Witches, Weres, and Vamps, Oh MY! discussion

I'm curious to see what everyone's reading goals are. Do you participate in Reading Challenges? What about that list of 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list - which I'm afraid to even look at? Do you limit the number of Group Reads you participate in?

What goals do you have regarding reading?

Let me preface this with telling you how I read before I found GoodReads. I would read a series from start to finish in a row at a fairly leisurely pace. I would often find myself asking what to read next, not because of all the options - but because I truly didn't know what to read.

NOW - I am frantically trying to read everything out there because I have found TOO many books that have sparked my interest. I have only finished ONE series since joining GoodReads at the end of December '08 and it only had 3 books. I am constantly trying to fit in Group Reads, Reading Challenges, my current series that I need to catch up on (there's a lot) and yet I continue to add to my To Read List. I think I have a problem :)

At the beginning of the year I set a goal to read 75 books – I’m going to blow it out of the water! Now I find myself needing to set a goal to FINISH all the series I have started in the last 4 months. So here’s my goal: I will not start a new series (unless it’s a Group Read) until I catch up on the NINE series I have started Yeah – we’ll see how long that will last :)

Good question, Shanon.

Before I joined GR and came up with the crazy idea of running monthly challenges, I just read whatever catches my eye, my interest or what was available at the library.

Now, at the end of each month, I would chose between 12-18 books, either from my own personal stash or from the library that I will read for next month. The choices are heavily influenced by my RRR monthly challenges, PNR challenges, Other RRR challenges, three groups BOM reads (Jess', Tricia's and this group). I try to crosslist most of the choices, so I will have a manageable number of books to read in a month's time.

Crazy, isn't it? I usually don't finish all of them, but I usually get far ahead in my attempts. So, I'm reading between 14-18 books at a month.

I have promised myself I won't add another book in my GR TBR list, but let's see how that goes.

i found the Twilght and Sookie Stckhouse around xmas 08 time::i've been with GR since March::before that i just used to borrow stuff that i liked the look of when i was in the library::i found out about GR from a blog i'd been lurking around::straight away i was hooked:: i'm still trying to develop/expand my reading repertoire::if i hadn't found GR i'd never have read 1/2 of the stuff i've read since March::DHs::BDB::adrian pheonix::melissa marr::i'd never really thought about reading goals::however i'm trying to keep the no. of series that i'm reading under control::i'd also like to read stuff that i wouldn't have if i hadn't been introduced via GR::so i've signed up to a few reading challenges::and there are various threads within groups that i lurk around for ideas::i add books to my TBR shelf purely so as i don't forget about them if they have piqued my interest::i go thru and cull some out sometimes::can't see the point in putting a whole series on there for instance::b/c after you've finished one book you can add the next::i tend to still borrow alot of books from the library but now i'm looking for authors/books i've seen on GR ::and i'm concsious of the fact that a book i pick may well be no.8 in a series::i worked out i probably read arounfd 7 books in a month::so i'm catching up with the series that i have started:: i love GR::

Adrienne wrote: "i add books to my TBR shelf purely so as i don't forget about them if they have piqued my interesting"

I do the same thing. I also only add the 1st book in the series until I start the series, then I add the rest if it's something I want to continue. I even created a shelf called "_unfinished_series" for all the books I need to catch up on as a visual reminder.

Yz - I have lots of Group Reads & challenges too - mostly from the same groups as you. I went through and removed some groups from my list a couple of weeks ago b/c I wasn't participating in the threads and group reads as much. I WISH I could read 14-18 books per month but I usually sit at 6-8 (plus Audiobooks).

I'm a challenge a holic... I do monthly challenges with groups that run them. I'm part of TNBBC Spring Challenge and will do their Summer. I'm part of a YA group that is now running a Summer Challenge. I've also read over 100 books this year so far. :) I'm going to hopefully try to get some more of the 1001 books read one of these days, but that is a daunting task.

Shanon wrote: "Yz - I have lots of Group Reads & challenges too - mostly from the same groups as you. I went through and removed some groups from my list a couple of weeks ago b/c I wasn't participating in the threads and group reads as much. I WISH I could read 14-18 books per month but I usually sit at 6-8 (plus Audiobooks).
"

I basically don't have that many groups I've signed up for, so I'm sort of active in almost all of them.

My reading rate will probably slow down by next month, because after being in a long-distance relationship, hubby and I will be back under the same roof. So less time reading, but I'm happy...*grins*

I love audiobooks. I usually finished between 1-3 audiobooks a month while listening during my commute back and forth to work.

oohhh I'm glad you're hubby will be back! I would take that over more reading time any day

Shanon wrote: "oohhh I'm glad you're hubby will be back! I would take that over more reading time any day

"

*very big grin*

I'm working on reading 150 books this year. My count has been increasing steadily each year since I started keeping spreadsheets, by year, listing the books, authors, page counts and opinions on them. Over the past couple of years my UF/PN book count has gone up dramatically.

I have also decided to catch up on every series before beginning any book that is not a stand alone and after Darkfever, I'm not reading any group books unless they are stand alones. I also recently culled my groups. I think I'm down to 2. I'm hoping to be caught up with the Weather Warden series this week and then I'm working on the rest of the Dark Hunters by Kenyon.

Shanon, I think I'm going to copy you and make a shelf of unfinished series just to get some perspective for now. I think I'm also tiring of my current graphic novel phase and I'll probably start obsessing about something else. Actually, I think I'm venturing back into a PNR/UF stint. And I do not do formal challengs because I change my mind too much:)

HA - I'm going to have to break my goal already. I just remembered Kim Harrison has a new series and the 1st book is being released in June. I'm going to start that series regardless if I'm caught up or not - which I won't be by then. But it's just one book, so it's okay right??

My goal didn't even last a day!

Oh my, I just posted my goal 22 minutes ago (a new record) and I have to agree, I also want to start Harrison's new series. I guess there are a few authors who I will break my rule for and Harrison is definitely one of them!

I made a series-to-finish shelf and it wasn't nearly as long as I thought. Besides the Caine and Kenyon books, it's mostly series that I would need to completely reread or books that are not yet released. At least I have a better idea now. After I finish the Caine and Kenyon books, I think I'll pick 2 hopeful series that are completely published.

So, does anyone know of any series that are completely published? I love following my favorite authors but I can barely handle the stress of waiting between books!

I have only finished a handful of series. Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Twilight, Beauty by Anne Rice, Viking I by Sandra Hill, Nobel Dead I by Barb Hendee. Actually Nobel Dead I is done - but Nobel Dead II picks up right where it left off.

Others on my list that I haven't read yet are:
The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice
The Circle Opens by Tamora Pierce
Darkangel by Meredith Pierce
Negotiator Trilogy by CE Murphy
Serenity Falls by James A Moore
Study by Maria Snyder
Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
Little Goddess by Amy Lane
Spook Squad by Keri Arthor

I haven't read any of these though so I don't know which ones to recommend or not. They are just ones I've been wanting to start because I've heard they are done. Hope that helps.

I'm ignoring the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list as most don't interest me and life's too short to read crap. lol I've read about 25 books off the list.

I participate in almost all the Romance Readers Reading Challenge Groups challenges. I sign up for them all but don't get them all done (but coming close!).

I've never read this much before. Highest total of books read in any single year before this was 88. I've already read 50 so far this year.

I don't do any BOM's because I'm not into PNR/UF books. So why am I here? lol Steph invited me. :)
(I do have a gothic vampire novel on my TBR list as I needed to find a book from 1969 for a read a book from every year of your lifetime challenge and it's the better of the two books I could find.)

Shanon thanks for list of completed series! That's a huge help because I think all of those are on my to-read shelf but I quit Anne Rice's series years ago and do not plan on picking it back up. And the Darkangel trilogy is on my list. I really enjoyed the first and I am trying to find the second.

I have always read alot. In the olden days I would go through the catalogs (used to be paper) in the school and public library to find books I missed in my wondering through the stacks. As I grew I had favorite used book stores and would always read everything by an author I liked or would browse til I found something. Never was one to keep lists. Then I started going to Bookstores and browsing the genre I was interested in and would note books that looked good and then I would go to the library or my favorite used book store and search for the books that caught my eye. Often I would then mix buying new books, library books and used to get though series that caught my eye. Because I didnt keep lists I have read a lot of books over and over cause I didnt remember until I was half through a book and would just go ahead and finish it.

Since I have become way cyber in my book browsing, I go to about four sites and look at what folks are reading and pick books to read from some of the lists. I started keeping lists. I started doing a lot of reserving books at the library that I learn about through e bookgroups and best of books, and the libraries just in list. I still love to wonder book stores and libaries for random finds.

I about exploded around christmas with trying to read books on monthly botm groups and backed off and started focusing on my tbr pile, and just adding the books that appeal to me to my notebook of tbr. Now I am not wanting to commit to more than a couple monthly book discussions.

Having said that, I love the idea of letting me pick the books out of my tbr pile (book challenge). That is way more doable for me because my choice in books doesn't quite fit in other folks exact timetables or catagories.

This month I am looking at reading the Moning Fever book for sure, and am catching up on a couple books from last months book clubs on other sites. These are books I reserved months ago that just came in. An example of a couple of those are "Lamantation", and Bloodblade (two months behind). I hope to read Pride and Predjudice and Zombies for another book club, (reserved but not in)

Well, I guess I am pretty chaotic in my reading plan. I usually have a few series i am working through so I mix that in with all the reading group driven reads. When books come in at the library drives my reading a lot. I have 16 ordered right now that aren't in.

I do read easily 10-20 books a month.

TMI?

It's never TMI Lily LOL!

Before joining GR I used to go the bookstore and pick books that looked interesting. I didn't finish half of them. But now, I go by the group readings and the reviews here and I am finishing everything. GR has been a blessing for me! Reading is such a big part of my life!
I belong to 5 or 6 GR group. I read their month selection and usually have time to read another book from my TR list. But...this thing about book series aren't making things easy as I keep adding more books to my TR list than I can go through! I'll have to figure something out!

Before goodreads I didn't read much. I would read a book here and there. I picked books on how the cover looked if the cover looked good I usually read the back and if it sounded good I read it. Now that I have goodreads I have an out of control TBR list full of different paranormal series and other books. I have started a bunch of different series. I guess you could say my goal is to actually finish a series.... but with all these new books and suggestions I get its hard to not start reading a new series :)

I have to laugh at myself. I ALWAYS set goals to catch up on all the series I'm in the middle. I NEVER stick to it though! Since first stating my "goal" I've started 8 new series and still have some of the old series waiting to be finished! Maybe I should think about setting a realistic goal :)

LOL Shanon. I bet you aren't the only one!

Oh wow, I just read my old posts. I am such a flake, can't stick with anything. :)