2010 Reading Challenge - How did you do?

I invited all of you to join me in 2010 Reading Challenge, and I know many of you did. So now that the year is nearly finished, how did it go for you? Did you meet your goal?


I am happy to say, I reached my goal of 75 books much earlier than anticipated. Currently, I have finished 98 books this year, and still hoping to finish two more by end of tomorrow to reach a neat 100, but even if I don't, I am happy with 98.


And I hope you will join me for 2011 Reading Challenge too. 

Reading Challenge Update

For the first time I decided to have an official challenge to read a certain number of books this year. Minimum 75. Here is the update.
It doesn't include any e-books that I have read, as I don't really keep track of those. But among my "regular" books, 42 reads so far.

2010 - Goals Update & Revision

Nearly 3 months into the new year, and already it seems like so much has changed and yet nothing has. Okay I am not trying to be cryptic here - but I suppose I feel like I have already learned a lot since January, about writing craft, about my processes, thought more about how to move forward - and yet, a lot of these have been internal shifts, mental awareness, so not necessarily much to show for it in my WIP. But internal shift is necessary to apply it in action. And now is the time for action - hence goals need some revision. 

These were my original goals. I have not gone for drastic changes, but I have reduced the list, and put more emphasis on developing my process. I could write two more new first drafts, but what good is that if I don't complete the first book to the best of my ability? The revision is about acknowledging requirement for change, and moving with the growth as oppose to sticking to old goals with rigidity. 


So the new goals 


Ongoing

• Journal
• Blog
• Exercise
• Website

Reading

• 75 Books 

Writing

• Edit and Polish NaNo2009 WIP
• Create a short list of agents
• Prepare submission packages
• Start submitting NaNo2009 WIP
• Find an agent
• Continue with WB course
• Revise already completed short stories
• Submit those short stories
• NaNo2010 - full first draft

And this is the big one that is going to take the time that I was previously going to devote to second book 

• Work systematically through various craft books and writing course materials to create my own writing/editing system. Experiment. Analyse. Understand. 

Optional Goals (which would be nice to accomplish but I won't worry about them)
Read extra 25 books
Finish outline for WIP 3 
Start editing WIP 2 

2010 Reading List

One of my goals for 2010 is to read 75 books. Here, I shall add books as I read them. A public record of the progress, and of course to share with you what I read.


Having gone slightly mental with book buying in 2009 (okay before that too, but especially last year I think), I find myself in posession of over 100 books which I have yet to read. And no doubt I will probably be too tempted to buy more before I have read those, so really, far too much choice and hard to pick the next great novel or non-fiction as the case maybe. But there is a great satisfaction in looking at a large pile of books inviting me.


Feel free to make your comments, opinions about any you might have read. This post will be available by easy access under the "Reading" section.


BOOKS READ

1. The Dancers at the End of Time - Michael Moorcock - 08/01
2. Life in Harem - K. Erhan Bozkurt - 09/01
3. The Hand of Oberon - Roger Zelazny - 12/01
4. Write the Breakout Novel - Donald Maass - 13/01*
5. The Court of Chaos - Roger Zelazny - 14/01
6. The Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank - 20/01
7. Proust was a Neuroscientist - Jonah Lehrer - 02/02
8. Dying Inside - Robert Silverberg - 10/02
9. Description & Setting - Ron Rozelle - 15/02
10. A Writer's Diary - Virginia Woolf - 14/03
11. Journal to the Self - Kathleen Adams - 16/03
12. Interview with the Vampire - Anne Rice - 24/03
13. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald - 25/03
14. No Second Chance - Harlan Coben - 31/03
15. Gilgamesh - N. K. Sandars. translator - 13/04
16. Trumps of Doom - Roger Zelazny - 22/04
17. The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien - J. R. R. Tolkien - 25/04
18. Getting Into Character - Brandilyn Collins - 03/05
19. The Inimitable Jeeves - P. G. Wodehouse - 04/05
20. Thief With No Shadow - Emily Gee - 15/05
21. Artemis Fowl* - Eoin Colfer - 20/05
22. Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal - J. K. Rowling - 20/05
23. Stargate Atlantis: Casualties of War - Elizabeth Christensen - 29/05
24. Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal (audio book)* - J. K. Rowling - 15/06
25. Science Fiction 101, Short Stories & Essays - Robert Silverberg - 19/06
26. Journey Into Space - Toby Litt - 20/06
27. Blood of Amber - Roger Zelazny - 22/06
28. Sign of Chaos - Roger Zelazny - 23/06
29. The Tales of Beedle the Bard - J. K. Rowling - 23/06
30. Forbidden Fruit - From the Letters of Abelard & Heloise - 23/06
31. Dispatches from the Heart: Love Letters from the Front Line - Jamie Amrbose, Editor - 24/06
32. Consider Phlebas - Iain M. Banks - 27/06
33. Nella Last's War - Nella Last - 01/07
34. Dear Me: A Letter to My Sixteen-Year-Old Self - Joseph Galliano - 03/07
35. On a Pale Horse - Piers Anthony - 12/07
36. Nella Last's Peace - Nella Last - 22/07
37. Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident* - Eoin Colfer - 26/07
38. Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code - Eoin Colfer - 27/07
39. Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception - Eoin Colfer - 29/07
40. Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony - Eoin Colfer - 30/07
41. Lord Edgware Dies - Agatha Christie - 31/07
42. The ABC Murders - Agatha Christie - 02/08
43. Dumb Witness - Agatha Christie - 04/08
44. Curtain: Poirot's Last Case - Agatha Christie - 04/08
45. Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe - 12/08
46. For One More Day - Mitch Albom - 13/08
47. First Law Book 1: The Blade Itself - Joe Abercrombie - 15/08
48. Journey to the Centre of the Earth - Jules Verne - 18/08
49. The Pocket Power Book of Integrity - Byrd Baggett - 20/08
50. Zer to Pidha Chhe Jani Jani - Manubhai Pancholi - 22/08
51. Sleeping Murder- Agatha Christie - 23/08
52. The Outsider - Albert Camus - 24/08
53. Love Story - Erich Segal - 24/08
54. The Hitch-hiker's guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams - 26/08
55. The Catcher In the Rye - J. D. Salinger - 31/08
56. Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman - 03/09
57. N or M? - Agatha Christie - 06/09
58. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone* - J. K. Rowling - 08/09
59. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets* - J. K. Rowling - 11/09
60. Tempest - Jamie Debree - 12/09
61. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban* - J. K. Rowling - 15/09
62. Self-Editing for Fiction Writers - Rennie Browne & Dave King - 18/09
63. Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare - 19/09
64. How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy* - Orson Scott Card - 20/09
65. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J. K. Rowling - 23/09
66. Writing the Breakout Novel* - Donald Maass - 25/09
67. 2001: A Space Odyssey - Arthur C. Clarke - 28/09
68. Execution Dock - Anne Perry - 01/10
69. Naked in Death - J. D. Robb - 06/10
70. The City and the Stars - Arthur C. Clarke - 09/10
71. The Door Through Space - Marion Zimmer Bradley - 13/10
72. Damnation Alley - Roger Zelazny - 18/10
73. Storm Front* - Jim Butcher - 21/10
74. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - Douglas Adams - 24/10
75. Mahatma nu ardhu ang: Kasturba - Navjeevan Prakashan Mandir - 24/10
76. Life, the Universe and Everything - Douglas Adams - 26/10
77. Flights of Love - Bernhard Schlink - 29/10
78. The Stars my Destination - Alfred Bester - 05/11
79. Three Hearts & Three Lions - Poul Anderson - 09/11
80. Memory in Death - J. D. Robb - 12/11
81. Princess Diaries Book 1 - Meg Cabot - 15/11
82. Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury - 16/11
83. Buckingham Palace Gardens - Anne Perry - 18/11
84. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - Philip K. Dick - 19/11
85. Ysabel - Guy Gavriel Kay - 24/11
86. Superstate - Brian Aldiss - 25/11
87. The Fountains of Paradise - 29/11
88. The Age of Innocence - Edith Wharton - 04/12
89. A Study in Scarlet - Arthur Conan Doyle - 06/12
90. Princess Diaries Take Two - Meg Cabot - 07/12
91. Princess Diaries Third Time Lucky - Meg Cabot - 07/12
92. The Hours - Michael Cunningham - 10/12
93. The Road - Cormac McCarthy - 13/12
94. Before They Are Hanged - Joe Abercrombie - 17/12
95. Last Argument of Kings - Joe Abercrombie - 19/12
96. Fool Moon - Jim Butcher - 20/12
97. Princess Diaries Mia Goes Fourth - Meg Cabot - 29/12
98. Princess Diaries Give Me Five - Meg Cabot - 30/12
99. Princess Diaries Sixsational - Meg Cabot - 31/12

* rereads

2010 Reading Challenge

I am too tired to do a proper post, so just a little announcement and something for you guys to think about. I started keeping a record of books I finished reading since July 27, 2009. I just wanted to see how quickly I go through them, and basically just keep tabs on my reading. (I like lists) And now I love the list, because what I found suprised me. I keep this list updated on the blog. This is the post, and the link is available under "ongoing stuff" in the sidebar. So in just over four months, I have read 33 books. Hurray for that. And that leads me to think about 2010, because I actually want to set a reading goal too. Initially I was thinking 101 books. I can do it. HOWEVER...I must remember that I am supposed to be writing more. So I have decided on more realistic 75. And this reading challenge is what I would like you to invite for. Of course you don't have to read 75 books. You can pick any number that is good for you. But join the challenge, and we can keep each other posted. And maybe even do some blog chains for the books we read or something. Have a little think, and hope to do this with some of you. Meanwhile, how is your reading going?