It's Friday linkup time! I'm linking up with the Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer, Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, and the Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice
This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:
When you set a yearly reading goal, do you set it high to force yourself to meet that goal or do you keep it low and normally go over that goal anyway?
My Answer:
In the past I've made goals on the high side in order to push myself into reading more. But I've noticed in the last few years that what it ends up doing is keep me from taking any risks bookwise and keeps me from picking up chunkster books because I'm worried about making my goal. This year I set my goal pretty low and have been trying to push myself to take more risks and hopefully get at least 1 chunkster read!
The Beginning:
There was a time, and it was many years ago now, when I had to stay in a hospital for almost nine weeks.
My Thoughts:
I can't imagine staying in the hospital for 9 weeks. The longest I've ever stayed in one was 3 nights and that was in the maternity ward!
The 56:
Immediately he swooshed the curtain around me and this separated me from my mother.
My Thoughts:
I can imagine how much of a comfort it would be to have the doctor make some privacy for an exam. Privacy is not an easy thing to come by in a hospital!
So what do you think? Keep reading? What is your goal for the year and what are your reasons for setting it? Or not setting it?
I had this one on the radar and would be interested to know what you think as you read more.
ReplyDeleteFor my book goals I try and keep it around 35 because that's what I can usually comfortably read. But, I tend to bump the number up because when I review a cookbook, somehow, to me, that doesn't seem like reading and I don't like to count that in my goal. Goodreads doesn't differentiate between novels and cookbooks in the reading goals. Does that make sense to you?
I kept my book goal lower than last year for the same reason you actually said. I want to read Outlander which is huge and I know will take me a while. I do not want to worry about meeting my goal. I may set it even lower next year. I have seen this book around and am curious to see what you think!
ReplyDeleteI've loved all of Elizabeth Strout's books... this one seems a little different, but every bit as wonderful.
ReplyDeleteNo reading goals for me this year. I also found that they kept me from picking up chunksters, so I'm going for quality and enjoyment now - not necessarily quantity.
I used to set goals but i always fail so not doing now.
ReplyDeleteI don't set goals anymore either. I'm always a little bemused when so many are resistant to books longer than 400 pages. I feel like they miss out on some good ones. I read so many more books than I did 20 years ago anyway. Audiobooks have really bumped up my numbers, but I seem to have settled into a sort of groove or range without trying to. Which is fine by me.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kay! My bookclubs always freak out if a book is much over 350 pages. That's about their limit. So I understand what you mean about reading goals keeping you from reading a chunkster. I wonder if that is in the back of my mind also. Something to think about.
ReplyDeleteYes, you HAVE to finish it because you have to tell me if I should read it or not....! I also have a reading goal, but come to think of it - I never consider that the chunksters (what a great word!!) will interfere with that goal. I've read more than a number of chunksters this year already. We are talking 500p + here? Hope your weekend will be awesome and here's my Friday Meets: http://marelithalkink.blogspot.co.za/2016/09/friday-meets-09-september-2011.html
ReplyDeleteI tend to set my goals lower, too, since I believe in "achievable" goals. Then when I surpass them, I feel good. But it also leaves room for those chunksters to be added.
ReplyDeleteAs for Lucy Barton, it was a challenging book to read, as, like the relationship between mother and daughter, there was an underlying sense of emotional impoverishment, and so much left unsaid.
Definitely a book to think about.
Here's mine: “GIRL ON THE RUN”
I like the conversational tone in the opening and would keep reading to find out why the character was in the hospital for such a long time. The 56 excerpt makes me wonder why her mother was left outside the enclosure.
ReplyDeleteMy Friday post features CHESTNUT STREET by Maeve Binchy.
I never push myself when it comes to reading challenges. Why stress about something you love? :)
ReplyDeleteENJOY your weekend.
Happy Hopping!!
Elizabeth
Silver's Reviews
My Blog Hop Answer
I didn't set a specific reading goal this year as I didn't want to really worry about meeting any goals. I didn't do any reading challenges this year either although I may do a few in 2017, I've seen some that look pretty fun. :)
ReplyDeleteI never set goals for reading. I know I'll read whenever I have time. I tend to like challenges on types of Books or readathon s.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read anything by this author before, but I do like the beginning and the 56. Thanks for mentioning the book. :-)
ReplyDeleteI just increased my reading goal for the third time this year. I'm reading more than I expected. This book sounds interesting. I hope you enjoy it. This week I am spotlighting Project Elfhome by Wen Spencer - a linked short story collection. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteI'd finish it. I llike how the words flow and I'm curious myself:)
ReplyDeleteMy Friday 56 from Doggone It
I set my Goodreads Challenge goals around the same number of where I ended the year before. This year is the first time it has bitten me in the butt. I set it a eight books a month, which was a little bit below what I accomp!ished last year, and at the halfway point this year I was 22 books behind! I lowered it to six books a month and now I am only two books behind. Phew. :P
ReplyDeleteI've done similar with Goodreads. Usually I just pick a high number and I usually just barely make it. This year I decided to be a bit more realistic (I was having a rough start to 2016) so picked a conservative number I wanted for each month and added that up. It's worked well. Less stress and I should meet my year goal by mid week. Then to see how far I can go beyond that :D
ReplyDeleteI have been all over the place with my Goodreads challenge. I set it higher than ever this year and am really behind. It is stressing me out! I loved My Name is Lucy Barton. It isn't really the kind of book that I would normally pick up but I really enjoyed it. I am looking forward to your review!
ReplyDeleteI was just looking for this book at the bookstore and didn't see it. I hope you enjoy it as it sounds so good.
ReplyDeleteI'll be curious to know if setting your goal lower will make a difference. That's partly why I tend to set lower numeric goals. I generally don't like to, but it's hard not to at least take part in the Goodreads Challenge.
Lucy Barton is really complicated for such a short, spare book, isn't it? Those parents!
ReplyDeleteSounds like an epic read!
ReplyDeleteHappy Sunday!
This author has been reading popular at my library lately.
ReplyDeleteCheck out my Friday 56 (With Book Beginnings).
Privacy in a hospital does seem a luxury.
ReplyDeleteAs for reading goals I do not really like to set them since I read for fun and not as a chore. It throws me off if I make a goal and am unable to meet it then I just speed read rushing stories to try to make the goal.