Challenge Yourself discussion

Here are the Challenges for 2014.

As always, feel free to ask me to add one that you have designed, if they don't fit within these listed. Be sure to let me know about any broken links.

I have found that really short books don't get read by me because they do not fit my group challenge's criteria.

Really big books don't get read by me because they are just too intimidating.

For 2014, I have already signed up for a DoorStop Challenge for reading books over 500 pages, or for reading a combination of related small books that will add up to at least 500 pages (but count as one unit). This will change my entire strategy for challenges in 2014. I will likely be reading less books but a lot more pages!

I wish you the best for the coming year whatever your challenges may be.

Click the links in order to review Challenges By Subject:


 audio-books Hear Ye! Hear Ye! ! Reading a certain number of audio-books.

 author's work Authorization Reading a certain author's work.

 award winners And the Award Goes To… Reading books that received an award

 big books Doorstops Reading those big books that you've been avoiding.

 biographies, memoirs and autobiographies Getting to Know Them Reading about the lives of real people.

 book reviews Reviews To Do Taking the time to complete book reviews.

 books to movie or television Movie or Book? Reading a number of books and also watching the movie or television show based on the books.

 Boxall's Catalog of 1001 books Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die Reading from Boxall's Catalog of 1001 books.

 Canada's provinces and territories O Canada Reading books set or from Canada.

 certain shelves Shelving Unit Reading a certain number of books from certain shelves.

 classics Now That Was Classic Reading the Classics.

 eReader eDingus Reading material stored on your eReader.

 fictional genres That's Unreal Reading fictional genres.

 50 states of the United States of America USA State Challenge Reading a book from each of the 50 states of the United States of America.

 international reading World Tour Challenge Reading books from around the world.

 GoodReads authors GoodReads Authorization Reading books written by GoodReads Authors.

 Guardian's 1000 Guardian's 1000 Novels Reading selected works by the Guardian's Review team and a panel of expert judges.

 home library Home Alone Reading books from our private library.

 left over books Left Over Stew Reading books that were supposed to have been read in 2013 challenges or goals.

 local library Where's your card? Reading books borrowed from the library.

 non-fiction Reality Check Reading non-fiction.

 recent releases Hot Off the Press Reading books written very recently.

 published date Yearbook Reading books published in a certain year.

 second reading Another Chance Giving books that were abandoned as unread or partially read another try.”

 second language Rosetta Stone Reading books in a second language.

 self-improvement Help Yourself Reading Self-Improvement books.

 series Serial Eyes Catching up with the next books in our favorite reading series.

 small books and short stories Short Cut Reading books of 100 pages or less.

Click the links in order to review Challenges By Name:

•  And the Award Goes To… Reading books that received an award.

•  Another Chance Giving books that were abandoned as unread or partially read another try.”

•  Authorization Reading a certain author's work.

•  Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die Reading from Boxall's Catalog of 1001 books.

•  Doorstops Reading those big books that you've been avoiding.

•  eDingus Reading material stored on your eReader.

•  Getting to Know Them Reading biographies, memoirs and autobiographies.

•  GoodReads Authorization Reading books written by GoodReads Authors.

•  Guardian's 1000 Novels Reading works selected by the Guardian's Review team and a panel of expert judges.

•  Hear Ye! Hear Ye! ! Reading a certain number of audio-books.

•  Help Yourself Reading Self-Improvement books.

•  Home Alone Reading books from our private library.

•  Hot Off the Press Reading books written very recently.

•  Left Over Stew Reading books that were supposed to have been read in 2013 challenges or goals.

•  Movie or Book? Reading a number of books and also watching the movie or television show based on the books.

•  Now That Was ClassicReading the Classics.

•  O Canada Reading books set or from Canada.

•  Reality Check Reading non-fiction.

•  Reviews To Do Taking the time to complete book reviews.

•  Rosetta Stone Reading books in a second language.

•  Serial Eyes Catching up with the next books in our favorite reading series.

•  Shelving Unit Reading a certain number of books from certain shelves.

•  That's Unreal Reading fictional genres.

•  Short Cut Reading books of 100 pages or less.

•  USA State Challenge Reading a book from each of the 50 states of the United States of America.

•  Where's your card? Reading books borrowed from the library.

•  World Tour Challenge Reading books from around the world.

•  Yearbook Reading books published in a certain year.

OMG, OMG, OMG.... Bracing myself for another year of biting off more than I can chew!!!! Thank you Almeta, I continue to love the challenges in this group, even though I seem to excel in not completing them. (I think I've knocked off one from this year, but will need to go back and check.)

Now, what shall I overcommit myself to next year?

Darkpool (protesting GR censorship) wrote: "OMG, OMG, OMG.... Bracing myself for another year of biting off more than I can chew!!!! Thank you Almeta, I continue to love the challenges in this group, even though I seem to excel in not completing them...."

lol! Yeah, I slacked off in 2013 and I think I forgot to even shelve some of the ones I did read on the appropriate shelves.

Doorstops are going to be a big focus for me in 2014.

Oh, wow, thank you so much Almeta! I really need the motivation for Home Alone and very much appreciate you setting these up. I'll probably do eDingus, too, and maybe a few of the others cuz they look so fun.

Now, what are reasonable numbers for me, I wonder....

Thank You and Good Luck on yours, too!

Cheryl in CC NV wrote: "... I'll probably do eDingus, too, and maybe a few of the others cuz they..."

I haven't used my eReader in over a year! Funny how habits change.

My Home Alone is still out of control as well.

I really need to work on certain challenges this year and specifically read for them - Doorstops is one I really need to look at. I didn't even read ONE in 2013!

Oooh, this is looking good.

I'll be attempting Rosetta Stone (here's to finishing The Three Musketeers!), Shelving Unit, Home Alone, and eDingus. I'll be going for them one at a time, though, because Shelving Unit is cuuurrently more important. :)

Elle wrote: "I really need to work on certain challenges this year and specifically read for them - Doorstops is one I really need to look at. I didn't even read ONE in 2013!"

I belong to a group, You'll Love This One!, in which the challenge for 2014 is to read books over 500 pages long, but there is a twist. They must also connect to one another somehow...by words, themes, dates, any connection that you come up with and then be read in connection order. THIS will force me to read those big books that I always avoid, and hopefully we members will cheer each other on.

Maria wrote: "Oooh, this is looking good.

I'll be attempting Rosetta Stone (here's to finishing The Three Musketeers!), Shelving Unit, Home Alone, and eDingus. I'll be going for them one at a time, though, bec..."

Welcome Maria!

Almeta wrote: " ...They must also connect to one another somehow...by words, themes, dates, any connection that you come up with and then be read in connection order. "

That is seriously cool. I find it interesting how often connections appear in books I read, especially when they are totally unexpected.

Anybody have a suggestion for a challenge for next year by a novice Good Reader ?

Hmm. I see you're already trying to read outside your comfort zone, trying different genres, otherwise I'd suggest that.

Maybe something like a decade challenge, to read something either written in or set in each decade of the last 100 years? Or something set in each century of the past?

Or an 'Around the World' or 'Fifty States' challenge, to read something set in a variety of locations?

Or, if you do find yourself wanting to read more variety, try two or three challenges, and divide up the overall goal. What I mean is, if you plan to read 100 books in the year, maybe you want to read 33 classics, 33 non-fiction, and 34 just for fun.

Bob wrote: "Anybody have a suggestion for a challenge for next year by a novice Good Reader ?"

Hey Bob, Have you found a challenge that interests you? Need help signing up?