Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

Goodbye 2009 and Hello 2010!

So how did we do, folks?

How many books did you finish reading last year? Is it cause for jubilation or hang our head in shame? :)

What are your reading goals for this year? How many books do you think you will be able to complete?

Inquiring minds want to know.

2009 was the first year I actually kept tracked of my reading and I finished 146 books. I'll be the first to say that it was a good reading year for me. Spearheading the challenges had helped me a lot in my reading choices.

My goal for 2010 will be very modest, because due to personal circumstance, my reading time will be dramatically shortened. I'm opting for 100 books for this year.

I find it scary how much I've read this year, together with audiobooks and the books that I dropped half way though it's 250. Scary number. In 2008 I read 114 books. In 2007, about 20.

So I don't have reading goals for this year. My reading is more than fine. It would be more sensible to read less rather than more at this point. What I want to do is start writing reviews for the stuff I read. And if I read only 50 books, it's fine with me, but it'll probably end up being more than that. There's no stopping me now that I started reading again.

I had a good reading year. I read 223 books. I don't count the books I abandon and I did abandon more this year than I ever have before. I guess I've gotten to the point where I am more mad at myself for reading a bad book than I am for not finishing one.

My reading goal this year isn't in total numbers, but in what I read. I need to read the hundreds of books that I have bought over the past two years that have been sitting on my bookshelves, collecting dust. I am challenging myself not to buy the next book in a series I own, unless I am caught up to that book. This will save me lots of money if my will power holds! Thanks to all the fun challenges, I really think I can stick to my goal.

Kasia...I did the same thing a few years ago...I read 50 books and then kept doubling my total. When I started reading for myself again, it got addicting. Sometimes I feel the same way...that it would be more sensible to read less :)

Yz...the challenges help my reading choices, too. They cut down my "down time" between books because I always have the challenge books I selected ready and waiting.

Reading-wise, this is the best year I've had...a wapping 425! I wanted to read a book a day and I did that so 2009 was a good reading year for me.

I've always read a lot but never had any place to keep track. In order to state what I've read in 2007 (168) and 2008 (217), I pulled online records of books I'd sold. I'm actually sure there were more than that but we had a few garage sales where I gave a whole lot away so no way to really tell. I don't count any book that I don't finish in my final tally.

Anyway, I don't have a reading goal for 2010. I do have over 1000 books at home that I would like to start making my way through...if only I can curb the impulse to buy more. I have a real weakness for book sales especially the good ones so I'll have to see how it goes. But I must admit that I have way too many books and I really do need to start reading them instead of collecting more.

I love the challenges as they force me to choose books currently on hand. It is one sure way to widdle down my mountainous stack of reading materials.

I read 200 books in 2009. Like Yz the Whyz this is the first year I have actually officially counted. June and October were my best months with 22 read. August was my worst with only 10 (this was the month I got my laptop ;))...

So my goal for 2010 is to equal or better 2009's total, BUT I want to have read more of my OWN books and not the library's (this is hard when you work in one and you see everything you want to read in your face across the counter everyday....end rant). So I want to have read at least ummmm ***shake and tremble*** 24 of my own (that's a measly 2 a month)

This is the first year I've had a specific shelf to track what I read throughout the year, too. The total count was 332 books.

I read both regular fiction and graphic novels/comic books, so my total counts everything. But don't be fooled--graphic novels can have as many as 100+ pages and just as many words as a novel!

Like a few others this is the first year that I have kept track of the number of books I have read in a year. I made it to 140 books, mostly due to all to of the book challenges.

I don't really have a specific goal in mind for 2010 other than trying to best the amount I read in 2009.

I've kept track for a few years now. I don't count books I read my children, and I only count a novella if it's over 50 pages or I have read a half dozen shorter ones then I count them all as one.

# Books Read
2004 = 56
2005 = 88
2006 = 69
2007 = 35
2008 = 83
2009 = 123

My goal this year was to read 100 books. I wasn't sure I was going to make it, but joining Goodreads saw to that. lol I'll set the same goal for next year. It's achievable for me but I still have to work at it.

I'm new to keeping track of my reading last year too. I've read 212 books. The challenges really helped. I would get so excited when I would complete one. :)

My goal for this year is 200.

My goal in 2009 was to read 100 books and I ended up finishing 91 books. We had a baby in February so I didn't quite reach my goal but I got really close!

My goal for this year is 120 books.

I just finished tallying up my book count for 2009 - including audiobooks, it came to 318 books.

I don't plan on reading more books or less books - I just plan on reading when I have the time and am in the mood. My goal for 2010 is to read more non-fiction; I only read 10 non-fiction books this past year. My other goal is to get back to reading the classics, altho I did almost twice as well on those as the non-fiction.

I read 348 books in 2009. I'm not sure how it happened, heh... I don't have specific goal for 2010.

Wow, I thought I read a lot! You guys put me to shame! ;D
I read 181 books in 2009. I would like to make it to 200 this year. I too would like to squeeze some more non-fiction in this year.

I read 179 books this year. Because of working so much, the number has decreased overall, but it's up from last year. My goals for next year are fairly simple:

Read more books
Read more of the books I already own
Read different and varied genres.

Last year was a great reading year, and I found some great new authors and read some great books, so I can't complain.

I read 266 books in 2009. I was going to read 267, but ended up with food poisoning on the 31st and couldn't bring myself to finish the last 30 pages of the book I was reading. hehehe

My only goal for 2010 is to make sure to read a variety of books. My husband was just teasing me saying that all the books I read have vampires in them. I pointed out that I was about to start to read JANE EYRE, and he said... "Hidden vampires". Silly man! ;)

I didn't count 2009 books, but am going to count this years, just to see.

I can make a guess though - only had internet for 2 yrs on 20 December and have listed 779 ebooks take off say 150 tbr divide by 2 ie 314 + normal books say 40, so estimated total would be 354.

I've actually read less since joining goodreads in August (am No.1 Librarian for my country instead-its like an addiction), but am now surrounded by towers of books tbr. And loving it. My goal for 2010 is to read more physical books I already own.

Flib, your husband is funny. Sorry about you being sick.

Sandra, Goodreads has this way of increasing your tbr pile, both by exposure to many suggestions, and decreasing the actual time spend reading. LOL.

So I've found Danielle, lots of exposure to wonderful new authors and books.

And Flib always get a smile with your change of avatar - very expressive.

FlibBityFLooB wrote: "... My husband was just teasing me saying that all the books I read have vampires in them. I pointed out that I was about to start to read JANE EYRE, and he said... "Hidden vampires". Silly man! "

Hidden vampires!! I love that. **chuckles**

2008 was for me like that, I read like only urban fantasy, and mostly about vampires. This year I've started branching out a bit, challenges helped a lot in that aspect. At first reading classics, non-fiction, sci-fi and mysteries felt a little forced, but after a while I stopped noticing....

Sandra wrote: "And Flib always get a smile with your change of avatar - very expressive."

I second that, your avatars are cute Flib. The current one makes me wanna exercise. STAT.

I read lots more this year than I think I have most any other year and that is, in very large part, due to this most fantastic group of readers right here. The challenges make me think quite clearly about what I read and how I choose to read. Those categories sure had me picking up a lot of titles I ordinarily wouldn't so YAY to that. Above all it has been FUN. I wasn't always rigorous about adding books to my shelves *frowns* that might be my first reading goal this year - record what I read. My historical romance reading has increased tenfold. A genre I used to roll my eyes over has now become a favourite. When I've got time I aim for one book a day although depending on how busy work gets it might be half that eep.

Hehehe. Thanks for the avatar love, ladies. I am trying to be an exercise queen this month, so little stick-man had to get with it ;)

As for variety in reading, I think I will read a nice variety this year -- or at least that's my plan :)

My final read count for 2009 was 76, but for me that's very good. It was 20 more that in 2008, and a lot of it probably had to do with participating in the challenges. I have lots of goals for the coming year, but if I read as many or more books than I did last year, I'll be happy.:-)

My count for 2009 was 90 which was a far cry from my 2008 total of 150. This year do to my new freedom and resolution to be a new me, I'm going to go with a very modest goal of 50 to 60 books.

I didn't really keep a very accurate record of how many books I read in 2009 but I do know for sure that it's at least 90 because I joined a 999 challenge and finished that which was I total of 81 books and I know there have been a few more after that. This year I plan to record everything I read that way I'll know for sure how many i've read!

I didn't really keep track of books read in 2009 until I started participating in the challenges mid-way through the year. According to GR, I read 172 books in 2009 although I'm not sure if that's correct. Still, 172 books read in a year isn't anything to sneeze at, and I'm sure if it wasn't for this group it would be considerably less :)

No specific goals in 2010, maybe keep track of my books, read and/or otherwise, complete as many challenges as I can and try to keep up with the group better!!

Mel W wrote: "...No specific goals in 2010, maybe... try to keep up with the group better!!"

I need to do that as well, Mel - I tend to get myself so lost in a good book that the rest of the world sort of fades away. When I was young, family members learned that the only way to get my attention when I was reading was to take the book out of my hand - or throw something at me! I later learned to allow certain sounds to filter thru - like any sound my kids made!

I've made progress on my goals - have read 2 non-fiction books already this month, and have another near the top of my reading stack. Only one classic so far, tho.

BJ, once I start reading I'm oblivious to all around me and have been like that since I was first able to read :)