Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

Oh, that is soooo happening haha. I can't wait!! I'm going to read the short story Sandrunners to help hold me over.

Good work!

Thanks Tammie! :)

Great updates Niki.

Thank you, Angela!

Niki's February 2017 Progress Update:

Series Finished: 0

Series Brought UTD: 4
Swarm - Scott Westerfeld
Skin Deep – Brandon Sanderson
Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection – Brandon Sanderson
Ivory and Bone – Julie Eshbaugh

Series Progressed: 3
The Drafter – Kim Harrison
Fairest – Marissa Meyer
Cress – Marissa Meyer

New Series Started: 2
Ivory and Bone – Julie Eshbaugh
The Warded Man – Peter V. Brett

Abandoned: 0

YTD Totals:
Finished Series: 1
Up To Date Series: 7
Series Progressed: 4
New Series Started: 7
Abandoned: 1

I have started a lot of series in 2017, but I've also brought a good amount up-to-date, so I'm happy.

Well done Niki! Great to see some series progression.

Nice job Niki. Think I might steal your YTD totals section but do it for monthly instead.

Angela wrote: "Well done Niki! Great to see some series progression."

Thank you! :)

Bill wrote: "Nice job Niki. Think I might steal your YTD totals section but do it for monthly instead."

Thank you and steal away! It's a cool snapshot to see how our hard work is paying off. :)

Good job! It's always nice when you look at it and see your making progress :)

I'd like to use your format too if you don't mind

Hacen wrote: "I'd like to use your format too if you don't mind"

Thank you! And yes go ahead :-) I'm glad people are finding it useful/fun.

I might use it too next time I update.

Niki's March 2017 Progress Update:

Series Finished: 0

Series Brought UTD: 1
Sandrunners: A Draconis Memoria Short Story - Anthony Ryan

Series Progressed: 5
Magic Bleeds - Ilona Andrews
Winter - Marissa Meyer
The Great Bazaar and Other Stories - Peter V. Brett
Brayan's Gold - Peter V. Brett
Cursor's Fury - Jim Butcher

New Series Started: 1
A Darker Shade of Magic - V.E. Schwab

Abandoned: 0

YTD Totals:
Finished Series: 1
Up To Date Series: 8
Series Progressed: 5
New Series Started: 8
Abandoned: 1

Not a fabulous month. But I did start a ton of books, so April will definitely compensate.

Good work! Five series progressed and one brought up to date is awesome.

Great progress Niki.

Well done Niki. What did you think of the Brett short stories? Think I have owned them for a few years and haven't read.

Thank you!!

The short stories were entertaining, but didn't add a single thing to the story as a whole. I liked Brayan's Gold a lot more than the Great Bazaar. 3 stars and 2 stars, respectively.

You know what you have to do Niki?

Keep swimming!! Keep swimming!! Haha that was awesome! Thank you :D

:)

I just updated my list for the first time since the beginning of the year. I put Sanderson's legion novellas in the "up to date" category, moved two series to "completed," and added what felt like 20 new series started haha.

My goals for the next foreseeable future is to focus on the 15 series in my "high priority" category and keep up on all the new releases relevant to my "up to date" category. I actually think I can complete both goals before the end of the year... maybe. Haha

Who keeps starting all these new series ;). It's so easy to do in this group!

Niki Hawkes wrote: My goals for the next foreseeable future is to focus on the 15 series in my "high priority" category and keep up on all the new releases relevant to my "up to date" category. I actually think I can complete both goals before the end of the year... maybe. Haha "

Pretty impressive that you're keeping up with new releases and 15 series! You're doing a great job!

I shall call you mini Bill. :)

It does make it difficult to finish series when I keep starting so many for buddy reads haha. I am quite happy with my up to date number though. And I wish I had Bill's mad series skills. :)

I might have to return my title soon about to start my 3rd new series this week.

haha well I suppose it would be difficult to finish lots of series if you didn't start a few new ones here and there. :) I feel better now though.

Niki's April 2017 Progress Update:

Series Finished: 1
Assassin's Fate - Robin Hobb

Series Brought UTD: 0

Series Progressed: 5
Magic Slays - Ilona Andrews
A Questionable Client - Ilona Andrews
Magic Mourns - Ilona Andrews
Captain's Fury - Jim Butcher
The Desert Spear - Peter V. Brett

New Series Started: 2
Naamah's Kiss - Jacqueline Carey
Foreigner - C.J. Cherryh

Abandoned: 1
Foreigner - C.J. Cherryh

YTD Totals:
Finished Series: 2
Up To Date Series: 8
Series Progressed: 10
New Series Started: 10
Abandoned: 2

Great job.

I won't do my stats until the last day because I'll be on the cusp of finishing a series or not doing so until May.

I hear ya. I probably should have waited, but I needed it for a blog post (I like the links). I'm still reading three of them, but 5 days is plenty of time to finish, I think. Is that cheating? It feels like cheating haha.

Not as long as you finish. I'll be on the cusp with two books but I have a really busy schedule and one of them is questionable and the other doubtful so I'm playing it cautiously.

Good progress!

Great work Niki.

Nice job Niki. I need to catch up on Hobb at some point.

Thank you all! :) I'm happy with how I did this month.

Bill - Hobb is officially my no. 1 recommend - do it!!!!

Niki's May 2017 Progress Update:

Series Finished: 1
The Long Game - Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Series Brought UTD: 3
Red Sister - Mark Lawrence
Skin Game - Jim Butcher
Steeplejack - A.J. Hartley

Series Progressed: 6
Grim Tides - T.A. Pratt
The Voyage of the Basilisk - Marie Brennan
The Twisted Citadel - Sara Douglass
Magic Dreams - Ilona Andrews
Magic Tests - Ilona Andrews
A Gathering of Shadows - V.E. Schwab

New Series Started: 3
Red Sister - Mark Lawrence
Steeplejack - A.J. Hartley
Green Rider - Kristen Britian

Abandoned: 0

YTD Totals:
Finished Series: 5
Up To Date Series: 10
Series Progressed: 24
New Series Started: 12
Abandoned: 1

I have to say I'm thrilled with my "Series Progressed" category. Many of those are getting close to being finished.

Fantastic progress Nikki!

Bringing the Butcher series alone UTD is worthy of praise. Great job.

Good work! Congrats on finishing a series.

Thank you! :)

Only 3 out of the 15 Butcher books were painful. ;P

Fab work

Niki's June 2017 Progress Update:

Series Finished: 3
A Conjuring of Light - V.E. Schwab
Lady Renegades - Rachel Hawkins
The Fiercest Joy - Shana Abe

Series Brought UTD: 2
Kings of the Wyld - Nicholas Eames
The Legion of Flame - Anthony Ryan

Series Progressed: 4
Naamah's Curse - Jacqueline Carey
Magic Gifts - Ilona Andrews
From the Editorial Page of the Falchester Weekly Review - Marie Brennan
Princeps' Fury - Jim Butcher

New Series Started: 2
Kings of the Wyld - Nicholas Eames
The Young Elites - Marie Lu (reread so I can continue)

Abandoned: 0

YTD Totals:
Finished Series: 8
Up To Date Series: 12
Series Progressed: 28
New Series Started: 14
Abandoned: 1

I am thrilled with my progress this month. I'm getting close on finishing a bunch and am starting to think that maybe I can eventually get a handle on all of these series.

Great job. That's some solid progress.

Way to go Niki!

Thank you both! :)

I think I'm going to restructure this on Monday and 1. Move a bunch to abandoned because I know I'll never make it back to them and 2. Move a bunch more to a new subcategory labeled "series I've started but would need to reread the first books before continuing on, anyway, so they might as well be marked unread." Which accounts for at least 30 series.

I think that would leave me with about 30 ish medium priority, 20 ish high priority, and 30 UTD for approximately 80 unfinished series instead of 129. My plan is probably going to eradicate most, if not all low priority titles.

I may also start another category labeled "series in planning to start" so I can get a game plan together to stay focused.

Only after participating in this challenge for 6 months have I realized that my biggest issue with unfinished series is time lapsed between first books and sequels. I don't see why once I wrap up many of these titles I can't stay on top of it going forward and make a concerted effort to either continue or consciously abandon series right away. By this time next year, I'm shooting to have only 20 active series open (meaning everything else is UTD). Finally I have a numerical goal to work towards!

I do hate abandoning so many series, but life's too short to read books I'm not enjoying. Especially when I clearly have dozens and dozens I like better, anyway.

That is all.

I think we are all too reticent to quit feeling it's a failure on our part when it's the authors.

Sounds like a good plan. You've probably seen my huge DNF list.