The Reading Challenge Group discussion

Kassandra wrote: "You're an optimist Faye!"

At the very least, they won't want her to "win"! :P

We've got enough reading as it is. :P

Holly wrote: "We've got enough reading as it is. :P"

Bite your tongue! There's no such thing as "enough reading"! :P

Is anyone else in a SUPER Christmas-y mood?

Usually I'm only really in the mood in like mid December, but it's not even December yet and I'm SO excited. Like me and my blockmates when to a Christmas Market yesterday, and someone's always playing Christmas music, so it's on all the time. And there's still like a month to go!!!

Yeah I'm excited to do my Christmas Cards soon and to watch A Garfield Christmas soon. Plus helping in my church's Bethelehem nativity village re-enactment again which is fun too so that'll be later that month and I def want to go on a free carriage ride too. Heard that one of the radio stations is going to start playing Christmas music on Thanksgiving which is crazy. LOL. :)

Amber,
Some radio stations here in the DC area are already playing Christmas Music one started on Friday the 21st. From now til Jan 1st they will play Christmas music only. I heard another station started even earlier than that I don't know if that other one is only Christmas music or Christmas added to their regular rotation.

It gets mixed reactions from listeners. Some people really get into the spirit of things and love it while others think 1) It is WAY TOO SOON and 2) They should mix the Christmas in with the regular stuff not have it exclusive. and 3) Others just plain do not like it. I tend to think it is too soon and should be part of a mix not an exclusive. Unless they are a Christian Music station to begin with I don't think they should play just Christmas Music.

I'm doing Christmas stuff and listening to some Christmas music, but I'm not quite into the "spirit" yet. I'm holding off on that, as I tend to either burn out too early or get desensitized to everything and don't enjoy the actual Christmas Day as much as I'd like.

I wish radio stations would mix the Christmas music in with the regular fare, too. For a whole month you don't get to hear any new singles unless it's a Christmas song? That's just not right! (And encourages musicians who should NOT be releasing Christmas music to release Christmas music every year, but that's neither here nor there...) I understand playing 24-hour Christmas music on Christmas day, and maybe even a couple days beforehand, but for weeks on end is just... nuts. Mainly because IT'S THE SAME TEN SONGS OVER AND OVER.

I definitely like a mix. But then again, I don't really listen to the radio!

In the early sixties when I was a young teenager, we lived in a small town that barely had a library. I resorted to reading my father's Readers Digest Condensed books. One of them was Collision Course: The Classic Story of the Collision of the Andrea Doria & the Stockholm.

I've thought about it for over 50 years and finally decided to read it again. I enjoyed the second read at least as much as the first. Moscow presents the facts without speculation as to what people were thinking,etc. resulting in an interesting read.

I wish more nonfiction writers would realize they can stick to the facts and make for an enjoyable read at the same time.

Yeah I agree with ya'll, I know one of our Christian radio stations does just Christmas music with our local mix music station but we have one called Jack FM that just plays what they want so its like 80s music and more.

Amber,
I love Jack FM I get the Baltimore one. Love the announcer comments for the bunch of songs oh and one of my favorite comments is "Nice Hawaiian shirt traffic dude".

Awesome capt kirk! :-)

An early HAPPY THANKSGIVING everyone!!! Enjoy lots of turkey and pumpkin pie!!!

Peace! Love! Joy! And Gratitude!

Happy thanksgiving to ya'll too and I will. :)

Yuck!!
Finally updated the GR app. :p

Aha, I actually don't mind it, Renee, although it took me a while to adjust!

What do you think is 'yuck' about it?

Pretty sure I've lost my voice. Note to self: don't go out drinking with the LGBT lot when you have a sore throat. It leads to lots of singing...

1) hate that it opens to updates! I like my GR friends, but I'm NOT scrolling through all of their "want to reads," before I check messages or update my own progress.

2) Everything is smaller.

3) I'm a visual learner, so I miss the icons.

4) it takes longer to post comments so I tap "send" again and look like I have some disorder where I repeat everything.

5) The comment screen doesn't advance if you've filled it past a certain point, so I can't see what I've typed.

6) My "Currently Reading" list only displays one at a time now, which makes me insane since I'm always in the middle of a stack of books.

7) I LIKED the old format, and haven't yet found anything about the new format that makes it worth the trouble. >:-{

I just got a reply from customer service which said they're still updating, unlikely to go back to icons, I can leave it open in the background if I want to keep my place (!?!?). Which I think will eat my data.

I heard grumbles about the update and put it off. Then forgot. Sigh. If it's not broke....

Gonna go bang my head on something now.

That sounds totally sucky, Renee. :(

Might be the Universe telling me not to check in so obsessively. ;-)

I don't believe the Universe would want to keep you from something so wonderful!

Lol. But perhaps a little moderation. 8-D

You have a cold, so treat yourself!

Treat. Yo. Self.

Hahahaha!!!

LOL

Whahaha! I need to go watch that again!
I love that you're such a twist, Aitziber. :D

Everyone is going super insanely organised with their personal challenges! I thought I was organised, but there are some people who are really organised!

Holly wrote: "Everyone is going super insanely organised with their personal challenges! I thought I was organised, but there are some people who are really organised!"

It is good to have a framework in place. The trick will be to utilize it throughout the year! Mine still needs to have some details added, but I feel like I have the basic outline at least.

Yeah, I've just got headings in mine, but people have really gone all out.

I think it depends on how many goals and separate challenges people decide to have. :)

Holly wrote: "Yeah, I've just got headings in mine, but people have really gone all out.

I think it depends on how many goals and separate challenges people decide to have. :)"

I agree, the level of detail in some makes me feel like a slacker :) Mine is more of an elaborate brain dump!

To be honest, it's your personal thread, you can do what you want with it! :D

They've definitely evolved from this years threads though, which seem to be far more of a simple list than a cataloging system for everything. Definitely useful!

They're very organized, but I miss the way they were before. You win some, you lose some!

I'll personally still use mine like I did this year, rye main aspect of it is my read list. I just need a more concrete place to put my lists and things rather than random scraps of paper and text files. :P

On my personal thread I just list the books I finish. and sometimes I link to the review too.

Holly wrote: "Everyone is going super insanely organised with their personal challenges! I thought I was organised, but there are some people who are really organised!"

I think I'm really organized for next year, just because I haven't had ANY organization at all for this past year :) I didn't even have a TBR list that I was following (created that when I re-signed up for Goodreads in October). This year went ok, but I do really miss challenges and having a bit of structure when I read. So 2015 I'm going to the other extreme lol.

I guess now that everyone's had a year to think about it, we're discovering what works for us, what doesn't, and what will get us excited for next year. :)

Yes, Faye, for me I needed some organization to complete goals for 2015. I can look at the thread (hopefully) and refocus, especially when I jump down a rabbit hole. :D The unread books from 2014 has resulted in quite a few stacks of books that are tipping over into 2015. Actually, 2015 could be my stack challenge! :)

Yay! I need a stack challenge too. I'm with you Melissa.

I also find that structure give me motivation and helps me with the goals that I have committed to. I prefer simple targets, I work well with lists as I don't want to spend time book-keeping (instead of reading), simple counters will do.
I have almost completed the goals that I set out at the beginning of this year, the secret for me is to choose books for my challenges that I really want to read. Having said that there were a few disappointments too.
2014 has been the first year when I used targets and challenges for my reading and overall I'm very pleased with how the year turned out.

That's great Kiwi! Hopefully you will be able to continue with the goals and organization for another successful year in 2015.

Thanks Kassandra :-)

Man, I am reading the name of the wind and it's pretty good so far! Enjoying this fantasy tale and happy that my friends' christmas card gifts are in the mail too and hope my friends enjoy them when they get them.

Amber, you're way ahead of me in already having sent out your gifts for the holidays. I'm so behind this year that I haven't even started shipping! I hope to rectify that this week.

As of 5 am (when I dropped my hubby off at the airport this morning), I have the house to myself for an entire week! I would L&H be to use this week as a mini readathon, but I think cleaning, organizing and Xmas shopping will be distracting. Nevertheless I will try for a week of great reading - it will be a fun goal!

Awesome Kassandra! have fun.

Have fun Kassandra :D

I just treated myself to the leather bound Barnes&Nobles Edition of Sherlock Holmes and Alice in Wonderland as a late birthday present from the company I work for. Yay for my boss forgeting my birthday and therefor letting me choose my own present :D

Alessandra, they sound beautiful!