I’m never as far as I want to be in my reading. I try for 4 per month (or 1 per week) and right now I am about 2 weeks behind. I’m on book #13 for 2009. The only challenge I entered is the Jean Plaidy Challenge and I’ve read 3, so that’s not too bad. I don’t normally enter any challenges because I would fail, and also because I have too many books I am obligated to read for reviews… and tons of books I want to read. Reading challenges would really hold me back — except Jean Plaidy because I read her anyway.
I’m trying not to focus on a number. The books I read are usually large paperback or hardcover and between 300-500 pages. People who read a lot of YA fiction or Genre (Romance, Mystery, Sci-Fi) will always beat me with numbers because those books are so quick and easy to read. I try to remember that when I come upon blogs where the person has read 100+ books!
Every year I take about 3-4 weeks to re-read the entire Harry Potter series and it is getting close to that time. I read them last year in May. I’d like to have them read by July when the next movie comes out. I’ll be taking my older girl to see it.
So far I’ve not started any of the series books I wanted to try out this year. There’s just too many books to read and adding more day after day!
Hello, my name is Arleigh... welcome to my book review site! Here you will find author guest posts, book news, reviews and various articles on the genre. My favorite author is Jean Plaidy, of whom I have built a 
Yeah, I suck at challenges too. I pretty much would rather be able to follow my whimsy without guilt… and since I was busy buying myself every Jean Plaidy title I could find for Christmas, I am lucky enough that there IS a Jean Plaidy challenge, because I was already planning on reading at least a few of the forty I accumulated. Otherwise my husband would be quite upset with me.
There was the ReadAThon this weekend and some numbers were a lot, but when you are adding a children’s book to it that kind of skews it. But as far as my own reading quantity goes, I think I am doing pretty good actually. Much better than last year. And it took me awhile to focus after my dad passed, and I know there were two books I tried to read during that time that I barely caught a word in there even though it took me a month.
I haven’t actually thought about how many books I read, but I would think that mostly they are one a week for your average read.. when they are quick little ones like 250 pages I can do those in 2 days if I try hard enough. I read during lunch time and if I don’t get a chance to read during lunch then that changes things a bit also.
So for now, I am doing good, expecially since I am also writing more than 1 paragraph reviews and this includes working full-time and having a 7 yr old and a 2 yr old.
I have…have to check…17 books so far this year, so my goal on 4 per month is still intact. And all thanks to April which has been a very good reading month.
I did finish one challenge so far, the read 3 historical books in 3 months challenge. Never thought it would be so hard cos i seemed to be reading everything else but that
My goal is 2 a month, because of working full time. I’ve read 6 this year so far so I am a little behind.
I entered the Jean Plaidy challenge, I suck at challenges too. There is so much to read and so little time to do it in!
I’m so far behind this year- it’s just so busy with work, family and well..life. So since January I’ve only been able to read almost 11 books (by the end of this month)- and that’s because I usually read 3 or more at a time. I’ve been quite annoyed with this stop and go reading and wish I’d have longer stretches to finally get through it all. I have an easier time as well with the Plaidys; these books keep me glued and interested so it’s easier for me to read most of them. There’s no way I could join another challenge beside the Plaidy one. I guess we’re all pretty much on the same page. I’d definitely like to get back on my regular 4 -5 books pr month though.
I am probably a bit behind, but then again I didn’t really set any specific goals this year. In my head I probably aim for between 150 and 200 or so books. I think I am just about to read my 50th book
As to how challenges impact my reading, I tend to try and choose books that I was already going to read anyway and fit the challenges around them, rather than the other way around, and that mostly works for me. I don’t finish all the challenges, but I do get most of them done.
I’ve read 14 book so far. This is actually the first time I’m counting them and writing them down. It’s sad because I don’t have so much time as a kid and would be interesting to know how much less I’m reading. Never been in challenges, maybe I should do next year?
Elina, I don’t usually count, either, but Shelfari makes it easy to keep track. I am on 53, but several are annual rereads (Emma, The End of the Affair, and a handful of other favorites)that I pull out every January. If I don’t count those, the YAs, or the romances, I am at 13.
Since this is my first year, I did join several challeneges. Now I am slightly regretting that decision. I joined some for the right reasons, but now I am starting to receive books for reviews, and am getting side tracked. The Plaidy challeneg is a no brainer, as was the Victorian challenge.
The TBR I missed in April and the romance one I haven’t startd yet. I still have time.
I’m like you, I read about a book a week. Next year I’ll be more selective.
P.S. I thought I already followed you, but I wasn’t there so I rejoined. Maybe knocked off from the re-design? Love it!
I have been setting up my first blog. Writing reviews about my books on the blog just makes me want to read more and more books. This year I feel really inspired about my reading. Strange, I’ve been reading all my life. For some reason, this year of reading seems particularly great.
If you would like, all of you may come visit my blog. Please leave a comment.
So far my number of books read has reached 38.
I participated in a couple of reading challenges last year, which I enjoyed, as I came across books that would not normally appear on my lists.
As it is I run a small book group, and we have our set reading schedule for the year.
Always on the lookout for more titles to read,especially as a lot of books released in England and the USA do not make it to Australia.
That’s when I start searching on the Bookmooch site.
Hard to pin point a number for each week, as it will vary depending on what other things I am doing at the time (family history research; Artist Trading Cards etc.)