Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion

Yay! Happy reading🎉🥳

Glad to finally be reading! Just finished my first book for today, Starting a second. These two are a little on the short side and listening at 2x speed, I'm cruising through. Tomorrow, I will have to go to town, so less reading time earlier in the day.

Awesome job Amy!

Amy the book-bat wrote: "Glad to finally be reading! Just finished my first book for today, Starting a second. These two are a little on the short side and listening at 2x speed, I'm cruising through. Tomorrow, I will have..."

Yay our first completed books! Definitely what I wanted to wake up to this morning.

I've started The Travelling Cat Chronicles and will probably pick up something else to fill the time so I stick to the DQ schedule.

hi! I previously added a book to "currently reading" which i never started so i removed it. If i start the same book now, will it count towards TT?

Almost half way through The Travelling Cat Chronicles and really liking it so far. I guessed something early on so bracing myself for impact. I might be wrong though.

Working from home the whole week (covid outbreak at the office) and on vacation next week so will have a bit more reading time.

Steven wrote: "Off I go abroad
Can’t start books til tomorrow
Poorly timed long flight


How’s that? :)"

Lol. That's awesome Steven!

Happy Reading Team! I'm finishing up a book I started pre-challenge but should be starting on my 1st challenge book tonight.

Mia wrote: "hi! I previously added a book to "currently reading" which i never started so i removed it. If i start the same book now, will it count towards TT?"

Yes, we should be able to count that.

Amy the book-bat wrote: "Glad to finally be reading! Just finished my first book for today, Starting a second. These two are a little on the short side and listening at 2x speed, I'm cruising through. Tomorrow, I will have..."

2x speed! Over about 1.5 and I can't copy with how it sounds, just too fast.

Mia wrote: "hi! I previously added a book to "currently reading" which i never started so i removed it. If i start the same book now, will it count towards TT?"

Good to know. I do this all the time. Add the book in planning to start, decide I'm just not feeling it, remove book and try again later.

Sophie wrote: "Amy the book-bat wrote: "Glad to finally be reading! Just finished my first book for today, Starting a second. These two are a little on the short side and listening at 2x speed, I'm cruising throu..."

For me, I find anything slower is usually just too slow for me and I end up reading ahead of the audio, which kind of defeats the purpose. Anything faster and I can't keep up. 2x just feels right for me (unless there is music, then that sounds weird)

I can't listen slower than 1.2. I've got a narrow wondow of acceptable speeds.

Am I odd for generally listening to audiobooks at their actual speed? It does take me forever to get through them but I just don't take it in or enjoy them as much if I speed them up.

I feel like the narrators are talking exaggeratedly slow at normal pace and I zone out. Would be interested to find out how fast we all talk in real life and if there's a geographic difference in listening speeds.

Sophie wrote: "I feel like the narrators are talking exaggeratedly slow at normal pace and I zone out. Would be interested to find out how fast we all talk in real life and if there's a geographic difference in l..."

Same here. I normally listen at 1.8x or 2x depending on the accents. anything slower and I zone out. And if I am reading alongside the audio I need at least the 1.8x speed so that I don't leave the audio behind.

You all are lucky. I struggle to pay attention to audio books at all. Like I’ll hear “chapter one” and then time will pass and I’ll hear “chapter seven” and wonder how I miss every word!

Steven wrote: "You all are lucky. I struggle to pay attention to audio books at all. Like I’ll hear “chapter one” and then time will pass and I’ll hear “chapter seven” and wonder how I miss every word!"

I have had that happen with certain kinds of books if I am not following along in a physical or e-book. Fantasy is the hardest for me to follow if I am not reading along. I don't know how I would get any reading done if I wasn't able to listen to audiobooks though.

The only time I can pay attention is oddly enough while driving.

I really couldn’t focus on audiobook myself previously. But I figured out you kinda have to start at a low reading level at first. And I also have to do something else at the same time, like the dishes, going for a walk, cleaning, drawing etc. keep them hands busy!

Oh see, I don’t even pay attention to them when walking or working, though the times I’ve tried listening while working, I’ve ended up typing the audiobook words instead of what I meant to type. I guess subconsciously I’m listening lol

Finished my first book!

A quick question regarding page #s, do we enter the default page number or the pages for the specific edition we read (i.e., I read the Kindle version so should I use the pages associated with that edition?)

The edition you read, unless you read Audio and then use the default physical edition’s page count.

Can someone explain the over reading penalty rules? 🙈

Steven wrote: "The edition you read, unless you read Audio and then use the default physical edition’s page count."

Perfect - thank you, Steven!

Mia wrote: "Can someone explain the over reading penalty rules? 🙈"

Quick answer... don't worry about them. Read want you want and the captains will remove the books that get us the least points at the end of the challenge.

Longer explanation when children finally asleep.

Sophie wrote: "I feel like the narrators are talking exaggeratedly slow at normal pace and I zone out. Would be interested to find out how fast we all talk in real life and if there's a geographic difference in l..."

I also feel like they are exaggeratedly slow. I think I ten to talk a little on the fast side, so maybe there is something to that idea.

Mia wrote: "I really couldn’t focus on audiobook myself previously. But I figured out you kinda have to start at a low reading level at first. And I also have to do something else at the same time, like the di..."

It used to be that I couldn't listen to audiobooks, but now most of my reading is audio. Of course, as I get older and my eyes get worse, reading physically is getting slower for me.

Amy the book-bat wrote: "Sophie wrote: "I feel like the narrators are talking exaggeratedly slow at normal pace and I zone out. Would be interested to find out how fast we all talk in real life and if there's a geographic ..."

In my experience the male narrators tend to talk slower.. So i always go for 1.25/1.5 with them. But a a lot of the female ones talk so fat aready there's no need to speed up :P

Mia wrote: "In my experience the male narrators tend to talk slower.. So i always go for 1.25/1.5 with them. But a a lot of the female ones talk so fast already there's no need to speed up"

Somewhere in there is an interesting study corelating linguistics with gender studies.

Finished an unexpected book today! We went to Waterstones at Piccadilly Circus yesterday. Six floors of books, it was like heaven. A random patron suggested it to me so I bought it and read it this morning on the way to Stonehenge on the coach.

It’s a little short so we can replace it if need be. I’ll add my books when I get back to a computer.

Steven wrote: "The only time I can pay attention is oddly enough while driving."

This is me too!! My best time for this is driving. Somehow I can just focus while also focusing on driving.
I have to be doing something else too. I used to listen to them at work when I worked the queues when I had a desk job and get through so many. Back then I got them on cd so there was no option to speed them up and it never bothered me. Now tho since I’ve discovered the speeding up option, I feel the regular voice is exaggeratedly slow too and can’t listen on regular speed. I do anywhere from 1.25–2 depending on the voice and accent. Sometimes if I’m struggling to finish one and not loving it I’ll speed it up more to make it through lol.

Now I work in the warehouse and don’t get the opportunity during work. I also can listen if I’m cleaning around the house. I just have to also be doing something else.

I do have an easier time with certain types of books on audio though for sure.

@Steven I'm so jealous. Have been down to London a few times but have never made it into the Waterstones at Piccadilly. I suspect this is probably for the best in terms of my bank balance. They quite often have special editions you can't get anywhere else.

I also started an unplanned book this morning. Completely forgot I'd signed up to read The People on Platform 5 on Pigeonhole. This will be the first time I've used Pigeonhole but it seems like fun, kind of like an ARC bookclub with the publisher releasing a bit of the book each day for you to read and discuss.

Steven, keep telling us all about the places you go to please, especially the book related ones! I'm taking notes!

Happy reading team! I am here and I know the challenge started two days ago. I am trying to finish a book but life has been crazy. My daughter turns 7 today and we had a party over the weekend. I got a new boss at work so things are busy. Hopefully I can finish my book today and put myself on the sheet.

Elli, please add Spaceman of Bohemia to your TT shelf.

I'd like to highly recommend the first two books I've read for this challenge:



Both were 5 star reads for me!! Here's hoping the next books are just as good :)

Steven wrote: "Finished an unexpected book today! We went to Waterstones at Piccadilly Circus yesterday. Six floors of books, it was like heaven. A random patron suggested it to me so I bought it and read it this..."

A good waterstones is a place of wonder. Some of them have coffee shops in as well which I thought was really unusual until I spent time in the US and Canada where apparently it's more of a thing.

Keri wrote: "Steven wrote: "The only time I can pay attention is oddly enough while driving."

This is me too!! My best time for this is driving. Somehow I can just focus while also focusing on driving.
I have ..."

Cleaning or driving is my listening time too. Or I listen while playing games on my phone. Somehow just listening doesn’t hold my attention.

Alison wrote: "I also started an unplanned book this morning. Completely forgot I'd signed up to read The People on Platform 5 on Pigeonhole. This will be the first time I've used Pigeonhole but it seems like fun..."

That seems like a fun way to do an arc if you are good at sticking to a reading schedule. Says the woman already behind on questions for travelling cat BOM.

Megan L wrote: "Happy reading team! I am here and I know the challenge started two days ago. I am trying to finish a book but life has been crazy. My daughter turns 7 today and we had a party over the weekend. I g..."

Happy birthday to your daughter! Hope she had a fantastic party.

Fingers crossed the new boss is easy to work for.

Navi wrote: "I'd like to highly recommend the first two books I've read for this challenge:



Both were 5 star reads for..."

Excellent! The best way to start the challenge. Who would you recommend them to - trying to be discerning on my tbr adds or it will become impossible!

Navi wrote: "I'd like to highly recommend the first two books I've read for this challenge:



Both were 5 star reads for..."

I keep hearing good things about Amari. I will have to read it sometime soon.

Megan L wrote: "Happy reading team! I am here and I know the challenge started two days ago. I am trying to finish a book but life has been crazy. My daughter turns 7 today and we had a party over the weekend. I g..."

Yay! Another May baby. I turned 50 on May 10. Kinda feeling old... LOL

Steven wrote: "Finished an unexpected book today! We went to Waterstones at Piccadilly Circus yesterday. Six floors of books, it was like heaven. A random patron suggested it to me so I bought it and read it this..."

I'm jealous. I live in an area with NO book stores at all, so 6 floors would be like heaven for me. One day I hope to make it to the UK. So many places I want to see (and so many books to look at in the shops).

Sophie wrote: "Navi wrote: "Excellent! The best way to start the challenge. Who would you recommend them to - trying to be discerning on my tbr adds or it will become impossible! "

The Mask of Mirrors - recommended for people who like adult fantasy that’s beautifully written set in a decadent and lush high society. I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel!

Amari and the Night Brothers - this was such a heartwarming middle grade fantasy. I fell in love with Amari!

Hopefully I haven’t added two new books to your TBR Sophie hehe 😉

Insiyah wrote: "Elli, please add Spaceman of Bohemia to your TT shelf."

Done :)

Hi everyone! Just a heads up that I'm switching out The Shadow of the Wind for Columbine - they are both tagged tragedy so no changes there. Will update the SS right now!

As promised, I've been super busy this week. 😂 I do think I'll manage to finish a book soon though. I'm over halfway!