Reading Challenges
I wasn’t going to do any reading challenges this year because of how abysmal my reading was last year. I decided I miss participating in a couple of challenges, though, and succeeding in my goals for the challenges isn’t the point, participating and having fun is.
Play Book Tag
I’m a member of one group on Goodreads, the Play Book Tag group. I first found them in 2008 on Shelfari but after Amazon killed Shelfari in 2018, the group moved to Goodreads. (Oh how I miss Shelfari! )
Anyway, each month we vote on a “tag” (a theme) and share, discuss, and review books that fit the tag. I know I probably won’t read a book for all 12 tags this year so I’ve decided to try to read a book for at least 50% of the tags.
Unofficial Trim Challenge
The PBT group also hosts a few yearly challenges in addition to the monthly tags. I don’t participate in most of them because I read a lot less than most of the other members. There is one challenge I really like. It’s called the Unofficial Trim Challenge and its purpose is to “trim” our TBR.
Each of us creates a list of 24 books from our TBR. Every month, someone randomly picks a number between 1 and 24 that hasn’t already been picked. We then read the book listed for that number on our list. Because there are 24 numbers, this challenge will last for two years.
I created my list on my 2024 Reads page. I focused on the books I’ve gotten from Book of the Month to help me with one of my other goals. I hope to read each book for the corresponding number each month.
What about you? Are there any challenges your participating in this year?
I like the community aspects of this challenge. It sounds like fun.
Me too! 😀 The PBT group and community is an awesome one.
The trim challenges sounds like a nice low key way to get through some of those TBR books. I like the puzzle of fitting books into reading challenges and my two main ones have really good communities around them too.
Yes, that’s exactly why I love the trim challenge. 😀
That’s awesome that you have awesome communities with your challenges. That always makes them more fun. I think the puzzle fitting of challenges are fun as well. I hope you enjoy them this year.
That sounds like a doable and fun challenge, not like committing to read 100 books in a month or something, which is what some of those challenges sound like to me. 🙂
Exactly! 😀 I don’t sign up for most challenges because of the asinine amount of books you have to read, lol. I mean I love to read and hope to read a lot, but I can’t commit to 100 books or more a year.
I decided not to do any book challenges this year. I put too much pressure on myself to finish them, which isn’t fun. Hopefully, after a break this year, I will do them again next year (less of them, LOL!) Have fun with these!
I completely understand. I often put a lot of pressure on me to finish as well. This year, I’m trying to be more present in the journey rather than the destination, lol. 😀
I love reading challenges and typically go all in and then fizzle out. I seem to do better with reading challenges that are only for a short period of time. Currently I’ve signed up for the Japanese Literature reading challenge which is January & February but still haven’t picked up a book for this one yet. Anyway, most importantly, have fun with your reading challenge!
Lol. I’m usually the same with most challenges. I hope I do better with these two this year. 😀 That’s awesome that you’re part of the Japanese literature challenge. Even though you haven’t read anything for it yet, I hope you enjoy it.
i’m not doing any challenges myself this year, but these sound fun! And you’re right, it’s all about participating and having fun!
I totally understand. I didn’t do any challenges last year and almost didn’t do them this year. Hopefully, I’ll have a fun and get a lot of good books read. 😀
I love the idea of the trim challenge! Also sounds like maybe you are like me in that you don’t always get those Book of the Month books read right away! I think I’ve only read like 3 or 4 out of the several years I’ve subscribed, lol. Good luck with your challenges! Here are my challenges for the year:
https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/2024/01/02/2024-challenge-sign-up-post/
Ha ha. Yeah, I made a goal when I first joined BotM that I would read the book the year I got them. I totally haven’t been keeping up with that. Hopefully, Trim will help. LOL. 😀
The Play Book Tag sounds fun! I like the idea of the Unofficial Trim Challenge. I’ve taken part in various TBR challenges in the past to try and make a dent in my TBR shelves–some years have been more successful than others. I am not doing any challenges this year. I kind of went crazy with them last year and, even though I completed them, it was by pure luck. I do love reading challenges though and it’s been hard not to sign up for any. I always want to join them all this time of year.
PBT is a lot of fun. I totally understand that some years are more successful than others with challenges. I feel like that’s just life in general, lol. And, I used to always want to join the challenges, but I’ve learned that I actually hate them all except these two. LOL.
Great idea to join a community that is supportive and fun. Often I’ve noticed when I participate in group blogging things that others don’t return comments (or maybe even visits to the blog) making me think they really aren’t in it for the community but for the clicks. Sigh!
Happy New Year and good luck on your bookish goals. My 2024 Bookish Goals
-Anne
Agreed. I was actually talking to my husband about it recently how I have to spend hours commenting on other blogs just to get comments on mine. I don’t mind reading or commenting on others because I enjoy the camaraderie. I just feel like sometimes I put more effort into Top Ten Tuesday than I get out of it if that makes sense. I might just concentrate on my actual blogging buddies, like you, instead of all the other ones that don’t seem to care about anyone else.
Thanks for the well wishes! 😀
The trim challenge sounds fun! I like the idea of picking the random numbers. That adds another element of entertainment to the process 🙂
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
It really is. I love the picking numbers aspect of it. You never know what’s going to come next. 😀