You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

Do any of you have a strategy in 2014 for tackling your huge TBR's?

I realized that I have 3 unfinished challenges from 2013 and I want to complete them. So I have devised my own personal challenge and am calling it "Left Over Stew". There are 19 books on it! Thankfully, some of them are chunksters and I have tentatively put them onto Mickey Mouse's section. I might link them all as "left over stew".

My plan is to read per month:
2 chunksters
2 left over stew
1 monthly challenge
1 group read
1 just because
1 SAI King Recommends one month alternating with 1 Syndicate the other month.

(SAI King Recommends is Debra's group dedicated to reading books recommended by Stephen King. The Syndicate is my real life book club.)

That's 8 books a month. Best of all, I give myself permission not to adhere to this all too rigidly.

Just thinking.... would anyone want me to set up a challenge using Goodreads challenge tool for personal challenges? I would set it up where you would enter the number of books for whatever personal challenge you may have and it would track it for you. It wouldn't be connected to any activity put on by YLTO. If you have more than one personal challenge, this option wouldn't work.

Oh jeez. Hmmm

I want to finish my Z book now
At least read 1 book per challenge I run, as I am lame and can't commit every month due to my slowness but will try every other month as well.
Hoping to knock over 1-2 chunksters per month as well.
All of these should tie into my other groups somewhat, and then we have my whim that will throw all of this off course.

Thinking I make my goal for the year 24 books and reassess if I get close to it.

Janice wrote: "Just thinking.... would anyone want me to set up a challenge using Goodreads challenge tool for personal challenges? I would set it up where you would enter the number of books for whatever perso..."

When the challenge widget was first released, I started a group just to record challenges. You may view it at Challenge Yourself.

Check out the ones already there. If none of them fit, I will set up any and as many challenge as you wish. As a member, you can view and update them for yourself.

I found the alphabet challenge a bit restricting after a while, and it certainly limited the time I felt I had for the theme reads and challenges on the group. So I'm thinking that I'll concentrate my reading on the challenges. Meaning my strategy for 2014 is pretty fluid. I want to read 100 books again (managed 117 this year) with at least 1 non-fiction and 1 new author each month.
But apart from that I'm not sure. I want to read those books in my collection that I've not yet read, but that's about it really.

Almeta wrote: "When the challenge widget was first released, I started a group just to record challenges. You may view it at Challenge Yourself."

Awesome! Almeta's group is a great place to track personal challenges. I ran right over and joined.

Helen wrote: "I found the alphabet challenge a bit restricting after a while, and it certainly limited the time I felt I had for the theme reads and challenges on the group. So I'm thinking that I'll concentrate..."

Hopefully the 2014 challenge eases things up a bit with a minimum of 6 books instead of 26 books and allows for greater flexibility.

Janice wrote: "Do any of you have a strategy in 2014 for tackling your huge TBR's?..."

I have a similar plan. Although this year the 2014 Connect the Chunkster is top priority! I intend to pay it more attention, and have already incorporated many of 2013's missed opportunities.☺

I swore that I would not join any other non-YLTO! challenges, but could not resist:

Countdown Challenge (read 14 published in 2014, read 13 published in 2013, read 12 published in 2012, etc...to 2001) 105 books

Sock Hop - Doo Wop Challenge (read books based on certain oldies but goodies music) 24 books

Clue™ Challenge (read books based on my favorite board game, character and pieces) 25 books

Home Alone Challenge (read books from my own home library) Watch out Donald E. Westlake! 30 books

Now to make sure they overlap.

I love your Left Over Stew Challenge. Maybe I'll take a look at those books that didn't get read from the 2013 Read the Alphabet list. 38 books, I think.

Also plan on YLTO! Group Reads and Challenges and Stephen King Recommends Group Read.

I will have read 212 books for the 2013 Goodreads Books Challenge. Because of so many Doorstops in queue for 2014, I think I'll lower my number of books to 150. It will be interesting to see how that compares in terms of number of pages. (59916 pages in 2013, 59317 in 2012)

I took a look at the challenges in "Challenge Yourself". I have got to put my blinders on or I will be in big trouble!

Resistance is futile.

I have all my challenges down here and hoping to read about 7 or 8 a month.

I am about the same as you Janice. i always make sure that my selection could be "just because" books.

Per month
2 chunkster
2 fill the gap (this is a challenge were i commited to read 100 "i really should have read this" books in 5 year. So that make 20 books a year.
3 buddy read /group read
1 monthly challenge.

Depending of the number of audio there will be in there, i probably will not make it for every month, but so be it. Some books will be on more than one categories. So it looks worst than it is, really.

Sarah wrote: "I have all my challenges down here and hoping to read about 7 or 8 a month."

Sarah - can you explain to me how you linked your page to the message above?

I have the following challenges:

Chunkster Challenge
A- Z Title Challenge
A-Z Author Challenge
Read 12 books for trhe year with 4 alternates if the titles you initially chose don't work
Millionaire Challenge

that's it so far but one never knows does one.

Yes I'll try my best. It's in the html but it's not the greatest example. Okay so you start with the opening of
<(a href)="
when you do your own please take out the brackets or it won't work, this was the only way I could show you,

after the " you place the web address and finish with
">

Next you write the name for your link and then finish the html with
<(/a)>

Again take out the brackets and it should work =]

So an example with brackets: <(a href)="https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... ">My Corner<(/a>

Example without the brackets My Corner

Janice wrote: "I took a look at the challenges in "Challenge Yourself". I have got to put my blinders on or I will be in big trouble!

Resistance is futile."

Don't look at the challenges at the top. Go to the Challenge Catalog! (All of those challenges clutter up the page...a major Beta Testing complaint.)

Sarah wrote: "I have all my challenges down here and hoping to read about 7 or 8 a month."

That's quite a list of challenges Sarah. Great way to organize everything in one spot.

Sarah wrote: "Yes I'll try my best. It's in the html but it's not the greatest example. Okay so you start with the opening of
<(a href)="
when you do your own please take out the brackets or it won't work, thi..."

Thanks Sarah. I will try this later since I am currently at the library and meeting a friend for lunch before our big evening of going to a friends house for dinner. Should be a rollicking evening with 4 senior citizens, huh?

In any event I have tried to do this sevevral times but never succeeded. Your instructions seem like the best ones so here's hoping.

BTW - I finally learned how to make a ✔

If anybody wants to know how to do this, let me know.

Thank you =] I'm a bit of an obsessive when it comes to lists and organizing things =D

Nancy wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Yes I'll try my best. It's in the html but it's not the greatest example. Okay so you start with the opening of
<(a href)="
when you do your own please take out the brackets or it w..."

Oh I'm glad I hope you manage to do it later =] Ooh I'd like to know how to make the tick please

Janice wrote: "Helen wrote: "I found the alphabet challenge a bit restricting after a while, and it certainly limited the time I felt I had for the theme reads and challenges on the group. So I'm thinking that I'..."

I do think that 6 books at a time ...and that those six can be read in any order, is better psychologically!

The premise is a great one. I always avoid the Chunksters. It is time to Man UP!☻

I've got a plan but I didn't stick to the one I made for 2013 so this one will probably not do well either.

Per Month:
6 chunksters
6 owned
1 classic
1 non-fiction
1 group read
3 in an already started series

For a combo of about 11 books a month total.

I've only got 3 challenges again this year. A Mount TBR one that I'm reading 75 books owned prior to 2014 for, the basic GR's yearly challenge that will be at 132 and the ylto chunkster challenge.
All of which conveniently fall in with goals I had for this year anyway!

Nancy wrote: "I have the following challenges:

Chunkster Challenge
A- Z Title Challenge
A-Z Author Challenge
Read 12 books for trhe year with 4 alternates if the titles you initially chose don't work
Millionair..."

I know I am going to regret this. What is the Millionaire Challenge?

My 2014 reading goals:
25 Goodreads award winners or nominees
12- published in 2014
12- classics
12- YLTO- Group reads
12- YLTO- challenges
30- Chunksters
12- audio books
10- real life book club books
100 books total

My goal is to read 1 chunkster every two weeks, plus 2 additional books per month "just because" or with ylto challenges / group reads. That's ~50 books this year. I'm not going to be too concerned about # stats though. Some of my reads (e.g. Les Misérables) may take considerably longer than two weeks and I'm OK with that. :)

Uh oh, I just checked out your link, Almeta, to "Challenge Yourself". Lots of good stuff there. Yesterday I decided to male a plan (paper an pen style), for 2014, and decided I need to finish Robert Parker's Spenser series, the rest of Patterson's Women's Murder Club series and some of the other books I earmarked for the Alphabt Challenge, just for starters. It looks like a good place to keep track of my progress.

Sarah wrote: "I have all my challenges down here and hoping to read about 7 or 8 a month."

Wow! You are going to be buried in books.

Yep hehe =] I'm so excited. Can't get enough books. I keep having to stop myself from joining in any more challenges lol

I'm not going to have a look at your link just yet Almeta otherwise I might end up going mad with challenges! Sounds interesting though!

I write down my "must reads" at the beginning of each month and then I read whatever I fancy around those books - well that's how I did it for 2013 and that seemed to work well. So, on a monthly basis, my must reads are:
1 YLTO Group Read
1 YLTO Monthly Challenge
1 SAI King Recommends Group Read (spread over 2 months)
1-2 Chunksters
1 Toppler read (every other month)

I am doing some challenges in another group but most of those books are also on my chunkster list or I'll read as "Just Because" - I'm not too bothered about those challenges (I don't get any badges from them!) so I don't give myself a hard time about meeting the goal.

Strategy! Ha ha ha.

Roz wrote: "Uh oh, I just checked out your link, Almeta, to "Challenge Yourself". Lots of good stuff there. Yesterday I decided to male a plan (paper an pen style), for 2014, and decided I need to finish Rob..."

Robert Parker's Spenser series alone, could take a year! I have several of them on my home library shelves. I should include them in the Home-Alone Challenge.☺

Snoozie Suzie wrote: "Strategy! Ha ha ha."
hehehe!

Wow! I am such a lightweight reader compared to you guys!

My 'strategy' for the year is
1 Chunkster every other month
1 around-the-world each month
1 book I've owned for ages & never read every other month
Other things as and when.

That'd be 24+ throughout the year- hopefully enough to keep me out of trouble. I've never had anything resembling a reading plan before, so this may well turn to mush before February, but we'll give it a go.

(And meantime I'll carry on being stunned and amazed at the rest of this thread!)

Almeta wrote: "Roz wrote: "Uh oh, I just checked out your link, Almeta, to "Challenge Yourself". Lots of good stuff there. Yesterday I decided to male a plan (paper an pen style), for 2014, and decided I need t..."

No kidding! I have 40 to read, add the rest of the Women's Mureder Club, the JD Robb in Death books I haven't read, the Harry Holes I want to get into and the 30 chunksters and I have about 100 books to read. I'm either going to have to quit my job or downsize. Choices, choices, what to do.....

Snoozie Suzie wrote: "Strategy! Ha ha ha."

LOL!

I'm only doing the Chunkster Challenge this year. Everything else will be 'just because' :-D

It's a strategy that worked well in 2013 so my theory is if it ain't broke, don't fix it ;)

Snoozie Suzie wrote: "Strategy! Ha ha ha."

I literally did LOL!

My aim is 60 books in total. My plan each month for 2014:

1 ylto chunkster challenge book
1 ylto monthly group read
1 ylto monthly challenge
1 around the world book (of which 8 books this year should be set in a country I haven't visited yet in books)

That's 4 books a month. I think I should be able to read 5 or 6 a month, depending on how chunkstery my chunkster is. The other 1 or 2 will also be books for the chunkster challenge, or books just because.

I am aiming to read 40 books this year. My strategy (although I know I will end up not sticking to it) is:

1-2 Chunksters per month
1 YLTO challenge book per month
1 YLTO Group read and/or 1 'Just Because' book per month.

That is roughly 4 books per month. Some months I may read more, others I may read less. My main focus this year is the Chunkster challenge, I really want to do better than I did last year on the ABC challenge.

Almeta wrote: "Janice wrote: "Just thinking.... would anyone want me to set up a challenge using Goodreads challenge tool for personal challenges? I would set it up where you would enter the number of books for..."

This is great Almeta! I joined and set up 2 tickers for my chunkster and around-the-world challenges.

Hm, I must be blind, but where can I find my tickers once I have created them?

Peggy wrote: "Hm, I must be blind, but where can I find my tickers once I have created them?"

Once you enter your information, refreshing the screen will show your personal entry below the challenge widget, in a section called Community Participation.

OR if you have left that screen, just find the link on the Challenge Catalog and click it to enter. The information will be there.

I have noticed that Total goal for all participants doesn't update immediately. (Those that entered an hour ago are combined; those only a few minutes ago are not.) I am assuming that GoodReads has a "cycling schedule" to correct this.

OK Sarah - I spent the better part of last night trying to figure this out at a lovely party and now I have a few questions. I've put my questions in bold letters so they will stand out.

Yes I'll try my best. It's in the html but it's not the greatest example. Okay so you start with the opening of

I'm assuming I do this typing into a new message, right

<(a href)="
when you do your own please take out the brackets or it won't work, this was the only way I could show you,

after the " you place the web address and finish with
">

can I copy the web address, at this point

Next you write the name for your link and then finish the html with
<(/a)>

if I type in the link for my name or page, how does it distinguish or how am I linking these

Again take out the brackets and it should work =]

So an example with brackets: <(a href)="https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... ">My Corner<(/a>

Example without the brackets My Corner

why is this so difficult - I get almost everything else, UGH

Ok - so my address is what you used above and let's say it's simply Nancy - how do I link them.

ooh! Having more than one Sarah can be quite confusing!

Sarah wrote: "ooh! Having more than one Sarah can be quite confusing!"

This is Sarah who helped me out in message 14 trying to explain how I can link a page to my information.

Sorry if this is another Sarah but maybe you can also help me. LOL.

You gotta have a sense of humor above all else.

Hi Nancy. How I do it is to click on the link on the right hand corner of you text box that says "(some html is ok)"

There it has second down the list link: " < a href="http://www.goodreads.com">my link text < /a >"
I have put a space between the < and the a at the beginning, and between the word "text" and the <, and the < and the /a and the > so you can see the code.

So instead of linking to goodreads, with the link http://www.goodreads.com
I would put in what I want to link to so say http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-01...

So my link would look like < a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-01... link text < /a >

Then I want to change the text to what appears to "Aussie Giant Rubber Duck Explodes Again". That goes into the the my link text part. So it becomes < a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-01... Giant Rubber Duck Explodes Again < /a >

Then I take away those spaces I mentioned above, and it turns back into html
So: Aussie Giant Rubber Duck Explodes Again

Thanks Rusalka for your help. I hate to be a pain but I really want to know how to do this and it's bugging me. as my husband said, "If this is all that's bugging you, that's OK.

I'm going to try to do this later - my stress level at the moment is calm and I have hours to go before it elevates higher and higher. Oh right, they're predicting a major snowstorm tomorrow - would you believe we did some food shopping on our way to our friends last night? - so the level is already going up. LOL

I do food shopping at all times. And we don;t have snow! I completely understand.

Don't stress about it, we've all been there and are all here to help. The hyperlink in the top righthand corner of the commenting text box is key I find if you don't know html. There are some formatting tips there that are awesome. And I will credit GRs to making my work life a bit easier once I worked these little html quirks out. So not only are you reading books, you are learning marketable skills!!

Copy and paste are you friends and explore that pop up menu. And remember this is all fun and you have food and snow. I'd kill for snow about now!!!

Thanks Almeta!

Rusalka wrote: "I do food shopping at all times. And we don;t have snow! I completely understand.

Don't stress about it, we've all been there and are all here to help. The hyperlink in the top righthand corner of..."

I know about the HTML box and can do the other things. But this one eludes me. Again, many, many thanks. And I really am enjoying your group. Hope I can keep up with my Chunkster Challenge. Try explaining to my husband today why the only thing I want to do is read.

Where do you live that you don't get snow? Our friend was in Jerusalem this past month and they had a major snowstorm.

Rusalka wrote: "I. And we don;t have snow! "

Do you have a guest room? Do you want to adopt me?




Can you tell i do not want to do the shoveling I need to do? :)