MobileRead Book Challenges discussion

I'm doing something different this year. Rather than count the number of books, I will count the number of evenings I have read book prose.

The time may be as little as a half-hour or forty-five minutes, but it will be time that I have put aside for my leisure reading rather than study.

My goal will be 160 evenings in 2012. As a sub-goal, I will aim for forty weeks of four or more evenings.

That's really interesting! I like the idea.

Thanks Mrs. J! So far I've found this to be a goal with no pressure to succeed.

I read The Purloined Letter tonight. All my life I've heard about it, but I've never read it before until now.

1...3/08...2011 Canadian Football League Rule Book

I think you're the first person I've known to actually read the rule book.

Homeinmyshoes wrote: "I think you're the first person I've known to actually read the rule book."

I didn't know there were rule books for sports.

Pete Martin of the Toronto Argonauts' radio broadcasting team said that it would put you to sleep, but I found it very interesting.

However, it was very slow going - for the most part only two or three pages at a time.

I learned a lot.

2...3/18...Shutter Island - Dennis Lehane

I did not enjoy Shutter Island as much as I have the short stories I have been reading since the first of the year, but there is an enjoyable sense of accomplishment when you finish a novel that you don't get with short stories.

GA wrote: "I did not enjoy Shutter Island as much as I have the short stories I have been reading since the first of the year, but there is an enjoyable sense of accomplishment when you finish a novel that yo..."

I can agree with that. I wonder...did you already know the twist to Shutter Island? Sometimes knowing the twist to books dampens my enjoyment.

No, I came into the book tabula rasa. As we'll discuss tomorrow, I wasn't happy with the ending, and if I had known what the ending was I wouldn't have bothered to read the book.

GA wrote: "No, I came into the book tabula rasa. As we'll discuss tomorrow, I wasn't happy with the ending, and if I had known what the ending was I wouldn't have bothered to read the book."

Lucky you. I've been told the ending several times by several people in passing, lol.

As I mentioned briefly in the Writer's Corner, I am writing my first novel.

I have found that when I have a productive day writing, I am not in the mood for recreational reading.

I wonder if that is common among professional authors.

GA wrote: "As I mentioned briefly in the Writer's Corner, I am writing my first novel.

I have found that when I have a productive day writing, I am not in the mood for recreational reading.

I wonder if that..."

I think that may keep me from writing, lol. I'd rather read.

But good luck on the book!

Thanks Mrs. J!

3...4/19...Aiming at Amazon - Aaron Shepard

4...4/22...Happier than a Billionaire - Nadine Hays Pisani

This evening's was my 80th of the year, marking the halfway point toward my goal.

On Monday I failed to read, thus ending my consecutive evenings reading streak at 23. That streak gave me a big boost toward the goal.

23 days is pretty impressive. I've been in a funk.

I thought so too! I had two non-fiction books that I was very interested in reading.

5...5/11...Games People Play - Eric Berne

6...6/05...Losers Live Longer - Russell Atwood

7...6/16...BAD or The Dumbing of America - Paul Fussell

8...7/02...The Maltese Falcon (original version) - Dashiell Hammett

GA wrote: "8...7/02...The Maltese Falcon (original version) - Dashiell Hammett"

How was this? My husband thinks he might be interested in noir gumshoe detective stories...

Mrs. J, I read the novel version last year for the second time and enjoyed it. The original version was published over five issues of Black Mask Magazine, and I enjoyed it even more. It was easier to follow the plot.

It is available here:
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Lizard-St...

9...9/07...Steve Jobs - Walter Isaacson

Hooray! Yesterday I reached my goal of 160 evenings reading!

I have lost interest in my sub-goal of 40 weeks reading 4 or more evenings per week. However, I will continue to keep track to see how far I get this year.

Congrats! :)

Thanks Christa!

I have picked up a few DVDs this year that I have put off watching in favor of reading. I think that now that I have reached my goal, I may do a little less reading in favor of more watching.

Congrats!

GA wrote: "Thanks Christa!

I have picked up a few DVDs this year that I have put off watching in favor of reading. I think that now that I have reached my goal, I may do a little less reading in favor of mo..."

I have a backlog of movies myself, plus my Netflix queue needs attention. I always tell myself I'm saving those for the really boring weekends. As if I could possibly ever have less going on than I do now. :D

But then, I do tend to constantly prepare for the entertainment apocalypse. Stockpiling books, movies, even fiction magazines.

Christa, Amazon is now carrying inexpensive Region Free Sony DVD players, and I intend to get one for Christmas.

There are a number of British and French DVDs available at Amazon UK that are not available in the US, and a Region Free DVD player will solve that problem.

I have a method of "nullifying" the region setting on my computer's DVD drive. Only had to do it once, but it works. I usually rip DVDs to my hard drive then send them to the TV via my Roku. I'm such a nerd.

Now I have to resist the temptation of Amazon UK, which had not even occurred to me until you mentioned it. :D

LOL! Happy to be your enabler!

MrsJoseph wrote: "Congrats!"

Thanks Mrs. J!

10...9/18...The Highly Effective Detective Goes to the Dogs - Richard Yancey

11...9/23...Armageddon, 2419 AD - Philip Francis Nowlan

GA wrote: "11...9/23...Armageddon, 2419 AD - Philip Francis Nowlan"

How was this one? It sounds interesting.

MrsJoseph wrote: "GA wrote: "11...9/23...Armageddon, 2419 AD - Philip Francis Nowlan"

How was this one? It sounds interesting."

Hi Mrs. J! This was the first Buck Rogers story. For that reason alone I found it interesting. But in addition, the author was quite prescient in 1928 about things to come like the television, atom bomb, cell phones, and women's lib.

12...10/1...The Airlords of Han - Philip Francis Nowlan

13...11/10...History of the All-America Football Conference - David A. Bene

14...11/24...Madrigal - John Gardner

My ticker isn't working tonight. Instead of being able to update it, it puts me on the first webpage to set up a new one.

Is anyone else having that problem?

Anyway, I'm up to 203 evenings read, and 32 weeks having read 4 or more evenings.

Yes! I had that problem as well. I deleted the ones from my 2012 challenge, but have kept the ones I set up for 2013.

Nyssa, I'm glad I'm not the only one! I thought the problem was with my computer, so I re-booted, but no change.

GA wrote: "My ticker isn't working tonight. Instead of being able to update it, it puts me on the first webpage to set up a new one.

Is anyone else having that problem?

Anyway, I'm up to 203 evenings read,..."


:-(

GA wrote: "Nyssa, I'm glad I'm not the only one! I thought the problem was with my computer, so I re-booted, but no change."

Mine started working again a day or two ago. Any luck with yours?