reading – Page 17 – Only Mostly Dead

25 Books – A Slight Tweak

I’m tweaking the rules of my “25 Books” challenge. I promise this is the last time I’ll do this. Firstly I’m dropping “bestseller” from the list of books that get you an extra point. The purpose of the challenge was to get myself to read more and more widely. I can read a bestseller but I don’t get extra points for it.

Secondly I’m adding a bit of clarity to what a “classic” is. For the purposes of this challenge only a classic is defined as a book first published more than 50 years ago and still in print. Also there will be extra points for really old books (see below).

Thirdly I’m ditching the rule about no more than 5 books I’ve started before. If the challenge causes me to finish a book that’s a good thing. I shouldn’t get a bonus for it but I shouldn’t be penalised either.

So the final rules are:

Read at least 25 books before the end of 2009
No more than 3 (of the 25) can be books you’ve read before. If you read more than 25 can you re-read others.
You should read at least 3 books by authors you’ve not read before.
This should include at least 2 new authors (i.e. not just 3 books by 1 new author)
At least one book must have been published (for the first time) in 2009
For each of the targets 1-5 deduct a point if you miss it.
If you read a book from a genre you’ve never read before add a point
If you read a book that you wouldn’t have read but for a recommendation add a point.
If you read a book that can only be bought second-hand add a point.
If you read a book first published more than 50 years ago and still in print add a point. For books first published more than 200years ago add 2 points. For books published more than 500 years add 3 points and for books written over 1000years ago add 4 point.

(Three posts in one night? My my)

When I was in primary school I recall being shooed from out under a table at break time to go and play outside with the other kids. What was I doing under there? Reading a book. I also recall that we had these “readers” – books filled with short stories and articles of all different kinds and topics. Each set at a particular reading age. There was the main one for that age and a couple of others for the kids that needed/wanted more to read. They wouldn’t let me read any more of them when I’d read all the available books up to my age + 2. (There were other books however)

My point is I used to love to read. I read all the time. It’s only in the last few years that I haven’t read as much. I’ve discussed the reasons for this before. I discovered the other day that I only read 4 books in 2008. That’s pretty pitiful. I never was a fast reader but I always had a book on the go and would get through far more than that. So I’ve decided that in 2009 I will read 25 books. That’s a book every couple of weeks which should be doable if I read a little every day.

As with all these things we need a few rules. Here’s mine:

of the 25 no more than 3 can be books I’ve previously read
however a further 5 can be books I’ve previously started but never finished
I should read at least 3 books by authors I’ve not read before
this should be at least 2 new (to me) authors
at least one book must have been published (for the first time) in 2009

Those are the rules, the “must”s. Here are a few “nice-to-have”s:

a book from a genre I’ve never read before
a book I wouldn’t have read if not for a recommendation
a bestseller
a classic
a book that can only be purchased second hand

For each of these I will get 1 point. I also get 1 point for each book over the 25. I get a point deducted for missing out any of my “must-have”s. At the end of the year I’ll see how many points I got. I may add some more types of books that score points if I think of them (but only in the next few days, I don’t want to keep changing the rules)

As I finish each book I’ll write a post with a review and tick off the rules it satisfies and any points it earns me.

Anyone want to join me?