Play Book Tag discussion

How close are you to accomplishing your 2017 Reading goals? Only 3 more weeks until the big 2018!

Does your goal seem reasonable to accomplish by the end of the year?
Is that silly goodreads tracker bothering you because you're behind?
Have any more stairs or high notes?
Have you forgone 2017 challenges, and thinking about 2018 already?
Will you be adjusting your 2018 goal because of your reading habits this year?

Looking for motivation? Let's cheer each other on here!!

I'm 5 away from my goal and so I think it will be manageable for me.
I completed all the stairs and almost none of the high notes. I have a few other challenges I'm trying to wrap up including the bookriot one and an AtoZ challenge for Litsy. I probably won't complete either of those.

Already planning my 2018 challenges though b/c I love challenges.

I'm happily complete. I did six stairs, all of the high notes, read at least one book a month for the tag and often two or three, participated in fall flurries and prosperity, read about 10 bucks that I owned, about five giveaways, attended somewhere between seven and 10 book group meetings, I have read 97 books past my goal of 75. I'm three books to 100. I have a big year coming up, or at least a big three months. So I have wondered how that will shape my year. But I am excited! 

GR tells me I'm 3 ahead of my goal, so I think I'll be ok. I think that's 5 more books.

Stairs and High Notes are both done for me.

My 12x12 is almost finished and I have books (1 or 2 left now) that I plan to read to finish. I have a few of my monthly challenges left to finish, as well.

I am sweating it! I have to read a book a week to hit my annual goal and that can be tough for me around the holiday. I have simply not been listening to books the last part of the year and it's been killing my totals.

I've done well on the monthly tags reading at least 1 book and often several every month except one. My performance is poorer on getting my reviews written so it may not look like I've done well;-)

I set my bar low, because I knew that the company I worked for was going to be changing, and wasn’t sure how much reading I’d get in. As a result, I hit my goal in May! Not gonna lie, it feels good to be that far ahead...

I have 2 to go to hit 100. I'm 75% done with one, 35% done with another and will start my Tag book tomorrow. I got this!

All my challenges are done except the last tag, and my 100

I’ve hit 100 and my goal was 52! I’ve finished the PBT stairs, have one to go to finish High Notes, have read a book for each tag, and have read or attempted and chose not to finish all of my FTF book club reads. A good year for me!

I am at 80 books complete this year. My goal was 50. I have completed all the challenges and read each tag for this year. I have one more book to read for my co-workers favorites for this year at work...I am reading it now. It's been a great year.

Tracy wrote: "I set my bar low, because I knew that the company I worked for was going to be changing, and wasn’t sure how much reading I’d get in. As a result, I hit my goal in May! Not gonna lie, it feels good..."

Haha! Maybe I should lowball my challenge to hit it early and feel super-good when I blow past it! LOL!

This year, I set my reading goal as one book, so I surpassed it in January. I really just wanted to track the books I read and wasn't concerned with the number. For challenges, I just completed Climbing the PBT Stairs but a few others will remain unfinished. Yep, already strategizing for 2018 challenges.

I’m all done. I set the number of books at 120, knowing I would normally reach them around fall. I’m don’t care that much about the number, but rather look at variety. I finished the stairs somewhen in fall and the high notes last week. I’ve read for all the tags. There are a couple of other challenges I’m in, but did not do nearly as well there.

I did pretty well.
Read 89 (goal 75)
Finished Prosperity, High Notes, PBT stairs
Made it across US in the summer roadtrip visiting 23 states
Read 11/12 PBT tags (actually read all of them, but didn't finish the book within the month)

I read 42 books from my TBR (I count this as owning the book more than 6 months prior to reading)
24 were from the library.
20 were diverse (my definition is set in asia, africa or South America, or main characters or author are POC)

Holy smokes - - everyone here is so impressive in their reading ambitions and achievements. It's humbling. In my "real world", I'm one of the most voracious readers, lol.

In terms of goals, I'm super happy with my total book number. My goal was 50, and I'm confident, I'll make 60. Clearly "empty nesting" is helping me read more.

I finished PBT Stairs, so yay. But my performance on High Notes was abysmal :(. I have given up on that one. I READ ALL THE TAGS. You can see where my priorities lie.

Excited for new challenges in 2018, but haven't done a whit of planning! It's hard to plan since I don't know what they will be for sure . . .

I think the guessing is part of the fun. Before voting, its fun to look at the competing lists and see what you might do, and then by the time the tag is announced, then the month becomes shaped by that, and what's in/due at the library. I think the same about the year challenges. Its fun to think about what you would do if certain one's win. Helps gets your ideas generating when it comes around as final. I have been putting some notes on a thread on my phone. Interesting future winter/Christmas books, ideas for shelves if I ever got picked this year, Listopia ideas, (I'm hooked on one) long books, and the shortlist version of my TBR.

I’ve more than made my GR goal to read 75 books. I will stick with 75 next year as it is reasonable goal and anything else is excess. I met my PBT STAIR challenge early on. I have not read every tag this year. In fact I’ve kind of lost tract of where I am at with Tags. I need to work on that before the end of the year. I participate in challenges at LT and completed the Bingo card but not sure how I did with the other challenges. I am working on my 2018 goals and am sure I will over extend myself again.

LibraryCin wrote: "Tracy wrote: "I set my bar low, because I knew that the company I worked for was going to be changing, and wasn’t sure how much reading I’d get in. As a result, I hit my goal in May! Not gonna lie,..."
I recommend it, at least once. There’s enough stress in the world already- having an attainable reading goal is one less thing to worry about! 🙃

Tracy wrote: "LibraryCin wrote: "Tracy wrote: "I set my bar low, because I knew that the company I worked for was going to be changing, and wasn’t sure how much reading I’d get in. As a result, I hit my goal in ..."

I have to agree here. I'm staying at a goal of 50 even though I overachieved this year, lol. It's a nice round realistic number.

My stretch goal will be to do better on my other challenges! If I miss those, I don't feel as bad . . .

I find if I set the bar too high, I just read short books. I have also stopped challenges that require reading a book a week for that reason. I might declare 2018 as the year of the chunkster, because I have a lot of longer things I’d love to read.

The year of the chunkster- love it! 🤣

I'm clinging to the unrealistic belief that I can still complete my goals. I have to read 10 books between now and Dec. 31! My personal 'cheat' is that I haven't yet counted a number of individual short stories that I've listened to. I need to read two more books for my stair challenge. I have read ( with a certain amount of liberal interpretation) at least two books for each tag! I also challenge myself to write some kind of review for all of the books on my list, mostly to help my own failing memory. It will probably take me until mid January to finish that.

Almost done! I finished all of my challenges except to read 100 books and I have #97 and #98 going right now. It has definitely been an interesting year of reading.

I think you’ll make it to 100 Ellen. :-)

I'm doing good despite ongoing concussion recovery. My reading has slowed down recently due to therapy I'm doing for recovery but my health is more important. I've gone way past my goal of 75 book for the year. Last time I checked I was around book 115. I've finished the stairs and high notes challenges and read at least one book for every tag. I read 6 books from PBT 100 non-fiction books list and 4 books from PBT 100 fiction books list (that's two short of my original goal but I'm okay with that). I've signed up for some more open ended challenges on other groups here but PBT will always be my first priority. I can't wait to see what next years challenges are.

I read a book for each tag of the month, that was the easiest goal.

I'm not going to make my target of 150 for the year, but I'm currently at a respectable 115, so I'm satisfied. I'll be adding to that total before the year ends anyway.

Was the first to finish PBT Stairs, so I'm pleased with that.

I only managed so far to do 3 years of PBT High Notes, which is a bit disappointing. I will try to finish it next year.

Still failing miserably with finishing Deep Dive from 2014. Non-fiction medical is a hard genre, and I keep getting distracted. But I have only two more books left, The Brain that Changes Itself and The Selfish Gene. I'll eventually read them.

Still failing miserably to finish a dozen from the 100 Books PBT Members Think You Should Read from 2015. The remaining six books I chose have been on my TBR for some time, so I'll get around to them some day.

PBT Prosperous, I never got a chance to start before someone won it already, so I didn't bother to continue.

2017 Miscellaneous Challenges, I'm missing only 4 1/2 out of 20 (which is not bad):
- book you had to read in school
- book your children/a child recommended to you
- book with over 700 pages
- book set somewhere you’ll be visiting/have visited this year
- book published in the 19th century - I read a short story, does that count?

Was out of the country for the Summer Road Trip so did not join that. (It was a very busy vacation.)

Overall I think I did ok!

JoLene wrote: "I find if I set the bar too high, I just read short books. I have also stopped challenges that require reading a book a week for that reason. I might declare 2018 as the year of the chunkster..."

The Year of the Chunkster would make a great reading challenge, JoLene! I agree, setting a high number for the GR challenge creates a preference for shorter books.

Before I started tracking books online, I didn't give a second thought to how many books I was reading per year. It is fun to keep track of the # books read but I also think psychologically it is a marketing tool to get readers to buy more books. Not that there is anything wrong with book shopping, lol!

AJ wrote: "This year I didn't do super well for challenges but I am at 48/50 books for my overall reading challenge for this year.

In the past 3 months I have moved to the other side of the world where I am ..."
Congratulations on your relationship- it sounds like he’s as driven as you! Don’t forget to count your textbook pages- that’s heavy reading!

Tracy wrote: "Don’t forget to count your textbook pages- that’s heavy reading! "

We can count our textbook reading?!?

Lisa A ⛄ wrote: "JoLene wrote: "I find if I set the bar too high, I just read short books. I have also stopped challenges that require reading a book a week for that reason. I might declare 2018 as the year of the ..."

Though I can’t track it online (anymore since Shelfari is gone), I still have a goal for pages read as well as number of books.

I'm "1 book behind" with 5 books left to read.

1 book left for high notes
1 book left for PBT fiction (maybe I can cross these two over).

2 stairs left of my 5th "true crime" stair.

I CAN DO THIS!
I may be reading 200-page books to make it happen though, lol.

I'm pretty proud even if I don't finish though. I upped my goal from 50 to 75 for the first time ever. Put a 4 week vacation with NO reading in it, and I'd say I still did good. Thank god for audio. I might adjust my goal back down to 50 for 2018. I'll be getting married, wedding, honeymoon, all that jazz that will be consuming my time and life.

This may update by the end of the year, but as of today 12/15/17 all challenges are complete.

December - Challenge Update:

Read 100 Books - 100/100
Challenge complete: 12/15/17

Play Book Tag 100 Fiction Books to Read: - 6/6
Challenge complete: 10/26/17

Monthly Tag: Read at least one book for each tag:

24 books read for the 12 tags, plus 4 books read for the Bonus tags.
Challenge complete: 12/15/17

Trim that TBR - 17/12

Long Book Challenge - 7/6

Pick A Year Challenge

2017 - 47/25
2016 - 13/12

2017 Popsugar Ultimate Reading Challenge - 40/40
Challenge complete: 12/14/17

Climbing the PBT Stairs - 15/15
Challenge complete: 4/22/17

Hitting the PBT High Notes - 9/9
Challenge Complete 11/17/17

Fall Flurry of Holidays - 3/3
Challenge Complete 12/2/17

Total pages read: 33, 161
Average: 332

Ladyslott wrote: "This may update by the end of the year, but as of today 12/15/17 all challenges are complete.

December - Challenge Update:

Read 100 Books - 100/100
Challenge complete: 12/15/17

Play Book Tag 10..."

Incredible doesn't quite capture it . . .

Not to be braggadocious, but I killed it on my challenges this year!

Read 52 books: 75/52 (and will probably fit in 2-3 more)

Monthly PBT Tag: 19/11 months (I am not reading for December, I am social issued out)

Climbing the PBT Stairs: Completed

Read 20 books published in 2017: 46/20 (with another couple being wrapped up by the end of the year).

Read 10 books published in 2016: 14/10

Long Book Challenge: 4277 pages from 6 books, plus one of each from:
500-600 pages
600-750 pages
750-1000 pages
1000+ pages

Fall Flurry of Holidays Challenge: 3/3 months with 2 books in each of October and November, and likely 7 or 8 in December (by the time the month ends)

Other random stats:
54 audiobooks (with one, possibly two more I will wrap up).
27,118 pages
Average Length of 362 pages
Average Rating of 3.6

BAM! Working full time plus, going to law school part time plus, and had one of my best reading years in a long time. Thanks to PBT....and audiobooks!

Holy smokes, Nicole! I really need to up my game. The other admins are putting me to shame.

My average rating was the exact same as yours though - - too funny!

But the one thing I can say is I have read every single tag since inception . . .it's the only thing I can say . . .

That's great Anita! And you founded us with vision. You too have done a great job on your goals!

Nicole - amazing! You go girlfriend! Its been a great year for you. Looking forward to seeing your personal challenges for 2018, if you can fit them in amongst the PBT ones.

Amy wrote: "Nicole - amazing! You go girlfriend! Its been a great year for you. Looking forward to seeing your personal challenges for 2018, if you can fit them in amongst the PBT ones. ."

Oh, the personal challenges are met as well, but PBT is my work and school free zone! lol. If I talked about work and school too much on PBT then it would no longer be my happy place.

Wow, Nicole! Very impressive!

Anita wrote: "Tracy wrote: "LibraryCin wrote: "Tracy wrote: "I set my bar low, because I knew that the company I worked for was going to be changing, and wasn’t sure how much reading I’d get in. As a result, I h..."

I dropped my goal by 10 books so I could read longer books and managed to only work in one longer book. I may not finish my shorter goal, but do have a short book for the December tag and have wanted to read Salvage for Bones for the entire year so feel fine with how it's working out.

Nicole R wrote: "BAM! Working full time plus, going to law school part time plus, and had one of my best reading years in a long time. Thanks to PBT....and audiobooks!..."

WOW! You blew it away! Congrats!

Anita wrote: "But the one thing I can say is I have read every single tag since inception . . .it's the only thing I can say . . . ..."

I've missed 2. The very first one, as I only joined at the end of that month. And only 1 other. I'm so ashamed to have missed the one other - it should have been an easy one.

Ladyslott wrote: "This may update by the end of the year, but as of today 12/15/17 all challenges are complete...."

And you've hit every one pretty much spot on! I see you have kept up with many of the previous PBT year-long challenges. Congrats!

My challenge was modest, only 25 books, and this was the first time I actually set a reading goal for myself. When I set it, adopting a 2nd child was not even an idea, then in February, the adoption agency we used to adopt our then 11 month old son called to say our son's birth mother was pregnant again and wanted to know if we were interested. So I am proud to have finished my modest goal especially while being busy with what is now our two adopted sons (Jack, who is 21 months and Quinn who is 6 months). I posted their xmas pic with Santa in my profile pics if you're interested. Sorry, proud Dad.

I wanted to read 45 books this year, and am only on my 40th at the moment. I doubt I'll read 5 more in the next 15 days, so I can consider that goal as failed.

I'm almost done with the PBT stairs, only have one classic left to go (technically I did read one earlier this year, but it was a reread, so I don't count it). I'm hoping to get TKAM by Harper Lee from the library today though, so I should get it by the end of the year.

High Notes, I have 5/9. 6 if I get TKAM.

BUT I have an average of 417 pages/book. After last year being my only year on GR with an average below 400, I wanted to bring it up again, so yay!

Next year I'll definitely be lowering my objective, mostly because I want to read books in Spanish and I'm a much slower reader in something that is not one of my mother tongues.

I don't set a goal but I think I'm going to go past my all-time high this year. Mostly because I participated in a Caldecott-Medal Winners challenge - i.e. picture books. But even deleting those thirty-or-so picture books I'm still at about 180+ books for the year.

I exceeded my total target with 141 reads, but missed by far the goal of reviewing all my readings. I had the diversity of scope I sought but not enough non-fiction (12% of total). I drifted into some themes which turned into a goal I fulfilled of reading a significant swath of Russian, Irish, and "experimental" fiction. I was happy to achieve reading of some key antecedents and exemplars of modernist and postmodern literature. Key reads this year have set me up to pursue four new themes for next year (Turkish, Latin American, Far Eastern, and lit of or about the Ancient World of Greece and Rome).

I encourage all to consider an annual summary at the "Goodreads in 2017" site. My effort was a valuable exercise in assessing best by various category and personal story on quest for themes:
My Goodreads 2017 Summary.