Reading challenges

[Scarlet Rose]

As some of you may be aware, there are people who partake in an annual activity known as a reading challenge. In partaking in such an activity one sets themselves with a target of how many books they expect to read within a given period of time, usually a year. What are your thoughts on this? Perhaps you have done it before or are doing it now?

 

[Jazzy]

I wasn't aware of this reading challenge. I think it's a wonderful idea and if they held it here, I would love to partake.



@Scarlet Rose: Will you be doing the challenge? If so, what's your target?

 

[Scarlet Rose]

I was not sure if there would be enough interest here, so was using this to test the waters. I am certainly interested in doing it here as it is something I take part in myself. I did it last year but fell short of my target and am doing it again this year. I am aiming for fifty books.

Edit: Some people use different criteria though. For instance pages or a combination of pages and books. I just go by book count myself.

 

[Jazzy]

I love to read books. I also collect books. Right now I have over 300 books in my home library.



I just read a 590 page book and it took me 3 days to finish.



If the interest is here then I'm ready for the challenge!

My target would be 100 books within a year.



I also know that Evil Eye reads a lot too. He'd probably blow me out of the water with my 100 book target.

 

[Raven]

I'm not a quick reader at all. I like the idea but most times it takes be about a month, sometimes more to read a book. However I have just gone through a book in a week... Couldn't put it down, Now on the 4th book of the series.



I would like to join a book club but honestly I don't think I would be able to keep up.

 

[Scarlet Rose]

I love to read books. I also collect books. Right now I have over 300 books in my home library.



I just read a 590 page book and it took me 3 days to finish.



If the interest is here then I'm ready for the challenge!

My target would be 100 books within a year.



I also know that Evil Eye reads a lot too. He'd probably blow me out of the water with my 100 book target.

Wow, in which case you would both blow me out of the water by a long shot. I come nowhere near approaching that reading rate. I also collect books too.

I'm not a quick reader at all. I like the idea but most times it takes be about a month, sometimes more to read a book. However I have just gone through a book in a week... Couldn't put it down, Now on the 4th book of the series.



I would like to join a book club but honestly I don't think I would be able to keep up.

What I find more off putting about joining a book club would be losing autonomy over my reading selection.

 

[DrLeftover]

Last year I set myself a challenge of writing a book a month.



I made it through five then hit a wall. In the course of the year, I did finish seven total, and had another one in production.



So while I didn't make the goal, I think I did all right.

 

[Evil Eye]

I also know that Evil Eye reads a lot too. He'd probably blow me out of the water with my 100 book target.

I won't, I can't afford to read

I only really read when I'm on holiday without internet access... then I end up reading 3-5 books while trying to do more other things...

 

[DrLeftover]

I won't, I can't afford to read

I only really read when I'm on holiday without internet access... then I end up reading 3-5 books while trying to do more other things...

I happen to know where you can find a LOT of fiction of all manner of genres for free.



And it can all be saved and read later on almost any electronic reader:

http://themediadesk.com/fiction.htm​

Enjoy.​

 

[Evil Eye]

Thank you. I have bookmarked it for now.

Actually, after talking to Scarlet Rose for a bit yesterday, I decided to get to downloading. So I spent an hour or so getting Plato's Republic, Animal Farm, Brave New World, Sherlock Holmes (I think I'm still missing two or three short stories) and The Golden Bough (full version).

I should be good to go for a while.

 

[DrLeftover]

The drivel I spout into the keyboard is scarcely in that league.



I withdraw the suggestion and point you this way-



http://www.gutenberg.org/



This one might be a good place to start



The Essays of Montaigne — Complete





http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3600

 

[Evil Eye]

Then yesterday evening I downloaded The Divine Comedy and Paradise Lost and realised this would get out of hand a bit too fast, so I started reading Animal Farm today. Should be able to finish it within another hour.

The drivel I spout into the keyboard is scarcely in that league.

It hardly has to be, as long as it's an interesting read, but thanks for the link.

Is it just me or does their favicon resemble the Grammar Nazi symbol?

 

[Scarlet Rose]

Then yesterday evening I downloaded The Divine Comedy and Paradise Lost and realised this would get out of hand a bit too fast, so I started reading Animal Farm today. Should be able to finish it within another hour.

That is quite an impressive start. How many do you think you will be aiming for? Also you should keep track of the books you read here too.

 

[Evil Eye]

I'll try to keep you guys posted. On that note, I did finish Animal Farm.

How many do you think you will be aiming for?

...many. I already bookmarked the Epic of Gilgamesh, I'll probably get around to the complete works of Shakespeare at some point... Well, I may be thinking big now, but this'll keep me occupied for a while

 

[DrLeftover]

Gilgamesh?



You mean like-

Fascinating.



Let me know what you think of Ishtar and what she was up to.



Now if you will pardon me, I need to check with Napoleon and see which field I'm supposed to crap in today.

 

[Jazzy]

I found a real gem today at a yard sale:



Mistress Masham's Repose by T.H. White (copyright date 1946). It's in excellent condition ( paid $1.00 )

 

[Evil Eye]

Let me know what you think of Ishtar and what she was up to.

Will do.

Now if you will pardon me, I need to check with Napoleon and see which field I'm supposed to crap in today.

Don't let Snowball lure you into his schemes, comrade.

 

[Evil Eye]

Finished the epic a few days ago.

Let me know what you think of Ishtar and what she was up to.

She... certainly was an interesting character. Bit too spoiled to be a god really. Love or die I suppose.

Also don't think I've ever seen a god threaten to bring about a zombie apocalypse before.

 

[Evil Eye]

Well I'm back from my holiday and I did say I'd keep you guys up to date on my reading so here goes...



I finished the Necronomicon, a compendium of tales by Lovecraft.

Spoiler

1. Night-Gaunts (The introductory poem)
   
2. Dagon
   
3. The Statement of Randolph Carter
   
4. The Doom That Came to Sarnath
   
5. The Cats of Ulthar
   
6. The Nameless City
   
7. Herbert West - Reanimator
   
8. The Music of Erich Zann
   
9. The Lurking Fear
   
10. The Hound
    
11. The Rats in the Walls
    
12. Under the Pyramids
    
13. The Unnamable
    
14. In the Vault
    
15. The Outsider
    
16. The Horror at Red Hook
    
17. The Colour Out of Space
    
18. Pickman's Model
    
19. The Call of Cthulhu
    
20. Cool Air
    
21. The Shunned House
    
22. The Silver Key
    
23. The Dunwich Horror
    
24. The Whisperer in Darkness
    
25. The Strange High House in the Mist
    
26. The Dreams in the Witch-House
    
27. From Beyond
    
28. Through the Gates of the Silver Key
    
29. At the Mountains of Madness
    
30. The Shadow Over Innsmouth
    
31. The Shadow Out of Time
    
32. The Haunter of the Dark
    
33. The Thing on the Doorstep
    
34. The Case of Charles Dexter Ward
    
35. The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath
    
36. To a Dreamer (Also a poem)
    

And I finished the first two Hunger Games books (those are of the a-book-a-day sort

).