2018 Book Challenges- Week 3

I’ve not made much progress on reading this week. It’s not a secret that I’m somewhat disorganized and a lousy housekeeper.

We moved into this house three years ago and still weren’t completely unpacked. My sister-in-law and her husband arrived on Saturday night, and I decided to clean up. Like for real. Finally get it all done.

I’ve tried other methods in the past, scheduling time to tackle it a little at a time, things like that. But it doesn’t seem to be how I work. I’m better at starting a task and staying on it single-mindedly. So… that’s why the poor progress on reading.

But to be honest, I always forget how much I love things to be clean and organized. Maybe they’ll actually stay this way!

Popsugar Challenge

(4/50) No progress

While I Was Reading Challenge

(0/12) No progress

The Unread Shelf

Total: 1

We Have Always Lived in the Castle, by Shirley Jackson– I cannot believe I’ve never read this. I’ve loved her short story, The Lottery, ever since I read it in high school. I’m not sure what I expected with this book, but it wasn’t what I got. It was an interesting psychological study. Jackson’s grasp on the worst in humanity is what makes her frightening.

5 Classic Books

(0/5) No progress

Miscellaneous Reading

None

2018 Running Total: 7

Have you made any progress on your TBR or book challenges?

My Book Wishlist Solution

There are always books I want that I’m not going to buy or borrow right away. Sometimes (usually) it’s because I already have a million books stacked up, staring accusingly at me. Sometimes it’s because I’m trying to complete a goal, and the book I want doesn’t meet that goal. Sometimes it’s just because I’m out somewhere and someone whose opinion I value has recommended a book to me.

I tried keeping track of them in my head, but apparently there’s only so much room up there.

I used to just keep a list of books in the notes section of my phone. I listed title and maybe author (if I knew it).

The list quickly spiraled out of control. I ended up with a list I couldn’t keep track of, no rhyme or reason to it. If I went to a bookstore or the library, I didn’t have a good way of sorting the list.

I got a now defunct app for my phone. I never loved that app. It was cumbersome to use, having to do multiple button pushes to add a book. And I had to add a book in a different section from books that were already on my list. If there was a way to sort them, I never figured it out. They were just there in the order I added them. Then one day, I couldn’t use the app anymore, and my wishlist had disappeared.

I’ve tried using the library’s and Amazon’s wishlist functions, but I end up not liking them because I have to log into a website. I want something quick and at my fingertips.

I have a digital list of all the books I own. It’s lovely; I can just scan them in either via barcode or manually enter them. I just recently noticed that the Sort It! app has a wishlist function as well.

I tried it, and I think this is the solution for me. It shows pictures of the books and is easy to use. I can sort by author, title, or publication date. It’s easy to add or delete books from the list. If you’re looking for a way to keep track of books you own or want to own/ read, I highly recommend Sort It! (There’s also versions for DVDs, music, etc.)

How do you keep track of your reading wishlist?

How I Choose What To Read Next

I’m a moody reader, so I never know what I’m going to be in the mood for next, and I like most genres. Sometimes my book choices are deliberate, and sometimes they’re more whimsical. Here’s how I pick:

1. A group I belong to picked it. In general, I try to prioritize these. I belong to a FaceBook YA Book Club for writers. August’s book is Caravel, by Stephanie Garber. This was recommended awhile ago by a friend, and I just never moved it to the top of my list. Now it is. I also belong to a small book club with two friends of mine. We choose a book and all pass it around. It’s supposed to be a three month cycle per book, but I think we’re a bit behind this time around (or maybe it’s just me). For that, I read LaRose, by Louise Erdrich. It was slow reading, but it’s always interesting to step out of my comfort zone and read something I wouldn’t have picked.
2. Someone recommended it. People know I read a lot, so they’re always recommending books to me. I *try* to get to them before I forget who recommended them. By 1999, approximately half a million people had recommended the Harry Potter series to me, and I stubbornly ignored them because “it couldn’t be that good.” I don’t do that anymore.
   
   

   Part of my wish list.

3. I just felt like it, okay? Sometimes, I wander around my house, see a book, and I’m like, “That’s the one.” No rhyme or reason.
4. I’m in a sad mood or feeling meh, and I need comfort. I have a bunch of go to books for when I need a pick me up. If I need to cry, I read Where The Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls. I have no idea how many times I’ve read it, but I cry. Every. Single. Time. If I’m feeling stuck in a rut, and need adventure, I might read Watership Down, by Richard Adams, or Lightning, by Dean Koontz. If I just need something familiar, I might read Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, or Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte (though I usually skip the whole first section at Lowood school).
5. I was at the library, and it screamed at me to get my attention. I try not to look at the “new fiction” shelf, but sometimes I hear the books calling my name. I know that means that other books will be neglected… but… new books.
6. I was thinking about a passage from it, and just had to reread it. This happens to me once in awhile. I’ll be thinking about something else, or I’ll watch a movie or read another book, and a particular passage I like comes to mind. Then I’ll either flip through the book to reread just that part, or I’ll reread the whole thing. This happened recently with The Face, by Dean Koontz. No spoilers here, but there’s a part where a cop does something illegal with good intentions, and for some reason, that popped into my head, and I had to find and read that section.

As you can see, I don’t really “choose” what books to read. It’s all kind of random. But the orderly people in my life would say that I’m more governed by chaos than not, so it makes sense. I’m working my way through the 20 Books of Summer, and keeping to a pre-set list is difficult!

How do you choose what books to read next? How do you keep track of books people recommend?

20 Books of Summer Reading Challenge Check-in

The 20 Books of Summer Reading Challenge started on June 1st and ends September 3, so we’re about halfway through.

Here were my original stacks:

Of the 18 books I read in the last month and a half, only 7 were from the list, and I started and abandoned 1. So with only a month and a half left, I’m less than halfway through.

I knew this was going to be a problem for me, actually reading books from a pre-chosen list. But I’m determined to get through the ones I’ve picked.

I’ve reviewed some of these books in more depth on Goodreads. You can follow me by clicking the button to the right, if you’re interested.

What I’ve read:

1. Roseblood (meh!- 2 stars)
2. Bel Canto (great!- 4 stars)
3. The Couple Next Door (overrated- 2 stars)
4. The Mouse and the Motorcycle (fun-3 stars)
5. The Golden Compass (pretty good- 3 stars)
6. The Subtle Knife (second book in the series, so not as good- 3 stars)
7. The Amber Spyglass (fantastic, makes the series worth reading- 5 stars)

Abandoned:

1. Wicked (That one was supposed to be on my “alternate” pile. I guess I got them mixed up… oops)

Those of you who are participating in the reading challenge… how’s it going?

TBRs Are Pointless For Me

Sometimes I see people post pictures of the TBRs (To Be Read), and I wonder how many of those people stick to them.  I set myself a TBR pile or list with the best of intentions, and then I go off and read something else.

I have books upon books upon books that I intend to read, that I’ll get to one day, but I won’t do it in any particular order.  If I decide to read a certain book next, odds are that by the time I get around to it, I won’t want to read that one anymore.

The only exceptions to that are books that I’m reading with other people. Then, I read them promptly, whether I like it or not. One of my favorite things to do is to discuss books.

I pulled these books off my shelf and stacked them, intending to read them “next.”

That was back in September, and I haven’t touched any of them. I’ve read plenty of other books, just not those particular books.

The problem is that I’m a moody reader. I never know what I’m going to want to read until I actually pick up a book. And if I’m not in the mood to read that particular book, then I probably won’t like it.

Part of the reason I like to own books is that when I want to read a book, I want it handy. I never know when it’s going to be the right time to pluck an unread book off my shelf. Or when I’ll suddenly get the urge to visit an old friend. And because I read in almost all the genres, I have to have  a lot of books on hand. Sometimes I get books from the library, and return them unread. Other times, I can’t get through them fast enough.

I read somewhere that stacks of books are the only type of decoration that doesn’t make a house look messy or cluttered. I couldn’t agree more. So I’ll keep stacking up TBRs and getting to them when I get to them.

Do you stick to your TBR or find yourself reading whatever you feel like?