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?
My annual reading challenge had been to read the shortlisted books for the major literary prizes - I’ve come across some great books that I would otherwise not have read, in this way. Bonus is that most of the books are really well written, even if the themes are not immediately relatable.