I know that the beginning of November is probably a bit of a weird time to post a check-in for this year’s reading challenges, but the PopSugar list for next year has just come out so it somehow also seems like a very fitting time. Back in July, I posted a Mid-Year Challenge Check-In where I was just about on-track with each of my challenges, and the details of what that challenge involved.
October was a particularly productive month in terms of how much I managed to read, partly because I had some time off work, and partly because I started to realize that I was falling behind and wanted to catch up a bit more. As of the end of October, here is where I stood on each challenge:
- Around the Year – 40/53 (75%)
- PopSugar – 43/52 (82%)
- PopSugar Summer 2016 – 23/29 (79%)
- BookRiot – 20/24 (83%)
By the end of October, we were about 83% of the way through the year, so it seems that I was just about on-track with where I should be for each of the challenges. Ironically enough, I was furthest behind on Around the Year, which I tend to view as my “main” challenge for the year, since I was so far ahead on it initially that it took kind of a backseat. It’s a little ironic that BookRiot is closest to completion since it is one of the challenges I prioritize least, but it also makes sense since it’s about half the size of the others. The Summer challenge is also very, very close to being done even though the percentage is a bit awkward.
In total, according to Goodreads, I am currently finished 81% of my total goal for the year, including the two books I have completed since the start of November. That puts me just a bit behind where I should be for this time of year. I have a total of 30 books left to complete before the end of the year, which is making me a little nervous! I know there’s no set in stone rule that you have to finish the challenge within the year, but I also don’t want a snowball effect of carrying over too much from year to year either. I’m actually doing reasonably well on each challenge individually, but it’s the overall total that’s a bit worrying. I’ve found that on average, I need to read 13 books per month to stay on track, and in the early parts of the year, I was pretty consistently below that. It’s left me in a bit of a tight spot for the last two months!
I’m sure the statistics are hardly the most interesting part of the challenge, but I’m going to wait until closer to the end of the year to post about some of the best books I’ve read for my challenges this year. I’m also in the very, very early stages of planning books and strategizing a bit for next year’s Around the Year and PopSugar challenges. I’m planning on attempting BookRiot again as well, depending on how much the prompts appeal to me whenever that list finally comes out. For now, the goal is to just keep reading and try to complete as many of my challenges as possible this year!
Abyssal Librarian 