Thursday 1 May 2008

April Reads

Now that I have finally read enough books to start keep track of how I am doing with all my challenges, I thought I would give my totals:

April books read: 5
Year to date: 18
Not too shabby (for me anyway), but not where I was hoping to be....I'm averaging close to 5 books a month, but if I am going to complete all my challenges, I am going to have to ask the Creator for more hours in the day!!! (anyone else with me on wanting more hours to read?? Are we sure they won't pay us to read???)

Ok, here goes:
Once Upon A Time 2: 1/7
Orbis Terrarum: 2/9
Back to History Challenge: 2/12
Banned Book Challenge: 2/5
888 Challenge: 18/64
1st in a series: 2/17 (I had problems whittling this list down!! It's supposed to be 12!!)...2/12
Canadian Book Challenge: 6/13
Shakespeare Challenge: 0/3
Mythopoeic Award Challenge: 2/7
Short Story Reading Challenge: 1/8
TBR Challenge: 3/12
Birthday Challenge: 3/12 (can't find Ulysses!)
Man Booker Prize: 1/6

So, not too bad. Not as bad as it could have been, but not where I would like to be, especially with the 888 and Canadian Book Challenge. I have 3 challenges coming up to finish by the end of June: Canadian Book Challenge, Out of Time 2, and Banned Books, so I will be concentrating on those books.

I am really enjoying the challenges. I picked,as this was my first time doing these, books I was planning to read or really wanted to read this year. So I am getting through major piles of TBR books that lay on my shelves for some time now. This is a great feeling - I am reading books I've bought! Not that i didn't before, but I love to pick up books that are interesting, and then get caught up in reading fantasy and mystery, and forget everything else. So these challenges are a way to see if I can get myself to read more variety, and so far, it is working. So I am delighted. And, as some of you have seen in earlier posts, I have been buying books quietly so that my Inner Bookworm doesn't panic at all the books being read, and is soothed by the growing piles of NEW books to read, in next year's challenges. I've decided that I am challenge-addicted, and I love it!!! Next up, Canadian Book Challenge 2 (John has already said he will being doing it again, so get your Canadian books ready for July 1! And this time I won't be joining 3 months late!!), RIP (#3? I think; -horror and ghost stories for autumn!!! I'm already getting a pile ready for this one), and.....

There is one more challenge I am going to join, see next post (so I can link to it when I need to).....it really is irresistible, and so easy. So, this is to my sister who hasn't joined any yet - come on! I want to see you on this one! I'll even read one of your books on your list!!

And, if you check my sidebar, I've added the logo for the new Canadian Book Challenge. John has just posted it on his blog. It's under today's date. Come on, and enjoy our literature! There's some Margaret Atwood poems I want to read, more Charles de Lint, Guy Gavriel Kay, LR Wright, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Tanya Huff, plus new authors Joan Clark, Karen Irving.....we are not just Margaret Atwood and Mordecai Richler!!

I may not get to 100 books this year, but I am giving it a good try! And finding great books on the way.

Happy May 1st, everyone!

7 comments:

Vickie said...

Happy 1 May to you, too. I am Challenge Addicted as well. I just started a couple of years ago. Only one challenge in the summer, then found more. I do a lot of cross-reading for my challenges and that helps. Good on ya!

Patricia said...

Heh heh heh, haven't you noticed I'm commitment-phobic yet? Committing to ANYTHING is a major event for me, let alone a book challenge. I'll check it out and think about it.

Sorry about the working hours, did you get any kind of resolution on it?

Hope you get those toilet in and working pronto. Nothing like a broken toilet to ruin everything! A bucket with some water just doesn't cut it, does it?

Good luck to Toby on the new job. I'm still in disbelief that after these years no one can offer him an indeterminate position!

Anonymous said...

You are doing really well with your challenges! I think I have signed up to way too many and am thinking about adding the non-fiction 5 challenge as I am not reading any non-fiction at the moment. I have some books on the tarot I want to read anyway. I will hopefully take things a little easier next year. Good luck with your 100 book aim :)

chrisa511 said...

You're doing awesome on your challenges Susan! I wish I were doing as well...I don't know how I'm doing honestly :p I haven't even checked...I think I'm scared to, lol. I'm afraid to admit that I'm challenge addicted too. I really need to cut down though!

Ana S. said...

I'm glad your enjoying your challenges :) They help me diversify my reading as well.

Btw, I wanted to ask you about The Enchanted Castle - I'm reading Daughter of the Forest right now, but I'll be ready to pick it up as soon as I'm done with that one. It's a chunky book, so that'll be sometime next week. Would that be a good time for you? We don't have to read it at the exact same time, but it'd be good if we finished it the same week.

Susan said...

vickie: I'm learning how to cross-read, thankfully! Or I'd never finish a challenge!!

lady p: toilets are delivered, just not installed yet. Not until Monday at least.....I remember now why i put off getting it done in the first place!! See my post to solution for working hours etc...and I think you'd like most of the books on my list!!! How is the flooding in your area? Are you on the St John River? Water's still high here, but no more flooding.

rhinoa: the 100 book aim is one I have every year! I just haven't got close to it yet!! :-p I have a tarot book on my non-fiction 888 list....Mary K Greer's first book, since i want to read all of hers. The 21 Ways to Read a Card book by her looks interesting too. I've been reading tarot cards for years now, but there's always more to learn. What decks do you like? Art Nouveau, Aquarian (this was my very first one), Mythic, Sacred Animal deck (every single child I've had in my house has loved looking at these ones!), Gilded Tarot (I just got this one), Goddess Tarot, Tarot of the Old Path, are decks I use or have used.
I'm in the non-fiction 5, I forgot to add it to the list since it just started yesterday!!!

chris: I thought I was doing horrible on my challenges, so thanks for cheering me up!! Compared to how many books other people have already read this year, my totals are awful...but it's not a competition to see who finishes first, I look at it more as who read the most books that they enjoyed during the year. And you are reading some amazing books this year, too!

nymeth: I was just thinking of you on the way home on the bus tonight, and wondering when a good time to start Enchanted Castle would be! So, next week would be great - I have to finish A History of Reading so I don't start panicking about the Canadian Book Challenge. I hope to be done by Monday, so mid-next week is perfect. I'll check in with you before then, but if we plan for Wednesday, we can start reading on the same day and hopefully finish within a day or so of eachother since its' not a very big book. In my dream world, I get to finish it the same day I start it....!

Ana S. said...

Susan, Wednesday sounds perfect. I shouldn't finish Daughter of the Forest before then anyway (it's great so far, but it's a very long book).