This week’s geek (it’s been a while, but there hasn’t been one I’ve felt an urge to participate in… sorry…) asks us about Reading Challenges:

Reading Challenges: a help or a hurt? Do you find that the reading challenges keep you organized and goal-oriented? Or, do you find that as you near the end of a challenge that you’ve failed because you fell short of your original goals? As a result of some reading challenges, I’ve picked up books that I would have otherwise never heard of or picked up; that, frankly, I have loved. Have you experienced the same with challenges? If so, which ones? Do you have favorite reading challenges?

Breaking it down…

Reading Challenges: a help or a hurt? Do you find that the reading challenges keep you organized and goal-oriented?
I started doing challenges a couple of years ago because I realized it was a way to knock books off my TBR list. Which is my #1 rule with challenges: all the books have to come off of my TBR pile/lists. (Which isn’t always possible, depending on the challenge I choose to join.) Also, I’m very deadline-oriented, and so having a finish date to work towards helps me finish all the books that I’d like to read.

As a result of some reading challenges, I’ve picked up books that I would have otherwise never heard of or picked up; that, frankly, I have loved. Have you experienced the same with challenges? If so, which ones? Actually, I’m pretty terrible (*blushes*) about reading other people’s reviews for specific challenges. That is, except for the one I host. (Which is part of the reason I started hosting the challenge… that, and I like feeling a part of something bigger than myself.) And, yes, for that challenge, I am amazed at the books people pick out, and I have gone on to read some amazing books that others have recommended.

Do you have favorite reading challenges?
I really only join ones that I know I’ll like — I’m pretty bad about expanding my reading circle, though I did to the RIP challenge last year…), but out of those, I like: Carl’s Once Upon a Time (the only challenge that I can say I’ve participated every single time in). I liked Leslie’s Armchair Traveler challenge a couple of years ago. And Becky’s YA Romance last year. Trish’s Classics Challenge is helping me work through books that I’ve needed to reread for a while. And Mother Reader’s 48 hour Book Challenge, is an immense amount of fun. (Should I be self-serving and say I liked how the Well-Seasoned Reader challenge worked this year?)