Books on the Nightstand discussion

Deborah wrote: "I own so many books that I have not yet read so I will go with reading 13 that I already own - it is the only way I can justify my book buying habit :)"

I was thinking of at least this. If I don't, my husband may figure out that shortly after I go to Booktopia, a box shows up at our house.

My husband, God bless him, gave me a very generous gift card for books even though he has been known to complain about the hundreds of (unread) books currently scattered about our small villa. He's a prince!

I'm glad there's no " official challenge" for 2013; if there had been one, I had already decided not to participate because I was feeling pressured to read more books than I'd read the previous year and it started to feel more like work than pleasure. The pressure, of course, was self-imposed, but it was annoying nevertheless. So now the heat is off, and I can work on clearing out some of my TBRs from years gone by, along with adding new books that strike my fancy, and some Booktopia authors. I can't believe how unburdened I feel now that I don't have to worry about reaching a specific number, or see that I'm behind five books or whatever! And I look forward to more info on the short stories; I just finished Pete Hamill's The Christmas Kid which was great. Happy New Year, all!

Bobbi wrote: "I'm glad there's no " official challenge" for 2013; if there had been one, I had already decided not to participate because I was feeling pressured to read more books than I'd read the previous yea..."

I love short story collections and just got the Christmas Kid, so I am happy to hear that you liked it.

Today's the day that this inveterate deadline junkie has to decide on the 2013 challenge. I'm going with a selection of the suggestions from this discussion thread:
3 big fat books starting with The Quincunx (did you know Goodreads has a list of "big fat books"?)
13 booktopia books
24 bookclub books
10 (at least) additional BOTNS suggestions

I started keeping a reading journal a couple of years ago when I started to wonder how many books I actually read in a year. I'm pretty ex items to count up my total for 2012. Plus, when people ask me for book recommendations I can thumb through and come up with good titles

I am aiming for 50 books this year, 22 of which have to be previously owned & I am doing a few challenges with another book group

For 2013, I am challenging myself to read at least 26 books. Also, I will keeping a journal of the books I read during the year.

My blog about my challenge:

http://tcheer4life.wordpress.com/wp-a...

I'm going to empty the cube.

Linda wrote: "My blog about my challenge:

http://tcheer4life.wordpress.com/wp-a...

I'm going to empty the cube."

Hmmm, the link you set up sent me to a Word Press login and, when I went to the blog itself, I found a bit about coconut cookies and mice... I think you're gonna like this:

http://dogearedcopy.blogspot.com/2011...

Merry Christmas, Linda :-)

Tanya/dog eared copy wrote: "Linda wrote: "My blog about my challenge:

http://tcheer4life.wordpress.com/wp-a...

I'm going to empty the cube."

Hmmm, the link you set up s..."

I've been having trouble with that lately. I can get there from the link I set up. Try going to my Facebook page and getting it from there. It's titled "Balancing the books"

Linda wrote: "I've been having trouble with that lately. I can get there from the link I set up. Try going to my Facebook page and getting it from there. It's titled "Balancing the books" "

It's only a little after 9 pm here on the West coast and I'm not partying! I'm totally getting my home office ready for a book hoarding photo shoot inspired by your post! Love The Cube! ;-)

Linda wrote: "My blog about my challenge:

http://tcheer4life.wordpress.com/wp-a...

I'm going to empty the cube."

Oh, Linda, this is soooo me! It truly is an addiction, but one for which I seek no cure. BTW, the link does take me to a Wordpress login, but in really tiny letters below is a link back to your blog, which worked perfectly. I'll have to send you my piece about book addiction . . .

I hope Eric doesn't mind that we've co-opted his thread to tak about our reading challenges.

I've just decided that I will also undertake a 2013 reading challenge: a short story a day. This is inspired by Jodi on the Project Short Story thread, and fits in very nicely with my goal of making 2013 the year of the short story. Plus, it's a fairly easy challenge to do, I think, since short stories are EVERYWHERE.

I don't mind the co-opting. I've decided my challenge will be to read all published work by all of the Booktopia Manchester guests. And maybe catch up with last year's. (There are quite a few books by Howard Frank Mosher to read).

My challenge is going to be to read the Booktopia Vermont and Bellingham books since I am attending both events. Also, like Kendra, I have never kept track of how many books I read. Sometimes I try to recall a book so I can recommend it to a friend but can't remember the exact title or the author. As it happens, a friend gave me a reading journal as a Christmas gift, so I will also challenge myself to record what I have read and make note of my thoughts on the book. Booktopia Bellingham only takes me through half of the year so I'm not sure what the second half challenge will be. Stay tuned, I guess!

A tip for those using a book journal to record all books they read in a given year: I use Goodreads to do just that and set up a new bookshelf for each year. So when I finished something and updated the status, I also clicked the bookshelf "Read-in-2012"
I also use the Goodreads app for smart phones to access my account wherever and whenever. Super helpful when recommending a book to someone, or when I'm at the library or a bookstore and can't remember the title of a book I heard about but put it on my "to read" list. Also, I created a bookshelf to list books I started but didn't like and didn't finish.

This is a great suggestion! Thanks for posting, Pam. And you are right that the mobile app for Goodreads makes it easy to have at my fingertips whenever I might want to refer to it.

I had never kept track of how many books I read/listened to until last year, when I set a goal of 75 to 80. I ended up with 99, so for 2013 my goal is 90 to 100. I've also resolved to do better at reading books from my shelves; I managed to read 4 or 5 last year, when this was also on my agenda, but most of those were rereads of old favorites, not things I'd never gotten around to. Another goal is to stay on top of some of the new books that get rave reviews; I've been compiling a list of titles from numerous best of the year lists and noting how many times each gets mentioned. A handful appear on almost every list, so I figure that any book that gets such widespread acclaim is worth checking out.

Two other challenges I've set for myself are to read more nonfiction (about 10% of the books from 2012 were nonfiction), and to finally read something on my Kindle. I won it in a drawing almost two years ago and have downloaded several books but never read any of them. I'm just not into electronic books yet but do want to give them a try.

Finally, I'd like to discover a few new mystery and scifi/fantasy series. I already follow a number in each category, but there are so many great ones that I want to explore more.

The 2012 challenge was great for me. I'm a lifelong avid reader who somehow lost her way. Other things crowded books out of my everyday life - blog reading, crafts, television, podcasts... Blog reading led me to BOTNS, and I listened to all the podcasts beginning with #1. In April I learned of the 12 in '12 Challenge, and joined that (adding a few more to get a total of 30). Being out of practice, I wasn't sure I could do it... But it was like riding a bike. I ended up with 43 books read for the (8 month) year. So this year, I'll add to that number:

Goal:
52 (1/week) plus '13 = 65 books for 2013.

I'm also committing to clearing up my TBR list - getting rid of titles that I'm no longer interested in reading, and adding new ones.

I am not going to open my own thread to declare what I will read this year. I did that last year with another group and it felt more like bragging or chest beating than it did update. This is it.

I will try for 130 books. I have committed to reading Proust's "In Search of Lost Time" this year with another group. I will try to read at least 10 books, besides Proust, on the Boxell's 1001 list. In between, I will be trying to keep up with this group and your wonderful reads. Rather than any one author I am going to make it a Roosevelt year and attempt to read as many books about the family as I am able given my other challenges. Ideally, I would really love to get to Michigan for Booktopia, with or without a companion. Here's to a Happy Year of Reading for ALL.

Ann wrote: "Marianne wrote: "So, what is the 2013 reading challenge?"

Marianne, unless Michael has a plan, I don't think BOTNS is doing an "official" challenge this year. But if you'd like to make your own, f..."

I am looking forward to the short stories. Agatha Christie may be a personal challenge just because I have not read much of her work.

I bought at least 200 books when Borders went out of business...I worked there for 13 years. The booksellers at my store hid their books inside the end caps of bookcases and in the cafe ceiling until the last day...we bought them when the liquidator made everything four for a dollar. In addition to that 200, I also had shelves full of ARCS and other books I had stockpiled through the years. That, of course, has not stopped me from continuously adding new books to my Kindle...

What I'm trying to say is that my 2013 challenge is going to be the huge TBR list. :-)

My challenge for 2013 is to continue reading 60 books for the year which is about all I can manage. My goal is to read mostly from my TBR; I have books stashed all over the house. I have bought books and not read them, so one goal is to greatly decrease my book buying this year. I always want the shiny new book that Ann and Michael discuss in the 3rd part of the podcast, so I have been trying to have patience and utilize the library more. I do plan on reading as many Booktopia authors as possible (I am hoping to attend Petoskey if I don't come off the wait list for Vermont). I loved getting a carton of signed books after the Booktopias and so that is where my book buying dollars will go this year!

Oh, and I think I will try a short story a day. I only have three to make up and have a couple of collections somewhere in my stash.

Tanya/dog eared copy wrote: "incorporating several different types of challenges into my overall 2013 Challenge of reading 113 books..."

You know, I had originally planning to read 13 more (from 121 to 134), but I just don't want all that pressure to read so fast I don't enjoy everything. So I am going to join you with the 113 this year (and then I will do 114 in '14, etc because adding one book a year seems possible!)

After reading all the great comments and ideas in this thread I have updated my 2013 reading challenge.
Each Month:
Something old,
Something new,
Something short,
And something true.
Fave author - all she wrote,
Margaret Atwood gets my vote.

Robin wrote: "After reading all the great comments and ideas in this thread I have updated my 2013 reading challenge.
Each Month:
Something old,
Something new,
Something short,
And something true.
Fave author ..."

Awesome!!!

Robin wrote: "After reading all the great comments and ideas in this thread I have updated my 2013 reading challenge.
Each Month:
Something old,
Something new,
Something short,
And something true.
Fave author ..."

Love it, Robin!

Partly inspired by Robin's post, I think I'm going to do a poetry challenge- at least one collection of poetry every month.

Wow Robin...great post

You could do something blue and read 50 Shades of Grey.

My reading challenge: Baker's Dozen each of fiction and non-fiction books. I keep meaning to read more non-fiction and don't get around to it. And Ann's short stories!
13 Fiction (not counting book group selections)
13 Non-fiction (ditto)
Ann's short stories

APShaw wrote: "A-Z challenge? Pick one book by author surname for every letter of the alphabet - 26 books total - one every couple of weeks for the year.
Could be a way to discover some new authors. Alternatively..."

An opportunity to read Gao Xingjian, Anna Quindlen, and Emile Zola.

APShaw wrote: "A-Z challenge? Pick one book by author surname for every letter of the alphabet - 26 books total - one every couple of weeks for the year.
Could be a way to discover some new authors. Alternatively..."

GIVE AWAY A BOOK???

Oh! I may have to redo my Baker's Dozen challenge. I like the A-Z challenge. I guess since the A-Z is 2 x 13 books, I could combine the two?? Hmmm...could get complicated.
And Linda's challenge to Give away a book: I should definitely work on that one!

My reading challenge is no less than 75 but would like to hit 100

Katie wrote: "Oh! I may have to redo my Baker's Dozen challenge. I like the A-Z challenge. I guess since the A-Z is 2 x 13 books, I could combine the two?? Hmmm...could get complicated.
And Linda's challeng..."

Katie,

It wasn't my idea to give away a book - it was APShaw's. I was expressing dismay (hopefully humorously) at giving away a book. Heaven knows I should. Husband knows I should, too.

Linda wrote: "Katie wrote: "Oh! I may have to redo my Baker's Dozen challenge. I like the A-Z challenge. I guess since the A-Z is 2 x 13 books, I could combine the two?? Hmmm...could get complicated.
And Li..."

Linda wrote: "APShaw wrote: "A-Z challenge? Pick one book by author surname for every letter of the alphabet - 26 books total - one every couple of weeks for the year.
Could be a way to discover some new authors..."

I think of it as "recycling". More along the lines of conserving the book.

Eric wrote: "You could do something blue and read 50 Shades of Grey."

Was afraid you would say that, have been trying to avoid that series.

APShaw wrote: "A-Z challenge? Pick one book by author surname for every letter of the alphabet - 26 books total - one every couple of weeks for the year.
Could be a way to discover some new authors. Alternatively..."

Wow! Great idea.

JoLene wrote: "Robin wrote: "After reading all the great comments and ideas in this thread I have updated my 2013 reading challenge.
Each Month:
Something old,
Something new,
Something short,
And something true..."

I love, love, LOVE this, Robin! I'm sharing it with my book club! Thank you....

Robin,
This is great!

APShaw wrote: "LOL. I know exactly how you feel. That's why it may spur me to read the books I've had for so long that some of them have already gone from new releases to modern classics!

I gave away three bags of (read and unread - yes, take the shame AP) books last year and each time it was a painful experience.

Still, if I end up taking either of my challenges, it's more likely to be the A-Z...though I have so many books on the 'to-read' pile I could probably combine the two... :-| "

There are books that had crept into my stacks that I really had no idea how they came to be there or why! I couldn't imagine myself picking any of them out they were so far from my taste in reading, so I recently gave them away. Unfortunately, that made only a nominal impact on my TBR list and physical shelves. I am determined to read-and-donate 100 books this year - the least I can do in order to get the floor space in front of my closet clear!

Guy Kawasaki tweeted this link and I thought I'd share as it's relevant to the thread of getting through book backlog:

http://lifehacker.com/5973158/can-i-l...

I think it's mostly stuff we do anyway, but just in case... ;-)

I wish I managed my exercising the way I manage my reading! I can't wait to read or start something new! This year I am going to read ALL of the NewYork Times top 10 books for 2012. I've already read Bring Up the Bodies and Far From the Tree. Both were just marvelous. Working on NW now.

My main reading goal is to read more from my TBR AND to read bigger books instead of more books. I easily get caught up in challenges but I'm trying to be more focused.

In addition, I will try another pyramid style challenge, which means the number on the list is the number of books that I will read in that category. Here's my 2013 list:
13. 21st Century Reads - books published in 21st century
12. Plug into a good book - book associated with TV shows
11. Tried and true - classics
10. Back in the day - historical fiction
9. Calgon --- take me away - fantasy
8. Youth is wasted on the young - young adult
7. Tag - you're it! - PBT group
6. A year in Austen - Jane Austen works or retellings or inspired by
5. Chunky monkeys - books over 750 pages
4. A Day in the life - memoirs or biographies
3. Did you hear that? - audio books
2. Food for Thought - non-fiction
1. Just another face in the crowd - group read

JoLene wrote: "My main reading goal is to read more from my TBR AND to read bigger books instead of more books. I easily get caught up in challenges but I'm trying to be more focused.

In addition, I will try an..."

Love your category titles, JoLene.

What is PBT group?

Ah yes, that is a group on Shelfari where each month a tag is selected and you are to read and review a book with that tag. Tags are similar to bookshelves on Good Reads.

My goal is to survive my MFA reading list.