Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

With this much dedication you'll have 0 open series by November...

Iain wrote: "With this much dedication you'll have 0 open series by November..."

I have a bunch of new stuff starting in Oct/Nov so I'm pretty close to hitting my low water mark, but thanks for the compliment!

Only reason my numbers keep plummeting is I keep abandoning everything... what was I thinking starting 150+ Romance & PNR series?...

So this is what I have left.

I'll finish these two before the one year anniversary of Oct 5th.
Oversight 2/3 The Oversight
Ketty Jay 3/4 Retribution Falls

I'm going to abandon

Throne of Glass 2/6 Throne of Glass

It's from my original list. I read it with my tween. She's finished the series minus the newest book and without reading it with her I just can't see myself picking it up again. I didn't hate it like some but it's fantasy 101 and there's so much else I want to read.

That leaves 4 series. Of these I've only made progress on Conqueror as ALL of these series are from my original list. Both of Conqueror's books were 5*'s so I know I'll finish it. The other three all had books in that 3.5-3.75 range and I just haven't been able to bring myself to finish them. I'm giving myself 6 months to make progress or I'm just abandoning them. 18 months is more than fair.

Broken Empire 1/3 Prince of Thorns
Conqueror 2/5 Genghis: Birth of an Empire
Faithful and the Fallen 1/4 Malice
Pattern of Shadow & Light (1/4, 5 expected) Cephrael's Hand

So I'll go from 36 open series to 4 in the course of a year and I think it says something anything I've started since this challenge began I've either completed or abandoned.

Really incredible job Scott. I like the idea of a time limit to either continue a series or abandon it. I've been thinking of doing that with my low priorities.

That's why I liked making a page like this... it keeps you focused and thinking about series you haven't continued with... they don't just languish in your shelves forgotten... you make an active decision...

Bill wrote: "Really incredible job Scott. I like the idea of a time limit to either continue a series or abandon it. I've been thinking of doing that with my low priorities."

I think it's a sign. If you can't motivate in a certain time frame just let it go (insert Elsa gif here).

Iain wrote: "That's why I liked making a page like this... it keeps you focused and thinking about series you haven't continued with... they don't just languish in your shelves forgotten... you make an active d..."

Totally. If not for this challenge I bet I'd have double my open series count.

36 to 4 is incredible.

Niki Hawkes wrote: "36 to 4 is incredible."

Thanks. The best part is I still got to read so many other series and completed them all one way or another.

I hope to be in your shoes by this time next year. It's awesome - the reading world is your oyster haha.

I'm only 30 days into my new Audible cycle and already down half my credits. I normally work them out pretty evenly throughout the year. My point is, I may be stuck finishing series as a default when I lose the ability to get new ones haha.

My audible habits aren't too bad... most of my credits are used on new releases I don't want to wait for... I get most of my others elsewhere... if I use up all my credits early I just go into the options and re-up my yearly subscription early...

September to Remember

Read towards challenge: 15

Completed: 8

Tyrant's Throne Greatcoats 4/4
Sharp Ends First Law Singles 4/4
The Fiends of Nightmaria Bauchelain and Korbal Broach 6/6
The Stone Sky Broken Earth 3/3
The Battlemage Summoner 3.5/3.5
Twilight of the Dragons Dragon Empire 2/2
The Malice The Vagrant 2/3
The Seven The Vagrant 3/3
The Paradox The Oversight 2/3
The Remnant The Oversight 3/3

Up to Date: 3

An Echo Of Things To Come Licanius 2/2
Prophecies of Old Cult of Yex 2/3
Bystle Vale Cult of Yex 3/3
The Fiends of Nightmaria Malazan All 26/26


Progressed: 1

The Iron Jackal Ketty Jay 3/4

Started 0

Abandoned 1

Days of Blood & Starlight Daughter of Smoke and Bone 2/3

I additionally abandoned the Throne of Glass series having not read a book in over a year but didn't read a book from that series this month so I'm calling it out separately.

Great job Scott!

Amazing progress this month Scott. Are you going to do a comment with your stats for one year completed on the challenge?

TY.

Are you going to do a comment with your stats for one year completed on the challenge?"

Yes.

Oct-5-16 through Oct-4-17 Year One Series Totals

Starting Open Series: 36
Ending Open Series: 4
Original Series Still Open: 4
Series Completed: 28
Series Brought Up to Date 27
Series Abandoned: 10
Total books read: 139

Some series were brought up to date and then when the final book came out completed so they're counting for both. Regardless the total series count beyond the original 36 shows you can have it both ways.

Also note this includes finishing two book before the 5th which will close out two more series but it won't be an issue.

You have done amazingly with this challenge Scott. It must feel great for the coming 12 months as you only have so few series that are now incomplete.

I'm in awe. You did such a good job of sticking to your goal.

Very cool, great job Scott!

Margret wrote: "Very cool, great job Scott!"

Bill wrote: "I'm in awe. You did such a good job of sticking to your goal."

Angela wrote: "You have done amazingly with this challenge Scott. It must feel great for the coming 12 months as you only have so few series that are now incomplete."

Thank you all. It does feel good. I'm sure you've all noticed but I take my challenges seriously and there's no way to purple cover one like this. :)

Scott wrote: "Thank you all. It does feel good. I'm sure you've all noticed but I take my challenges seriously and there's no way to purple cover one like this. :) "

The purple cover was hilarious! :)

Amazing job with this challenge, Scott!

27th series of the challenge officially completed.

The Oversight 3/3 The Remnant

Down to 5 open.

This series could have been so great but was just OK.

Finished up Ketty Jay 4/4 The Ace of Skulls which was a terrific series ending in a crescendo. If you haven't read it you should.

That finishes out year one at 28 series completed. Only 4 left. All originals. In 6 months if I haven't at least read another book in those series they are going to abandoned. 18 months is more than enough.

4 will be my low water mark. I'm going to open at least Expanse, Warlord Trilogy and Lowtown this month. As long as I stay no higher than 10-ish I'm cool with it. I'll never get to zero which is fine.

Great year 1! Didn't realize Ketty Jay was finished. Was putting it off because I thought it was ongoing but guess I will need to start soon.

Bill wrote: "Great year 1! Didn't realize Ketty Jay was finished. Was putting it off because I thought it was ongoing but guess I will need to start soon."

He could reopen the world if he wanted but that particular story is firmly completed. Even if he did reopen it and call it KJ #5 I would consider it a new era much like Mistborn or First Law.

4?!!! O_o

First abandoned of year two.

Signal Airship 1/1 The Guns Above

It was putting me to sleep.

I'm letting two more series go. They're currently up to date with new books due next spring and summer but after considering both for a while after the disappointing last books for each I'm done.

22 Leopard King 2/2 The Leopard Stratagem
23 Cult of Yex 3/3 Bystle Vale

First completed series of year two and 29th overall. This series had been up to date with the last book just coming out.

The Empty Grave 5/5 Lockwood.

Very good middle school UF series done on audio. Highly recommended as a family read for young kids. Nothing too scary with our ghost hunting agency. Lots of cheeky humor.

Nice one. Sorry, I meant to say dank.

Samir wrote: "Nice one. Sorry, I meant to say dank."

I'm sure you were dabbing as you said it.

I'm waiting for Scott to become Dank Team 187 or Team Dank any day now...

October monthly end report.

Entered the month: 5 open series, 4 original.
Closed month: 9 open series, 4 original.

Total books: 12 (3 were very short novellas. I did a lot of non series stuff to do something different.)

Series completed: 2

The Ace of Skulls Ketty Jay 4/4
The Empty Grave Lockwood 5/5 (was up to date)

Up to date: 2 (both listed in started as first books in series)

Started: 7 (8 if you include the abandoned)

Expanse: 3 prequel novellas 3/16
Drive
The Churn
The Butcher of Anderson Station

Scythe Scythe 1/1
The Winter King Warlord 1/3
Twelve Kings in Sharakhai Shattered Sands 1/3
Nevernight Nevernight 1/2
Low Town Low Town 1/3
Blackwing Ravens Mark 1/1


Abandoned: 2

The Guns Above Singal Airship 1/1
Crown of Midnight Throne of glass 2/6 (original)

Nice!! How was scythe? I'm thinking to spend a new series credit on it.

Those are some dank totals

Niki Hawkes wrote: "Nice!! How was scythe? I'm thinking to spend a new series credit on it."

It was totally entertaining. There's a few glitches in the logic of the world so I gave it 3.5*'s but I think you'll like it more than I did.

Margret wrote: "Those are some dank totals"

I hope the two of you tire of this. It's becoming less urban dictionary dank and more of a moist ointment for crotch rot.

I’m just trying to keep up with the lingo. I can tell you your totals are on fleek, or majestic AF if you want!

Margret wrote: "I’m just trying to keep up with the lingo. I can tell you your totals are on fleek, or majestic AF if you want!"

Shouldn't you be reading one of your horizontal refreshment titles?

Good job Scott!

Great job, Scott!

Did you do Scythe with audio, Scott? If yes, how was the narrator?

Miche wrote: "Great job, Scott!

Did you do Scythe with audio, Scott? If yes, how was the narrator?"

No that was a read. I've hear the audio was good though cannot remember who said it.

I might go with audio for this one.

I abandoned 14 series last year but many of those were right from the get go organizing the challenge. In one month and 5 days of year 2 I've already let 5 go. I'm not in Tammie's league yet but give me time. :)

21 Signal Airship 1/1 The Guns Above
22 Leopard King 2/2 The Leopard Stratagem (up to date last year but letting it go)
23 Cult of Yex 3/3 Bystle Vale (up to date last year but letting it go)
24 Age of Assassins Wounded Kingdom 1/1
25 Where Loyalties Lie Best Laid Plans 1/1

It's oddly liberating. Horay for moving on to better books!

Scott wrote: "I abandoned 14 series last year but many of those were right from the get go organizing the challenge. In one month and 5 days of year 2 I've already let 5 go. I'm not in Tammie's league yet but gi..."

It becomes easier the more you do it!

Tammie wrote: "It becomes easier the more you do it! ."

Niki Hawkes wrote: "It's oddly liberating. Horay for moving on to better books!"

I wholeheartedly agree with you both.

With so many good books around, there is no point in forcing yourself to keep reading series you are not enjoying.

Completed Blood and Tempest 3/3 which was an excellent series.

Abandoned both

Leviathan Leviathan 1/3

and

Tomorrow the Killing Low Town 2/3 which I'm not done with yet but there's no way I'm continuing. What an overrated series this is.

November stats

Started and ended month with 9 open series.

books read: 12

Completed 2

Enemy of God Warlord 2/3
Excalibur Warlord 3/3
Blood and Tempestt 3/3

Up to date 3

Deadhouse Landing Path to Ascendancy 2/2 Malazan all 27/27
Oathbringer Stormlight Archives 3.5/3.5

Advanced 1

Leviathan Wakes Expanse 4/16

Started 5

Feed Newsflesh 1/4
Age of Assassins Wounded Kingdom 1/1
Where Loyalties Lie Best Laid Plans 1/2
Leviathan Leviathan 1/3
The Gunslinger Dark Tower 1/4

Abandoned 4

Age of Assassins Wounded Kingdom 1/1
Tomorrow the Killing Low Town 2/3
Where Loyalties Lie Best Laid Plans 1/2
Leviathan Leviathan 1/3

Year two totals

Completed: 3
Up to date: 3
Abandoned: 7

Nice! I especially love that you abandoned 4 of the 5 you started. No sense in inflating your challenge with sub-par books. Love it haha.