Around the World discussion

Hi folks! I just joined this group because I think this is an awesome concept. I'll play along with what little is left of 2012...but would love to see this happen again in 2013 so I can fully participate! I saw that a USA group is forming as well, but would love to see another around the world challenge with other global readers if there is enough interest.

Jenna,
I'm up to continuing next year, I already have a whole bunch of books planned to continue this world trek.

I'll be around in 2013 as well. I haven't finished the books I chose for the challenge.

Count me in. All we need to do is change the group title or add new 2013 threads. Whatever is easiest for everyone.

I will add to the original one and swap out books for others. My agenda has changed so much since we started this -- like Japan, where I never read the book that I intended to and instead read five different titles not on my list. I was in Japan for months and loved every minute of it.

I think I'll have another go at this challenge next year. I am doing the around USA in 52 books, but will still have many leftovers from this group as well. Not sure whether I will be able to read another 52 countries but will see how my list shapes up.

I would like to continue too.

Judy, I will work from all the titles I had last year that remain unread.

I think I'll have about 20 titles from this years list to read next year! :-)

I really enjoyed this year's challenge and will be continuing it into 2013 and probably into 2014 as well.
There are a lot of countries I still want to read books from in the world. I think I would see it as a continuation of the same challenge, rather than a new one.

Yay! Great to hear so many of you are interested in continuing! I have no preference as to whether its a new challenge or just a new threat on this one - it could start to get messy with 365 more days of posts, but it does look like there are a lot of great resources on here.

Just finished book 19 out of 52 (or I think it's now 54). So I am in for the long haul!

Just checked... apparently it's only number 17. Bah. Point still stands.

Judy, I'm planning on setting a goal lower than 52 for myself next year, mostly because I want to savour some books, and also because I want to participate in a US challenge. But I'll join in if you start another thread for 2013...just with my own goal.

I am leaning toward Around the USA for 2013. If you start in 2012, will those books count for 2012?

Hattie wrote: "I am leaning toward Around the USA for 2013. If you start in 2012, will those books count for 2012?"

Yes, because they will have been marked as read in 2012 when marked off as read.

Judy, since this group may be ongoing for quite some time, how about just leaving the title as Around the World in 52 Books and then just start new threads for 2013. In January, everyone will then select their new person goals correct?

Judy wrote: "Mikki, that sounds good to me, too.

My only niggling concern was if it would be cumbersome for those who already had linked their books and didn't want to go through the rigmarole of doing it aga..."

But we could still keep our original lists and personal pages, we'd just start new 2013 threads for "Where are You / Where have you been." I think that that could work, what do you think? We could even close the 2012 threads if necessary.

Judy, exactly, I really do not want to "start the rigmarole of listing and linking the books" again! I'd rather be reading.

I have so much to read I'm never going to stop, although I think my pace will pull back as I focus on other challenges,

I agree with Mikki as well.

The books I end up reading are sometimes on my original list, but sometimes I have discovered new ones and read them too. Then I only add them to my list of books read for the challenge.

Sorry - late to the party. Judy had asked what my intentions are for 2013.

I have about 20 books to go to complete my challenge, so I plan to complete my original 52 in 2013. At this point, I don't intend to add any new books to my list. But, then one never knows.

I like the idea of starting new "Where have you been, Where are you now" threads for 2013 and closing the 2012 threads.

Our personal lists can stay the way they are. If people have completed the 52 books in 2012 and are starting a new list of 52 books in 2013, they could start a new thread if they wanted to.

We'll have to start a new challenge since the current one expires Dec 31/12.

Jenny wrote: "I have so much to read I'm never going to stop, although I think my pace will pull back as I focus on other challenges,"

This is exactly how I feel. I've been intending to read more international next year anyway.

I like the idea of continuing on a "quiet" basis next year and am happy not to redo my book thread. I've been adding to it all year and probably will continue to do so as I discover new, exciting titles. It will be good to join everyone.

Since it's pretty clear to me that I won't be able to finish this challenge in 2012, I thought about trying to complete it in 2013, but decided against it. The reason is that a decision to complete it would constrict my reading choices in ways I don't like. The reason why I can't complete it is because I've re-visited countries. My night table currently holds a re-visit to Russia and two books for Turkey. I haven't been to Turkey yet, but only one of those books will count for the challenge. I don't want to stop re-visiting countries, but I don't want to re-define my challenge goals either. If I say that I'm going to 52 different countries then that's what I should be doing to complete the challenge. So I have a psychological obstruction to continuing beyond 2012. Sorry, folks. I wish those who do continue in 2013 well.

Shomeret, remember we can each define our goals differently. Maybe you want to define yours as 13 countries with four books each. You get my point. A challenge should never restrict your reading goals.

Me, I just know I love reading books about different countries. Each time I read a book that takes place in a "new country" I add it on to my challenge. That is it, that is all I do. I never read a book I do not feel like reading. If I feel like reading three, four or even six books from the same country - that is fine too, but I only count one for each country. This group is flexible, that is why this is the only challenge I can consider.

It would be nice if you stayed with us, but of course that you must decide. Either way, since you remain a GR friend, I will see what you are reading. And that is good! :0)

I agree. The only thing I'm doing is resetting the end date of my 2012 challenge, since I won't finish this year either.

I liked the challenge so much, I will surely join for the 2013, because there are so many books and countries and authors I don't know and want to become aquainted with.

Judy wrote: "Shomeret, Chrissie is right. You set your own parameters. I don't think many if any of us have exactly the same goals for this challenge."

I don't even have goals anymore -- I'm just gonna go as the books take me. :)

I'll finish (I think and intend) my challenge in 2012, but I'm enjoying the group very much and plan to fill in either reviews or new books for the countries I read before I started my around the world challenge. I might not read 52, though, because I already know that I'm setting a 2013 goal to read around 75 books on my RL TBR shelf. Okay, TBR bookcase. Okay, two TBR bookcases. I need that space for categories, not TBRs! So that will be my big focus, but among those books are many from countries for which I haven't written a review.

Mikki wrote: "I don't even have goals anymore -- I'm just gonna go as the books take me. :) "
Ditto, and honestly, the best part of this challenge has been the other readers I've met. I just don't know how to quit you!

Jenny wrote: "Ditto, and honestly, the best part of this challenge has been the other readers I've met. I just don't don't know how to quit you..."

Agreed!

Absolutely agree Jenny and Mikki. I don't think I'll set a goal next year, just read and share.

I don't even know how or where to begin these challenges. I came in the middle and end of everything. Can't wait for 2013.

Well, if I can just post about international reads and not even do the challenge part, I could stick around in 2013.

That is nice, Shomeret!

I'm planning on continuing with the challenge next year also. I've been a real caboose this year...lol. I'm just taking a leisurely stroll through the countries and enjoying as they come.

The way Goodreads interprets a challenge is as a book count, which is far too simple a definition for all the variations we are following in this group.

I will go along with whatever the rest of you decide about new lists and threads, but will carry on reading and reviewing from where I stop at the end of 2012.

I'm so glad so many of us are continuing on to next year! It seems that a lot of us are taking longer visits at each country and travelling a lot slower than we'd originally planned. This is so cool! I'm really enjoying the spirit of the challenge. Reading books from so many countries is proving to be an eye-opening experience. I got hung up for a while on books about pre-columbian civilizations because of this challenge, and I truly did not expect that when I started out. Learning lots on this trip. And loving it ;-)

I'm in. I read lots of books I wouldn't have otherwise, and other writers I had intended to read but had put off (such as Salmon Rushdie and Mario Vargas Llosa) who have become new favorites. I like the discipline of the challenge pushing me along.

FWIW, I would like new threads for the next year, including personal pages--I found it useful to have a list to check against right on the group and to check or not if I was on track. I do like that there's no requirement though in order to participate, that we could interpret the challenge how we like. I've found it a great group and I'd hate to lose people like Shomeret and their input on international reads because they felt how they read didn't fit group requirements.

I plan on reading books around the world until I am finished; maybe by 2015. I am reading Explaining Hitler, so I guess that makes me in Austria. Not much of a jolly book, and I doubt if I will count it as one for Around the World.I would rather read novels for this.

Josey wrote: "I plan on reading books around the world until I am finished; maybe by 2015. I am reading Explaining Hitler, so I guess that makes me in Austria. Not much of a jolly book, and I doubt if I will cou..."
It is up to you what you count. Sounds apropos for the challenge to me!

I'm definitely still doing this in 2013. I've not kept up with my books all year, so I'll have plenty left on my world list for 2013.

I plan on starting here for 2013 also.

I'm taking it for granted. Who knows????:)

After all the distractions of this year, I've let this challenge slide quite badly. But I'm feeling revved up for 2013 (and 2014 and possibly 2015) to get back into it!

I'm not sure, but I believe you can set a new shelf for your challenge too, so we can create new challenges for ourselves if we'd like. I'll test it out.

Ok, just found this thread. I'm definitely in next year, and will think about total. I've had no trouble with 52 this year, so it will probably be that again, and I'm also doing around the US. But given that I'm committed to the Great African Reads group, getting to 52 will probably be easy again.

I think I'll be doing something similar to Andrea. I have loved this challenge, but have found I like to explore topics/countries by reading several books along a theme. That has resulted in my only completing 22 rather than 52. I'm going to continue along with the challenge, but probably do 12 a year. I also p,an to read Dorothy Dunnett who I've just discovered and am crazy for. Though I have temporarily laid her aside while I reread Lord of the Rings in honour of the new Hobbit film. Hmmmm would Middle Earth count as a country? :)

Looking forward to it! This group has really helped to grow my "to be read" list to immense proportions! For which I am deeply grateful ;-)

Me too! I've read some of the greatest books this past year.

i am going to make a concerted effort to read more "around the world" books in 2013. i thought i generally read a fair number, but i was wrong--or at least i seem to be stuck in england and france.

i also read quite a few duds this year, and it seems to have slowed down my reading--which is already snail's pace to start.