While browsing through my Google Reader the past couple of weeks I noticed that all kinds of interesting Reading Challenges for 2011 are ‘born’ again. A lot of them are related to romance and some really tempted me to join them, but since I still haven’t figured out how to leave comments via Google Reader (is that even possible? I really would like to know if it is!) I postponed the joining. And since I haven’t spent much time behind the computer due to all kinds of reasons, I still haven’t joined a single one of them yet. And now, I think that I won’t do it at all either.
As you may or may not know, I did do a few Challenges this year (they’re listed at the bottom of my right sidebar). And only one of them was really challenging – that’s probably why I failed to complete that one ;). The others were fairly easy to complete for me, because they were obviously all very much in my comfort zone. That made me think about the Challenges for 2011. What would be the point of joining Challenges that are again in my comfort zone? Not very challenging, huh? So, what then? Should I join Challenges that would really make me work for it? Why would I do that, what’s the fun of that? I read romance to relax and to enjoy myself, not to work my ass off.
So, maybe it’s the nagging after-flu headache that’s keeping me company for too long, but I suddenly couldn’t see the point anymore of joining any of the Reading Challenges. At all.
That’s why I decided that 2011 will be a reading-challenges-free year for me! Yay!
What about you? Did you do any Reading Challenges in 2010 and are you planning on joining any in 2011?
Hope you all have a Happy Friday!
~
I sweetie! I'm so glad you're back!
ReplyDeleteI'm really bad with multi-tasking, so I'm afraid I start a reading challenge here or there and then I just dump it the minute I have a deadline on something, and I never get back to it. I can totally understand a 2011 without reading challenges.
ReplyDeleteHi Janna, good to see you back again!
ReplyDeleteI took part in 4 different challenges this year. Thing is, I didn´t even finish the shortest one of them. Aww!
I picked some books for a challenge where you read 1 book out of 12 different genres - okay, there are 4 books left and I don´t like to read them (now) at all. Fail.
I picked 5 books for a challenge which leads you to five different countries. I have read 3 of them, and don´t like to read the other 2 that are left. Fail.
Then there are a Fantasy-Challenge and a Jane-Austen-Challenge which are both still running until June 2011. I really don´t know yet if I will ever finish them. *sigh*
But this one is sure for me: I will NOT take part in any new challenge in 2011. The concept simply doesn´t work for me, because I want to enjoy reading and not forcing myself into reading books I don´t really want to read (at that moment of time or ever).
hugs, evi
I should do challenges..but eh, kind of forgot about the ones I signed up for this year.
ReplyDeleteAnd that reason is why I left google reader, but if you find a way to comment then do tell .=)
Should I join Challenges that would really make me work for it? Why would I do that, what’s the fun of that?
ReplyDeleteI agree. I only did two. The m/m romance one (which if I went for the lowest level I finished about Jan. 15 and I know I'm going to read hundreds of stories so keeping track just becomes a PITA. I also did Kris' outside the comfort zone challenge but it was only two books so fine, I can handle that, but when reading becomes a chore then it's no fun for me. I don't like HAVING to do something. I'll pick which books I want to read and when. I don't like forcing that to fit someone else's criteriar Ifind. So, I'm going to pass this year too. :-)
Have a great weekend.
@Julia: Ow thanks, Julia! Thanks for dropping by. :D
ReplyDelete@Val: *g* My OCD wouldn't let me do that I'm afraid. :D
@Evi: Aww, not even the shortest one? ;) It's supposed to be fun but that way it only gets frustrating, doesn't it? Yay, for you NOT signing up for any new challenges too!
@Blodeuedd: Heh, you still have two weeks to complete most challenges, B! Better get your ass in gear. ;)
Too bad you don't have a solution for commenting in Google Reader either, it would make my life a bit easier! :D
@Tam: LOL, I witnessed you completing your m/m challenge January 15th! Wasn't much of a challenge for you, huh? :D
I agree, HAVING to do something kinda takes the fun out of it!
Hope you have a great weekend too, Tam. :)
I joined quite a few challenges this year but I don't think I'll do more than a couple next year, if I even do any at all. I was able to finish most of them but it became a hassle and lost a lot of fun as the year went by.
ReplyDeleteHappy Gay Friday, Janna!
ReplyDeleteYou talked yourself right out of doing challenges for 2011, didn't you? LOL. But your logic totally makes sense to me. ;)
I just wanted to stop by and say that I hope you're having a great weekend! *hugs*
ReplyDeleteYou have to click through to the actual blog from Google Reader before you can leave comments.
ReplyDeleteI've given up on challenges. I do very, very poorly on them.
Fun topic!
ReplyDeleteI've never done a blogger-sponsered challenge, but in 2009 and 2010, I did the Shelfari.com 50-book challenge. It is fun to keep track of the books I've read.
Funny thing about challenges - I've never had the desire to join one that was genre/theme specific - I mean, what if I don't like it? But when I was on twitter a while back lamenting that I don't have time to start new "well established" series, I came up with the idea for my own blogger-sponsered challenge so that I would MAKE time to read the Immortals After Dark series. I made it "easy" - read one story per month. I think I can handle it! WOOT!