Has anyone had a bad experience with the Goodreads reading challenge? I’ve been doing it for the past 8 years but I think it’s time to call it quits. I know it’s totally inconsequential and no one cares if you succeed or not, but the constant reminder of “You’re X books behind schedule” is starting to feel tiring. Lately I’ve been reading short books instead of the big bricks I really want to read, just to complete the challenge. Makes me feel dumb.
I wish they would bring more diversity to the challenge instead of just a number. Read books from 5 different genres, read a book on astrophysics, read X books written by women authors, write 1 review, start a new series, read a book that my wife rated 5 stars, etc.
Anyone has thoughts or suggestions on a reading challenge that would be more engaging?
r/bookclub does an annual book bingo challenge. It gets you to read specific genres, or from a specific decade, or from a specific place. I can’t speak to how useful/achievable it would be, especially if you don’t enjoy having a target number (not sure how many ‘squares’ it takes) but could be good inspiration.
Alternatively, just set a low goal or no goal on Goodreads if you want to read bigger books. For example, last year I beat my target 50, but next year I want to read a few doorstoppers so I’m only going to put 25 or something down. The goal can be whatever you think is realistic. One of my friends had a baby and put 4. Nobody else cares what your goal is.