery Deaver 484 pages/27,909
82. 7/15 Dale Earnhardt by Frank Moriarty 96 pages/28,005
83. 7/17 The Game by Ken Dryden 336 pages/28,341
84. 7/21 Foul Ball by Jim Bouton 447 pages/28,788
85. 7/24 Dog Tags by David Rosenfelt 360 pages/29,148
86. 7/27 The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky 735 pages/29,883
87. 7/29 Damn Few by Roarke Denver 250 pages/30,133
88. 7/29 Breakfast At Tiffany's by Truman Capote 123 pages/30,256
89. 7/30 Not a Drill by Lee Child 37 pages/30,293 total pages for the year

Entering August, I am still on track to meet both goals. To meet my goals, I need to read 60 books and a little over 19,000 pages in 5 months.

August
8/1 90. Confessions: The Private School Murders by James Patterson 330 pages/30,623
8/4 91. D-Day by Antony Beevor 592 pages/31,215
8/6 92. Unlucky 13 by James Patterson 384 pages/31,599
8/8 93. Cold Choices by Larry Bond 477 pages/32,076
8/11 94. Searching For Bobby Fischer by Fred Waitzkin 239 pages/32,315
8/12 95. The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare 63 pages/32,378
8/14 96. The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson 445 pages/32,823
8/17 97. No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy 309 pages/33,132
8/18 98. The Road by Cormac McCarthy 241 pages/33,373
8/21 99. The Wolf by Lorenzo Carcaterra 301 pages/33,674
8/23 100. Coming of Age in the Milky Way by Timothy Ferris 489 pages/34,163
8/26 101. Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy 375 pages/34,538
8/29 102. Life of Pi by Yann Martel 356 pages/34,894
8/31 103. Beloved by Toni Morrison 275 pages/35,169 total pages for the year

You'll reach your goal in no time at this rate!☺