Reading challenges

2009

1001 books you must read before you die.
I'd like to read at least forty books from this list. Getting them won't be difficult, as I probably have almost that on my TBR shelf, plus others coming to me via bookrings and rays. My 1001 books page is here.

01/03/09 Update - I'm now up to 25 so am revising my target to 100 by the end of the year. I'm not sure if that's achievable but it's something to aim at.

01/07/09 Update - Now on 67 so 100 is looking achievable if I carry on at this rate. I certainly have enough 1001 books on my TBR pile to meet the target.

01/10/09 Update - Up to 85 now so only fifteen to go to make my target. That's just five per month and as there's a fair bit of overlap with the remaining Big Read books, it looks as if I'm going to make it.

The Big Read.
I'd like to complete the first fifty from this list. Some will be crossovers with the 1001 books which will make it easier. I'm over halfway there with only twenty-one to go. I have most of them on my TBR shelf but there are a few more I need to track down. My Big Read page is here.

01/03/09 Update - So far this year I've only read three from the Big Read list, none of which were in the top fifty. Not doing so well with this challenge then.

01/07/09 Update - Six more books from the Big Read list read since the end of March.  Unfortunately only two were from the top fifty so not that much progress on the challenge.  I need to read 18 to finish the top fifty. All but four of those are on my TBR pile and I can use the library for those. 18 books - I can do this.

01/10/09 Update - Looking a bit more promising. I read another seven books from The Big Read last quarter, six of which were from the top fifty. That leaves twelve to go - just four per month.  

Bookrings and Rays.
I'm currently signed up for 16 different rays, rings and spirals. I'd like to keep that figure between 10 and 20 through the year, as I'm really enjoying participating in them.
I'm also challenging myself to have a maximum turnaround of three weeks for each book received, although if loads arrive at once, that might prove difficult. Details of my rings and rays are here.

01/03/09 Update - I'm now signed up for 39 1001 book rings/rays plus a couple of others. So far I'm keeping on top of them nicely, even when several turn up at once. I think maybe I should refrain from joining any more until I've got that number down a bit though.

01/07/09 Update - I managed to curb my enthusiasm for joining bookrings - eventually - and have got the number down nicely now. I'm currently waiting for 24 books and have read my way through 42. Most were 1001 list books and some were ones that I'd have found difficult to get hold of otherwise so were well worth joining the ring for.
I have managed to keep mostly to that three week turnaround I was aiming for although a couple did go to four weeks.

01/10/09 Update - I'm now waiting for just 18 bookrings with one in my possession which I'm just about to start reading. I've joined three of those recently but have been extremely restrained apart from those. I've read 50 rings and with the exception of a couple have enjoyed them immensely. I've kept to a fast turnaround on them and am happy that I've kept to my challenge.