Warning: Challenges Ahead. Proceed with Caution or Find Alternative Route
The realisation that 2016 is not far away seems to have spurred many bloggers to begin planning what to read and which challenges to join. There are certainly no shortages of the latter.
Want to read more classics? Easy one – join the Classics Club to meet plenty of like minded people. Or there is the Back to the Classics Challenge @ Books and Chocolate and the 12 Month Classics Challenge @ You, Me and a Cup of Tea.
If science fiction is more your thing, hop over to Stainless Steel but you’ll have to move fast since this one started on Dec 1 and lasts only until end of January. Looking further ahead keep an eye on the Worlds Without End blog who may do something similar to their 2015 challenge.
Tackling the TBR is a popular theme for a challenge . Sadly the one run for several years by Roof Beam Reader has come to an end but there are a number of alternatives. For a short, sharp introduction take a look at the Triple Dare challenge on James Reads Books. Or check out the aptly named Mount TBR Reading Challenge @ My Reader’s Block.
And finally, one that is near to my heart – a challenge run by beasbooknook to get people making more use of their local library. A very worthy cause at a time when more of these facilities are being closed through government budget cuts. I’m already a regular library user so won’t be signing up for this myself but I hope lots of others do.
You’ll find an even longer list and a broader range of categories at FeedYourFiction.
Faced with so many good ideas it’s tempting to jump on with all of them. I learned my lesson here in the second year of this blog and since then have been very cautious what I take on. I also prefer to call them projects rather than challenges – somehow this seems less daunting and I don’t feel any pangs of guilt if I fall behind.
The ‘projects’ that have taken my fancy are the Virgina Woolf readalong hosted by HeavenAli. I have quite a few Woolf titles on my TBR (they’re also on my Classics Club list) so thats one way of making inroads on that pile. Plus I love the fact Ali says there are no rules with her read along – so no goal around the number of titles to be read. Pressure is off thankfully. I’ll read what I can.
The women’s classic literature event over on the Classics Club is also calling to me. It started this month but runs throughout 2016 and again doesn’t have any requirements about reading a certain number of titles. I have 11 books on my Classics Club list by women’s authors that were published before 1960 including 4 by Ms Woolf so in theory this should be straightforward. But I don’t know if I want to limit myself just to female authors.
And then in March, Cathy at 746books will be hosting a Reading Ireland event. Molly Keane here I come for sure…
That little trio should keep me busy especially since I’m planning on finishing my Booker Prize project this year.
What about you all, have you seen any particularly enticing challenges and reading events?
I have couple Woolf books I might try to get to this year, but once again I’m eschewing all challenges. Like you I learned my lesson in my second year of blogging! My completionist tendencies made it very difficult to enjoy them.
I think my issues are connected with the list making involved in a challenge. It seems the minute I commit a book to a list then I go off the idea of reading it.
For your challenge page, I’ve got a short-term one starting now through January. The New Year’s Resolution Reading Challenge: http://www.joyweesemoll.com/2015/12/20/new-years-resolution-reading-challenge-newyearbooks-2/
In 2015, I completed my New Year’s Resolution challenge, the Chunkster Reading Challenge, and Diversity on the Shelf, but failed at several others! Thanks for these resources, because I haven’t started thinking about 2016 challenges yet.
I like the fact this is very focused Joy. Have added it to the challenges page
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I don’t really have any literary challenges on the horizon. I read Moby Dick at school and that was enough challenge to last a lifetime. Having said that, I’ve had a translation of Don Quixote sitting on my shelf for the last six months. If I get the chance in 2016, I may give it a try. 🙂
Oh my goodness! What a gem your blog is! I wasn’t aware of any of those sites, challenges. Will be back here when I have more time (like next week when this class is over). So glad I stopped by. You have a beautiful site, and I LOVE the way your comments section is set up. Must be unique to this theme, I’m thinkin’. Have a great day/night.
I wasn’t aware there was anything special about my comments section so I can’t claim any credit there. It’s all to do with the theme I chose.
This is the only theme I’ve seen where you don’t have to wade through everyone’s comments to leave your own. That’s very efficient. I like it.
It’s nice to be here and to be part of what’s going on. A lot indeed. Thank s for all the work being done here.
I used to be gung-ho about challenges but the only one I do regularly these days is Carl’s RIP challenge. One a year suits me just fine. I have enough of a challenge keeping up with the books that are constantly arriving from the library, no need to add to it!
I suspect many of us were over enthusiastic in the first few years and then gradually weaned ourselves off most of the challenges
Nice roundup. I’ll be doing the Back to the Classics challenge to help me with my Classics Club list. There’s also a Reading New England event hosted by Lori at Emerald City Book Review. And I have my own 12 Germans in 2016 event to read for. Together with the Woolfalong and month-long events like Reading Ireland, Women in Translation, German Literature Month, etc., I will be busy.
Phew, even more challenges than I had remembered about. who is running the women in translation challenge?
It’s Meytal over at http://biblibio.blogspot.com/. It’s in August.
I’m another who has learnt the hard way that I don’t do well with challenges. The moment I put a book on a list of ‘must reads’ (as opposed to ‘oh my goodness I simply MUST read that immediately’) it seems as if the very last thing in the world that I want to do is read it. The one I should really join is the Mount tbr challenge in the hope that some of the books on my shelves could then be moved onto the shelves at the local charity shop. The thing is that if I was feeling really moved to read them they probably wouldn’t be on the tbr pile in the first place.
Odd that isn’t it – I put a pile together of the books in my TBR challenge. And I did manage seven out of the 12 but the remaining ones are just not calling to me as much as some of the other titles I can see in the list. Then of course its fatal for me to go wandering in the library – I always always come out with something that wasn’t even on my radar.
I’ve joined the Mount TBR challenge because it complements my personal challenge to only read from what I already own in 2016!
I’ve also said yes to a Foodies Read challenge and the Australian Women Writers challenge (but only because I know I have enough books to meet the challenge in my TBR stack).
That Foodies Read one sounds unusual. How does that work Kate?
These sound like good choices. I’m hoping to read at least one Virginia Woolf for the Woolfalong, as well as something for Reading Ireland. I’m also tempted by the Back to the Classics Challenge, but I also have my own CanLit and Reading Atlantic Canada project to think about. So, we’ll see…
Have fun with your reading!
When are you going to be hosting those two challenges Naomi? I’m thinking of creating a page listing as many challenges as I can find
Thanks for asking Karen, but I’m not really sure mine are actual challenges. They are more like on-going projects for me. If anyone wants to join in, they are more than welcome to, but there is no sign-up, or rules, or check-ins, or even a beginning or end.. So I don’t think they qualify.
Not to worry, I have a few things like that and I prefer to think of them too as projects
I always appreciate a good round up of challenges! I really enjoyed the Back to the Classics Challenge so will be doing that next year, along with the Women’s Literature Event. I also really like Giraffe Day’s Around the World Challenge. But I try not to do too many. I’m sad that TBR Pile Challenge is going away!
Do you think anyone will come forward and pick up the TBR pile challenge – it was such a simple concept it would be shame to see it die the death entirely
Thanks for linking up to my list! There are so many awesome sounding challenges out there – it’s tempting to participate in them ALL! But, yes – like you I’ve learned my lesson on that one! 🙂
No way can I tackle more than a couple in a year – its astonishing that some bloggers seem to be able to manage about 7 or 9 at the same time
Here are a couple more:
http://estellasrevenge.blogspot.com/2015/11/reading-my-own-damn-books.html
and
http://www.entomologyofabookworm.com/2015/12/clean-your-reader-is-baaack.html
Myself? I’m not much for challenges, so I’ll probably find an alternative route :).
Thanks for these Bryan – onto my page they have gone
Thanks for putting together this lists of lists! It’s always nice to hear about other people’s reading lists, goals and challenges. I’ll be putting up my own 2016 list next week hopefully!
I’ll be interested to see what you decide you fancy most. If there are any new challenges you come across, do let me know so I can add to the new page I just created
Next year will see me going into my fifth and final year of The Classics Club! I have also chosen to take part in the Book to Movie challenge and What’s in a Name challenge; as well as an add-on to the Classics Club with the Women’s Classic Literature Event. Happy challenges/projects in 2016 🙂
What will you do with all that time when you’ve completed the classics club??
No idea! It’s a little scary.
I’ve learned the hard way – I really don’t do well with challenges. Having said that, in 2016 I’m attempting a small monthly readalong of Dorothy Richardson’s with some others in the LT Virago Group. I’ll also join in with the Woolfalong when the mood is right, and I’ll be co-hosting The 1938 Club and a Herman Hesse reading week – so that’s probably quite enough to be going on with….
When is the 1938 club happening? I will have to get organised….
Some time next year but I don’t think we’ve actually decided yet….
Ok. Keep me posted as the plans progress
Will do!
So glad you will be joining in my #Woolfalong. I will certainly be trying to read a lot off my classics club list next year. I’ll have to if I am ever to complete it. I want to do the read Ireland challenge too.
I still have 18 months before the deadline for my own classics club list. what happens if I miss it I have no idea – will I just disappear in a puff of smoke? Or will a genii appear from a list and grant me an extension??
😊 or the day before your end date you could *ahem* delete the unread books from your list. 😀😀
It’s okay no one heard me say that.
Indeed no one heard that. Well maybe except for the million or so people who read your blog….
Love the title of this post! Thanks for the round-up.
Thanks for letting me know about the Reading Ireland Challenge. I missed the call.
You didnt really miss the announcement – it was just mentioned in another post
I don’t always do well with challenges, but it’s such a great satisfaction when I manage to complete them. I’m not sure I’ll succumb to any other challenges than reducing my TBR pile in 2016, but in previous years I’ve enjoyed the following:
January in Japan
http://tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2015/01/10/whats-happening-in-january-in-japan/
German Literature Month for November
http://germanlitmonth.blogspot.fr/2015/10/german-literature-month-v-please-link.html
Women in Translation Month in August
http://biblibio.blogspot.fr/2015/05/witmonth-2015-intro-post-faqs-and.html
and Global Reading Challenge for the whole year
http://globalreadingchallenge2015.blogspot.com.au/
Thanks MarinaSofia – I have contacted those bloggers to see if they plan to run the challenges in 2016