Introductions

A space for us to get to know each other!

I'm Jim, 60, husband of 37 years, father of a son gainfully employed creating our robot overlords, who reads pretty much anything. We're in central Maryland with roots in Louisiana. I like to read (obviously), cook, trail bike riding/kayaking with mrsdrneutron, and want to learn to fly fish. Of course, LT is a big time sink, but mrsdrneutron seems to have come to terms with my LT addiction...

My thread is here.

I'm Arlie, 65, newly retired software engineer. This will be my third year of the 75 books challenge.

I read about half-and-half fiction and non-fiction; the former mostly SF/Fantasy, and the latter mostly science, technology, and history, with a bit of biography and economics thrown in for extra flavor.

I'm Canadian, but live in California, USA, where I moved in pursuit of career opportunity in 1997. My household consists of two retired adults and one aging dog. We also feed an ever changing menagerie of stray and feral cats.

My 2023 thread can be found here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/346763

I'm Mary, and I've been with the 75ers since 2010. I'm single but part of a large family, including two brothers, two sisters, a couple of in-laws, my parents, and a niece and nephew. I'm a librarian living and working in western Massachusetts, and my job responsibilities include the local history collection, a book club, and buying all the adult fiction for the library. Outside of work, I enjoy watching American football, hockey and tennis, I knit and I'm attempting to get more serious about genealogy this year and joined a local society to that end. Oh, and I'll be hitting the big 4-0 in 2023 :)

I'm an eclectic reader. The last two years found me mostly reading general fiction, followed by fantasy, and then historical fiction and memoir not far behind. I have a wide variety of interests and will try just about anything that’s not horror.

My thread is here.

Hi, I'm Dee or Deb. I'm back again for this year, which I think is my 14th year on LT. Introductions... I'm in Utah, and recently retired because of health concerns from teaching pathology students and working in hospital laboratories for many years, with a brief stint teaching honors science at the junior high level. To keep myself busy I volunteer at the local Natural History Museum one day a week and donate time helping to computerize vital statistics records from around the world, so they can be readily available to people all over the globe who are curious about their ancestral connections.

I read a mix of fiction and non-fiction and happen to enjoy the SF and Fantasy genre, history, historical fiction, science books, faith based books, ghost stories, occasional mysteries, maybe the only thing I really don't like reading are straight romances. I'm a fan of my local library, and will read ebooks, listen to audible, etc. I'm trying to hard to pare down the volume of tomes on my shelves, so after reading the books I own I donate them to thrift stores or little free libraries around town. If its really special I might keep it, but after doing clean up duty for my mother and in-laws after they passed, I am serious about not leaving that kind of task for my own children!

My new thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/346768
I will be finishing up my old thread for 2022 for the rest of the year, but have set up my new one here as well. Happy reading everyone!

Hi, everyone. I'm Madeline. I'm a retired nurse in my mid-seventies. I live with my husband Jose and have three grown children (two married) and two darling grandchildren, ages 9 and 4. I steward a Little Free Library, built by my husband, in Rockville, Maryland, USA. I am an avid Bookcrosser and have been so since 2003. I love gardening, cooking, baking, nature, reading and soccer (Hurray for Argentina and Messi!).

My claim to fame here on LT is that I set up the TIOLI challenges (Take It or Leave It challenges) which I've been running for twelve years. The most enjoyment I've gotten out of LT and the 75ers group is becoming friends with other members and getting to know some of them in real life.

Here's my 2023 thread.

Hi, I'm Cyrel, a retired visual art teacher ( high school and University art education). I love to read but have found that I have slowed down during the pandemic. I became an avid film festival goer after retirement but... the pandemic has changed my viewing habits. I have seen many good films online during festivals both documentary and fiction. I belong to a pottery co-op that has survived during these pandemic times. We schedule our times in the pottery studio, wear masks and allow only two or three members in the space.
I look forward to reading more interesting books and maybe venturing out to a real movie theatre this year.

Hello. I'm Richard, I come with the place a bit like the carpet or the fridge. Been here since 2009 and don't see leaving any time soon.

I'm retired, disabled, and easily bored. This means I read A LOT, so am a poor choice for the employed/family-raising/normal souls who want to be competitive to benchmark. My thread is here.

Hi folks,
I'm Dee, a late 40s librarian in rural Nova Scotia.
My reading goals this year are to read 100 books, complete the Popsugar reading challenge, and attempt to read all of the Canada Reads selections for the last 20ish years.

Find my thread here:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/346788

Hi, I'm Kristel. I've been a part of the 75 Books Challenge since 2018. I am a recent widow (15 months), recent retiree, and a long time lover of lists and books. I try to read 1001 books, Pulitzer, Booker, SFF, and horror. I participated in the Asian author challenge last year and plan to participate in the Africa Challenge this year. I also participate in British and American if it works out. I am on GR and Litsy and enjoy Bookspin Bingo on Litsy. It helps me stay focused. I am looking forward to another year of enjoying the community here at 75 book challenge, and reading of course.

My Thread is here; https://www.librarything.com/topic/346782#n8008922

Hi, I'm Rhian. I'm a 61 year old accountant who retired at the beginning of 2021. I live about thirty miles north of London with my husband (aka Mr SandDune), our 22 year old son Jacob (when he's not at university) and our 10 year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier Daisy.

I'm originally from Wales and I'm currently studying a second year Welsh course after passing my first year exams in the summer. I read mainly literary fiction, classics, science-fiction and fantasy, but I have been trying (and enjoying) some crime fiction. As far as non-fiction goes I’m interested in a number of topics, in particular books about the environment and nature.

Apart from reading I love travelling, eating out, and going to the theatre, and I'm very interested in environmental issues. Over the last couple of years when going out has been less practical I've enjoyed craft activities and learnt to crochet.

My thread is here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/346819#n8010245

Hi , I'm Catherine.

I'm in my 40s and I'm in the UK. I've been on LT since 2007 but not very active at all in the last few years. I have a sensible office job which I actually really enjoy, and I'm currently studying so I can get a slightly better but equally sensible job in the same office, which means that I don't get to read as much as I would like. I also like knitting, cooking, sudoku, walking and xbox gaming (especially minecraft) - although I don't get to do as much of any of those as I'd like to either.

75 books is my target for the year, but I doubt I'll actually manage it: I'm up to 52 so far for 2022, and next year will involve at least as much studying as this year so I don't expect to get much more reading in.

Fiction wise, I read a lot of classic crime (especially the British Library Crime Classics), some fantasy (I'm working slowly through the R A Salvatore Drizzt series and love the Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series) and some chick-lit/romance. Non-fiction reading is mostly history, politics and social issues, plus some popular science.

My thread is here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/346759

I'm Kriti, I live in a small college town in Ohio, although I'm originally from southern India.

At work, I run an open source software project at a nonprofit. The project is launching early this year, and I anticipate that it will keep me pretty busy. I've primarily been a software engineer in the past, but my current job is most similar to running a company, and I feel out of my depth pretty often. But I'm learning a lot!

I'm theoretically interested in reading pretty much anything. In practice, I end up mostly reading science fiction and fantasy with a smattering of nonfiction. My reading slowed down significantly in Oct 2022 because of a slow recovery from a concussion, but I'm hoping I'll be able to pick up the pace soon.

My other interests include history, movies, and cooking. One of my goals for 2023 is also to make our home less cluttered.

Here's my thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/346783

Hi, I'm Jeff. I live in San Pedro CA (near the harbor in Los Angeles). I work from home for a business software consulting company based in Lancaster. I help support ERP software that helps our customers run their business.

I'm an amateur photographer and I like the share my images, especially for my Foto Friday posts. I'm an eclectic, random reader with no set plan. I like to think that I'll review every book, but that rapidly goes out the window.

Here's my thread... https://www.librarything.com/topic/346934#

Hi,
I’m PawsforThought, usually referred to as Paws on LT. I live in northern Sweden and work as an administrator at a university. Since I commute to and from work my working days are very long and that sadly doesn’t leave much time or energy for things I’d rather be doing - like reading. Hopefully, the new year will bring with it a new place to live so I don’t need to commute any more.

When I do have time to read I mostly stick to fantasy and science fiction, classics, cozy mysteries and children’s books. Favourite authors include Neil Gaiman, Maria Gripe, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, P. G. Wodehouse and Michael Bulgakov. I’m also fond of poetry and am trying to spend more time on that.
My non-fiction collection is fairly small but includes books about history (particularly women in history), language, mythology, art, dinosaurs and crafts (sewing and knitting).

My 75’ers thread is here, and if you’re interested in what I’m creating over on my thread in the Needlearts group that thread is here.

I'm Carsten (ctpress). I'm living in Copenhagen, Denmark. Working as a journalist...and ehem turning 60 in 2023.

I read a lot of classics and lately also theology and history - but new literature and modern novels will slip through. I love hiking, watching movies, and my church fellowship.

My thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/346967#n8014252

I'm Micky, 36 years old, librarian, and generally bookish nerd. I usually have a good mix of reads going on every year with strong doses of romance, sff, historicals, and a dash of non-fiction. This year my goal is to only read books that bring me joy, which means I'm likely to read a bunch of genre fiction. As part of that goal, I'm also striving to re-read more books from my own collection and will be using a D20 to select a shelf and then choose a book from there at least once a month.

I do my best to be chatty on my own thread and in addition to my reading, I'll also discuss highlights of my craft projects, board games, what we're watching, and general life goings on often featuring my husband, Mr. Fine, and our two cats, Ash and Smee. Posters and lurkers alike are welcome.

You can find me here.

I'm Laura, 60, retired. My husband Chris and I live in an 18th century farmhouse in northern Virginia, with our 8-year-old terrier mix, Alys. We keep ourselves busy with gardening and various home projects. Besides reading, I spend a lot of time knitting and weaving. I occasionally post photos of my work in this group; if you’re so inclined you can enjoy more “fun with fiber” on my thread in the Needlearts group.

2023 is my fifteenth year in the 75 Book Challenge Group, which I can hardly believe. I love this group! I'm more interested in the quality of my reading than the quantity, so this year I have abandoned the infamous ticker. I read mostly contemporary fiction, with the odd classic or memoir thrown in. I enjoy reading where my mood takes me, but this year I want to be a little more intentional in seeking out nonfiction and prize winners or nominees.

Here's my thread:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/346922#unread

My name is Cécile and I live in Ottawa, Ontario. In May 2023 I'll be celebrating 17 years on LT, and I believe this is the first time I'm participating in this challenge (if not, it's been a really long time!).

Besides reading, I like to hike and recently have taken up photography: this will be one of this year's highlights since I'll be going to the Faeroe Islands and Denmark in May for a photography workshop (and I'm besides myself with excitement). This will make for an awesome year of reading, hiking and lots of learning!

I also love to cheer on my musical daughter, Kyra, who is a harpist in Montreal. Check out her album if you're curious :) https://kyraharp.com/

I'm Lori, an academic librarian and professional genealogist residing in East Tennessee. I enjoy cross-stitching and that has cut into my reading time. I usually read 150+ books in a year, but the 2022 total will be 110 to 112.

I am John, sadly not working due to Spinal arthritis and associated issues, i live in a little village, Walton just outside of the Cathedral City of Wakefield. I love reading and am an avid Cricket fan of my beloved Yorkshire, God's Own County. I also enjoy painting but haven't done much over the last few years and prefer Acrylics but want to master Watercolour. As some good folks know on here, i am an avid Fountain pen user and collector as well as the vast range of ink colours available and last but not least, i am a Tea drinking addict, nothing better than a pot of tea and a book.

I have been married to Karen for 38.5 years and we have two children, Robert 35 and Amy 33, Rob lives with his Fiancee Louise and they have a daughter Hannah who will be 12 at the end of February, she is Autistic and a joy to us, Rob also has a step-daughter, Shannon who is 20. Amy married Andy in October 2015 and on Star Wars Day, May 4th 2021, she gave birth to a a lovely baby boy, Elliott, who is a little monkey, a lovable monkey though. We have Elliott every Wednesday and he stays overnight and i take him home on a Thursday afternoon.

I always aim to read 75 books each year and set my self a target of 40,000 pages, yet to hit 40k pages though. I also want to read One Million pages and am currently at just over 615,000 pages from 1343 books, no re-reads, i haven't got the time for that, lol.

Astonishingly (to me) this will be my twelfth year in this group and in May I will mark my sixteenth Thingaversary. Last year was quite an upheaval for us because of retirement and moving house.

I'm fairly confident of reaching 75 this coming year but other aspects of my reading have changed. I've always been a re-reader and, if anything, I've increased that, although I do try new books too. I have a Real Life bookgroup and the other six members usually choose books that I wouldn't have read if not 'forced' to. Sometimes I like them, sometimes I don't. I also follow Liz's (Lyzard) tutored threads in the 75 and Virago groups and these are often books that I wouldn't have chosen on my own but her tutoring and encouragement, and that of the rest of the group, usually enable me to finish and appreciate the books.

I have set up a new thread for this year and you can find it here.

Hi, I'm Ursula, an American currently living in Istanbul. After 2 1/2 years here, my husband and I will be moving to Germany somewhere around March - the latest in a long line of moves. I will (very) shortly be 51, and don't have a regular job; I sell my artwork on various products through some print-on-demand sites. My husband Morgan is a mathematician, and his job is the reason we keep moving around.

Some years I hit 75 but 2022 was not one of those years! I have some of the usual lists I'm vaguely trying to get through (1001 Books, Nobel, Pulitzer, Booker, you know), but my access to English-language books is often limited to what I can get from the digital collections of the US libraries I have cards for, so I can't always get the books I want.

My thread is here. Drop by and say hello if you're so inclined.

Hi, I'm Randy. I've been participating in the 75 Books Challenge for some years, though I haven't quite got there the past two years. I'm hoping that this year will see a return to many things not least to reading. I live in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. I mostly read literary fiction, but you'll also find some genre fiction and some non-fiction on my thread. I usually write a short review of each book I read.

My thread is here https://www.librarything.com/topic/347030 All are welcome!

Hi, I am Rhonda, from Portland Oregon. I am a social worker, mostly read literary fiction, and really enjoy this group. My thread is here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/347054#n8016479

I'm Susan, working on my 75th year and 5th year in 75BPY. I have a husband and daughter, both of whom live in the same West Los Angeles house with me and 2 dogs. I read rather a lot, heavily weighted to F&SF, pretty much to the exclusion of other media consumption and most of what other people do to amuse themselves, largely books checked out from the library. I have huge stashes of fiber related craft materials, fabric, yarns, weaving threads, often with a bias toward historical recreation, but also for dolls which I collect. I also collect miniature tools.

I’m Amanda, 44, from Mississippi. I enjoy reading just about anything, but my favorite genres are historical fiction, horror, true crime, and anything on the paranormal. Some of my favorite hobbies other than reading include diamond painting, singing, writing, and watching movies.

I'm Karen, aka Witchyrichy, and this is my 9th year in the 75ers group. I am mostly retired from public life although I do a bit of teaching related to educational technology and instructional design for a few clients. Otherwise, when I wake up on Monday mornings, I can pretty much do what I want. And, often what I want to do is read!

I live with my husband of 30 years, Major the beagle and Circe the cat in a 19th century farmhouse on 18 acres in rural southeast Virginia. It is our own little bit of paradise and came with a library for my books although they seem to have migrated to all the rooms in the house at this point. My major goal this year is to read the books I already own (lots and lots of ROOTS) and start clearing the shelves a bit.

Besides reading, I garden, crochet and play music (mostly ukulele and piano but my husband bought me an organ for Christmas!).

I am looking forward, once again, to sharing my life and reading with this wonderful group of people!

Here's my thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/346978

Venturing in a bit late to the introductions party!
I'm Sandy, a retired research scientist, living in Western Canada. I joined LT in 2017 and discovered the 75-er Talk threads in 2019.
Last year (2022) was a Talk thread sabbatical for me. I did manage to read 85 books, however.

My reading is all over the map, so the books in my catalogue contain a wide range of genres. I usually review every book I read so that I remember something about it and keep track of my favourites when it comes to culling my part of our library.

The hubby, Mr. SM, dominates the book collections in our house at about 15,000 volumes (down 5,000, his idea of downsizing), compared to my measly 3- or 400. I'm a great fan of borrowing from the library, especially novels I'll likely only read once.
Come peek at my thread and say Hi!

Lucy, here. I've been on LT since 2010, not sure when I joined the 75, but soon thereafter. I live in Vermont in a rural setting. Three cats, one corgi (are they really dogs? we often ask), one spouse, and one grown-up daughter.

My thread for 2023 is here

I'm Roni, retired, widowed, living in central Kansas (after 42 years in San Diego) with 3 cats. This will be my 16th year in the 75ers group. I read mostly sff with a smattering on nonfiction, mystery and romance. I'm an avid fan of my KU Jayhawks basketball teams, a gardener, a crocheter and a hobby potter. Family takes up a lot of my time since I moved in 2021, and my presence here has been greatly reduced, but I am hoping to do much better this year.

You can visit my thread here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/347205#n8019320

I'm Steve, 54, a technical services librarian at a medium-sized public university. I live in Missouri with my wife, son, mother and my terrier-mix running partner Buddy. This is my 14th year with the 75ers.

My reading follows my whims, but is heaviest with science fiction and fantasy. I also read mysteries, thrillers, and horror. I don't read enough non-fiction, but when I do it covers a range of subjects including history, language, popular science, unpopular mathematics, running, library science, and shiny stuff. I've also been reading a lot of books that have been challenged or banned, and I expect that to continue, hence my thread's title, "Steve reads stuff he shouldn't." Which is here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/347208

Hi, I’m Cassie and I live in rural northwest Indiana, where I work as an academic librarian. I read just about anything except books where romance is the main “A” plot. I always have a few “disturbing” reads every year, usually nonfiction books on medical topics and funeral customs but there’s always a generous helping of nature nonfiction, folklore, fantasy, mystery, historical fiction, science fiction, in all reading levels. (In fact, I’m a big fan of children’s and young adult fiction.). I review and recommend but try to avoid spoilers. I am in a tech dead zone and post everything via an iPhone and 4G network (usually 2 bars at best), so right now my posts look pretty dull. With luck, this spring will see us with high speed Internet and I will have an easier time adding frills.

Hello everyone! My name is Anita ( figsfromthistle) . I'm a Canadian that loves to read almost anything I can get my hands on. I am a moody reader so my reading plans constantly fluctuate. Besides reading, I enjoy gardening, playing musical instruments and have recently become quite interested in photography.

Last year I read 131 books and hope to do so again.

Hi, I'm fuzzi, and have been with the 75ers for over ten years.

I live in eastern North Carolina with my dh (dear husband), our adult son, Cleo the dog, and Deborah aka Debbie the cat. And three aquariums.

We also are blessed with two adorable granddaughters who live with their mother (our daughter) and father in the Chicago area. We can only travel there once a year, so FaceTime helps, a lot.

I still work full time in medical administration, but am hoping to retire within the next few years. Due to current circumstances I also have the honor of managing important household stuff like finding a plumber in times of need.

I take pleasure in reading (obviously!), gardening, photography, bird watching, singing, and puttering around the kitchen (I'm no cook!) when I'm in the mood.

My reading is eclectic, though I avoid stories that contain overly graphic violence or sex, occult or horror themes...just not my thing.

My 75er thread is here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/347129

My main journal for 2023 is here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/347135#8017704

Do stop by and say hi.

Happy New 2023! I'm Nina. I joined LT in 2008 and have been a 75er member every year since 2010 - although I only achieved the target in 2020 (90 books) and 2021 (92 books) which were, not coincidentally, the pandemic years. In 2022 things started opening up again and I'd ... er ... picked up a few hobbies in the quiet period. I have a husband, two teenage boys (save me!) and their/ our golden retriever, Jasper. My kids are 5th generation expats and currently we live in Singapore.

I tend to read mainly fantasy and YA (young adult) with a bit of sci-fi, golden age mysteries, the odd book bullet and, in the last couple of years, a venture into romance.

Come and visit my 2023 thread here.

I'm Jay, 49, and an English professor in Louisiana in the US. I tried the 75 Book Challenge several years ago, and came pretty close, I think. Most years, I'm around the 50 mark, although 2020 and 2021 were a bad slump for me, as they were for many. When I'm not reading or working, I'm writing or working on some project around the house or the yard.

I am generally reading four or five books at a time. I find switching back and forth keeps me from getting into a rut. At an given time on my nightstand, I usually have some combination of a novel, a graphic novel, a history book, a theory book, and a pedagogical book.

In terms of fiction, I'm very interested in scifi these days, in particular afrofuturism and africanfuturism.

Here's the link to my 2023 journal.

Hi everybody, my Name is Thomas, I am 61 years young and happily married for more than 37 years.
I live in a small town in northern Baden Wuerttemberg, Germany.
Whenever I have time, I love to read.
The last years I had a lot of fun with my books and this group. I am shure, I can continue this.
My 2023 thread is here.

Hi, I'm Harold. I'm almost 59, been on LibraryThing for a lot longer than it seems and I've been a member of the 75 group for a couple of years now.
I work in a law office (not an attorney), live in Independence Missouri USA.
I'm married to my best friend that I met in 9th grade. We have a daughter who is about to graduate college with a degree in Music Therapy. So our house is full of music, books, and we love to watch old movies as well.
I've loved to read ever since I can remember. The Library was always one of my favorite places. I love old bookstores and estate sales. My wife says my books are holding our house up and she keeps telling me if something happens to me she is going to have a heck of a garage sale. She's kidding, although she likes true crime so I keep an eye on her.
I tell her I plan to either live forever or take my books with me.

I read just about anything, but I've gotten a bit pickier as I've gotten older.

Hope everyone has a wonderful New Year!!

I am Erik. This is year 10 in the 75 Book Club.

I am a lawyer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I am married to a school teacher and we have three children. Our oldest turns 18 tomorrow so we are looking at a year that will see her off to college. Our middle so is 15 and starting to learn how to drive - emphasis on learn. Our youngest is 10 and is thriving playing soccer and attending a Spanish immersion school.

My interests are reading (obviously), travel, theater, art and nature. I consider myself an avid fisherman, hiker and cross country skier. My reading tastes skew more towards non-fiction but I am pretty omnivorous. My 2023 thread is here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/347394

Hi, I'm foggidawn, often nicknamed foggi on the threads. I'm 42, this is my 17th year on LibraryThing and 13th year as a 75-er. I usually read somewhere around 150 books a year from a variety of genres and categories: fantasy, mystery, contemporary romance, historical fiction, sci-fi, children's and young adult fiction, memoir and biography, and a smattering of nonfiction. I'm a children's librarian in a small Ohio town, and live on a farm with my husband and our dog Lottie. She's really cute, and if you want to see a picture, she's at the top of my thread, here!

(How's that for a blatant attempt to attract visitors?)

I'm here

Hello from the group's Kuala Lumpur correspondent.

My name is Paul and I'm a construction contract professional (apparently) and keen statistician. I am married to Hani - who manages to do enough travelling for both of us and we have 3 "children", Kyra Yasmyne Amanda, Kyran Yousuf Adrian and Karyn Ysabelle Amylea (known generally as Yasmyne, Kyran and Belle) and my "little sister"; our live in maid and maker of the world's best coffee, Erni.

I am open to discussions on pretty much anything but like to maintain courtesy. Please do stop by and say hello if you get the chance.

Hello!

I'm Amanda, also known as DreamWeaver. I'm the mom of two, AJ 8 and E 7, who works from home as an accountant.

I read Romance, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Non-fiction, and a little Mystery to keep things interesting.

I also craft a lot and play board games with anyone I can get to sit down across from me (in person or on BoardGameArea).

Hi everyone! I'm Natalie. I've been on LT since 2007 but only participating regularly in the 75ers for the past five years or so. I read mostly fantasy, sci-fi, and romance, with some contemporary and classic fiction mixed in and the occasional mystery.

I live in Seattle with my husband and two greyhounds, Otter and Kermit. I work full-time from home in HR communications for a large retail corporation. Aside from reading, I enjoy long dog walks, traveling, and dabbling in cross stitch, puzzles, and video games.

You can find my thread here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/347227#n8026135

Hi, I'm Valerie known as Tangledthread. I've been part of this group for a number of years, though not very active socially. I've rarely come close to 75 books, usually hitting somewhere in the 50's. But I'm happy enough with that.
My reading is all over the place, but mostly centered around literary fiction with a fair amount of science/medical nonfiction thrown in.
My thread is https://www.librarything.com/topic/347449#n8026381

Hi, everyone! I'm Greg (known as ocgreg34). I'm 52 years old and have a love of books, especially anything involving ghosts or the supernatural. But I also venture outside of that box to read quite a bit of world and LGBTQIA+ literature. Favorite authors: Stephen King, Shirley Jackson, John Steinbeck, Sigrid Undset, Sharon Creech, Yukio Mishima, JM Coetzee, Guy de Maupassant, Ambrose Bierce, and Toni Morrison to name just a few.

I've participated with the 75 books challenge for a few years now and manage a total of 140 books last year.

Oops, forgot to check in!

Hi, everyone, I'm Liz. My reading tends to older and more obscure stuff---classics, Golden Age mysteries, and books that have just been forgotten. I have a number of self-challenges and shared reads going and am always delighted to have others join in. I also get to lead several yearly group reads of 19th century fiction.

Please feel free to stop by my thread and say hi!

Hi, I'm Judy. I find it hard to believe my association with the 75rs started in 2009, but that's what it says on my profile. In 2016 I retired from a life in systems analysis, fun but stressful. I miss the people but not the stress.

In spite of retirement, I finished only a measly 56 books last year. I read fiction (mostly), and far too many mysteries. Two reading groups keep me well supplied with serious fiction, and a group that reads epic poetry aloud is another inspiration. At the moment we are reading Ovid's Metamorphoses. Non-fiction creeps in from time to time, but I leave most of that to my partner Jim (magicians_assistant), who succumbed to my temptations to join here as well. We've been together almost 28 years.

In addition to reading, I play the violin (not terribly well), love long walks in New York City and elsewhere, see a lot of theater (why else live in New York?), see not enough film, art, and other cultural ephemera, do a fair number of word puzzles on line. Sometimes I take photographs. I have a brother and SIL living near San Francisco (and a nephew close to them) and a sister in San Antonio, a couple of cousins here and there. No kids, no pets (alas). Some really, really good friends.

You can find my first thread of the year here

Hello all! I am relatively new to LT, I've only been here a year or so. I have been an avid reader my entire life-a former gifted child I was reading college-level material before the second grade and my husband loves reading as well. I am primarily a fantasy fan, but I will read ANYTHING! Once, when I was grounded from reading, my mom ripped all of the labels off of the condiment bottles because I was reading them at dinner. "But Sam, why were you grounded?" Excellent question...I had been reading in my math class and had failed a test, so I was grounded from reading so I could study-dang parents, always wanting the best for me. It worked and I stopped reading in math class.

I originally chose LT because I was looking for a place to catalog my home library. You'll love this-my library quadrupled in size one day when my favorite antique store went out of business. The owner Lance, a longtime friend of my parents and me (we went antiquing nearly every weekend when I got older) was thrilled to host his first auction. I walked away from the store with 8 bookcases and over 3,000 books-all for $45! At the time my husband and I were living in a basement apartment so we took 2 truckfuls and 2 carfuls of books and 1 trailer full of bookcases down to my parent's house. (Shoutout to my parents for storing those books in their front room for a few months until we found a place and I sorted through all of the books!) I now have my library set up in a large room in our basement and it is amazing!

I am looking for a laid-back challenge to keep me reading, I do not know if I will be able to make the 75, because I am a student, working full time with two adorable pups that keep me busy. I really want to join because I have never tracked my reading habits-not since the pizza parties in elementary school at any rate-and I thought it would be fun to do so this year. I am off to a great start, I have read 3 books so far this year, as kind of an "I want to do some reading before I go back to school". The new semester starts today and I know my reading will drop off considerably because I really focus on school when I am in school. This seems like a really great group!

Hi, I'm Rachel. I've been a member of this group for several years, but I haven't participated in the threads very much. I work in a library in a small town in Ohio, where I do almost all of the collection development, lead the monthly book discussion, and do a variety of other tasks.

I try to read a little of everything, but I usually end up with historical fiction, mystery, suspense, romance, fiction, and young adult and middle grade reading material. One day I'll start reading more non-fiction again.

My husband and I have three young boys (ages 5, 2 1/2, and almost 10 months), so my reading time and other hobbies don't get as much attention as they used to, but that's alright.

I'm hoping to read as much as I can this year, and my thread can be found here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/347581#n8031549

Happy reading!

Hello I'm BanMe for serious reasons

>52 BanMe: Can you elucidate?

Hey all! Adlanji here, but you can call me Lanji or Lan for short. I joined LT to mainly keep track of my growing library and remind myself what I already own so I don't double buy LOL

My new years resolution is to read at most 100 books this year, found this thread, and decided why not let's go! I'll edit this once I get home and start a thread, but looking forward to seeing everyone read books and work towards the same goal (:

Hello, everyone! I'm Irene, and joined LT many years ago, but have not been active on the site for quite a few years. However, I retired in the middle of last year, and finally got back into a regular habit of reading books again. I have a lot on my shelves to catch up on!

While poking around LT and looking to see what's new and what I had forgotten, I stumbled across the 75 Books Challenge. I thought it would be an interesting challenge, so I decided to jump in. We'll see how many books I can read now that I finally have the time.

For more about me, you can see my thread for 2023 at:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/347822#n8040851

Hi, all. I'm David and, like many others, have been on LT for quite a while but new to the 75 challenge. This will represent a substantial escalation of the "23 in '23" that I had committed to, LOL!

I live in East Tennessee, retiring here a few years ago. Married, with 2 adult children in other states, and a hound dog right here.





My 2023 thread is here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/348113#n8051999

Hello, I'm Rio. I joined to inventory my book collection, but I got pulled in by the community on this site. I used to have a goodreads profile but this seems more intimate and "old-school web" than that site. I read a lot of sci-fi, fantasy, and science/math non-fiction, but I am making an effort to read more books by women and Black authors. (If a book fits in both categories, all the better!) I'm excited to try this challenge; I noticed that most people far exceed 75 but I think that is a comfortable goal for me for now, I tend to take my time and let books "sink in" a bit. Also I work full-time and have some other hobbies so I don't always have enough time to devote to reading. Can't wait to meet you all!

Here's my 2023 thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/348402

>57 lyricism_: glad to have you with us!

.

I'm Shay. 14. Addict in recovery. Started reading while grounded and on probation in 2020. Still on probation. Still reading. Turns out I read at an advanced level which I never knew this until I tested to enter school.
I'm from Harlem.
I'm eclectic and easier to say what I don't like than to say what I do.

Hi Shay, glad you've joined us here!

I describe myself as an eclectic reader as well.

>60 ShayWalker: Welcome aboard.

>61 fuzzi: thank you

>62 ArlieS: thank you

I'm P-Rae. I'm a 20 something lesbian who enjoys reading everything. I literally read at a third grade level until I was 14. Then I started reading to escape my environment and the abuse. Then my AA sponsor got me into a book club and I took off. I read about 3-4 books a week now.
I love the hardboiled detective genre, but I read other works as well.
I'm learning the ropes here.

>60 ShayWalker: I'm in recovery, too.

Welcome P-Rae

Welcome to you both!

I'm new on here. Heard about this in an after school reading club at my high school. We're reading a book right now called Everybody But Us by Ben Rose. It was recommended by one of our teachers who knew the author a couple decades ago.
I'm varied in my reading and most authors I find something to like.
There's a couple I just wish I hadn't wasted the money.
Anyway. Hello.

Welcome! Hopefully, we'll help find the authors you like and weed out the other ones. 😀

Hello all,

I'm Sam from the Cleveland Ohio area. I just graduated high school and, while glad to be done with the traditional American educational system, would love to continue reading. I tried joining a local book club, but everyone here already seems more friendly lol :).

I'm currently reading Wendell Berry's collection of short stories and essays and Klara and the Sun by Kazoo Ishiguro. See other books I've read, mostly school-assigned, in my profile.

I also love watching films, here's my Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/sams_cam/

Please say hi if you're there, I'm pretty lonely currently.

I'll post a "thread" soon of what I begin to read. Thanks!

>71 sams_cam: Welcome, Sam! There are several other Ohioans around here.

>71 sams_cam: Hi Sam, most folk go through lonely periods.

I really like Wendall Berry's essays and poems. Klara and the Sun was good too. I look forward to seeing your thread.

>71 sams_cam: hi Sam! Glad you found us.

I've been to Cleveland, but years ago, for a work-related conference. I recall the airport was being remodeled, ha.

I'm also a Buckeye by birth.

Looking forward to your thread.

>71 sams_cam: Welcome, Sam! As the mom of a son just a couple years older than you who only picks up a book when he has to, I’m thrilled to come across a young man who is excited about reading ! I’m very new here too, but like you, I’ve found people to be super-friendly. Hope you enjoy it!

I posted this on my first thread, but I’ll repeat it here for convenience.

Hi! I'm Lavinia. Welcome to my very first reading thread and my very first challenge! (I have another thread over in Needlearts - it's not going to see nearly as much action as this will, but I'd be happy for you to visit both, if you're interested!)

Short-form profile: I live in the Seattle area with my partner of nearly 10 years and our three dogs. I'm a 56yo "retired" stay-at-home mom (the kid is in college), a non-retired volunteer, a fledgling gardener, a reader (obviously!), a crafter (mostly stitching of various forms), and a few other "-ers".

I joined LT way back in 2008, promptly dropped off the site for 14 years, came back last fall, and started over from scratch since I'd forgotten what email I originally used to log in. My reading interests lean heavily towards fiction of most sorts, with the occasional non-fiction title thrown in.

I expect I'll chatter on a bit on my 75’ers thread about what I'm doing besides reading, and I'd love to have you follow along if you wish. 😁

>76 PlatinumWarlock: Hi, Lavinia - unfortunately your links in this post don't work, you need the number at the end (the link ends with topic/"). I found you anyway - at least the 75ers thread. Your -ers sound interesting!

>77 jjmcgaffey: Oooh, thanks Jennifer! I had figured that out in another post and did it right there, but I missed this one. I appreciate the heads up - going to fix it now...

Hi everyone - I am joining this group to spur me on to more reading. I'm in my late 50's, a transplanted Midwesterner in New England, birdwatcher, nature lover and lapsed reader. I recently moved and decided I was only going to read library books or books I already owned for one year as I was packing.

I probably won't make it to 75 since the year is halfway gone and I am only in the 20's but it is good to aim high!

My favorite recent read was The Sentence, by Louise Erdrich

>79 minkscat: Hi, Minkscat! I just joined the group too - it's a very nice bunch of people. :)

Welcome, minkscat! Looking forward to sharing our reading journeys.

Hi everyone,
I'm Maiko, 48, from Japan. I'm new here and this is my first challenge in LT. My thread and a little more about me is HERE.

Welcome!

>82 MaikoKirana: Hi Maiko! You have an impressive book count which includes some F&SF also on mine that I haven't heard anyone else mention.

>83 drneutron: Thank you, glad to be here.

>84 quondame: Hi, yes we have like 700+ similar books!!

Hi all,
I'm Carolyn. I'm 72 and a retired librarian from North Carolina. I was also a high school English teacher in a former life. My favorite author is Anne Tyler. I've read everything she has every written. I also enjoy Ann Patchett, Elizabeth Stroud, Amy Tan, Laurie Colwin, Amor Towles, Jonathan Franzen, Margaret Verble, and Colson Whitehead. Mostly, I just try to keep up with my two book clubs.

I recently discovered LibraryThing and have been entering books from my library. I love that it makes me feel like a librarian again! My other interests include Movies and Music (especially the Beatles) and spending time with my five grandsons.

I'm going to try the 75 Challenge, even though I know there is no way I will read 75 books in this or any other year! I'm getting off to a late start, but here is what I have read so far:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/352065#n8182380

>87 CarolynBurke7: Welcome Carolyn. The numbers are fun, but its about sharing and enjoying the journey.

>87 CarolynBurke7: Welcome, Carolyn! I am also a retired librarian living in North Carolina. So glad you can join us!

>87 CarolynBurke7: Welcome, Carolyn. I was never a librarian, but I do have my own Little Free Library. Does that count? I don't live in North Carolina, but I do love to vacation on the Crystal Coast (Emerald Isle). Does that count? Enjoy your time here on LT. It's a friendly, fun place to hang out.

>87 CarolynBurke7: hi Carolyn, glad to see another Tarheeler here!

I said welcome in your other thread, Carolyn, but welcome again! 😁

>73 Caroline_McElwee: I loved Klara and the Sun. It's the type of book I never would have picked up on my own but it was a gift. It's good to break out of our routine and discover something new!

Thanks for all the lovely welcomes. I look forward to getting to know you and discovering new reads.

Hello to everyone. I'm Patty. I'm new to LibraryThing. I lost an older version of some program to keep up with my physical books and ebooks, but found LibraryThing so here I am starting all over again. I'm retired, now writing a novel (isn't everyone? LOL), and don't some proofreading and editing on the side. Mostly I read speculative fiction, but not always. I'm a sucker for a beautiful cover and gorgeous writing and a great story LOL. I'm in Texas and reading is a great way to stay out of the heat!

It makes my old-timer heart swell to see new biblioholics swell our ranks, and I hope all y'all wander around a lot to say hi in all the threads that appeal.

Speaking of which...if you're brand-new to the group, may I suggest a quick and easy way to get others to come visit is to post a link to your thread in your introduction (or edit one in if you've decided to start one after writing the intro)? If, that is, you've made one at all, which though not necessary I recommend highly. It gives us chatty types a way to find you. I myownself use the "Homepage" feature on my profile to link to whatever my latest thread is...I tend to have a lot during the year. That also helps others find me, to figure out if my kind of chat is appealing to them.

>95 Alleypat: Hi Patty. What richarderus said. Welcome to the 75ers, and to LibraryThing.

I'm sorry you are having to re-start your cataloguing. I was lucky when my prior system died - I was able to export all my IBSNs and import them into LibraryThing - minus all the detail, but that's how I managed to add 1500 or so books in my first month on LibraryThing, back in 2014.

If you have the ability to export data from your old system, LibraryThing has gotten better at importing details since 2014. If you are good with spreadsheets and the "comma separated value" (CSV) format they can export, you might be able to import everything.

Hey I'm bre I'm 28 I'm new to this.

>98 Breanna_Rita_McOwen: Welcome Bre!

Hello everyone! My name's Zainab and I'm new here

Welcome, Zainab!

>100 Sacchie: hi Zainab, glad you joined us!

>99 mahsdad: how are you?