Book Challenges by Bonnie Le Hamilton

 

I’ve read a lot online about book challenges. Most are a challenge to read, like fifty books a year.

I, personally, don’t think I can manage that.

Not that I don’t like to read; I do. I own a lot of books, both physical and digital copies. But I’m such a slow reader that getting through that many books in a year seems daunting to me.

Then again, I’m presently on my sixth book so far this year. Some of those only took me two days to finish. The current one will be longer, but only because it’s so much bigger.

Finishing the whole series may take me a month, and that’s only seven books. Then again, the first five I’ve read included a four-book series, though those five books were by the same author.

Last year, I spent a couple of months going through my Dick and Felix Francis collection. And that is around thirty books. Maybe I did make fifty books last year.

I read my Francis collection, my HP collection, which does include The Tales From Beattle the Bard and Fantastic Beasts, and the five-book Percy Jackson series. I also went through all nineteen of my Box Car Children series. Of course, all those are easy reads.

And I have eleven books of a twelve-book series on my reader, as well as two other books.

No wait, those two other books were after the first, and some of the eleven were too.

Okay, I haven’t kept an accurate count of how many I’ve read and when.

I know I read a couple of my romance novels during that time.

Was it last year, or early this year? I can’t remember.

Okay, I do read, maybe I could read fifty books a year, but most of those would be relatively short romances rather than the longer, more detailed epics, which is what I’ve just started.

This series is actually, word-wise, longer and bigger than the HP series.

Then again, HP is supposed to be a children’s book, and The Work and The Glory is most definitely not a children’s book.

I did buy myself a bunch of new, or rather new to me, books over the holidays, and I really should read more of those. One of those four book series I read is part of the new purchases.

I finally acquired the final book of that series. I’d been holding off on reading it until I had all the books.

I was quite sure it would be good because I’ve owned one of the author’s earlier works for decades. She’s good. Actually, the fifth book I read from that author was rereading that earlier book. I still have her first published work, which I have read, just not recently.

Actually, one of the two romances I recently read was the newest book by a favorite author.

And yes, I have several favorite authors.

It partly depends on the genre, but even then, I could name one favorite, especially in romance.

And if you are asking, I’m sure I own way more books than Nativities.

I really need to complete my book inventory, which isn’t going to be easy, as often as I splurge on new books.

Not that I’m buying new (except in the digital form), I generally buy my books through Thrift Books these days.

The best part about Thrift Books is that I can get my hands on some classic titles, which I wouldn’t be able to do at a standard bookstore.

And, if you are asking, I’m positive I have way more books than Konnie has, simply because I have more room for books than she has, even if her house is bigger.

After all, I have a two-bedroom apartment to myself while she has a three-bedroom house, which she shares with three other people. So, she has a bigger house, but I have more personal space, which I don’t have to share. Unless you count Patches. And clearly, he doesn’t read, nor does he care how much space my book collection takes.

Well, maybe he would care if the books started to infringe on his living space, but it doesn’t right now!

And don’t expect me to consider whether or not Konnie can read fifty books in a year! Konnie can read way faster than I can. A book that will take two days to read will take her a matter of hours.

Anyway, are you a slow or fast reader? Do you think you can manage a fifty-book-a-year challenge? Or, like me, do you think that ideal is out of your league?

I personally don’t think I can manage more because I need some writing time, but also because I read slowly.

Anyway, happy writing, everyone!