DECEMBER - Exploding BOMBS Report

Sorry, about the delay. I didn't want you all to not have the December thread so here it is and I'll update the OP when the numbers are finished.






November - we're a bit behind of our target with 82% for the end of month. We need to focus and clear those books from our shelves and get the fireworks popping! The finale in the fireworks is always massive, let's not disappoint. The tickers (password BOMBS) are set so everyone can add their numbers to the totals.

Here are the standings at the end of NOVEMBER:
Together we've read 3,173 - NEARLY 400 BOOKS short of the average number of books for 12 months to reach our goal!!!
The follow members have reached their goals and are continuing to help us to the group target:
amz310783
rambinivy
Mandymere (going for a double)
bucketyell
Connie
torontoc
Benita
tloeffler
streamsong
connie53
booksloth
doglover58
jonesli
kirconnell
paeonia
rabbitprincess
tallulahrose
BILLIEJEAN
cyderry
fundvogel
robertgreaves
shearon
This month they were joined by:
auntmarge
deep220
hemlokgang
laura_88
rosefireandmoonshine
thorold

This month there are a few very close who could reach their GOALS so let's keep going - the goal for December is 3,873.

alphaorder 8 / 30 27%
amz310783 120 / 60 200%
AngelWitch 12 / 35 34%
AnnieMod 1 / 50 2%
arrwa 2 / 5 40%
auntmarge 54 / 50 108%
BBleil 3 / 25 12%
benitastrnad 42 / 24 175%
BILLIEJEAN 35 / 25 140%
booksloth 53 / 50 106%
bowerbirds 3 / 36 8%
bragan 93 / 100 93%
brewergirl 30 / 30 100%
bucketyell 108 / 50 216%
cait86 21 / 40 53%
caramellunacy 11 / 25 44%
carmenere 20 / 32 63%
Conachair 30 / 50 60%
clue 22 / 25 88%
connie53 25 / 18 139%
cyderry 88 / 80 110%
deadwhiteguys 6 / 31 19%
deep220 55 / 55 100%
deltaqueen 106 / 110 96%
detailmuse 35 / 40 88%
doglover58 26 / 26 100%
drachenbraut23 2 / 15 13%
duaney_h 7 / 20 35%
dudes22 60 / 70 86%
Ephemeralda 39 / 40 98%
FAMeulstee 16 / 15 107%
fjumonvi 2 / 25 8%
fundvogel 20 / 10 200%
helenbaker 46 / 50 92%
helenoel 11 / 25 44%
hemlokgang 30 / 30 100%
h-mb 1 / 30 3%
jonesli 134 / 120 112%
kac522 15 / 25 60%
karen_o 17 / 24 71%
kdogey 11 / 75 15%
kerryth 1 / 40 3%
kirconnell 30 / 25 120%
LA12Hernandez, 47 / 50 94%
laura_88 21 / 20 105%
laurabrook 92 / 100 92%
lauranav 15 / 30 50%
lindapanzo 91 / 100 91%
LittleTaiko 30 / 36 83%
lizamichelle 14 / 25 56%
lucindalibri 18 / 25 72%
maggie1944 1 / 10 10%
majkia 28 / 30 93%
mandymere 440 / 500 88%
melonbrawl 49 / 50 98%
meredy 25 / 49 51%
mrsrochester 23 / 75 31%
paeonia 25 / 24 104%
pawsforthought 4 / 14 29%
pigletto 21 / 40 53%
Quaisior 25 / 50 50%
rabbitprincess 61 / 45 136%
ramblingivy 36 / 10 360%
readingwithtea 1 / 25 4%
riverwillow 40 / 100 40%
robertgreaves 41 / 35 117%
rocketjk 19 / 21 90%
rosefireandmoonshine 104 / 100 104%
sandykaypax 3 / 26 12%
sarahbradshaw 21 / 30 70%
seasons of love 45 / 60 75%
shabacus 2 / 40 5%
shearon 23 / 20 115%
sjmccreary 3 / 10 30%
squeakychu 14 / 20 70%
staffordcastle 25 / 35 71%
streamsong 43 / 30 143%
sturlington 3 / 20 15%
tallulahrose 25 / 20 125%
thorold 60 / 60 100%
tloeffler 66 / 50 132%
torontoc 39 / 30 130%
tropics 14 / 25 56%
tuckea 1 / 12 8%
tututhefirst 10 / 20 50%
tymfos 54 / 60 90%

Here's my ticker still going strong.
I reached my goal plus some, and I'm hoping to add a few more in December.

I'm at 91 books read, leaving me with 9 to read for December. I've got one or two library books so it'll be close.

Just checking in and marking the thead.

December ticker. I have an obscene stack of library books out at the moment but am making extensive use of the renew function to ensure I get some BOMBS in too!

Here's mine for December. Dash for the end!

Thank you from all those of us who are not going to make it to those of you going over and above :)

Hello everyone! Here I am with my December ticker. So far, I've read 6 books in December (as of December 29, 2012). I reached my goal of 100 books read as of November 15, 2012 and have raised my goal to 130 books read in 2012. I'm behind by about 17 books read for my yearly goal, which is about 13% left to go for me to reach my total. Not that I'm absolutely sure that I will meet my total by the end of the year.

I'm not even really trying all that hard to meet my new overall goal for 2012 - I've already met it twice so far! I'm just moseying along, happily reading my books at my own pace! So, as of right now, I'm at 110 out of 130 books read and looking forward to steaming onwards toward my new goal! :) Happy reading to you all! :)



Here are my monthly totals again:

January 2012
Total books read: 10
Total rereads: 2
Total acquisitions: 6
Books taken off my TBR pile and sent to new homes: 6

February 2012
Total books read: 9
Total rereads: 1
Total acquisitions: 1
Books taken off my TBR pile and sent to new homes: 8

March 2012
Total books read: 7
Total rereads: 3
Total acquisitions: 6
Books taken off my TBR pile and sent to new homes: 6

April 2012
Total books read: 9
Total rereads: 3
Total acquisitions: 5
Books taken off my TBR pile and sent to new homes: 8

May 2012
Total books read: 9
Total rereads: 0 (yes!)
Total acquisitions: 3 (3 ebooks)
Books taken off my TBR pile and sent to new homes: 6

June 2012
Total books read: 9
Total rereads: 1
Total acquisitions: 11
Books taken off my TBR pile and sent to new homes: 13

July 2012
Total books read: 9
Total rereads: 1
Total acquisitions: 51
Books taken off my TBR pile and sent to new homes: 6

August 2012
Total books read: 11
Total rereads: 1
Total acquisitions: 4
Books taken off my TBR pile and sent to new homes: 6

September 2012
Total books read: 10
Total rereads: 2
Total acquisitions: 3 (1 ebook)
Books taken off my TBR pile and sent to new homes: 5

October 2012
Total books read: 10
Total rereads: 0 (yes!)
Total acquisitions: 11
Books taken off my TBR pile and sent to new homes: 22

November 2012
Total books read: 11
Total rereads: 2
Total acquisitions: 7
Books taken off my TBR pile and sent to new homes: 9

December 2012
Total books read: 6 (as of December 29, 2012)
Total rereads: 1 (as of December 11, 2012)
Total acquisitions: 13 (as of December 25, 2012)
Books taken off my TBR pile and sent to new homes: 7 (as of December 28, 2012)

Average time between acquisition and reading: approximately three years (gasp!)
Average number of rereads of acquisitions: 1
TBR books still waiting for new homes: 151

Here is the link to my personal thread as well: http://www.librarything.com/topic/138329

I reached my target of 60 BOMBS cleared at the end of last month, slightly to my own surprise. 58 out of the 93 books left on the TBR shelf were there before the start of 2012 and thus qualify as BOMBS, so there's still work to do in December, but the motivation is a little bit less now.

It may look as though I've been more moderate in my book buying, given that the total TBR is about 25% down on the start of the year, but I think that's just the effect of e-books, since there's no need to buy those until the moment you're ready to start reading them.

:) I've wondered what the tickers do when you exceed goal -- and now I see by all the examples above that they just keep on! Congratulations!

edited to remove my ticker ... reset it ... and begin 2013!
(My year-end totals are in msg 207 below.)

one more month to go!

Here's my ticker:




4 Book to Go!!

I've finished 7 more off of my Shelf, bringing my total to 92 as of today, December 1st. (Haven't updated the tickers, obvs, since they're not there.)

Hi! Just starring this thread and posting my ticker:

Books read from my book shelf, with a goal of 53 60:



I'm currently working on a book I've had on my shelf for a while. If my reading plan for the month works out, I should make my goal. (But I never follow my reading plans . . .)

Might not get many books this month... so no point updating my total. Will just apply the couple extra books past goal to the group.

1. The Bloody Shirt by Stephen Budiansky
2. Blackwater by Joyce Carol Oats
3. Terminal Freeze by Lincoln Child
4. The Serpent on the Crown by Elizabeth Peters
5. Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife by Linda Berdoll

Plus 17 books donated.

Here's my ticker!




Barring catastrophe, I think I shouldn't have too much trouble reaching my goal this month, but, oy, the state of my TBR Pile...

Here is my ticker plus a link to my personal thread:




I hit my target of 30 but will try to get a couple more read in December!

OKAY, EVERYONE, THE 2013 GROUP IS UP AND READY FOR THOSE WHO ARE READY TO START THEIR PLANNING FOR 2013'S EFFORTS.

http://www.librarything.com/groups/root2013readourownto

Did better than I expected in November -- starting December with one more book to go!




Personal thread is here.

Okay, I think I have to admit to myself that's it for 2012 reading:
Total: 51/50

See you all in 2013!

On the homeward straight. Hope I can achieve it in this crazy busy month...

I added one more to my ticker yesterday - Artemis Fowl but with internet connection issues I wasn't able to get a post through to here. One more book to go to reach my goal and I'm reading it now, Yay! And, I'll try to add some more this month to help out with overall goals.

I did not update the group ticker (due to same connectivity issues). The wilderness is great except for the internet!

Now new BOMBS in November.

Knocked one out of the park today--that makes me 16 done toward my goal of 25. I got the rest lined up....tickers updated.

one more bomb for me which makes me reach my goal of 30 BOMBS!

A Test of Wills by Charles Todd.




I've got three more BOMBS planned for the month so hopefully I'll be helping the group stats.

I'm also closing in on my 75 for the year! Yay! I might make it! At the beginning of the year, I'd have been happy with 50 for the year.

Yay, congratulations!

Congratulations!

I am so far behind. Thanks to all who exceeded their goals. I'm still plugging away...just not fast enough.

First Bomb for the month, only 3 to go to meet target. Tickers updated.

First one for me this month. I've decide to adjust tickers as I go this month instead of waiting till the end. Only 9 to go - and I probably won't make it, but I'm pressing on. I have an ER book that I got last Dec, started, and then quit on that I'm going to try and finish at last. That will count.

I finished The Tempest today and have adjusted the tickers.

Everybody just keep plugging along. We all had a goal to read our books, that 's the main goal, if we reach the right number of books that's the icing on the cake.

Remember reading is the main objective!

Congratulations, Majkia.

OK, I've finished one off that's been on the shelf for 2 1/2 years, City of Refuge by Tom Piazza. I will update the tickers.

Congrats, majkia!

And to everyone else: You can do it!!

Finished my first book of the month, which brings me to 23/30. Have updated the ticker.

Finished another, have updated the ticker.

Finished a book that's been on my shelf since the early 2000's--I've now read 17 toward my goal of 25. I've updated the tickers.

added one more

I met my goal of 50 books for the year. There are still some books I plan to read before the year is over.

Just read one more for the year, one beyond my goal. will update the tickers.

Great work, majkia!

Great job everyone!!!

Is anyone else having trouble updating tickers? Whenever I try to update one, I'm getting screens to configure a NEW ticker! It's not very useful.

So am I! I tried in two different browsers, too. And it won't even let me create a new ticker on the "configure new ticker" screen! Hmph.

That just happened to me too, I'm glad to see it's not only me!

I just finished 3 more, which brings my total to 95. Guess I'll update the tickers (both mine and the ones up top) at a later date! Only 5 more to go!

Congrats to all of the new finishers!

I tried two different browsers, too! Same result with both. :(

It's just as well. Right now, I'd be adding to the "books purchased" ticker, and that one is already way over its limit.

I, too, just tried to update and no luck.

I've detonated another BOMB! I finished A Midsummer Night's Dream today (it was a re-read). I haven't been able to update any of the tickers (neither mine nor the group's) because of TickerFactory being a pain in the *rse.

Still, I'm at 6/14 now, and think I might be able to pull it off. I have more time to read now than I did in October and November.

I can't update my ticker either, but I did detonate another BOMB. I should now be at 15 out of 20 (75%). I hope to do at least one more before year's end and decrease my goal to 15 ROOTS for 2013. :)

I just tried to update my ticker as well, looks like I had not updated since September. So I've read 25/32. Not too shabby.

I finished another book this evening so I'm at 93/100.

None of my tickers is working. Very annoying.

I just did something that could be called cheating, I redefined my challenge and adjusted the numbers.

I had originally defined BOMBS as book that had entered the TBR shelf before 2012. This included several series which I had not started or paused because I was still missing some books. I started reading these series this year purchasing the missing books when I got to that point in the series. I had not counted these books before since they were newly bought books, but since I read them as part of the series I thought strictly speaking they had been on the to read pile all along, just not physically, so I just went back and included all those in my count.

Together with the three book I finished so far this month this brings me up to 40/50 so far. Too bad tickers are not working.

oh no conachair... we are going to send you out in front of a firing squad. I count books that i got in Jan if I haven't read them by Oct... I think it is very arbitrary...

I also had to reduce my goal when I signed up for the colleges load this last semester because reading just wasn't going to be happening. So maybe I need to be placed in front of the firing squad with you...

we will be sacrificed for a good cause.

Glad that it's just not me having trouble with the tickers, I hope they get it fixed soon as I am fast approaching my goal and would like to be able to post it on the ticker!

I managed to perform three more controlled detonations over the weekend, so I'm currently on 63/60, three BOMBS over my target for the year. I probably won't manage any more (but you never know...).

That's great! Congratulations, and thanks for helping the group reach the target.

Now I'm at 16/20. Still can't update my ticker, though.

Just added one more book but couldn't update the group ticker.

55 I 've adjusted my rules this year to count any book I own, however fleetingly; but I have a monthly minimum that has to be pre-2012 or an ER book. (I had to include ER books because I was not getting reviews done due to passing over them when I needed a book for this challenge.) Next year, I'm including some books I borrowed from a friend that I need to get back to her.

I think however each of us wants to handle this is fine.

Finished a book that's been on my shelf since at least 2009. This makes my progress 18 read toward my goal of 25.

I was not able to update the tickers.

one more for me, bringing my total to 32, two beyond my goal. :)

ETA: I've updated the group tickers and my own. I'm having no trouble with tickerfactory.com unlike a lot of people. odd.

TickerFactory seems to be working again. I updated the group tickers to include the book I finished a few days ago.

Here is my updated ticker to date

I'm back to having the problem I had before Ticker Factor stopped recognizing my ticker altogether -- I can bring up the screen to update, but it won't let me type in the password. Really odd.

This is my ticker updated and ready.

OK, I can update tickers if I use the Internet Explorer browser -- but not with Chrome.

Chrome just worked for me.

I wonder why it won't for me? Must be something in the software settings somewhere . . . anyway, I think I'm up to date on ticker entries now.

While it wasn't working at all, I did take the opportunity to get rid of my ticker for books acquired. I was way over my limit . . . I'll try again next year.

Try clearing the cache and erasing cookies. That usually helps.

72 You're right. That did it!

I'm working on three more "BOMBS" now. I may actually make my goal!

Hurrah for you!

Hello everyone! Just a bit of an update for you all: 2 more books have flown off of my TBR pile and arrived safely in Washington, D. C. yesterday. I have now purged or donated a shocking total of 100 books for this year - one was actually an ebook, so that was the only book that I actually purged, but the other 99 books were actual, physical books that were mailed off of my TBR pile and went to various states in America! I'm just going to keep going along with my total, I'm just basking in the total delight that 100 books are no longer in my library - granted I've added, ahem... a grand total of 112 new books so far this year - but I'm basking in small victories at the moment! :)

Great Job!

I met my challenge: 50 in 2012! Don't worry, I plan to keep going. :)

*does a little dance*

yay! another challenge met! Good going melonbrawl!

Super job, melonbrawl!

Congratulations, melonbrawl!

Just finished my #27; have updated the ticker.

Don't expect that ticker to move a pixel past 22 by the end of the month. I'm reading The Gulag Archipeligo.

Oh, jeez. You've got a lot ahead, than. I'm in pretty deep myself. I'm reading the King James Bible (audiobook, thank goodness) AND Ulysses.

83 Wow! That's ambitious . . .

Or pretentious...

One more book done. Only two to go... Tickers updated.

Well done! We've reached 8200 books now! Only 673 left - we can do it!

I think if you finish Ulysses you deserve whatever pretensions you might have about it.

I finshed another one today! Christopher Marlowe's Edward II. Have updated the tickers.

I finished another: The Lost Stradivarius by John Meade Falkner. Updating tickers.

Finished second for the month- Blackwater by Joyce Carol Oats. Great book.

I just finished one more book and will try to update the ticker with my last 2 books read.

I have completed my goal of 110 books read off my shelves for the year!!! I will however, keep adding books until the end of the month to help with the group cause.

Congratulations DQ!

yay, DQ!

Amazing! Congratulations!

Holy cow! 110 books...that's amazing.

WOW, 110 books! Well done and congratulations.

I'm up to 18/20! Updated ticker.

Third book of the month down. Terminal Freeze by Lincoln Child I will admit this book was kind of cheesy but I like it. I needed something to get my mind off of finals and didn't actually require any thinking on my part. The book fit the part perfectly.

Great job to everyone! I can't believe how much everyone has read this year!

One more down! De hongerspelen by Suzanne Collins

I'v update my own ticker and will try to update the group ticker.

Edit: I think i did update the percentage and the amount of books ticker.

I finished one more! A re-read of Romeo & Juliet - I haven't read it for years and was a bit worried that time would've changed my taste but I loved it as much as I did when I first read it in high school.

I have updated the tickers.

Finished my third of the month, Blue Lightning by Ann Cleeves. I need three more to make my goal of 60. I'm aiming to try and reach that goal . . . (I think I can, I think I can . . .)

Updating tickers.

Go, go Tymfos! You can!

I've finished another book (well, a play): Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. I loved the fact that is was (spoiler) the women who were clever and figured out the best was to solve the problem, but the anti-semitism was really grating. I know it's a matter of it being of its time, but it makes for uncomfortable reading.

I've updated the tickers.

Paws, I tend to think that the discomfort from the anti-Semitism is a good thing; that Shakespeare was actually working against it in this play.

That's what I tell myself, too.

Another Book off the shelf completed A Tale of Two Cities. That brings me up to 26 thus far

Another one down -- this time off my virtual bookshelf, but it counts. The E-book of Mad Mouse by Chris Grabenstein is my fourth "BOMB" of the month. Tickers updated.

I finished another one. Another Marlowe, this time The Jew of Malta which I found a bit difficult to understand (I had to read a synopsis to make sure I got everything right) but with less anti-semitism than The Merchant of Venice.

I have updated the tickers.

That's interesting, PawsforThought. When we looked at The Merchant of Venice at school many, many years ago, we were told that its anti-semitism was due to its source material in The Jew of Malta. Of course in those days it was very difficult for school children to check a statement like that, even if it wold have occurred to them to do so.

I can see that the themes in The Merchant of Venice was taken from The Jew of Malta and the characters in both plays are definitely anti-semitic, but I felt there was a clear difference in the feel of the play. In TMoV, Shylock is evil and greedy just because (or just because that's how jews are), whereas in TJoM, Barabas is evil because people have treated him unjustly and he has erason to be mean to them (althought obviously he goes way, way to far).
I just had a lot more sympathy for Barabas than I did for Shylock and I was genuinely wondering if it had something to do with possible religious differences between Marlowe and Shakespeare.

I haven't read either of these, but I have read Marlowe's Doctor Faustus which I think bares mention. Doctor Faustus is unabashedly a morality play. Something I learned far more of than I ever wanted in my world lit class. It is debatable how much of the moralizing and religiosity reflected Marlowe's thoughts and how much of it was just him giving the audience what they wanted/expected. However there is a small, but unavoidable Jewish role in the story.

When Faust decides to make a bargain with the Devil he is faced with a very practical problem. He isn't sure how to get a hold of Ol' Scratch. Then a light bulb appears over his head. "Oh! I'll just ask my neighbor Schmitbergstein!*" And sure enough as a Jew the neighbor is of course on friendly terms with the Devil and sets up a meeting quick as you please. That Jews consorted with the Devil was apparently common knowledge at the time. I also picked up from a cool book on theophagy that it was commonly held that Jews would "torture" the eucharist, an act that might involve boiling the holy host or stabbing it or whatever. This was a pretty vile accusation at the time as it was held that the host was not just the body of Christ but that "torture" exacted on it was the same as torturing Christ. On the other hand they tried not to think about what happened to the host after it was swallowed. :)

None of this really does much to sort where Marlowe fell on the range antisemitism. But given the world back then I'd say at best he was less antisemitic than those around him.

*I don't remember the character's actual name, the point is his only defining characteristics were being Jewish and tight the Devil.

Oh, I'm not saying he was somehow perfect in terms of religious tolerance - I just think that his assumed atheism might cause him to be less ferocious when it came to religon other that the nationally "accepted" one. I have no proof to back that up, it's just the feeling I got from reading THe Merchant of Venice and The Jew of malta back-to-back. I haven't read Doctor Faustus yet (I'll get to it later this week) but I'll keep what you said in mind when I do.

Where did you hear he was an atheist? I'd heard he probably privately held some not so socially acceptable positions for the day but I hadn't heard it was as much as that. That's pretty radical if it's true.

Pretty much every piece of writing I've ever read about him (which admittedly isn't a GREAT deal, but still) has mentioned that he was possibly an atheist.
There is a mention of it - and a discussion on whether it was true or not - on Wikipedia too (not the greatest source in the world, but there are references).
My knowledge of Marlowe before reading his works these last couple of days has pretty much been "the gay atheist writer who was a contemporary os Shakespeare and then got killed in a pub" (not the most accurate description ever, but that's what I had, and that's the view a lot of people have).

December report:

Bombs detonated: 5
Duds: 4
Added to the pile: 0

Not added to the ticker.

As I'm leaving for my Christmas/New Year trip on Friday morning I won't be taking anything more off the TBR pile this year, although I will be reading some more duds. And no doubt getting some more books to add to the pile when I get back home!

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it, and Kewl Yule to those who don't.

Well one more for me. I'm still 8 short and not likely to make it, but I press on. Tickers updated.

Those of you interested in Marlowe might enjoy The Reckoning by Charles Nicholl, which is written like a murder mystery - very interesting!

119. Oh, thanks for the tip. I'll definitely check it out. I listened to The Christopher Marlowe Mysteries last week and it's really great. I kept thinking "if only someone would make this into a TV show - it'd be so great"# (and it would be, sort of Sherlock-like).

I don't expect to read any more TBRs for the year, need to read for bookclub. I've very much enjoyed this thread, thanks to all and hope to "see" you in 2013!

Three books from reaching my goal of 100 books!!

Go Linda!!

Remember Thomas the Train - I think I can, I think I can....

123/124 I've got about an hour more to work and then I'm done for the year. I'll have plenty of holiday goings on but, after Tuesday, a few days of R&R. That's Reading and Relaxing.

Closing in . . . Finished two BOMBS so far in December: The Plague by Albert Camus and Monday or Tuesday by Virginia Woolf (audiobook version from librivox).

So that brings me to 20/25 of my BOMBS for 2012! Wuu Huu!!
I'll be trying to finish more during the Final 2012 ReadaThing.

Just finished another - updating the ticker.

One more off the shelf--I've now finished 19 toward my goal of 25. I've got at least 1 or 2 more that I think I can do before the 31st. Updated tickers.

Since completing the challenge I have completed four more books from my TBR pile, so I have added them to the tickers.

That's nice work Paeonia!

Closing in towards my goal. Two left to go!!

One more read and added to the ticker

number 27: Vlammen by Suzanne Collins

TO EVERYONE...

One book left to go, to reach my goal. Maybe I can pitch in a couple of extras.

I just realized I forgot to update the ticker for the last book off my shelf. Although I won't each my goal, I'm trying to get as close as I can.

2 more off the shelf to add to the group total :)




Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season, and I'm looking forward to clearing more bookshelves in 2013!

I am one short of my goal for this year. My excuse is that I'm in the middle of an "unputdownable" book now. As a result, I plan to lower my goal a tad for next year. I think I did quite well for 2012, though.




Thanks, Cheli, for a very worthwhile challenge. I'm much looking forward to the ROOTS challenge of 2013.

I am pleased to report that I have reached my goal!! 100 of 100 pre-2012 books read! And quite a challenge that was this year, with all the exciting new books that somehow kept making their way onto my shelves.

I might or might not be done yet. It's a little unlikely, but far from impossible, that I'll add at least one more book to my ticker before the year is over. But now is a good time to celebrate! Yay!

Happy holidays to all!

Bragan! cheering for you!!!

>140 connie53:: Thanks! I am doing the happy dance!

Finished TWO more BOMBS during the Final 2012 ReadaThing!

Beyond the Body Farm by Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson
and
Poems by Anna Akhmatova selected and translated by Lyn Coffin

SO, that brings me to 22/25 . . . I just might make it to 25!!

Best of all . . . Beyond the Body Farm was a book loaned to me by a friend . . . so now I can return it and REALLY get a book off of my bookshelves!

I finished one more. This time a bit (!) more massive than the Elizabethan/Jacobean plays I've been racing through the past couple of weeks (and will continue reading until New Year's).
It was an audiobook version (and a d*mn good one by the National Theatre) of the King James Bible.
I've never read the whole bible before - being non-Christian it hasn't exactly been at the top of my list - but I found if quite interesting. Obviously I knew parts of it already but there were bits that I was completely or mostly new to.
The reading is in most parts excellent. There are bits where the narrators change WAY to often but all the narrators are great and especially the ones in the Songs of Solomon and the books of Moses.

I've now read 11 out of 14 planned BOMBS. I've updated the tickers.

one more read-makes 44 so far.

Another one bites the dust--20 done toward my goal of 25. Tickers updated.

I am finishing the year with 26 BOMBS against my goal of 20 -- not bad. My three for December are : Pasta Noir: 40 Postmodern Pasta Recipes from Joyce to Hemingway, Freud to George Bush, a set of essays (with recipes) parodying writers, philosophers, politicians, etc. -- fun, but the e-book format didn't quite work, False Friend by Myla Goldberg, a so-so novel about memory and guilt, and Loving Frank by Nancy Horan, the love story about Frank Llyod Wright and Mamah Borthwick -- by far, the best of the month.

BOMBS has been a great challenge for me this year. I got through 26 books, many of which would, no doubt, otherwise still be on my shelves (or in my Kindle). While I exceed my "goal" I didn't get to as many member giveaway books as I would have liked (7 of 26), so I will have to try more on that in 2013.

Thanks very much to cyderry for organizing and managing this challenge.

Best holiday wishes to all.

(I have not touched the tickers.)

I've finished one more - The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen and have updated the tickers.

Alright everyone, time for the last big push toward that goal!

Read those books, read those books!

book 5 for the month Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife by Linda Berdoll which brings me to 60 bombs for the year 5 over my goal. I will try to squeeze one more out.

100 pages to go and after that my book can be added to the BOMBS.

Mission Accomplished!!

Late last night, I finished my 100th book from my shelves in 2012.

Doesn't matter when you are successful, just that you are!!

Great job!

Congratulations Linda!!

Congratulations!

Congratulations!

One more book.

I think I am going to be massive failure on the challenge, sorry, my job just became so insane from October that I essentially stopped reading for 2 months. I have resumed reading now and will update my totals on the 31st but will be a long way off my goal. Have signed up for the ROOTS challenge next year, though

Thank you Cyderry.

I'm still reading Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler but I hope to have it finished by the end of the month. I've got roughly about 75 pages left to read in this book, so watch for me to potentially add one more by December 31, 2012! Fingers crossed! :)

As it stands now, my newly revised totals (as of December 29, 2012) are:

December 2012
Total books read: 6 (as of December 29, 2012)
Total rereads: 1 (as of December 11, 2012)
Total acquisitions: 13 (as of December 25, 2012)
Books taken off my TBR pile and sent to new homes: 7 (as of December 28, 2012)

That breaks down as:

1 'old' books read from my TBR pile - books that have been on my TBR pile for five years or longer that I have read for the first time this month.

3 'new' books read from my TBR pile - books that I received in December and read the same month.

1 'aging' books read from my TBR pile - books that I received a year ago or less that I have read for the first time this month.

1 'rereads' from my TBR pile - books that I can remember reading at least a decade ago, but that I read again this month.

I recently received notification that 7 books were taken off my TBR pile and sent to new homes as of December 28, 2012.

As it stands now, I have read 110 books out of 130 that I want to read in 2012 and have donated or purged 102 books out of 130 in 2012. I'm doing so well in my goals so far. :)

I have not touched any of the tickers except my own. :)

I have signed for the ROOTS Challenge in 2013 and set my personal reading goal at 111 Books Read in 2013! See you all next year! Thanks cyderry! :)

Neutralized 6 BOMBS in December for a total of 67. Haven't updated the group tickers.

Well that is my goal achieved for the year 50/50. A vast improvement on last year's Books off the Shelf. I will take a couple of days to contemplate next years goal but will definitely be joining ROOT. I need to have a recount of books to see whether I have read more than I have purchased and will take a page out of others books and create a ticker to keep track of and try and curb my purchasing.

way to go, Helen!

Congratulations, HelenBaker!

Another book completed, but I think that will be the last one for this year. My final total stands at 21 read toward my goal of 25.

I'm disappointed that I didn't make my goal. I've decided to add the books I didn't explode this year (4) to next year's goal. I originally planned for 25 again, so my new goal will be 29. I'm determined to finish them all, and since I bought 50+ books this year, I have plenty to choose from.

Tickers updated.

Congrats, Helen!

->163 kac522:: That's the spirit!

I finshed one more!
Shakespeare's Twelfth Night is now officially in the "read" pile and I can scratch it off my TBR list. Feels very good.

I listened to the audio version with a generally good cast but David Tennant as Malvolio was particularly good (his monologue about his love for Olivia and the love letter was one of the best parts). I'm sure the Dr. Who fans who are rife here on LT could appreciate that part.

Oh, and I've updated the tickers.

Finished another one . . . Lying Awake by Mark Salzman

Up to 23/25 . . . wuu hoo!!




(And I'm nearly done with two others . . . I think I'm going to make it . . . thanks largely to the Final 2012 ReadaThing!)

go Lucindia!

question- I just had to do a little bit of shelve cleaning- I get a lot of hand me down books that really are not my genres and I just did a purge to make room for my new Christmas books... Should I count those towards the group ticker? They had been donated to the library to find a better home. 17 books total marched out the door.

>168 deep220: I only count books I've actually read, but others may do it differently.

#168 That's completely up to you. I myself do yount books that I gave away as 'from the shelf' since I don't longer feel to get them read. If your own rules allow yourself to count books that you've 'just' given away, then in my opinion, we can as well yount them for the group tickers and your own goal of course.

I thought the challenge was to read them or at least try to read them. But i'm not sure.

I finished another one: number 28: Suzanne Collins - Spotgaai




I'm going to update the group tickers too.

And that's my last BOMB. I started in a book i've just bought, so that doesn't count.

I seems I never posted my ticker for this month, ups.




It looks like I'll fall short on my challenge, I don't think I will quite get there until tomorrow.

# 171 connie: The challenge is what you make of it. Everyone can make rules according to their own needs and feelings. The only thing we all try is to reduce the amount of books in the To-be-read category. How every single one accomplishes that is their decision. Some only like to count those books they've actually read, some count those acquired prior a certain date, some count every book on the shelf that's been unread regardles of acquisition date and some count those they read plus those they give away. One way or the other - the goal remains the same. :-)

#168 I have already surpassed my individual goal so I think I will apply them to the group ticker. I did get them off my shelves :)

OK when I posted my last message about failing this challenge, I'd forgotten that a while ago I'd change it to cover every book I read this year and, I've just had a quick tot up of my reading log and I've read 107 books so far - I've still got some books to log so this will increase. Is this cheating?

Have updated the main tickers on the hope this isn't a complete cheat.

One more down: Beat Fatigue with Yoga

So that's 24/25 . . . with over a day to go!
I can finish . . . Yes I Can!

Another one bites the dust!

Finished Marlowe's Tamburlaine, part 1 - what a ride! It was a really great read and the reading by the BBC (staging, really as it was an audio play) was superb.

That takes me to 13/14 and only one more BOMB until I've reached my target. I feel very confident about it - I have more audio plays stacked up and waiting on my ipod.

I've updated the tickers.

I think I've completed mine for the year too. Two more BOMBs in December leaves me at a total of 55 read, exceeding my target of 50 by 5. Well done everyone else who made it this year and commiserations to those who fell short. I've updated both tickers as usual and will soon be taking the plunge for 2013.

>173 Tallulah_Rose:. Okay, I understand, I really do.

But that makes the ROOT challenge 2013 a reading one! Since the R in ROOT stands for Read! ;-)))

I've finished another one - The Chocolate Cat Caper by JoAnna Carl. That still leaves me 5 short of my goal for this year. Too many new and shiny books to distract me. I've got a lot to do over the next couple of days, so I think I'll throw in the towel and move on to next year.

As far as counting books purged but not read, I keep a separate note on my thread so I'm aware of the impact on my total books, but I don't count them toward my goal if I don't read them.

Finished my last book of the year, which brings my total to 24/30. Have updated the ticker. Unfortunately I have failed to reach my target. Hopefully I'll have better luck in 2013.

I didn't post my ticker this month either.




Two finished for a year end total of 45.

Finished for the year, final totals are 115 books read off my shelf for the year, 9 books for the month of December. I haven't posted to the group ticker. Hope to see everyone over at the ROOTs Challenge.

I'm almost there, I've finished 5 in the last couple of weeks, so if I can just read 3 more in the next day and a half, I'll have made my goal! Crossing fingers and reading like crazy!




Just in case I didn't post earlier in the month when Ticker Factory was having some issues...

Since we have a visitor over the next days I think I'll not be finishing any more books for this year. Ive finished one more book in december bringing me to a total of 26 BOMBS for 2012.
For my second challenge I have to report that I failed miserably. I've added to many books to my TBR... my goal was to read 20 books more off the shelf than I added to it. All in all I added 29 books to the TBR, that means I would have needed to read 49 BOMBS. Yes... don't need to say more do I? ;-)

But, on the bright site, you have a bigger choice in ROOTs!

Well yeah, that's quite right. Always look on the bright side ;-)

site--side! :-)

I did it!! I finished Immaculate Midnight by Ellen Hart which brings me to 25/25 of my BOMBS Challenge 2012! Wuu Hoo!!

Congratulations! Well done!

I will add one more to mine and the group ticker. It is one I gave up on last week and it is definitely off my shelf.
Happy reading in the New Year everyone and see you on the ROOT thread.

I DID IT! I DID IT! I DID IT!

Just in time for New Year's dinner I finished one more book and have now officially read all 14 planned BOMBS.

This last book was Marlowe's Doctor Faustus, which was a rather exciting read. I was familiar with the story of Faust making a pact with the devil and exchanging his soul for knowledge but I hadn't read this version so it was fun to do it. I officially love CHristopher Marlowe and this was quite the treat.

14/14!

I've updated all tickers.

Good for you, PfT! Well done.

I read 2 books off my shelf in December. I did not update the tickers.

Well done PfT. Nice to meet another Marlowe fan.

Please be sure to have your 2012 tickers up to date or totals for the year posted here. I will be making the final tallies tomorrow if I survive morning brunch (mimosas - yum).

196. Recent convert, thought always suspected I'd like him.

I've updated my ticker to reflect the 26 bombs I launched this year. Thanks for drawing me into the fold, cheli and Happy New Year!

I just finished up 2012 with my 22nd off-the-shelfer, The Norman Achievement: 1050-1100 by David Charles Douglas. So I beat my 21-book goal by one!

As it stands now, my newly revised totals (as of December 29, 2012) are:

December 2012
Total books read: 6 (as of December 29, 2012)
Total rereads: 1 (as of December 11, 2012)
Total acquisitions: 13 (as of December 25, 2012)
Books taken off my TBR pile and sent to new homes: 7 (as of December 28, 2012)

That breaks down as:

1 'old' books read from my TBR pile - books that have been on my TBR pile for five years or longer that I have read for the first time this month.

3 'new' books read from my TBR pile - books that I received in December and read the same month.

1 'aging' books read from my TBR pile - books that I received a year ago or less that I have read for the first time this month.

1 'rereads' from my TBR pile - books that I can remember reading at least a decade ago, but that I read again this month.

I recently received notification that 7 books were taken off my TBR pile and sent to new homes as of December 28, 2012.

As it stands now, I have read 110 books out of 130 that I want to read in 2012 and have donated or purged 102 books out of 130 in 2012. I'm doing so well in my goals so far. :)

I have not touched any of the tickers except my own. :)

I have signed for the ROOTS Challenge in 2013 and set my personal reading goal at 111 Books Read in 2013! See you all next year! Thanks cyderry! :) Happy New Year to everyone! :) I look forward to being part of this lovely group for a long time to come.

I detonated four bombs in December, Cheli, which makes 40 overall.

Happy New Year to you, and thank you for running this group.

ps. I haven't touched the ticker for months.

Finished the year with 57 BOMBS read. That is 7 over my goal. I will be skipping this Challenge in 2013 but may be coming back in 2014. Hope everyone has a great reading year and may you never be without a book.

Happy new year to all of you! I am really excited to see how we've done in 2012! Thanks cyderry for all the effort you put into this! You're doind a great job!

(Sorry for the exclamation marks, I'm a bit overly motivated)

Just adding my thanks too. You've really given yourself a full-time job with this cyderry and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Looking forward to those final results.

I finished at 37/40. Adding my congratulations to everyone for so many TBRs read and huge thanks to cyderry!

Final ticker:




20 out of 20! I didn't think I could do it.

Thanks to you, Cheli, my older books have gotten more than a cursory glance this year. I'm very much looking forward to the 2013 ROOTS challenge, although I set my sights a bit lower. In the event I finish my challenge in 2013, I'll be happy to read a few more ROOTs to help others achieve our mutual goal.

Have a great year, Cheli, and many thanks!

My final number read is 114. I didn't update the ticker. Congrats everyone!

My final total for 2012 is 21 read out of 25. I know I wouldn't have done it without this group! Thanks to cyderry for a fantastic job of keeping us motivated and reading!

Well, the tally is finished and together we read 3,456 books of the 3,873 goal. That's nearly 90 percent!

In December, we acknowledge that the following readers achieved their goals:
bragan, clue, Ephemeralda, LA12Hernandez, lindapanzo, squeakychu, LauraBrook, Pawsforthought, rocketjk, and tututhefirst. Others made a valiant effort so we salute them as well.

I want to thank everyone who participated in the challenge and helped make it fun to read
BOOKS OFF MY BOOK SHELVES!

Now we are all set to Read Our Own Tomes - let's all ROOT together!

I've managed to make my goal as well! I finished the last three and made my goal of 100 with 10 minutes to spare before midnight. Phew!

Here's hoping that next year I can finish my challenge with a bit more time to spare. :)

Congrats, adjusted the totals.

#211> I achieved my goal in December as well.

211. I reached my target too. :)

Congratulations to all who made their goals, and wishing Happy (Book-Filled) New Year to all of you!

Sorry Paws and rocketjk, I missed that. Congrats!
I have inserted you in the list.

High five to the other December achievers! A great effort in the last month did not go unrewarded! :)

Hi, everyone! Congrats to all on good reading. I got sick didn't finish any more books than what I posted earlier this month, so I fell two short of my goal with 58 out of 60 for the year.

>219 tymfos:. Great effort nonetheless. Wishing you good health this year. I, too completed my goal of 50. Into the new challenge!

I forgot to report at the end of November so for the last two months of the year I completed 9 BOMBS for a total of 26 for the year just barely surpassing my goal of 24.

I haven't updated any tickers. There are some things that are just beyond me when I'm limited to the iPad.

I added my books for November and December. Sorry so late. I read 16 and updated the ticker.