2024 Reading Challenge discussion

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope that you all have a wonderful reading year!

Kristin wrote: "Since it's a new year, I've been reading a lot of articles about preparing for the year, being a better reader, and similar topics. I'm curious:

1) How do you track your reading?
GR tracker, Personal Challenge thread and Member corner.

2) What types of stats do you track?
Number of books, pages, ratings; starting this year: fiction/nf, TBR old/new, language

3) How do you retain what you read? Or, do you read for the moment and not worry about remembering what you read?
The latter :) I have a very, very bad memory, can hardly retain anything at all (same with movies and sometimes also things people tell me), so I try not to worry because that only makes it worse!

4) What other bookish goals do you have?
Read in Portuguese too.
Read work related books (I do buy them but they're all on my shelf, have hardly touched them).
CLEARING MY OLD TBR BOOKS!!! They're haunting me....

Kristin wrote: "Since it's a new year, I've been reading a lot of articles about preparing for the year, being a better reader, and similar topics. I'm curious:


1) How do you track your reading?
Goodreads, and some of my personal lists in a journal

2) What types of stats do you track?
Number of books in general, and number of books for particular goals.

3) How do you retain what you read? Or, do you read for the moment and not worry about remembering what you read?
I don't really worry about that. I read too much to really remember everything, and some books are just forgetable. I tendo to remember things I really enjoyed or really did not enjoy even if I'll get a bit hazy on the details.

4) What other bookish goals do you have?
To have less unread books in my home. I need to stop buying books faster than I read them.
Read more classics and more history.

Kristin wrote: "Since it's a new year, I've been reading a lot of articles about preparing for the year, being a better reader, and similar topics.

1) How do you track your reading?
Just the Goodreads tracker and my Members Corner here for the challenges.

2) What types of stats do you track? Only what is needed for the challenges (number of books and pages), and I also made shelves per genre so I would be able to try to balance how much I read from each genre (trying to broaden my comfort zone). But that is not really working out very well...

3) How do you retain what you read? Since about half a year I've started to write reviews of every book I read. Not only because I think it is is good to linger with a finished book a little while longer (I'm not one for analyzing or taking notes while I read, but I find putting my thoughts on paper often helps me contemplate some subjects a little deeper afterwards.) It also helps me remember (and if I forget anyway, I can also go back and look at the review to help remember).

4) What other bookish goals do you have?
Connect more to other readers, talk about books. When I grew up with my nose in books it was often considered a bit antisocial (fortunately not by my close family and friends), and I am now discovering how reading can be a social thing too.

1)How do you track your reading?
Goodread and personal challenge here, but now I want to hold a journal too!

2) What type of stats do you track?
Just number and language.

3) How do you retain what you read? Or, do you read for the moment and not worry about remembering what you read?
I read for the moment. If I forget I can just read again heh.

4) What other bookish goals do you have?
I want to stop buying books and finish what I have first.

You are doing it wrong:

https://boingboing.net/2018/01/03/you-are-doing-it-wrong.html

:D

Sean wrote: "You are doing it wrong:

https://boingboing.net/2018/01/03/you...

:D"

My brother's wife does that! She's into Feng Shui and clean looking shelves, etc. so she says they provide the room with a more neutral and clean looking vibe.
How they ever find any books is beyond me!

Lisa wrote: "Sean wrote: "You are doing it wrong:

https://boingboing.net/2018/01/03/you...

:D"

My brother's wife does that! She's into Feng Shui and clean looking shelves, etc. so she sa..."

That looks afwul! :(

Susy wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Sean wrote: "You are doing it wrong:

https://boingboing.net/2018/01/03/you...

:D"

My brother's wife does that! She's into Feng Shui and clean looking shelves, e..."

lol, personal preference, I guess :) Personally I can't stand to look at color-coded bookshelves. It's an overdone trend, I hate it, and it needs to stop... but that's just me :D

Lisa wrote: lol, personal preference, I guess :) Personally I can't stand to look at color-coded bookshelves. It's an overdone trend, I hate it, and it needs to stop... but that's just me :D."

You mean, placing them according to colour? That's awful too lol
I just place them together if it's a series, or from the same author and otherwise by size...

Susy wrote: "Lisa wrote: lol, personal preference, I guess :) Personally I can't stand to look at color-coded bookshelves. It's an overdone trend, I hate it, and it needs to stop... but that's just me :D."

You..."

I do the same... or at least I would if I still bought physical books :D That's how the owns I own are organized at least. Or by topic, in the case of reference and non-fiction books.

Lisa wrote: "I do the same... or at least I would if I still bought physical books :D That's how the owns I own are organized at least. Or by topic, in the case of reference and non-fiction books.
"

I only buy physical books, and they a riot of colour, with many authors not even all in the same room :) But I like it :)

Up to a certain point, I actually quite like the idea of turning the books backwards on the shelves. I mean, obviously it doesn't apply if the pages are all yellowed with age or coffee stains... Would I do it with my own books? Probably not. But that's mostly because I use most my reference books often enough that I see no point to it. For instance, I'd drive myself turning every single cookbook just to find one :D However, I do understand the appeal of having a cohesive color palette on the bookshelf.

Sean wrote: "You are doing it wrong:

https://boingboing.net/2018/01/03/you...

:D"

Just the thought of this gives me the heebie jeebies! I would never be able to find anything! Plus I think the colours and designs help to decorate a room. I love the jumble of heights and shapes on the shelves. I keep mine grouped by author.

Interesting article though.

I use a combination of Goodreads and a spreadsheet to track my books and reading, although the spreadsheet's original purpose was keeping my physical bookshelf organized. I track number of books read and percentage of the books I own I've read (right now it's about 80%).

I don't worry too much about remembering everything I read, although I do have a pretty good memory for unnecessary details.

My main reading goal is to read more German books, although I should also try to read more nonfiction.

As for the bookshelf organizing systems, it makes no sense to me to put the spines in like that, because I'd never be able to find anything, and it doesn't make sense to sort books by color, because series should be kept together. I sort by BISAC headings, although I don't use the "classics" or "juvenile fiction" headings. I used to use the Dewey Decimal System, but the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen were too far apart.

Kristin wrote: "That's great that you are trying to read more German books. Are you trying to read more books in German, books that are from Germany, or both? My brother studied German in college but unfortunately, hasn't had an opportunity to use it much. I'd love any recs for German-language books. He is probably a bit rusty, so nothing too complex or difficult, but pretty much anything else goes. I think he just likes a good story with a meaningful message. His favorite books are To Kill a Mockingbird, Diary of a Madman and Other Stories, and has also appreciated The Master and Margarita, The Hobbit, and Uncle Tom's Cabin. Of course, any suggestions are welcome!"

I read a combination of English books translated into German and books that were originally written in German. I always recommend reading books you're already familiar with in your native language, which is why I'm working through the Harry Potter series in German. So To Kill a Mockingbird might be a good choice if your brother can find a German edition. Children's books are also good because they use simpler sentences. You can learn a lot of new words that way without getting as bogged down in the grammar.

There are also bilingual books, like these , which are printed in English on one page and in German on the facing page, so that you can read the same passage in both languages. (The link is to the publisher of the bilingual books I own, which my mom acquired in Germany. I'm sure there are other publishers out there.)

Interesting, didn’t know there was such a thing like bilingual books!

I know they have them because my mom reads Nicolas Sparks in Macedonian and loves it.

Hello all!

My answers regarding this:

1) How do you track your reading? I have an excel spreedsheet that I try to improve year by year, I edit mine based in some spreedsheets that I have seen in Booktube. I do not like to track my reading in goodreads, does not provide me the information that I want to see from my reading.

2) What types of stats do you track? I track gender, continent, country, language that I read the book (english or spanish), type of book (paperback, hardcover, ebook or audiobook) the number of pages, If is non fiction, fiction, short stories... Also the genre and if is a translation.

3) How do you retain what you read? Or, do you read for the moment and not worry about remembering what you read?

If I really like the book it stays in my heat, is a shame that I do not have such a good memory for other things as for the books I have. If is an ebook I copy the parts that I highlight to a word document

4) What other bookish goals do you have?
I am now reading almost 50/50 women and male authors that make me very happy I hope to continue like that. I want to continue reading more diverse as well as I hope I can read more in spanish. Almost all my books are in english and now the prices of the ebooks in spanish are not bad, so that should not be an excuse any more for me...

Sean wrote: "You are doing it wrong:

https://boingboing.net/2018/01/03/you...

:D"

I have seen a couple of pictures like that. I do not think I can be in the home of anyone that keeps their books like that I would get crazy put them all out and organize them according to what I feel is right (and I have my own method, that in my house it works because despite the fact that I have over 300 books I do know exactly where are all of them, I just think in the book and know in which shelf it will be almost in the exact position. But to hide the spine? really? What that book did to you that deserve the fate of being forgotten in a corner that nobody will read because they don't even know he is there?

The question remains though.... if you've already read the book, who are you showing it of for? Do you buy books to showcase how much or what types of books you are reading to visitors, or do you read for your own sake? And again, if the answer is the latter, what difference does it make whether the books are packed away in boxes or the spines are hidden away, as long as that's what makes you happy.

Lisa wrote: "The question remains though.... if you've already read the book, who are you showing it of for? Do you buy books to showcase how much or what types of books you are reading to visitors, or do you read for your own sake? And again, if the answer is the latter, what difference does it make whether the books are packed away in boxes or the spines are hidden away, as long as that's what makes you happy."

For the same reason I have souvenirs, pictures on the wall, and other decorations: it is mainly for myself but I also like visitors to see it ánd to remind me of my holiday or whatever the decoration reminds me of. I like to see the covers of The Lunar Chronicles and be reminded of how much I loved them and how they got me out of my reading slump etc etc.

Lisa wrote: "The question remains though.... if you've already read the book, who are you showing it of for? Do you buy books to showcase how much or what types of books you are reading to visitors, or do you r..."

I have a lot of books at home, and of course they are only shown for me, but I buy them and keep them in my house because I actually like having them. I like how my bookcases look filled with books, I like being able to browse through them and see them. And I like being able to easily find what I'm looking for. I think people who don't enjoy those things wouldn't "waste" that much money on buying their own physical copies.

Lisa wrote: "The question remains though.... if you've already read the book, who are you showing it of for? Do you buy books to showcase how much or what types of books you are reading to visitors, or do you r..."

Maybe I'm guilty of bragging about my book collection, but I love to have friends browse my shelves, too. I like to think of it as a personal library, and I can lend great books/series out to friends in need of a good story. Plus, I agree with Susy and lmbunche; I like to see the books all huddled together to remind myself how much I love them. It keeps me reading and writing.

Then again... I buy books like a madwoman and like to show that off, not gunna lie :)

Lisa wrote: "The question remains though.... if you've already read the book, who are you showing it of for? Do you buy books to showcase how much or what types of books you are reading to visitors, or do you r..."

The answer is: The great majority of my books are TBR. I do not keep many of the books that I read, besides some graphic novels that I like to re read and very few other books that I keep because they have emotional importance for me are books I never read.
So when I search for a book I do want to find it fast, also many of my friends are also readers and they like to go through my shelves and see what I have and discuss about it. So is not only for me.

Lisa wrote: "The question remains though.... if you've already read the book, who are you showing it of for? Do you buy books to showcase how much or what types of books you are reading to visitors, or do you r..."

I keep my books for myself. Either I intend to read them again, or I like to look at them and remember how it felt to read them. Plus, they're fun to sort. (I like to sort things.)

I think we all make valid points personally I have books for a multitude of reasons. One being I enjoy both ebooks and paperbacks and I love the option being able to switch back and forth. I am one of those people who carries my kindle to work so I can read a few pages while I wait for someone to answer the phone.
I also like to encourage my non-reader friends to read so I tend to lend out books just to get people reading. The only down fall with that is that sometimes I don't get them back.
I think what's important is doing what feels right to you as long as you are enjoying it thats what matters.

Lisa wrote: "The question remains though.... if you've already read the book, who are you showing it of for? Do you buy books to showcase how much or what types of books you are reading to visitors, or do you r..."

I think most people don't buy books to showcase them, but because they want to read them... Until you have read them the most efficient way to keep them is on a shelf with the spines readable so you can find what you want to read next. And after I always thought there was three options: don't keep them, keep them and leave them where they were, or keep them but put them in boxes for a more space-efficient way of storing them. Apparently there's a fourth but I don't really get that :D

For me the question is: what value do books have to the people who feel the need to turn them around and make them 'anonymous'? Is the book just an aesthetic object with no more meaning than that (an if so, are there no better aesthetic objects to be found or is it just making use of what you already have?). Or do you want to make the impression of being a reader without actually attaching any value to what is in the books?

If I visited a house where books were displayed that way I think it would make me very uncomfortable: normally if I visit someone and they have books on a shelf (I don't even see it as 'on display' because in my house the books are just there because they have to be somewhere, it is not with the 'intention' that people see them), I always have a look. It tells me something about the person and very often gives me a few topics to talk about.
With books displayed like this I think I would spend the entire time wondering which books they are and being too timid/polite to go turn them around...

Kim wrote: "Lisa wrote: "The question remains though.... if you've already read the book, who are you showing it of for? Do you buy books to showcase how much or what types of books you are reading to visitors..."

You know Kim I never thought of it that way timid/polite maybe people don't want other people to know what there favorite genre is? Although if that is the case why display them at all. I have a book shelf in my room with spines out so if people feel the urge to pick one up and take it to read they can.

Wow, i am already behind guys...lol
Ok, so here is the scoop. I am having surgery on my hip, it was supposed to be on the 30th of January, but they called me, someone else got scared, so they bumped me...to tomorrow!!! YIKES! I will be reading to catch up. So, think good thoughts for me... I am buying some cabin socks, some tea, and looking up a nice fireplace app for my TV...lets do this thing right LOL.

Joey wrote: "Wow, i am already behind guys...lol
Ok, so here is the scoop. I am having surgery on my hip, it was supposed to be on the 30th of January, but they called me, someone else got scared, so they bumped me...to tomorrow..."

O wow, good luck with your surgery Joey!!! Hope all goes well and that you'll recover quickly!

Good luck Joey. Maybe it's better to find out the day before to show up. Hope you have some good books to keep you company.

Joey wrote: "Wow, i am already behind guys...lol
Ok, so here is the scoop. I am having surgery on my hip, it was supposed to be on the 30th of January, but they called me, someone else got scared, so they bump..."

Good luck on your surgery and playing catch up. I hope that you recover quickly and enjoy the books you read.

Well, surgery was a success, so much in fact, i was walking around today without crutches...i slept a lot the last few days, and walking today was a big mistake, i can feel it...burning like a thousand fires. SO...i am going to pick up my reading now. I didn't get through Dorian Greys Picture, it didnt hold me well, and so i let it go, if it comes back and I finish it GREAT, if not, oh well...so the first month i read a whopping 0 books. I tried to read 5 different ones, but it just didn't work out. SO I am starting my reading to try to get 1 book done by the end of the month. What a joke I am. LOL

Well I think it’s perfectly understandable that you haven’t been reading that much. I hope your next book will be awesome!
Get well soon and good luck with your reading!

For years now I have had a blog with a review of every book I read. I also use it to keep track of the number of pages there. The reviews I usually put on Goodreads as well and most of the time also on the Dutch booksite Hebban (very much like Goodreads)
At the end of last year I wanted to know a few stats of my reading activity during the year and realised I wanted to keep track of more than this. Now I use a spreadsheet with (don’t be shocked 😉): author, title, date I read the book, paper/e-book/audio, novel, thriller/etc., number of pages, total of pages read, publisher, year of publication, translator, original title, number of stars, country where the story is situated, language (dutch, english, german, french), letter used for A-Z challenge, category used for a Hebban challenge.
The more books I’ve read (I read 111 books last year and go for 70 this year) the more interesting it gets.

My bookshelves are full. I often give books I’ve read to my grandchildren. The walls of several rooms in our house are covered in books , and there are boxes full of them in the attic. No time to decide where on the shelves a book goes or how. It is just a matter of space. My kindle is my friend, but also too full of unread books.

Weaverannie wrote: "For years now I have had a blog with a review of every book I read. I also use it to keep track of the number of pages there. The reviews I usually put on Goodreads as well and most of the time als..."

I've got boxes upon boxes of books to read. I've decided to try and actually start reading what I have. After I read them I've dropped them off at the Little Libraries that we have in several parks around town. They a like a mail box that people can add books to or take them. So far this year I've cleared two books off my shelf. Might not seem like much, but it's a start.

Heather wrote: "Weaverannie wrote: "For years now I have had a blog with a review of every book I read. I also use it to keep track of the number of pages there. The reviews I usually put on Goodreads as well and ..."

These little libraries are appearing here )in the Netherlands more and more. The books in my boxes are often old. I have inhereted libraries from relatives and friends (or from their relatives as well) Very often books in languages other people don't read or understand or want to have. I love reading, but time is so short...

Joey wrote: "Well, surgery was a success, so much in fact, i was walking around today without crutches...i slept a lot the last few days, and walking today was a big mistake, i can feel it...burning like a thou..."

We all have our own reading pace Joey. I am so glad that the surgery went well for you. What book do you think you want to try and finish?

Weaverannie wrote: "Heather wrote: "Weaverannie wrote: "For years now I have had a blog with a review of every book I read. I also use it to keep track of the number of pages there. The reviews I usually put on Goodre..."

have you joined the Clear your shelves challenge since you are clearing your books?

Ok, so i am...yeah...im gonna need you to come in and read on sunday....
lol.
I feel so behind, I read one book and it didnt count for any of my challanges WOOT WOOT. (Shooters guide to accuracy). So, I am NOW reading something good. I couldn't finish Greys Picture just couldn't get back into it...
I will read this percy jackson thing that seems interesting.

Blagica wrote: "Weaverannie wrote: "Heather wrote: "Weaverannie wrote: "For years now I have had a blog with a review of every book I read. I also use it to keep track of the number of pages there. The reviews I u..."

Na I haven't, because I must at least have the idea I can keep track of all te Challenges I take part in this year. Now Iam in the A-Z challenge and the serial reader one. And of course in the 'general' challenge. I nearly forgot to mention the Let's turn pages challenge.

Hello all! Hope that everybody is preparing for the weekend.
@Joey: Hope that you are recovering from the surgery. Not worry for not reading as much as you wanted... I had an operation a year and a half ago that let me in bed for six weeks and was sure that I will read at least 3 books per week. Nothing more far from reality. I was so tired and weak that even watching netflix was difficult....

Not sure if some of you know but this weekend is the 24 in 48. I did it 2 years ago and really like it. Is someone here going to take part of it?

What is 24 in 48? Where is this taking place?

According to the Google search I did, it's a readathon in which participants read for a total of 24 hours within a 48-hour period.

It's a nice idea, but I don't think I'm up for it this year. Even if I didn't have a lot of things to do this weekend, I'm currently reading a German book, and I don't have a lot of stamina for reading in German yet. My brain gets tired pretty quickly.

Caro wrote: "Not sure if some of you know but this weekend is the 24 in 48. I did it 2 years ago and really like it. Is someone here going to take part of it?."

What’s that Caro?

Susy wrote: "Caro wrote: "Not sure if some of you know but this weekend is the 24 in 48. I did it 2 years ago and really like it. Is someone here going to take part of it?."

What’s that Caro?"

Googled it too. Sounds cool. Maybe we should make a separate thread for this to invite people? Will you be participating Caro?

Nancy from NJ wrote: "What is 24 in 48? Where is this taking place?"

It's amazing what a quick google search can do :)
https://24in48.com/
https://24in48.com/readathon-faqs/

"The next #24in48 will be taking place on Jan. 27-28, 2018! And I hope you can join us for a weekend full of warm blankets, snuggly pets, stacks of books, and blessed alone time.

If you’re new to 24in48, this is the basic gist: beginning at 12:01am on Saturday morning and running through 11:59pm on Sunday night, participants read for 24 hours out of that 48-hour period. You can split that up however you’d like: 20 hours on Saturday, four hours on Sunday; 12 hours each day; six four-hour sessions with four hour breaks in between, whatever you’d like."

Caro wrote: "Hello all! Hope that everybody is preparing for the weekend.
@Joey: Hope that you are recovering from the surgery. Not worry for not reading as much as you wanted... I had an operation a year and ..."

I don't do read-athons. They usually have the opposite effect on me, and stress me out instead of motivating me to get reading.

This is the website https://24in48.com/ in the FAQ they explain what is about is a readathon. and from the 48 hours of the weekend you spend 24 reading. You organize yourself as you wanted.

In my case will take place between my kitchen and bed :)