Cover to Cover Challenge discussion

This is a thread set up so we can discuss how we are doing, difficulties we are having and how we are achieving our goals

We can also use this thread to encourage each other when we are feeling unsure of achieving the golas.

Great idea. I am sure I'll do fine,but I can definitely encourage others.

Can't even get to a decision list until Xmas is over for me. Lots of books on my shelves that will go on this 2010 goal though.

I'm excited for the new year to start! Although I highly doubt I'll be getting to 144 in 2010, I find it inspiring to be apart of this group. My first goal is to get to 50 and if things are going well, maybe I will eventually make it to 144 books. Who knows! But I can guarantee that If I do successfully read 144 books within the one year, then there'll be a celebration for sure :D

lol, I have no doubt I'll make the 144. How quickly--that's another matter. And remember--this is ALSO where you post your reviews of whatever you are reading, as well as keeping everyone up to date on your progress.

I am very excited to get started. I've already started a stack of books for January. I'm not making an official list ... I do better if I can just read what I want when I want, and I have PLENTY of books in my to-be-read (TBR) pile. Not to mention the library!

yeah, I'm not making a list either. Whatever I feel like reading is what I'll read. But I AM getting excited. :o)

me too, I don't want to make a list because then it will seem too much like a chore to finish. This way if I list as I go it will look more like an accomplishment-yes, I have to trick myself by playing games in my head. My other personality doesn't know that the real me is doing this so shhhhhhh =} hehehe

Renee, I have the same "problem". I enjoy reading, as long as I treat it as fun and not as "homework", if that makes any sense. I have so many books that I've been saving (I mentally call them "treat" books) and I've going to read as many of them as I want to in 2010! So I guess I have another personality too ...

As the saying goes, GREAT MINDS.... hopefully that includes multiple minds in one head. lol

It will be interesting to see how many books I can read in a year's time. I have never kept up with it before. I am a slow reader so I doubt I will make it to 144 but I will give it my best shot. If anything it will be a good way for me to put a dent in my TBR pile.

I have no idea if I'll make it to 144 either. Right now I'm really motivated, but I have times where I just don't feel like reading as much or as often. I'm looking at it the same way as you, Renee, I know for sure I'll make a dent in my TBR pile at the very least.

I just hope I can make a dent in my TBR list. I'm finding new authors, phhht.

I'm actually sorting through my books right now, reorganizing my bookshelves. I made 3 "2010" shelves! I have sooo many TBRs.

Great to see all excited re the challenge

Think that it is good idea for those who feal a bit daunted not to think of the big number 144 but maybe break it down like the earlier post to 50 books

I think I will just read what interest me and do what I can. I agree with what many havee said here that to worry or just read for sake of getting to a number can mak it a chor and it is a lot easier to read quickly when its fun

I have about 100+ on my Real shelf tbr to work thrugh and have a few I know I want to buy that is coming out next yr so There is NO shortage of books to read

COME ON GITLS AND BOYS WE CAN DO IT!!!!

DRU-YOu going to read only new books?

If you have an actual list maybe interested in seeing them to see whether any of my fav authors have any coming out. Iusually know about new books because I see adverts at end of last book, or see in bookshops ad rarley when getting impatiant for the next book look on amazon

I was just looking at a thread of someone challenge and had an idea for motivation:-

wait till you have a month that you are fairly free and maybe could do with a boost in your challenge and then do a sponsered read-a-thon for that month. aim at amount one a 2 more than you normally read or get sponsered per book you read and the money go to charity.

It would give you an incentive and help charity as well as help achieve your target

I find it hard to make a list as I get 99% of my books from the library, so it is hard to say when I will read them. I just pick up a bunch, then arrange them in the order of how I want to read them. I find that when I am done with a book I immediately come here to gr's to put in my review, so I'll just add it to my list.

Mount ToBeRead continues to grow in the great orogeny. I mine this mountain for treasures. Sometimes the mountain gives me diamonds. Sometimes nothing but fool's gold. And yet I rarely go to the bookstore without buying something. I know all the librarians by name. And I swap books with family and friends. So while I could easily create a list of 144 books from my bedroom floor alone from the foothills of Mt. TBR. But I'm willing to bet that the majority of the books I'll read next year are not yet in my possession.

Mount ToBeRead ... I love it!!

call me copycat if you must, my TBR now has a new reference name--Mount ToBeRead it is. You are sooooo creative Jim. lol My thought process tends to be very neurtal and unimaginitive.

You guys are better than me. I had to read the darn post 2 times before it sunk in. I blame my blond hair. LOL

My youngest son (he's 15)was just next to me and asked 'Man, how many books do you have to read?' when I told him 144 in 2010 his reply was 'All at once, your gonna get conflubbityflubbed'. This is from the child that if it isn't on the sports page of the paper he ain't picking it up. I do love him because he does make me smile

Conflubbityflubbed, I think that's my new favorite word.

I think mine will be a mixture as I am trying to reduce my mt tbr and some new ones I have an eye out for

I have a few on my tbr that are new writers and thus if I like them I no doubt will be buying all their previous books to add to the load

Fingers crossed, I will get to at least 100! I usually read 2-3 books a week but it's taken me almost 2 weeks to get through the last one. I just can't concentrate! I got An Echo In The Bone for my birthday but haven't even started it because I know I'm too unfocused to really enjoy it. Hoping the new year will bring a little inner peace :)

Jery wrote: "Fingers crossed, I will get to at least 100! I usually read 2-3 books a week but it's taken me almost 2 weeks to get through the last one. I just can't concentrate! I got An Echo In The Bone for my..."

We all hope so too-read something fluffy or easy to get chear you up!!!

My daughetr and me has been ill over the last couple of weeks and so have 4 books and on my 5th and all taking longer than usual.

yea, he has a unique ability to come up with stuff like that. I was pretty impressed too, it is kinda catchy and has been the word of the day since he blurted it out. I even put it on my calendar as my WOD too. Have a good day and try not to be too CONFLUBBITYFLUBBED over the holidays. Wow, look at me, I even put it in a sentence. hehehe

Thanks Renee! I have to work tonight (retail sales) ... wish me luck. I just need to survive another 12 days.

Be brave, very brave!

I started a list which is good because although I keep a notebook of books to read or might read, I tend to write new titles/authors on slips of paper and forget where they are. This will help me be more organized...hmmm, hopefully. :D

I have 3 shelves of books on my TBR (all are packed from front to back and all the way from bottom to top) plus some in my bedroom on my bedside table. A few hidden under the living room sofa, some in the daughter's old room, a few in my sewing room, some in the bathroom. . . Um, and a few in the car. Not that I'm an ADDICT or anything. I just like having them everywhere so that I always have something close at hand to read. :oP

Ann I don't think that makes you an addict. LOL Just prepared. I find whenever I leave the house I make sure to have a book with me. You never know when you will get stuck and have some time to waste.

My 4 yr old grandson is living with me right now, but he is supposed to move back home Wed. After he goes home I wil have a lot of time to read, so I don't (fingers crossed) think I'll have a problem with this.

I am really trying to read books that are in my house. I was alarmed when I took an actual count of the number of books I have. I stopped after 400! My house is only 1000 sq. feet so you can imagine how jam packed full of books it is!

I have to see how many I can finish before the year begins so I can make my actual list. Still working on a few I want to get done before I have to return them to my mother or to the library. I suppose I'll make a tentative list the week after Christmas and go from there.

Jennifer, my condo is pretty small too and jam-packed with books. I haven't counted how many there are ... I really need to get rid of some, but I find it very difficult to part with them!

so are people thinking that listing the books that they are looking to read will help them reach the target?

I'm not making an actual list, more of a mental list. So far I've just made a "pile" (actually one shelf on my bookshelf) of books I want to read first, then I'll move to the next shelf, etc. And I'm sure I'll read library books too!

I'm getting very excited to start!! It'll be a big accomplishment for me to finish 144 in one year, but I'm up for the challenge!! :D

I have 2 local and 3 on-line book clubs, so those monthly choices will certainly help me get to 144. The rest will be new books as they come out and I always can work on those TBR stacks I have!! (My secret goal **shhh** is to actually make the TBR piles shrink instead of grow...not necessarily the TBR list, but the piles!)

I'm not making a list. For one thing, I never know what is going to appeal at a certain time. (Decembers are hard for me--too much to do, and its the month that my Dad died.) On the other hand--Octobers are easy. We usually go to see my Mum then (her birthday and my parents anniversary are the same day in Oct.) and since prying a book out of my Mum's hand requires a spanner and possibly the mobilization of the National Guard, well. . . We sit in the living room reading together, periodically stopping to hand each other books. A great way to pass time in a town with a population of about 200 and a "public library" that has fewer books in it than I have in my house. (Needless to say, I take my own books with me.)

Ann wrote: "I'm not making a list. For one thing, I never know what is going to appeal at a certain time. (Decembers are hard for me--too much to do, and its the month that my Dad died.) On the other hand--..."

I hope this december is better than the last

It is something nice to shar with your mother and good tradition to have

I made an initial list of 144 from my TBR bookshelves (physical shelves, in the den). I plan on looking through the list to see what mood I'm in to choose a book. Since then, I've added more books to the list to give me some either/or choices. After I read a book, I plan on placing it on the Swap page--I hope to see my shelves empty out so I can put new books in the other's place. And I do have an addiction to buying books--I may need help! LOL!?

Linda, I have physical shelves of books too, and like you, I'm hoping to swap some when I'm done and/or donate to the library, give to a friend, etc. Anything to make more room! I think we're all addicted!

I have 400+ books, 100 of those TBR and have difficulty getting rid of books

Though If I want into a phase of type of book and grow out ofit then I give them away when need space

I never used to get rid of books. Almost two years ago I had a water problem where I lost about half of the books I moved into this house and never unpacked. Realizing that they had been sitting for almost eight years closed in boxes, I thought the unthinkable and took most of the rest to Half-Priced Books for trade. I dropped off 23 moving boxes full of books and walked out with nearly $200. My wife was very happy. We now had an area roughly 12'x8'x7' (3.7 m x 2.4 m x 2.1 m) that she could use for other space.

10+ years in the SFBC, four years in the military book club, four years of college texts, five years of programmer texts, and all the years of buying books sure do add up into a big ass pile of books.

My point is don't fall into this trap! If you have books on your shelves/on piles/in boxes that you haven't picked up in more than five years, get rid of them NOW! Don't make the same mistakes I've made. Since I started this post, I went for a quick walk through the house. I see books in EVERY room. (*hangs head in shame*)

Jim,

You crack me up. I actually don't have that much trouble getting rid of books ... my problem is finding time to read the ones I buy! I'm looking forward to getting a lot of them read, then donated or swapped, etc., and then LOTS more trips to the library.

I find myself filled with glee when I walk around and see books everywhere in my house. :-)

I want a room solid to look like a library period.

I know. I would give my right arm for some built-in floor to ceiling bookshelves!

Well, I have gotten rid of gobs of books. Still have a lot of them tho. But I've pared way down. :o) There are some books that you will have to pry out of my cold dead hand to get away from me tho. All my (250+) Andre Nortons, my Edgar Rice Burroughs, my Arthur Conan Doyles, my Anne MacCaffrey's, my (autographed) Charlaine Harris'. . .

Er, and that 250+ was JUST the Andre Nortons. I've been a fan for almost 42 years.