50 BOOKS IN 2017--HOW ABOUT YOU? @ Liz Flaherty

As I have mentioned before, probably too often, one of the casualties of being a writer is that I've gone from being an A+, three-books-a-week, all kinds of genres reader to...well, maybe two a month with a few other false starts thrown in there. I don't read enough to read multi-genre--it's mostly auto-buys (Kristan Higgins' new one, On Second Thought, is coming up in a couple of weeks!) or friends' books. In truth, I've become a shaky C- reader.

In reading as in writing, I like the beginning and the end much more than the middle, so, yes, you guessed it, I often skip through the middle. Just as I write short, I prefer to read short as well, so novellas are good for me. Sometimes. But occasionally novellas are too obviously introductory courses to the main dish--a series. While I like series, I also get tired of them. Easily.

I enjoy romance and cozy mystery and love women's fiction, but somehow reading, probably my most favorite non-edible thing in the world, has fallen to the wayside

The reason I'm writing this post is that CurtissAnn Matlock--another Liz Flaherty auto-buy--wrote this one on January 3. In all fairness, she got the idea from Deborah Chester. Several friends and I have already jumped on CurtissAnn and Deborah's bandwagon and set reading goals for 2017. My goal is 50 books and I'm writing them down in the back of my day-planner as I get them completed.

Now, here's the good part--for me. I'm pretty busy. I have a family, three deadlines this year, a job, church, three blogs I contribute to, and several places and/or things I volunteer at it. I don't have a lot of free time and I love not having a lot of free time. Being bored doesn't happen. But, anyway, it makes reading a little difficult to fit in sometimes.

So, even though I've set 50 books as my goal, these can be books I've read before, short books, long books, audio-books, and even books where I kind of skip through the middle (although I'm not going to cut myself too much slack on that one.) I'm not going to rate them, promise to put up reviews for them, or give myself too much flak if my reading isn't diverse enough. Every novella is going to count as a book and so are manuscripts I read for friends. If I don't make 50, I'll be disappointed to have missed some books, but not disappointed in myself--life is too short for that--and I will have enjoyed the however many I do read.

Anyone want to join us? You don't have to check in with us, although you certainly can. I think Kristi's going to post periodically about it through the year. I'm on my third book of the year so far, a Muriel Jensen romance I missed somewhere along the line. I'm enjoying For the Love of Mike. I'm also reading, a chapter at a time, James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small, which I've probably read 10 times and hope to read 10 more.

Let us know what you think of the idea or if you've already joined  CurtissAnn on her journey--and let us know how you're doing!

Have a great week. And read on!

Comments

  1. This is a great idea. I too, am ashamed on how little I read these days. Which isn't entirely true. I belong to a critique group and read many works in progress. I did a meager 25 book goal this year on Goodreads. But I love a challenge so I will up the ante and strive for the fifty. Hopefully, you all will guilt me into achieving this :)

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    1. Ah, yes, guilt...I'm SO familiar with it! :-) Thanks for joining in, Lisa!

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  2. I mentioned last week the read/watch challenge...but I'm going to join you and the others with the 50 books challenge, too. Already have a list of books that I'm excited to read.

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    1. It's fun, isn't it? I'm being reminded of how much I love reading!

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  3. If you read my comment on the Heartwarming blog today, Liz, you already know that I have never set new year's goals. That means I don't set goals for how many books I read either; however . . . I am never NOT reading a book. I read every day and every night before I go to sleep. I think I would be lost without having a good book to read. So . . . to all my favorite authors and those terrific authors I have yet to discover, thank you, thank you, for writing your wonderful books! That includes you, Liz! :)

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    1. Bless you, Kate. I'm always reading, too, but I'm alarmed at how little of what I read I actually finish. I owe it to the storytellers to read the whole story--that's part of what I want to do. I know I can't and won't always, but I'm urged by my goal. :-)

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  4. I'm already in on this one--and confession? I'm rereading some old books from my childhood, so I've already read two books since January 3. I'm with you on how hard it is to read anymore--I have the same issues, but 50 books is very doable, I hope!

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    1. I'm working on Miss Read. Most of them I read in 2016, but I'm going to be doing more retro-read as I go along!

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  5. If I can count the books I judge for the RITAs, I could a solid 10 books for the year! Unfortunately I'm not going to set a goal... Too many books in my head to write at present. But good luck!!

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    1. RITA books count! I wouldn't have set such a goal for myself in the days of kids and combining writing with a full-time day job, either. One more way to fail! :-) Now, however, I have the time--and fewer priorities--so I can make that commitment.

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  6. I do the Goodreads count, too. The first year I did it, I tried for a lofty 150 books. What was I thinking? Last year, I went for a hundred. Nope, didn't make it. This year, the goal is 80.
    I don't get to read as much as I used to, and I miss it. But I'm with Kate, I've always got a book going. And, I'm on the road to work more than an hour a day so I do books on tape. They're 1/3 my reading. I reread the first three of James Herriot last year. And, over Christmas I read Heidi.

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    1. Oh, Heidi! I thought of that the other day and need to read it again! I loved audio when I was on the road over an hour a day. I miss it still, but it's not the same in 15-minute sound bytes. :-) Always having a book going, often more than one, is a good jump start for me on this goal thing--I hope I get better with the finishing. Thanks for coming by, Pam!

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  7. The first time I did the Goodreads Reading Challenge, I read 200. Then of course, I got on the write/edit/release merry-go-round, plus my hubby retired, so my book-buying (12/month) dropped drastically. I'm chuckling at this, because my goal over at GR is-you guessed it-50 books. I did manage 75 last year, but that was only because I spent 3 weeks at my parents' house, and Mom had gotten a new stack of books for the holidays!

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    1. Since going to work at the library (very part-time, very fun), I've started doing a lot of my reading from there. While I do have my auto-buys, using what the library offers has increased both my reading and the pleasure in it.

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  8. I'm doing well so far this year. I bog down in the summer when I like doing outside things. But I still read at night. I read more than romance books and sometimes the ones I pick can be slower reading. If I only read the Heartwarming subscription that would be 48 and of course I buy many more writers' stories that I love.

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  9. Well you all put me to shame! Like Kate and Pam, I've always got a book to read. And yes, by the time I read all my Heartwarming sisters, that's nearly 50 there. Books for research... historical novels hmmm. Adds up, huh?

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    1. It does. I'm kind of hoping when I get to actually counting them, I'll end up reading more than I anticipate.

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  10. I'm doing the read/watch challenge like Kristi, but I'd also like to read more than a book a month, so I'm in. And I like that beta r reads count.

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    1. They should--they're some of the best reads we have. :-)

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  11. This year I have a writing challenge for myself (2 blogs and a finished book) but I am also a voracious reader. I will join you on the 50 book challenge. In addition to fiction I also read through many nonfiction books to add material to the college classes I teach. It is so much fun to be busy!

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    1. Yes, it is fun--I wish you well on your journey this year!

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  12. Wow, you're a busy lady! I'm hoping to read at least 100 books this year which means 2 a week. Maybe. lol. Especially since I have 3 books due this year, too. :-) Wishing you a prosperous and healthy New Year!

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    1. Not really so busy, Pat--it just looks that way when you put it in writing. :-) I just finished #4 for this year--I'm happy about that!

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  13. What a great goal! I've always got books on the go as well, but I'm having a hard time finishing them. I love audiobooks; I listen while I'm at the gym. Guess I'm going to have start going to the gym more often!

    Do non-fiction research-type books count?

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    1. You bet! Someone on FB mention King's ON WRITING the other day and I think I need to read that--and count it--again.

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