Goodread Reading Challenge

Goodreads Reading Challenge First Review of 2015

April 11, 2015 by Vicky 2 Comments

As we’re now well into April I thought it was time for the Goodreads Reading Challenge First Review of 2015.

Well I started off with such good intentions for this challenge and managed to read 7 books in January and February and then I seriously failed! This is due to my university studies taking up a lot of my free time and also generally putting me off reading more than I do already, but all the same I am missing reading books that I find interesting and choose!

I originally set myself the challenge of ready 45 books this year, this was the same amount that I challenged myself to read last year when I wasn’t studying and I couldn’t achieve it and so I decided to reduce my target to just 25 books this year which I believe will be more achievable as there will be a break between semesters and also I finish most of my undergraduate study at the end of November when I can sit down with a good book or 15! I will also have time to read on the 36ish hour flight to the UK for Christmas so that’s a good few books!

I am disappointed, although realistic, about having to amend my target and know that in about a years time I will be qualified and I can read all of the books I like which is good as my wish list is pretty much never ending.

How is everyone else getting along with their reading challenge? Have you read any great books I can add to my wish list!

The End of Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014

January 3, 2015 by Vicky 2 Comments

The Goodreads Reading Challenge for 2014 has finished. In January I decided to challenge myself to read 45 books this year as discussed in this post. This was based upon the fact that I read 36 books in 2013 and it seemed possible I could read as many as 45 this year.

According to the Goodreads website these are the statistics for the whole of the 2014 challenge and everyone who took part. It’s pretty cool that 19,000 books have been read as part of the challenge:

My stats for 2014 are as follows:

By Books

By Pages

By Publication Year

As you can see I managed to read a total of 38 books this year and although this is not my target for the year, I don’t mind too much as I feel like I have had a really good year reading wise. My favourite 5 books read this year are:

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Up from the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

That was a tough list to narrow down to 5 as I have read lots of good books. One thing for sure is that I have a lot of books I want to read and that I have on my Kindle App to still read. I think I will set myself the same challenge of 45 books for 2015 and hopefully I will reach it or at least exceed my total books read in 2014.

If you participated in the Challenge this year what was your target and how many books did you read during the year? What was your favourite book from the year as well?

Goodreads Reading Challenge

November 10, 2014 by Vicky 4 Comments

I’ve discussed before on the blog how much I love to read and that I am participating in the Goodreads Reading Challenge for 2014.

I originally set myself the target of reading 40 books in 2014 but decided that wasn’t challenging enough for me (like a fool!) and so I increased my target to 45 in 2014. Doesn’t seem to hard does it!?!

I just checked and I have currently read 29 of the 45 books. The website kindly informs me I am only 9 books behind schedule, which bearing in mind I have 16 left to read for the year, seems kind of daunting.

It’s also a bit of a challenge to read at all because it seems like “I have to” but then I remember how much I enjoy it and it doesn’t seem quite so bad, especially when you get into a good book and want to know how it will end and also don’t want the story to end.

I am pretty terrible at finishing challenges that I set myself and so I’ve decided to post here as a reminder to myself to keep on going and that I have to finish because I blogged about it!

Summer 2014 Reading Challenge

May 3, 2014 by Vicky 2 Comments

I love a good challenge and also love reading so when I saw that Megan of Semi-Charmed Kind of Life had planned a reading challenge for the summer I couldn’t resist taking a look before deciding to have a go.

My taste in books is quite varied really and I am participating in the Goodreads Reading Challenge for 2014 (I’ve managed to read 12 and a half of the 45 I have challenged myself to so far!) but I had to finish reading my current book (The Husbands Secret by Liane Moriarty which is very good with lots of twists and turns making it a real page turner) first which gave me time to think about what I will read.

General rules:
♦ The challenge will run from May 1, 2014, to August 31, 2014. No books that are started before 12 a.m. on May 1 or finished after 11:59 p.m. on August 31 will count.
♦ Each book must be at least 200 pages long. Audiobooks are fine, as long as the print versions meet the page requirements. Large-print books are also acceptable, as long as the regular-print version exceeds 200 pages in length.
♦ A book can only be used for one category, and each category can only be completed once. If you want to switch the category of a book during a later check-in, that’s fine, just be sure to account for that in your point total.
♦ Rereads can be used for a maximum of three books in the challenge. This rule is meant to encourage you to try new books while still allowing you to revisit books from your childhood or young adulthood that you might get more out of now. Please reread the entire book within the timeframe of the challenge in order to count it; no simply finishing old books or partial rereads (unless the category explicitly states otherwise, of course)!
♦ The highest possible total is 200 points, and the first five people who finish the challenge will win a featured/guest post on Semi-Charmed Kind of Life and be invited to contribute a category for the winter challenge. Good luck!

Here is my initial choice of books for the challenge categories!

5 points: Freebie! Read any book that is at least 200 pages long.
The Hundred Year Old Man who climbed out of the window and disappeared by Jonas Jonasson (400 pages)

10 points: Read a book that was written before you were born.
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (336 pages)

10 points: Finish reading a book you couldn’t finish the first time around. (You must have at least 150 pages left in the book to use it for this category.)
The Monuments Men by Robert M Edsel – I like to try and read the book before watching the film but couldn’t get into the book and really wanted to see the film. Hopefully now I’ve seen the film I can finish the book! (512 pages)

10 points: Read a book from the children’s section of the library or bookstore.
The Mortal Instruments 6: City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare – hopefully a Young Adult Book will count as I have been waiting for this book to be released (it’s out on 28 May so perfect timing). (753 pages)

15 points: Read a book that is on The New York Times’ Best Sellers List when you begin reading it.
I’ve got you under my skin by Mary Higgins Clark – I love a good crime thriller so this seems pretty good for me. (320 pages)

15 points: Read a historical fiction book that does not take place in Europe.
Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown (336 pages)

15 points: Read a book another blogger has already read for the challenge.
To be confirmed!

20 points: Read a book with “son(s),” “daughter(s)” or “child(ren)” in the title.
Thursday’s Children by Nicci French (432 pages)

20 points: Read a book that was/will be adapted to film in 2014.
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn – I have this book on my Kindle ready to read so it’s the perfect excuse to give it a go now! (368 pages)

25 points: Read a book written by a blogger.
Dead Blow by G.m. Barlean (250 pages)

25 points: Read a biography, autobiography or memoir.
Is it just me by Miranda Hart (337 pages)

30 points: Read a pair of books with antonyms in the titles.
A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby (276 pages) and Up Close by Henriette Gyland (356 pages)