Rated YA-MA discussion

Participation in YA-MA reading challenges has dropped dramatically in the past year, so this is a general thread to discuss challenges in general.

Challenges in General
Do you like them? Love them? Hate them? Like them but not during a pandemic?

YA-MA Challenges Specifically
Do you have feelings, thoughts, constructive criticism for the YA-MA reading challenges specifically?
-seasonal (3 months)
-year-long (like last year's catch up or this year's representation matters)

Want more challenges? Less? Keep what we have?

Challenges Elsewhere
Do you participate in reading challenges in other places? What makes them a positive or negative experience?

I loved the challenges in the past and found myself revved up by the book choices and thoughts by other participants. I have struggled this year with the pandemic because life has so many more stressors and factors in it right now. I have not participated in challenges from other groups but one factor that has made me unsuccessful in the challenge this year, is that some of the books inspiring me are not YA. I have less time and focus to read the amount of books I used to and I don't want to limit it to YA.
Personally a year long challenge would not keep my interest either. I need the discussion and interaction with others to keep my interest.

I love challenges. Well, I love working out what I want to read for a challenge, but there are always way more books I want to read than I *can* read.

YA-MA challenges are right up my alley right now, because I don’t seem to have the patience for long and/or difficult books. I haven’t done so well with ours the last couple of months but I’ll chalk that up to general lack of time because of moving house. I really like the Representation Matters challenge!

I am supposedly participating in several other challenges in other groups, but I try to make books I read do at least double duty.

I probably participate in too many reading challenges and like DivaDiane, I definitely double up my reads for them.

The seasonal challenges used to be the thread with the most engagement in this group. Now that the BOTM is getting more play, participation in the challenges has dropped. I'm beginning to think y'all can only do one thing @ a time ; )-

I also know that everything that happens during this prolonged pandemic is also not necessarily reality. I know my job stresses kill my reading time/ desire @ times. And you just have to prioritize life things with book things.

Melanie wrote: "I probably participate in too many reading challenges and like DivaDiane, I definitely double up my reads for them.

The seasonal challenges used to be the thread with the most engagement in this ..."

yes that isexactly where I am. There will be apoint again where I am ready for the challenges. I have definitely pick up more reading since last spring/ summer (stupid COVID)

I used to be so good at the challenges and the BOTM, but (stupid Covid) lately my ability to clear my head enough to just read and enjoy a book has been non-existent for almost a year now. It seems to be slowly trickling back, so I'm hoping to start reading more and participating in discussions more.

I only have 3 groups that I am in on here that do the reading challenges/BOTM, so that's usually not an issue. Just my general inability to focus. I need some good books to just lose myself in again!!

And you're right, Melanie, seasonal challenges did used to get the most play :)