RMFAO (Reading My Frigging A** Off) discussion

With the evolution of technology, the book industry has also progressed by leaps and bounds. Where there were only physical books available at one time, there came ebooks and took the world by storm. As we progressed ahead in time, there came a new format in which readers around the globe could enjoy stories in - audiobooks. Audiobooks instantly won everyone's heart - not only they were easy to carry (like ebooks) but also you could listen to them while doing something else that was mundane, like driving or cycling or washing clothes or cooking, or anything really because there is no need to hold it in your hands and read.

Today many readers prefer reading audiobooks over other formats, but there are few who either don't like audiobooks or simply haven't got the time to explore them enough. No matter which category you belong to, this challenge is for you!

All you have to do is pick a Level, and try and read at least that many audiobooks in the entire year. Simple. No rules at all.

Levels:
Level 1: Casual Reader: 1-5 books (easy)
Level 2: Frequent Reader: 5-10 books (moderate)
Level 3: Bookworm: 10-15 books (mildly strenuous)
Level 4: Bibliophile: 15-25 books (strenuous)
Level 5: Bookiopath: 25 books or more (challenging)

You can download this image here: https://thereadingbud.com/wp-content/...

Feel free to use this discussion board for recommending books, discussing the ones you're reading or really love and posting links to the books or your reviews.

Other challenges that you can participate in:
RMFAO 2019 Genre Challenge
RMFAO 2019 Classics Catchup
RMFAO 2019 Series Challenge

If you're as crazy about reading and books as we are then go wild combining all or any challenges to spice up your reading lists!

You can also read blog posts relating to this challenge, other challenges or the group itself here: https://thereadingbud.com/rmfao/

Happy Listening!

Level 2: Frequent Reader: 5-10 books (moderate)

I'm going to aim for Level 2. I've ordered some, and am on librivox for others, but I am definitely not a good listener normally (unless I'm trying to sleep...). We shall see!

I'm going for level 3. I usually listen to at least one book a month in the car (drive around a little for work) and can get the books from the library and listen on bluetooth from my phone.

I'm going to go for Level 3: Bookworm: 10-15 books. For this year I have a lot of audiobooks; (some are the latest bestsellers and some are Stephen King's books that I desperately need to read. I even have one by Dean Koontz, so I'm really excited for the coming year!!

oops. I posted this comment to the 2018 board! Sorry. So for the audiobook challenge I'm going to do level 5. We listen to audiobooks EVERY day in our house, and I'm hoping it will help with some of the other challenges as well. Is there a way to track our progress on this challenge? Do I need to provide a list in advance because I have no idea where this specific challenge will take me.

Fran wrote: "oops. I posted this comment to the 2018 board! Sorry. So for the audiobook challenge I'm going to do level 5. We listen to audiobooks EVERY day in our house, and I'm hoping it will help with some o..."

Fran,

No need to list your books in advance. Some people like to do that, but it's not required.

Is there a way to keep track of them? Like there is for the overall books read challenge that's posted on my home page?

Fran wrote: "Is there a way to keep track of them? Like there is for the overall books read challenge that's posted on my home page?"

There are way too many members in our group for the moderators to track their reading challenges. We let each member keep track of their own reads themselves. When you post on a reading challenge thread, put a number next to that book title i.e.

1.) Bleak House by Charles Dickens

Then the next book you posted you read gets listed as the next consecutive number i.e.

2.) Emma by Jane Austen

That way, it's easier for you to scroll up in the thread, find your name in the posts, and then use the next number for your newest book post.

Fran,

Another thing you can do personally on your My Books page is to create a shelf for each Reading Challenge. There is a small tan button on the left side of your My Books page that says "Add Shelf." You can use that to make a shelf, such as "2019 Classics Catchup". Then you can enter your books in there after you have read them.

Thanks so much for all your patience...lol. If you couldn't tell this is all very new to me. Compound that with the fact that we just got a computer after not having one for 7 years! Creating a shelf for each reading challenge seems the simplest way to do it, thanks.

I'm going for level 5 for this one. I'll set a goal of 150 books next year, and 60% of them are going to be audiobooks methinks, if 2018 is an indication.

I am so glad to find an audiobooks challenge! I'm shooting for level 5.

Wow, we have so many members going for Level 5! I hope I'll be able to complete at least Level-3 (which would be a big thing for me, lol.)

So good to see you all here!

So glad to have found your group! In May of last year, I started a new job with a longer commute (my previous commute was about 8 minutes!), which spurred me to get back to audiobooks. I am going for Level 5 too!

I will start with : Level 1: Casual Reader: 1-5 books (easy) and work my way up

Level 1
1. The Billion Dollar Spy: A True Story of Cold War Espionage and Betrayal 1/2
2. Elevation 1/2
3. Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology 1/3
4. Adnan's Story: The Search for Truth and Justice After Serial 1/10
5. The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War 1/16

Level 2: Frequent Reader: 5-10 books (moderate)
6. Yes Please 1/20
7. All-American Murder: The Rise and Fall of Aaron Hernandez, the Superstar Whose Life Ended on Murderers' Row 1/24
8.
9.
10.

Cheryl wrote: "Fran,

Another thing you can do personally on your My Books page is to create a shelf for each Reading Challenge. There is a small tan button on the left side of your My Books page that says "Add S..."
I made an audiobook shelf and just click that box too when my books are audible. I can count up the ones marked read date 2019 easy enough.

I’m in again!!
I think I just about managed 25 books and level 5 through 2018, so I’ll aim for level 4 but hope I reach level 5 again!
Much love and best wishes to you all for 2019!!

I'm going to give it a shot. My audiobook listening comes in fits and starts, sometimes I listen just to podcasts then I go crazy and listen to a bunch of books, but I will probably read a few.

1. First audio book of the year 😊

The Flood by David Sachs

I'm going for Bookiopath. I'm starting with Hamlet by Shakespeare

I finished one too- novella more than novel.

Cheryl wrote: "Fran,

Another thing you can do personally on your My Books page is to create a shelf for each Reading Challenge. There is a small tan button on the left side of your My Books page that says "Add S..."

That’s a great idea!! I’ve just done that, so thanks for the tip 😁

I'm going to make a guess and say I'll make Level 3.
1. The Once and Future King currently underway
2. The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling about to start.

My first audio of the year was Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology

I've listened to two audiobooks so far this year:
1. All That Remains by Patricia Cornwell (read by C.J. Critt)
2. Tart of Darkness: A Chef-To-Go Mystery by Denise Swanson (read by Melissa Moran)

Finished another audio on my way home tonight!

Abbie DiscoSuperFly wrote: "Finished another audio on my way home tonight!"

Me too!

Okay first ones of the year:
1. A Bone to Pick by Charlaine Harris 1/2/19
2. Dear Santa by Ray Bradbury 1/2/19
3. The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood 1/10/19
4. Doug Bradley's Spinechillers, Vol. 2 by Doug Bradley 1/13/19
5. My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite 1/16/19
6. Looker by Laura Sims 1/30/19
7. Breaking Free: How I Escaped My Father-Warren Jeffs-Polygamy, and the FLDS Cult by Rachel Jeffs 2/10/19
8. The Diva Runs Out of Thyme by Krista Davis 2/23/19
9. God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza 2/27/19
10. Confessions by Kanae Minato 3/6/19
11. The Body on the Beach by Simon Brett 3/17/19
12. Murder, Interrupted by James Patterson 3/23/19
13. Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin 3/30/19
14. The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 4/5/19 - full book version!
15. Death of an Outsider by M.C. Beaton 4/12/19
16. Death on the Downs by Simon Brett 4/23/19
17. All Systems Red by Martha Wells 5/1/19
18. Murder at the Book Club by Betsy Reavley 5/10/19
19. Cover Her Face by P.D. James 5/16/19
20. The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 5/17/19 - full cast BBC version!
21. Black Coffee by Charles Osborne 5/20/19
22. Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout 5/27/19
23. Tart of Darkness: A Chef-To-Go Mystery by Denise Swanson 6/1/19
24. The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie 6/7/19
25. Swamp Bones by Kathy Reichs 6/10/19
26. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie 6/16/19
27. Binti by Nnedi Okorafor 6/20/19
28. Cat on the Edge by Shirley Rousseau Murphy 6/28/19
29. Strawberry Shortcake Murder by Joanne Fluke 7/6/19
30. Cookie Dough or Die by Virginia Lowell 7/15/19
31. One Tequila by Tricia O'Malley 7/16/19
32. A Muddied Murder by Wendy Tyson 7/27/19
33. Sergeant Cluff Stands Firm by Gil North 8/3/19
34. Scoop To Kill by Wendy Lyn Watson 8/8/19
35. Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds: A Short Story by Agatha Christie 8/22/19
36. An Accidental Death by Peter Grainger 8/21/19
37. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett 9/5/19
38. The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer 9/16/19
39. You Have Arrived at Your Destination by Amor Towles 9/20/19
40. Single Asiatic Male Seeks Ride or Die Chick by Eddie Huang 9/21/19
41. Notorious by Allison Brennan 10/2/19

Does anyone listen to any podcast?

Bonnie wrote: "I finished one too- novella more than novel. "

And just finished my second audible for the year (which was a book I had already read long ago.

I wasn't going to do this challenge, audio books are not really my thing, until Dangy mentioned The Time Traders by Andre Norton in another post. I listened to it on Librivox. I enjoyed the story put the audio quality was horrible. There was a high pitched whine throughout that I found very distracting, not to mention I could only listen for a few minutes at a time before I would get a headache. I would love to check out another but I am worried.

Just finished Level 1. On to the bext!

Dagny wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "And just finished my second audible for the year (which was a book I had already read long ago. The Ballad of Frankie Silver (Ballad, #5) by Sharyn McCrumb"

Haven't read any of thos..."

Her ballad novels are much darker and based on true "local" history mixed with folklore.

Dagny wrote: "Abbie DiscoSuperFly wrote: "Just finished Level 1. On to the bext!"

Yea, Abbie! That's just where I am also."

If only my commutes were longer!

Dagny wrote: "Marjorie wrote: "The Time Traders by Andre Norton in another post. I listened to it on Librivox. I enjoyed the story p..."

Sorry you had a bad experience. The quality at LibriVox varies. Generally..."

I will try it again. I am sure.

I am new to audiobooks because I find i hate many of the voices, especially fiction. So far I have only done non-fiction. Hopefully doing this will give me some good ideas.

For now I will start at level 2 (moderate)

So far I have listed to and and just started .

If anyone can give me fiction suggestions I would be thankful.

Dagny wrote: "I know what you mean about the readers, Beth. I have some that I don't like also. Another thing that bugs me and is nothing to do with the narrator's voice is a 1st person novel where the protagoni..."

Thank you Dagny!

1. Seveneves - 1/5

DNF. This book was too heavy for me. The narration was slow and the story progressed so slowly in the first hour that when I realized the book was 30 something hours, I stopped it right there. You really need to like the narration enough if you plan to spend another 30 hours listening to it. And that was not how I felt, so I abandoned it. I have other books that I can read and enjoy in that much time (pretty sure I can read a good number of other books in that much time.)

Bonnie wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "I finished one too- novella more than novel. "

And just finished my second audible for the year (which was a book I had already read long ago. [b..."

And my new audible The Rosewood Casket is also a ballad novel I read years ago. I am enjoying listening it to it now.

Dagny wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "And my new audible The Rosewood Casket is also a ballad novel I read years ago. I am enjoying listening it to it now. "

Ah, another Sharyn McCrumb book. I should check and see what'..."
They do make good audible listens.

Second Audio book of the year, an absolutely beautiful story even with all its horror and wonderfully narrated ❤️

Dagny wrote: "Looking ahead to February's Genre Challenge of Mystery-Thriller:

Free from LibriVox - a few mystery/thriller suggestions which will fit in three Challenge categories (Audio, February Genre Challen..."

Thanks Dagny! Can’t wait. I haven’t read any mysteries in a while. Looking forward to February.

I thought I had done a better job of logging in my finished audiobooks, so sorry. But, here they are for the month of January:
1.) Not So Normal Norbert - James Patterson
2.) Stars of Fortune - Nora Roberts
3.) The Reluctant Assassin - Eoin Colfer
4.) Revelations - L. Steven Taylor
5.) Death on the Nile - Agatha Christie
6.) Wishtree - Katherine Applegate
7.) Bleak House - Charles Dickens
8.) The Wiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid - Colin Meloy

I'm in the middle of another but that won't get finished this month. I'll try to keep up better in the future.

I finished my last audiobook of January today and realized I've been forgetting to post them here. So here is my full list for the month:

1. All That Remains by Patricia Cornwell
2. Tart of Darkness by Denise Swanson
3. A Fool and His Honey by Charlaine Harris
4. Last Scene Alive by Charlaine Harris
5. Cruel & Unusual by Patricia Cornwell
6. The Body Farm by Patricia Cornwell
7. The Haunting on Heliotrope Lane by Carolyn Keene
8. Bones Are Forever by Kathy Reichs

My Audio books for January are all part of a sci-fi series called the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. I am on the last one that I should hopefully finish tomorrow, but I am going to add it to this list. As soon as I finish Fairest, I will have my first series too.

1) Cinder
2) Scarlet
3) Cress
4) Winter
5) Stars Above
6) Fairest

Dagny wrote: "#8 - End Game

Beth, I enjoyed the reader - Kyf Brewer. Easy to listen to and awesome when the woman character spoke - can't believe the voice changed so much. This is book 5 in the..."
Thank you Dagny. I. May try one as my thriller this month.

I finished my third (second ballad novel from already read book) The Rosewood Casket. Really good but sadder than I remember.

For a change of pace, I've put a few MC Beaton cozies on hold and started Stephen King's Dark Tower series (although unfortunately part 2 came in The Drawing of the Three before part 1 (the Gunslinger, which I luckily saw the movie. )

Stephen King proved too dark and graphic on audible for me this month, so have switched to

I listened to All Systems Red last night. Robert Free was fairly good. Then again the main character was an auto bot.

Dagny wrote: "Lorraine wrote: "Second Audio book of the year, an absolutely beautiful story even with all its horror and wonderfully narrated ❤️

"

Thanks for the ..."

Ho-e you enjoy it as much as I did!!

I’m just about to begin listening to this, my 3rd audio book of the year 😁 An absolute monster at 26 hours 51 minutes, I have been SO looking forward to hearing ‘what happens next’!!