2-3-4 Challenge discussion

Let's take a look at our results for 2017:

1. How did you do with your goals for the year?
2. What were your most outstanding series that you read during the year?
3. What were your most favorite books read (series and standalone)?
4. What were you the most proud of accomplishing this year?


Jonetta
Melissa
Allison
Laura
Monica
Robin

1. How did you do with your goals for the year?
I had to decrease the number during the year, but I reached the goal I was looking for. I didn't read my goal of reading 5 books that have been made into movies. I only got 3.

2. What were your most outstanding series that you read during the year?
I have really enjoyed the Sookie Stackhouse series and was very excited when I got up to date in the Dresden Files series.

3. What were your most favorite books read (series and standalone)?
I always love reading the Dresden Files and I really enjoyed quite a few standalones this year. The Glass Castle was one of my favorites.

4. What were you the most proud of accomplishing this year?
Getting up to date and finishing series is always an accomplishment for me. I'm most proud that I read as much as I did with so much going on.

Melissa wrote: "1. How did you do with your goals for the year?
I had to decrease the number during the year, but I reached the goal I was looking for. I didn't read my goal of reading 5 books that have been made ..."

Congratulations on a good year, Melissa! I watched you start The Dresden Files and work through the entire series, which is a big accomplishment. Now I’m seeing you do the same thing with Sookie.

1. How did you do with your goals for the year?
I surpassed my Reading Challenge and Series Up to Date goals but fell short on the series completed goal (finished 10 of the 15). I also had a goal of listening to 50 audiobooks and actually listened to 75. I wanted to read more contemporary and historical fiction and I did but not as many as I wanted. Finally, I wanted to tackle more series and achieved that goal through the group reads.

2. What were your most outstanding series that you read during the year?
Hands down it’s Cork O’Connor by William Kent Krueger. I’m halfway through the 13th book and it’s still compelling. Also on the list are:
Harry Bosch by Michael Connelly
Romantic Suspense by Karen Rose
Sebastian St. Cyr by C. S. Harris
Colorado High Country by Pamela Clare
Will Trent by Karin Slaughter
In Death by J. D. Robb
Southern Comfort by Lisa Clark O’Neill
Everything I Left Unsaid by Molly O’Keefe

3. What were your most favorite books read (series and standalone)?
I had a lot of great reads. Here are some of them:



4. What were you the most proud of accomplishing this year?
Keeping up with my group reads, even when I got behind in October and November. I’m really happy with what I’ve done in making that dent in my series. I made a full on collision. I’m also really, really pleased that my reading experience overall was so rewarding.

1. How did you do with your goals for the year?

I'm really pleased with how I did. Even when I didn't meet all of my goals, they still pushed me in the right direction and I accomplished a lot.

My goals for 2017 were:

- Owned: 50 Books - I managed 45, and I'm still very happy with that
- Finish: 12 Series - I went beyond my goal and finished 15, yay!
- Up to Date: 5 Series - Almost made it, I got up to date on 4
- Make Progress: 17 Series - I made progress on 20 that I'd started before 2017, including 3 mothball series that I hadn't anticipated
- Series I start that I plan to continue: 2 Books each - I found this to be a difficult goal to keep. I did manage it on 7, but started many more series than that. I'm not renewing this goal for 2018 - too much pressure. :)

2. What were your most outstanding series that you read during the year?

I added a few series to my favorite series shelf and advanced on some that were already there. Oddly they're all fantasy even though I did branch out into other genres, honest!

Seven Realms by Cinda Williams Chima
Soulfinders by Maria V Snyder
Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch
Books of the Raksura by Martha Wells
Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J Maas
His Fair Assassin by Robin LaFevers
Paladin's Legacy by Elizabeth Moon

3. What were your most favorite books read (series and standalone)?

This is always such a hard question! I had a lot of great ones. Looking back, these stand out the most aside from the favorite series already listed above:



4. What were you the most proud of accomplishing this year?

I knocked out a lot of books that I own, and managed not to add too many to that list without reading them right away. It's my ultimate goal only to buy books when I'm ready to read them soon afterwards, and I'm really close to being able to do that.

I'm also very happy that I accomplished (or almost did) most of my series goals. I feel like I have a better handle on all of my series now and even feel ok about adding new series since I'm not so overwhelmed anymore, thanks to this group.

Allison wrote: "1. How did you do with your goals for the year?

I'm really pleased with how I did. Even when I didn't meet all of my goals, they still pushed me in the right direction and I accomplished a lot.

M..."

I’m in awe of how well you did with your goals! You have every reason to be pleased. Congrats on a great year!

Jonetta wrote: "I’m in awe of how well you did with your goals! You have every reason to be pleased. Congrats on a great year! ..."

Thanks Jonetta! I seriously owe a lot to this group for getting me organized.

Also Jonetta, it just occurred to me that the longest series I finished last year was 7 books long, and I didn't start it last year either. Reading shorter series makes it sound like I'm doing so well, but I don't think I'm doing any better than those of you with the long-running series that you're making steady progress on.

If it’s more than three books, the series becomes a commitment. Most of the series I’ve completed aren’t that long. The big ones don’t seem to end so the best I can do is get up to date in them:)

Ah yes, and that's where I'm very far behind! :)

Jonetta wrote: "1. How did you do with your goals for the year?
I surpassed my Reading Challenge and Series Up to Date goals but fell short on the series completed goal (finished 10 of the 15). I also had a goal o..."

You had a great year and it is so impressive how you keep up with all the group reads and lead discussions etc. You have some great sounding books on your favorite list, I will be checking some out; Everything I left Unsaid and The Sex Bucket List for sure. Nice to see The Hating Game stood out to you. I loved that one.

My goals for 2017 were to complete 20 -I completed 13. I had to take a few off that I thought were finished but new books came out. I also thought more of my ongoing series would be ending but those keep going and going.
My goal to get current was 10 and I am current in 17.

My standout series are Cold Fury by Sawyer Bennett
Oxford by Lauren Layne
Dive Bar by Kylie Scott
Pucked by Helena Hunting
Tracers by Laura Griffin
Chicago Stars by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Kathleen Turner by Tiffany Snow
Rock Chick by Kristin Ashley
Wicked Games by JT Guissinger

My favorite reads were


I loved almost everything I read and am happy with my year, but I think I could have been more organized. I'm going to try to improve that this year and not be so all over the place. I have quite a few series that I read one and never went back ( not sure why) Im getting back to them this year!

Laura wrote: "Jonetta wrote: "1. How did you do with your goals for the year?
I surpassed my Reading Challenge and Series Up to Date goals but fell short on the series completed goal (finished 10 of the 15). I a..."

Thanks, Laura! Have you ever read anything by Molly O’Keefe?

Laura wrote: "My goals for 2017 were to complete 20 -I completed 13. I had to take a few off that I thought were finished but new books came out. I also thought more of my ongoing series would be ending but thos..."

Same thing happened to me with my completed series...kept having to move them to up to date and missed my goal (10 out of 15). I still think you did really well!

I’ve got to start reading all the Sawyer Bennett books I’ve collected over the years. Haven’t read one yet. You have several on my shelf I’ve yet to read.

Jonetta wrote: "Laura wrote: "Jonetta wrote: "1. How did you do with your goals for the year?
I surpassed my Reading Challenge and Series Up to Date goals but fell short on the series completed goal (finished 10 o..."

I have read the first 2 books of Crooked Creek Ranch which I need to get back to. I think that's it.

Jonetta wrote: "Laura wrote: "My goals for 2017 were to complete 20 -I completed 13. I had to take a few off that I thought were finished but new books came out. I also thought more of my ongoing series would be e..."

Sawyer Bennett is excellent and she is on my author list to focus more on this year. I don't think you'd be disappointed in diving in.

Laura wrote: "I have read the first 2 books of Crooked Creek Ranch which I need to get back to. I think that's it. ..."

That third book in Crooked Creek? One of my all time favorite books. There’s a novella you must read first. You will love that book!!!!

Also, I highly recommend the Everything I Left Unsaid series. It’s compelling. There’s a cliffhanger in the first book so you’ll want to be prepared to read them back to back. To O’Keefe’s credit, she released them together.

Laura wrote: "Sawyer Bennett is excellent and she is on my author list to focus more on this year. I don't think you'd be disappointed in diving in. ..."

Thanks for the feedback.

1. How did you do with your goals for the year?
I did not have any goals this year, I arrived a little late to the game.

2. What were your most outstanding series that you read during the year?

The Graveyard Queen by Amanda Stevens
Sebastian St. Cyr by C.S. Harris
Ice by Anne Stuart
Horseman Trilogy by Mary Balogh
Sons of Sin by Anna Campbell
The Rules of Scoundrels by Sarah MacLean
The Rogue Files by Sophie Jordan
The Debutant Files by Sophie Jordan

3. What were your most favorite books read (series and standalone)?



4. What were you the most proud of accomplishing this year?
I exceeded my goal for the number of books I wanted to read for the year. My goal was 40, and I read at least 58 (I wasn't recording everything all year).

Monica wrote: "1. How did you do with your goals for the year?
I did not have any goals this year, I arrived a little late to the game.

2. What were your most outstanding series that you read during the year?

T..."

Nice job, Monica! I look at the series you've tagged as most outstanding and seriously want to get back into or start (Ice, Rogue Files).

Thanks, Jonetta!

I only have one book left in the Ice series, I've also really enjoyed it.

I think you would enjoy the The Rogue Files, they have a very good mix of plot and steam factor. The Debutante Files is equally good, and I'm hoping she adds more to this series.

1. How did you do with your goals for the year?
My goal was to become up to date on 5 series and complete 15 series. I just made it in the eleventh hour. Whew!

2. What were your most outstanding series that you read during the year?
Troubleshooters by Suzanne Brockmann
Mickey Haller by Michael Connelly
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Chicagoland Vampires by Chloe Neill
Black Ops, Inc. by Cindy Gerard
Spindle Cove by Tessa Dare

3. What were your most favorite books read (series and standalone)?
My 5-Star books:


4. What were you the most proud of accomplishing this year?
I was just happy that I kept up with my group reads and I finished over 100 books.

Robin wrote: "1. How did you do with your goals for the year?
My goal was to become up to date on 5 series and complete 15 series. I just made it in the eleventh hour. Whew!

2. What were your most outstanding s..."

Congratulations on a fine year, Robin! I’m envious of you having made all of your goals.

Looking at your list of outstanding books, so many of them are my favorites.

Robin wrote: "1. How did you do with your goals for the year?
My goal was to become up to date on 5 series and complete 15 series. I just made it in the eleventh hour. Whew!

2. What were your most outstanding s..."

Good work, Robin!

Three of the series you listed as outstanding are ones I definitely need to go back to. And now I need to add the other ones ;)