SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

I saw in another group a conversation about what makes folks sign up for challenges, buddy reads, commit to group reads, and even make a list of what they've read publicly available.

So I'll pose it to you! Do challenges enhance your enjoyment or do they feel like they make work of something you should do for fun? Do you find that Goodreads adds a sense of urgency to search after the next great book, or "win" at challenges?

Have you found yourself reading more since joining GR and if so, do you attribute that to having a community who will share your love of reading with you or do you feel pressure to be seen as well-read/to read the next hottest book?

I love games, so the challenges in this group have been a fun way to bring a little of that spirit to one of my favorite pastimes, reading.

I have loved having a schedule of group reads to help bring books to my attention, and to provide an opportunity to share with others thoughts, responses, and insights on the books we all read together.

It’s been very satisfying to discover new authors and works I might not have otherwise discovered, and to bring to others’ attention works and authors that they might have overlooked.

And without a doubt, this site has been a wonderful companion as I got back into my reading groove over the past year.

I joined goodreads because I wanted to read more books. I like doing the challenges because they have led me to reading more. The challenges do sometimes put pressure on me that is unwelcome, but in general I enjoy them. I have long been someone who buys books on a whim. The challenges led me towards reading the books I own. I love that! Especially since I can't seem to resist a kindle sale. I don't do every challenge and honestly over the years, I've embraced the spirit of the challenges rather than the letter. It's no longer important to complete them unless it fits with what I want to do, but some of the tasks have sent me in interesting directions. Goodreads and these book clubs have not only introduced me to a lot of really great folks, but they have also led me to some amazing books I wouldn't have found on my own (Children of Time...anyone...anyone...Bueller?). I'm not one for blockbuster books in general. I don't read a lot of thrillers, or romance or Conservative opinion/thought, so best sellers have never been something I respond to. But book club choices or even just the polls send me to books I wouldn't find on my own.

Out of curiosity does gr/Amazon compel book clubs (of the more active groups) to pose questions like this? A sort of non survey...survey?

Hahaha! No! This is not a marketing tactic, this is purely my own curiosity, if the FOMO element increases when you're around this many avid fans of our shared hobby.

I promise if I'm ever soliciting information for someone other than my own nosy self, you'll know my bias before the question is posed ^^

Also, Anthony, I'm so glad you're having a good time! I wasn't fishing for compliments, but I'm not so modest I won't accept them! I think we're all pretty great, glad others do too!

"challenge" is a magical word for me. Not only with reading but with my other hobbies as well. My heart cries "Here!", before my brain can intervene. ;)

I read more since I joined GR, that's because I only really started reading again cause I joined.

And I love good BRs! They definitely enhance my experience while reading, as well as the short chats in my reading updates.

For me, I do think sometimes challenges get in my way, so like Monica, I tend to ignore them unless they're headed in a direction I'm already going. Usually that works pretty well for me, although since assuming mod-ship, I do get blown off course a little more easily, I think. That's not a complaint, I'm quite happy to have an excuse to read with people who will talk to me about what we're reading. It's so rare to find "in the wild" that I am still not over how great it's been to find this group and share thoughts with you.

That said I do wonder if sometimes this site is encouraging me to read to the point that other hobbies of mine get put aside. I want so badly to read so many things at once that I prioritize this over other things, which again, not a complaint, but I do wonder if some amount of FOMO can be used as a creditable excuse for why I haven't put my laundry away yet, or learned Creole, as I was planning to do last summer.

Don’t you like audiobooks, Allison? They would seem a perfect putting-laundry-away companion, no? 😜

I will admit that learning Creole while reading or listening to a book would be very difficult, though.

Anthony wrote: "Don’t you like audiobooks, Allison? They would seem a perfect putting-laundry-away companion, no? 😜

I will admit that learning Creole while reading or listening to a book would be very difficult, ..."

I am caught out! Actually a lot more laundry has been getting done now that I have audiobooks haha! And weeding! But less loud things like mulching the things I weed... I'm getting off topic. I bet there are books in Creole, which would be the "thrown into the deep end" way to learn...

I think the overall point is, being a social person I end up doing the things that come with a society, and if that's not GR, I dunno what is! So I definitely read more than I do other traditionally solitary things and I'm not sure that's bad, but it's certainly different than how I read when I first fell in love with reading.

I am not really doing my challenge schedule as I set at the beginning of the year(oh, no). I love the atmosphere here and as Anthony said to discover new authors and works, thank you all.

I used to really enjoy challenges, but I’m such a mood reader I’ve been struggling with them a lot this year. Both the time traveler and the TBR challenge. I do like the ones like PopSugar, ATY in 52, and Read Harder as a way to push me out of my comfort zone, but I rarely complete them.

I do find GoodReads and this particular book club motivate me to read a lot more. The number of books per year challenge doesn’t help so much because I try not to make reading stressful. I’ve set my goal at 75 but for the past two years I’ve consistently read a little over a hundred.

And buddy reads are wonderful. I find I get so much more out of it with the input of a group.

Audiobooks are very different/challenging for me but it is also convenient cause I can do it at work(what?). And I feel reading/listening to a book are totally two things, like different stories. I am picky about voice, ahh, I am so mean(I am sorry.)

Wen wrote: "Audiobooks are very different/challenging for me but it is also convenient cause I can do it at work(what?). And I feel reading/listening to a book are totally two things, like different stories. I..."

I'm the same way, Wen! Sometimes the voice of the narrator really adds to the story...sometimes it makes it so I can't get into the book.

I really, really like crossing things off a list, so for me challenges like the TBR Challenge work very well. And with that one in particular, I love to see what other people come up with for the prompts!

Joining GR - and this group in particular - has definitely helped to get back into reading just for fun. I think that's absolutely due to the community and to having someone to talk to about what I'm reading. (While most of my offline friends are also avid readers, we rarely manage to read books simultaneously.)

I'm so glad you asked this! I was thinking about this very thing a few days ago, and was thinking about asking how others felt. I'm happy I didn't, since your question includes aspects I wasn't pondering.

I love challenges, but I also have OCD, so they can sometimes become real challenges! I've read books for challenges and readathons that I'd never pick up otherwise, just to complete a prompt. Sometimes I find gems this way (The Queue for AtoZ readathon), sometimes I force myself to finish books I find super boring (The Roar for 7Kindoms challenge).

Ever since I joined SFFBC I've tried to complete the TBR and RATB challenges as fast as possible, often by changing the books on the TBR challenge list. This year I promised myself I'd stick with the books I picked, no matter if I feel like reading them or not. I might not get to 20/20, but at least I won't be compulsively trying to fill every slot.

In general joining GR changed what and how I read. I read mainly for enjoyment, that includes a lot of books I wouldn't read if I had less time to read and/or no access to audiobooks. In the past this meant reading whatever book I got my hands on, now it's picking something from my GR TBR. Joining a group again changed what and how I read, I wanted to read books the group had read, to know what everyone's talking about. And like Allison said, becoming a mod changed things yet again, because now I feel like I simply *must* read the group books, preferably before the start date, to stay on track. I definitely read more after joining GR, and I constantly try to tell myself to slow the f down, what's the hurry?! The hurry is of course that I must read All The Books, even if I can't remember what happened because I read them so fast. Yeah, I know.

In general I feel that GR/groups/challenges have made my reading more enjoyable, but my personality sometimes makes it less so. I love e-reading and audiobooks, but sometimes I miss walking to the library, browsing random books and picking up something based on the cover and blurb. It's great to have a digital TBR of a million books you want to read, but choosing what to read next was definitely easier when I was a kid!

I like challenges because they make me read outside my comfort zone. But I'm not a competitive reader, or I guess I'm not good at competing with myself, so I don't really care if I finish the challenge or not, which can defeat the "read outside my comfort zone" purpose.

I do like that it makes me take a look at what I'm reading though. Like, am I reading books from a diverse set of authors, a variety of genres, or a wide range of publication dates. For those kinds of things, I like challenges.

Challenges push me to read some books that have been on my TBR pile for ages. I can't really say I'm reading more as there are other factors involved with my reading more this year including my retirement last August and my moving to a new city in September of last year plus a bout of bad health.

I haven't challenged myself enough, I don't think, to read as much a I used to. I used to consume 2-3 books a week. Now I read one a week. That I make sure of. Going through life not reading is...well...pretty darn horrible, I think. I began reading when I was kid and haven't stopped at my ripe age of 49. Don't plan on stopping, either. Too many great writers are still writing great tales to absorb. Awesome groups like this one helps to give a push, especially a shove with said foot on my butt to read more. I love reading posts about the books others have read and then discuss.

Not able to read more than one novel a week is because I set aside enough time to write novels and short stories (reading books really, really help a writer; kinda like studying the craft of becoming a good writer) and I work a full-time job and--this is most important--to make time to spend with my lovely wife. Glad she's an avid reader, too. Glad she keeps me rooted and forces my hand to visit our local Half Price Books from time to time. I truly believe the place is a godsend for readers. A nice feed of addiction to books....lol

So, I dig Good Reads over all. There's always something cool to find on the website about books. And always good groups who love reading.

I've pretty much stopped participating in challenges because they were becoming something else to put on my to-do list. And my list is already long enough!! I wasn't enjoying them and the books, rather than something I WANTED to read, were something I HAD to read. Shades of High School reading lists here.

I'm glad others enjoy them, but they don't work for me.

Catherine wrote: "I've pretty much stopped participating in challenges because they were becoming something else to put on my to-do list. And my list is already long enough!! I wasn't enjoying them and the books, ra..."

Yeah, when it gets to feel like an obligation, that’s when challenges become tedious.

I will say that Goodreads and the interactions here have turned me on to books I wouldn’t have otherwise encountered, and that’s always good. I’m one of those who has deliberately stepped outside of my comfort zone when reading, and having more options in that regard is always better.

The reason I know that I don’t particularly enjoy Romance or Erotica is because I read a bunch of them. You never know until you try.

Challenges are not for me. I'm always reading and being pushed to read something doesn't encourage me to read more. My biggest problem is always to find more to read. I'm a picky reader with very specific tastes.

Reading books based on recommendation rarely works for me.

I should add that I like challenges and readathons because they help me pick which book to read next, they don't necessarily push me to read more. Having a weird challenge like 'read the alphabet in a month' or our TBR challenge forces me to look at all the books on my TBR, and then maybe I'll end up choosing something I would otherwise have overlooked. There are some readathons that do push me to read to the max, and I've stopped doing those, because it's not fun for anyone!

It depends with me, I like readathons and challenges but they shouldn't be too demanding or complicated. My time is short and I'm happy with spending half an hour planning a TBR for a multi genre readathon, but I often don't manage to commit to "I will read the book "Title" exactly this week/month because I alternate genres and often look for sci-fi/graphic novel after fantasy or YA. It's a bit messy, LOL. That said I'm finishing an A to Z readathon and planning to participate in an yearly reading bingo. The prompts have to be interesting too and something I was planning to read anyway. Another thing I usually don't do is calculate too many specific/complicated details due to lack of energy/time/patience :-)

I read a book that had been sitting on my shelf unread for years as a result of the TBR challenge this year. The book wasn't science fiction or fantasy, but it was awesome. For me, quality is more important than quantity. I think this group is steering me to quality science fiction and fantasy some of which I wouldn't have known about otherwise.

I like the idea of challenges, but I'm really, really bad on the follow through required to track them.

I need and enjoy the challenges. It took me a couple of years to find the right ballence but usually I get irritated/mad at not reading the books I buy or add to the want to read list so using the challenges to get more of those read than I would otherwise has worked well.

This group+challenges has tripled my reading volume and although I haven't liked all the books found or been encouraged to read, there are several that I have loved and would not have discovered otherwise.

I've definitely been reading more since I signed up for GR.

I have my ups and downs with it as a social media site that is designed to get people buy-buy-buying, but backlog challenges do a pretty good job nipping those consumerist/FOMO behaviors in the bud.

Like Sarah, I love BRs and group reads that enable discussions with others and show what a variety of opinions we have within our common fandom. That's a great thing about groups like this, and GR in general. :)

I joined a year long, group challenge with another GR group (Dragons and Jetpacks), and it definitely increased my reading. To finish the full challenge, I need to read 72 books [12 heroes to recruit/ 3 books each any time during the year & 12 villains to defeat/ 3 books each to be read in a specific month]. I choose to commit to this though and the few times I didn’t finish the monthly Villain challenge I felt extremely disappointed.

I do other challenges too (Pop Sugar, Read Harder), but I don’t commit to actually finishing them. They help me decide what to read next, and help me read from new authors and genres. I also enjoy the scavenger hunt aspect of finding books to match the sometimes very specific criteria. I don’t always LOVE the books I end up reading. However, many times I have found a great new series/ author I would not have discovered without a catalyst.

Same with group reads...they motivate me to check out books I would not pick up on my own.

The single biggest factor that increased my reading (approx. 65 books per year vs 120 books per year) was getting over my hang-up regarding audio books. Now I listen to books while I do ... well pretty much everything.

I don’t do any of the challenges, not even the simple ones where you just have to read a certain # of books. I think for my personality type, which can be rather competitive and completist, reading challenges are too likely to turn into an obligation. Aiming for a goal might also increase my temptation to read when I should be doing more productive things. The tactic of setting an easily-achievable goal doesn't appeal to me either, because I would have met it with or without the goal and I feel like a goal should serve a purpose.

I also don’t participate in the buddy reads or group reads very often. I do enjoy them, but I only do it when the timing works out. I’m probably going to do both July group reads, plus the Dune re-read, so that will be record participation in a month for me. :) But really I just want to read what I want to read when I want to read it without trying to fit something in on a certain schedule or find a book to meet a certain challenge prompt, or whatever. I plan my reading around the series I want to read and fit in random standalones between those, so I’m more likely to join group reads for standalone books if they fall when I’m not in the middle of a series.

I’m not a great buddy reader anyways because I don’t want to know anything about a book before I read it, so I only show up to the discussions after I’m completely finished. I learned that even the spoiler-free discussions can be a problem for me because I find it too easy to extrapolate what’s going to happen from even vague comments. I do really enjoy going back to the group read threads when I finish reading and reviewing a book to see what other people had to say about it though, even if it’s an older thread that nobody has posted in for years.

I don’t think Goodreads has increased how much I read, because I’ve been addicted to reading since I was 3 (long before GR, trust me!) and my reading rate has always been directly proportional to my spare time. It has changed how I choose what to read, though. Our group shelf influences the vast majority of my reading. It has a good variety of different SF&F subgenres from different eras, so I get exposed to a lot of different things, and I love just choosing a book off the shelf that I know nothing about, not reading any synopses or reviews, and being surprised by what it turns out to be. This can cause some hilarity when I first start a book with a completely open mind and make some odd interpretations, but that’s part of the fun. (I thought the main character in The Last Policeman was a doggy policeman for a couple pages.)

The main thing I enjoy about GR (and LibraryThing, which I'm a little more active on) is having people to talk about books with. I don’t know people in real life who enjoy the same types of books I do, nor do I know many who even like to read at all. I enjoy reading reviews from friends, especially when they read a book that I’ve already read, and I enjoy discussing what I’m reading with people who have read the same books.

I re-joined GR, and this group in particular, last December during a (ahem) government-sponsored semi-vacation where I found myself in need of an inexpensive hobby to fill all my unexpected free time. I had just gotten back into reading with The Broken Earth Trilogy and was craving more of the same. I definitely found it here between the group reads, buddy reads and just general fic recommendation threads. I’m not into the challenges so much, like others I like to read what looks appealing without worrying about a category. I do love reading along and discussing books with other people. The conversation and varied opinions really add to the enjoyment for me. Some of my all time favorite books now (Tensorate series, Hainish Cycle, Way of Thorn and Thunder, I’m looking at you) have come about as recommendations/BRs from this group, so thank you! I’ve read more books so far this year than I have in the past three years combined.

Haha, so I started this thinking I'd be a bit provocative by insinuating that people who do challenges don't REALLY love reading (which is of course something I don't agree with, personally!), and yet here you all are just being so affirming with your language and positive about your preferences. This is why I like you all best!

We all really seem to love reading on here. It's just that some people do things differently to others. Some people love reading and can manage one book a month, others one a week and others one a day. Just depends on how much time you can devote to it. I have the time for one a day and the reading ability but not the will this year. Last year I read 9 in one week. This year I haven't even been able to average one a week because I've been really slack.

Yeah I have read more since joining Goodreads because I joined GR when I decided to get back into reading after more than 20 years. A friend of mine was always commenting on GR FB page and her comments came up in my feed and I would go and comment too. Then there was the "Popsugar Reading Challenge starting soon and here are the prompts" post and I joined that too.

Last year I did Popsugar and AtY and I read 85 books. Not all of them what I would normally read but they definitely took me out of my comfort zone. I found though that I was always rushing and had to read all of the books especially after not reading anything other than rereads of HP for the last 10 years and on the lookout for the next prompt instead of enjoying the here and now. This year I've only read (or more to the point...completed because I have started, mostly enjoyed and abandoned for now even though I am determined to get back to them a number of others that have been left languishing in my Currently Reading list on GR) 15 books but they are mostly SFF books and I am happy with my reading time.

I'm not doing any challenges except the main GR Challenge and sometimes I will read the books of the month or one of the buddy read books if it interests me. I don't really participate in the discussions though because I'm normally on the app and the spoiler tags are a pain in the butt and then I lose interest in commenting. I really wish they'd fix that in the app. Also people go charging ahead in the buddy reads of a series and comment and it all confuses me. Even people's comments on the book I am reading confuse me. I'm menopausal and my head is mush at the best of times. Sometimes I read peoples comments and wonder if we just read the same book. Anyhoo........

I'm really not in the mood for "forced" reading this year and that's probably the main reason I'm not participating in PS or AtY or any of the other challenges on here. I'm very much a mood reader and having to read something because a prompt has to be fulfilled right now can get annoying. Also I got a new puppy in January and he has been taking up a lot of my time. Apparently playing fetch with a dog and going walking is better for my health than sitting and reading in my free time. Yeahhhhh I'd still prefer to sit and read..

My main goal at the moment is to finish Memory of Empire before the end of the month and actually read and finish a BOTM in the month it's supposed to be read. Nearly finished. That's enough of a challenge for me at the moment.

I’ll try to be concise, but I’ll probably fail. I get so excited and I’m kind of a rambler and meandering story teller by nature.

I talk about Goodreads, and more specifically this group, all the time! Whenever my best friend asks me what I’m reading she always follows it up with “is that for your book club?” because she just knows! I started out back in the day on Shelfari and was annoyed when I was forced to switch over to Goodreads, but I was so wrong!

This club and it’s challenges have been amazing. I find new authors I never would have discovered and new sub genres that I had no idea existed. And if it ends up being something I didn’t love, I don’t mind so much, because this group got me using my library card again and I buy almost nothing! It’s a lot harder to be annoyed at not liking a book when you didn’t spend any money on it.

I find the challenges keep me motivated, and I skip over the ones I’m not interested in. Like the Time Traveler challenge didn’t grab me. Not doing EVERYTHING keeps it from being too overwhelming.

I also tend to fill the challenges in as I go without picking first, except for maybe a rough sketch, and only worry about being more specific with picking my books for prompts when it gets close to the end of the year. Because it feels like a game, and I’m terrible at any sports and most other competitive things, it gives me a chance to “play” and feel accomplished. Plus, I get more great recommendations from what other people use to fill their prompts. It’s also sometimes fun to see how you can “cheat” and come up with a justification why something fits a certain prompt. I love seeing everyone else’s reasoning as well. It’s nice to see all the spreadsheets and charts people use and to know I’m not the only crazy who does that. (The number of tabs I have on my reading spreadsheet…)

Like Allison said, I do now prioritize reading above other hobbies, but since almost everything I read is for a group or buddy read in this group, it means I get more social interaction and mental stimulation. (I also pretty exclusively read on my Kindle which I have become very good at using while walking, so Yay! Exercise!)

My main IRL reader friend had a baby a few years ago and doesn’t have time to read with me anymore. My best friend is a huge reader, but we enjoy VERY different books. The thing I love most about reading is sharing it! Joining this group in particular has really helped me with that. By following or friending folks that I’ve interacted with in discussion, my feed is always full of excellent recommendations and delightful conversation! I think sometimes I spend as much time checking my feed and reading discussion threads as I do actually reading the books.

Of course it’s all made SPECTACULAR by the amazing mods we have! Coming up with great topics like this to keep us engaged. Creating new and interesting challenges. Organizing all the chaos of challenges and Buddy Reads. (That thread alone should be a full time paid job.) Plus you manage to keep the peace with all of these big personalities in a way that makes us all feel heard and welcome. In all seriousness, Allison and Anna, you are outstanding! Thanks so much for making this reader’s life so much more rewarding!

TL;DR: I love Goodreads, challenges make reading fun and Allison and Anna are superheroes!

I wouldn't necessarily say that GR/this group has increased the amount that I read, but it's absolutely helped me to expand my reading, and probably also to read more SFF. More than that, it's helped me to think more deeply about what I'm reading and to be able to talk through my thoughts with other readers, which I find incredibly valuable. It's amazing to have so many people to talk about books with who are actually interested in the same kind of books that I am.

I really enjoy the challenges - sometimes because they inspire me to read books that I've been wanting to read for a long time, sometimes because they help me find new books, and sometimes just because I like the puzzle of trying to fit books I've already read into challenge categories.

I haven't completely figured out how to get the right balance between getting encouragement to read new things/things outside my comfort zone and feeling pressured or stressed out by trying to keep up. I'm working on it. I do worry sometimes that I'm doing too much reading and not enough of other things in my life, but reading in every spare moment has kind of always been my thing, so it's hard to blame GR for that.

Kristin B. wrote: "I’ll try to be concise, but I’ll probably fail. I get so excited and I’m kind of a rambler and meandering story teller by nature.

I talk about Goodreads, and more specifically this group, all the..."

<3 <3 /blush I talk about you folks all the time, too!

Kaa, and others who've mentioned looking for balance, do you think there's anything we can do systemically to ease the pressure? The idea should always be options, not obligations!

Jacqueline wrote: "Also I got a new puppy in January and he has been taking up a lot of my time. Apparently playing fetch with a dog and going walking is better for my health than sitting and reading in my free time."

I got a puppy last year at this time. His biggest impact on my reading is that I can have 2-3 hours at night after our evening walk. My reading time is now much more specific, focused and honestly more productive. The drawback is that my reviews are backed up to the moon and I consider that time important too...just not as important as my boy!!

Allison wrote: "Kaa, and others who've mentioned looking for balance, do you think there's anything we can do systemically to ease the pressure?"

Puppies!! Seriously!!

Sounds like we'll have to do that cute animals (in space) theme!

Kaa wrote: ".... More than that, it's helped me to think more deeply about what I'm reading and to be able to talk through my thoughts with other readers, which I find incredibly valuable. ..."

This is such an important aspect for me as well. I'm still struggling with describing what I like or don't like, but listening to others in BRs helps me a lot to get some thoughts clearer. With each BR I'm learning something new.

Basically I like the initial # reading challenge to see if I can keep my number of books being read a year going up. I will join other challenges (Alphabet Soup for instance, I think on another group?) using the books I am already planning on reading anyways. I also usually read using my library's summer reading program and they have a challenge as well. I love GRs because I read so much it means I can keep track of where I am in a series, how many books I have read, and a community where there is only a little drama. Loved the Harry Potter challenge last year. In all this is my favorite social network site and I like participating here way more than FB. :) People are nicer...

Lesley wrote: "I re-joined GR, and this group in particular, last December during a (ahem) government-sponsored semi-vacation where I found myself in need of an inexpensive hobby to fill all my unexpected free ti..."

Yes to everything you said, Lesley!

(Also, I didn't know we had a certain president to thank, at least inadvertently, for all your insights!)

Travis wrote: "Also, I didn't know we had a certain president to thank, at least inadvertently, for all your insights!"

Ha! If there was one positive thing that came out of that crazy period in US politics, it was getting back into reading and joining this community. In all seriousness though, being able to escape into a great book set in an entirely different reality did (and continues to do) wonders for my stress level. Even the books that hit closer to home give me better, more measured perspective on current events.

Allison wrote: "For me, I do think sometimes challenges get in my way, so like Monica, I tend to ignore them unless they're headed in a direction ..."

Same. I'd love to partake more, but it gets in the way of other hobbies/work to keep tabs on everything. That, and I've always been quite averse to 'competing' - it tends to easily get stressful (even just the setting of too many 'unnecessary' goals for yourself).

I love BRs: they've been my gateway to reading. Great encouragers for not only picking books up, but to see them through. Especially books I'd likely otherwise never even consider.

Though, they also do get in the way of books I'd like to get to - now that I've gotten started thanks to GR - so, something of a double edged sword there <:D

Actual reading is not something I'm able to do much at all, I've noticed. Not in this place I'm in currently (physically, and in result mentally). I used to spent long bouts just reading back when my reading was mostly graphic novels and had a place to do so in peace, and would love to do so again (what a great way to relax!), but just sitting/laying still I'd now be desperate to be "doing something productive" (even if that too often contains a fair amount of procrastinating :P ...like right now *hah*). And staying still without a task at hand I just tend to fall asleep - these days even easier.

Also, being oversensitive to voices, I could not concentrate unless it was completely silent - which it unfortunately rarely ever is (on my own schedule anyway). And that is why I prefer (or must rely on?) audio: let's me work while listening - if the work is of the visual kind (trying to come up with text whilst listening is quite impossible).

I'm in the like challenges camp. They have helped broaden my reading. I love coming up with options for each category and especially seeing what others select. When I first started, I did have a point where they felt like a chore, but I reminded myself it's supposed to be fun. Now I'm comfortable cutting back if I'm not feeling it and just enjoying however far I get.

@Allison: for me, any pressure I feel is the result of my own completionist/perfectionist tendencies and the overabundance of books that I want to read. I think you and Anna have done a fabulous job of creating a group that supports a wide range of reading styles.

Beige, yes! I like setting up goals. Finishing goals is great, but I haven't ever felt terribly compelled to finish something if something better happens. (See: the trim in my bathroom I still have to finish painting...)

Cool, Kaa! We will simply put together a "puppy fund" for you and anyone else who needs a "stop reading" reminder! ;-)

V.W. wrote: "Challenges are not for me. I'm always reading and being pushed to read something doesn't encourage me to read more. My biggest problem is always to find more to read. I'm a picky reader with very s..."

I agree... unless the challenges are about things like 'read the book that's been on your to-read list the longest.'

Or if they're not very structured, but on a theme I've been wanting to explore more. I liked the idea of the diversity theme we did here, but it never worked for me to actually participate in because there was a confusing (to me) structure and set of rules.

I always like reading other people's suggestions for books that will meet challenge or group read requirements, and fomo isn't much of a problem anymore because I've been forced to come to grips with the idea that I will never be able to get through my lists and so-be-it.

Ok it is getting a little touchy feely around here, we all know the draconian overlord mods are all tapping into our nest cams and sending us airborne shocks when we doze off or eat dinner or silly things like that.

We just need to rise up and say no to knights prancing around waving swords, sparkly vampires and whatever that talking plant thing was!

mwahaha! Draconian is right! I've molted into my summer scales, time to find some ancient ruins to nap on!

Allison wrote: "mwahaha! Draconian is right! I've molted into my summer scales, time to find some ancient ruins to nap on!"

And naturally, the first thought of a fearsome Draconian Overlord is to go take a nap...

<3

shades of Smaug!

wonder why there weren't any dragons in the LotR trilogy, jut in the Hobbit.

Allison wrote: "mwahaha! Draconian is right! I've molted into my summer scales, time to find some ancient ruins to nap on!"

I'm a book dragon and I spend the summer over my book hoard :-)