Way back in the day when I was an active participant in BookCrossing, I joined in on their community reading challenge a couple of years in a row. Personal reading goals were up to each individual, and both years I decided to set mine at 60 books (five per month). Partly because I’d set a target, and partly because I was part of a challenge group, I managed to succeed both years.
When I stopped joining the challenges, my books read count decreased dramatically, ranging from around 20 to 40 books per year (apart from the perfect storm of a year when I first bought my Kindle AND commuted by bus an hour or so each way to work and ended up finishing an epic-for-me 66 books!). It’s not because I don’t love reading (far from it!), but because I also love a lot of other things – so when I don’t have a specific goal in mind it’s far too easy for me to get distracted by shiny objects and spend less time with my books.
(In case you’re wondering, I keep track of how many books I’ve read on Goodreads by setting up a virtual shelf for each year’s books completed.)
Anyway… long story short, when I found out that my friend Corinne Rodrigues would be taking over the Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge in 2016, my interest was piqued and I decided to give setting a reading goal for the year a shot once again.
I’m not totally sure how many books I’m actually going to finish this year (I’m currently at 35 with another month to go), but since my modest goal for 2016 is to read 50 books I’ll predict that I’m going to jump in at the “Breaking a Sweat” level (i.e., read 11–15 more books). Here’s my (so far empty) challenge shelf on Goodreads, if you’d like to follow along with my progress.
So, who else is up for setting a personal reading challenge in 2016? I’d love it if you’d join us!
Will you be setting a reading goal for 2016?
Please share!
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Twitter: vinithadileep
November 30, 2015
50 is a big number for me. In an year I , usually read around 5 to 7 books. If I don’t watch out, I will get sucked in the reading mode and will forget the real life characters waiting upon me. So I control all that I do for my pleasure. 🙂 All the best Laurel! 🙂
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Twitter: alphabetsalad
December 6, 2015
Thanks, Vinitha!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Today’s Gratitude List + December 2015 Gratitude Linkup
I won’t join the challenge but I know my speed is picking up because my library is setting 14 days on many books and has increased their fines! Like I asked Corrine, would love to have some recommendations!
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Twitter: alphabetsalad
December 6, 2015
Increased fines are a great motivation! I’m sure I will have some good recommendations throughout the coming year – stay tuned!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Today’s Gratitude List + December 2015 Gratitude Linkup
Twitter: RamblinGarden
November 30, 2015
Seems like, nowadays, I don’t finish books I start all that much. It takes a really special book – like Best Boy, by Eli Gottlieb, the last book I finished – for me to stick with it. Don’t know if I am developing late in life attention span problems, or if I read too many magazines or – horrors – devote part of my reading time to blogs?
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Twitter: alphabetsalad
December 6, 2015
I find I go through phases where I read a lot and then others where it seems as though I don’t read at all.
Laurel Regan recently posted… Today’s Gratitude List + December 2015 Gratitude Linkup
Twitter: travelcraftjrnl
November 30, 2015
That’s so many books!! Fabulous though. All the best on next year’s challenge!
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Twitter: alphabetsalad
December 6, 2015
Thank you!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Today’s Gratitude List + December 2015 Gratitude Linkup
Twitter: CorinneBlogs
November 30, 2015
Wonderful, Laurel. Will be cheering from the sidelines! 🙂
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Twitter: alphabetsalad
December 6, 2015
Thank you!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Today’s Gratitude List + December 2015 Gratitude Linkup
Twitter: Mrs.
November 30, 2015
That’s awesome! I love the idea of a reading goal. I am TERRIBLE at Goodreads, but I have a Google Keep app on my phone where I keep track of the books I read over the summer and then school year books. My grandmother was a middle school English teacher, and she had a listing of all the books she read in the past 30 years up until her Parkinson’s kept her from reading at all (which was a great tragedy). I typed it all up and it was interesting–you can tell a lot about a person by what they read when. I could tell when she got her first computer, and when my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer. Anyway, I love my kept list. I teach a reading class and read all my student’s YA books (I’m self-contained so it’s 9-11 kids per year, 6 books + per kid), and it’s been fun to see the balance of YA and adult literature on my list. I’ll have to consider the official challenge! 🙂
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Twitter: alphabetsalad
December 6, 2015
That is so wonderful to have your grandmother’s list – what a personal insight into her life! Looking back on a list of books read is such an interesting exercise.
Laurel Regan recently posted… Today’s Gratitude List + December 2015 Gratitude Linkup
Twitter: parul2411
November 30, 2015
Wonderful to know Laurel!
I read but then I find it hard to set goals for reading cos then there is writing. work, managing home and a bit of travel. Also, I read a lot of stuff on the phone. Not just books. Having said that, I have never tracked books and this sounds interesting. 🙂 Good luck!!
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Twitter: alphabetsalad
December 6, 2015
Tracking books is actually fun – and a great resource/memory!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Today’s Gratitude List + December 2015 Gratitude Linkup
Twitter: ajaybpai123
November 30, 2015
My goodness, 5 books a month is really daring. All the best to you, Laurel.
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Twitter: alphabetsalad
December 6, 2015
Thank you!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Today’s Gratitude List + December 2015 Gratitude Linkup
Twitter: mahathi_ramya
December 1, 2015
50 books per year seems like an achievable goal. I love setting reading challenges Laurel, but with 2 kids and work, my schedule is very much unpredictable. I love to read 60 books per year, didn’t join the challenge by Corinne yet. Will do that this month.
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Twitter: alphabetsalad
December 6, 2015
I can imagine that you must be VERY busy!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Today’s Gratitude List + December 2015 Gratitude Linkup
Twitter: Anagnihotri
December 1, 2015
I like reading but I get time to read only at bedtime when I read a chapter or 2 every night. Thus it takes me a month to complete one book. Reading 60 books seems to be a far fetched dream for me at this point of time. I wish you all the best for the challenge you have accepted.
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Twitter: alphabetsalad
December 6, 2015
Thank you!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Today’s Gratitude List + December 2015 Gratitude Linkup
I won’t be setting any reading goals for 2016 except maybe to try a few new authors…
The number game always seems daunting to me and I know I will lose count! 😀
Best of luck for your reading challenge and I hope you reach your goals 🙂
Twitter: alphabetsalad
December 6, 2015
Thank you!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Today’s Gratitude List + December 2015 Gratitude Linkup
When I hear about these things, I always want to join along. But I sometimes like reading slowly; letting a book unfold at a slow pace. I usually read two or three books at once, grabbing the one that feels right in the moment.
Twitter: alphabetsalad
December 6, 2015
I usually have a few on the go as well, for much the same reason.
Laurel Regan recently posted… Today’s Gratitude List + December 2015 Gratitude Linkup
Twitter: vidyasury
December 2, 2015
I’d say you’re doing pretty well! Good luck with your challenge, Laurel!
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Twitter: alphabetsalad
December 6, 2015
Thank you!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Today’s Gratitude List + December 2015 Gratitude Linkup
Twitter: chandnimoudgil
January 8, 2016
Hi Lauren,
I have taken up the Outdo yourself reading challenge myself. But I plan to perhaps aim for 30 books this year.
That’s a massive improvement to 5 odd quite forgettable ones that i read last year,
I am curious about #MicroblogMondays , it sounds like an interesting concept. Hopping across to learn more about it.
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Twitter: alphabetsalad
January 9, 2016
That sounds like a great goal – best of luck and happy reading!
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