7 November 2012

Challenges: So Near, Yet so Far: Stocktaking

With a little under 2 months to go I'm looking seriously at what I need to do to complete the challenges I set myself at the beginning of the year.
My list is here.

I take on reading challenges in order really to keep tabs on what I read and to try to achieve some sort of balance. In reality other factors such as book group agendas and fiend's recommendations determine most of what I read.

I am finding that if I buy a book it is mostly for the Kindle. On the other hand paper format review copies keep coming through the post and I'm not doing such a good job of keeping up with them, particularly with the unsolicited ones.

I have completed some.
  • my target for the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge for this year: 12 titles. But I will add another couple by the end of the year.
  • The Aussie Author Challenge - I set myself a target of 12 but I have read 16 and have another couple in my sights.
  • Canadian Book Challenge 2011-2012, but the new one 2012-2013 began in July.
  • Historical Fiction Challenge - read the original 10 but set myself a new target of 20
  • Not crime fiction - I've read one. The challenge was to see whether I would read any. I should read more outside my genre.
  • British Books Challenge - a target of 12 and I'm now at 55, so no problems here.
  • Translated - set myself a target to exceed last year's count of 20 and have read 23
Struggling to complete
  • The Nordic Challenge - set myself a target of 20 and have read 17.
  • Global Reading Challenge - I've read 17 of 21, but need another North American, and 3 South American. I'll be embarrassed if I don't finish this one as I host it.
  • Vintage Mystery challenge - needs books published before 1960. I've read 10 out of 16. I have one Cherchez Le Homme to go and 5 Golden Age Girls. Somehow doubt I am going to get this one done.
  • American authors - a personal target of 20. have read 12. Don't actually see myself getting there.
  • New Zealand - a personal target of 4. Have read 1 despite best intentions.
  • New to me - not really a challenge. Am doing well with 43 but last year I read 60.
  • e-book challenge - last year I read 75. Currently sitting on 51 but this will go up when we go travelling in December.
  • The big one - 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge: aiming at 166, last year 160. Currently 123. Pretty sure I won't read 43 books for the rest of the year.
So, confession time over, and on with the reading!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kerrie - I am extremely impressed with the progress you've made this year. You leave me in awe. Really.

Prashant C. Trikannad said...

Ditto what Ms Kinberg said. Do you ever feel tied down with reading challenges or do they help you to read more books, in a sort of disciplined way? I have joined a couple of memes and I have a tough time keeping up with them every week!

Bravo 95 said...

Amazing. You set yourself more books to read in a month than I do in a year!

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