Conachair's 2013 attack on the ROOTs on the shelve

New Year, new challenge.

I missed my 2012 challenge by 3 books. For 2013 I have decided to completely redefine the rules. So far I have only counted books already on the shelve before a certain date. However, I have noticed that this caused the new books that inevitably come in to get pushed back, thus turning into ROOTs. This time I will count every book, regardless of the purchase date. I'll set the goal at 50 books.




I have, however, designed a second part to the challenge, where certain types of books are given more weight. Points are awarded for certain criteria, and the goal is to reach 100 points.




1 point - new book/ re-read
2 points - pre 2013 TBR
3 points - pre 2012 old TBR
4 points - pre 2011 ancient TBR
5 points - non-fiction book
6 points - foreign language (i.e. not German or English)

bonus points: (to be expanded if necessary)
finishing a series - 1 extra point
for every book over 400 pages 1 point per 100 pages
ER book - 1 extra point

Points challenge only:

1 point for every two magazines read
1 point for every comic book story arc finished

January: 7 books read 25 points total TBR pile 142 > 134 (-8)

1.) Sharpe's Sword ; Bernard Cornwell finished 1.1.13 3 points
2.) Sharpe's Skirmish ; Bernard Cornwell finished 1.1.13 2 points
3.) The Isle of Iona ; Alastair de Watteville finished 3.1.13 4 points + 5 points
4.) Sharpe's Enemy ; Bernard Cornwell finished 12.1.13 4 points
5.) Sharpe's Honour ; Bernard Cornwell finished 17.1.13 3 points
6.) Flash and Bones ; Kathy Reichs finished 21.1.13 2 points
7.) Sharpe's Regiment ; Bernard Cornwell finished 28.1.13 2 points

February: 2 books read 5 points total TBR pile 134 (+-0)
8.) Sharpe's Siege ; Bernard Cornwell finished 7.2.13 3 points
9.) Norse Code ; Greg van Eekhout finished 23.2.13 2 points

March: 3 books read 12 points total TBR pile 132 (-2)
10.) Sharpe's Revenge ; Bernard Cornwell finished 15.3.13 3 points
11.) Der Name der Rose ; Umberto Eco finished 25.3.13 3 points
12.) Chinesische Medizin für den Alltag ; Christine Li finished 31.3.13 1 point + 5 points

April: 7 books read 16 points total TBR pile 131 (-1)
13.) Sharpe's Waterloo ; Bernard Cornwell finished 2.4.13 4 points + 1 point 400 pages bonus
14.) Sharpe's Christmas ; Bernard Cornwell finished 3.4.13 2 points
15.) Ben Hur ; Lewis Wallace finished 7.4.13 1 point (re-read)
16.) Fifty Shades of Grey ; E.L. James finished 7.4.13 1 point (re-read)
17.) Sharpe's Devil ; Bernard Cornwell finished 14.4.13 3 points + 1 point finishing series bonus
18.) Fifty Shades Darker ; E.L. James finished 16.4.13 1 point (re-read)
19.) Fifty Shades Freed ; E.L. James finished 26.4.13 1 point + 1 point finishing series bonus

May:
20.) Marley & Me ; John Grogan finished 4.5.13 3 points
21.) Knight Tenebrae ; Julianne Lee finished 18.5.13 1 point + 1 ER bonus
22.) Knight's Blood ; Julianne Lee finished 25.5.13 1 point + 1 ER bonus

June:
23.) Without Boundaries ; Dieu Bao finished 6.6.13 1 point + ER bonus
24.) Knight's Lady ; Julianne Lee finished 8.6.13 1 point + ER bonus + 1 point finishing series bonus
25.) Französisch mit Spickzettel ; Chris Dolley finished 20.6.13 1 point + ER bonus
26.) Island of Wings ; Karin Altenberg finished 26.6.13 2 points

July:
27.) Need; Sherri Hayes finished 2.7.13 1 point
28.) Framed finished 11.7.13 1 point + ER bonus

August:
29.) Jenseit des Tweed ; Theodor Fontane finished 14.8.13 4 + 5 points
30.) Marie and Mary; Nigel Tranter finished 29.8.13 3 points
31.) Fade to Black finished 30.8.13 1 point + ER bonus

September:
32.) The Omen Machine ; Terry Goodkind finished 12.9.13 1 point + 2 400+ pages bonus points
33.) The first Confessor ; Terry Goodkind finished 21.9.13 1 point + 2 400+ pages bonus points
34.) The third Kingdom ; Terry Goodkind finished 29.9.13 1 point + 2 400+ pages bonus points

October:
35.) Death of Kings ; Bernard Cornwell finished 7.10.13 2 points
36.) The Pagan Lord ; Bernard Cornwell finished 16.10.13 1 point + finishing series bonus
37.) Jude the Obscure ; Thomas Hardy finished 28.10.13 4 points
38.) The Islesman ; Nigel Tranter finished 30.10.13 3 points

November:
39.) The Book Thief ; Markus Zusak finished 7.11.13 3 points
40.) The Shambling Guide to New York City; Mur Lafferty finished 7.11.13 1 point
41.) Truth ; Sherri Hayes finished 16.11.13 1 point + finishing series bonus
42.) Margaret the Queen ; Nigel Tranter finished 20.11.13 2 points
43.) The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes ; Sir Arthur Conan Doyle finished 25.11.13 2 points
44.) The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas ; John Boyne finished 26.11.13 2 points

December:
45.) Corpse Candle ; Paul Doherty finished 3.12.13 1 point
46.) The Greatest Knight ; Elizabeth Chadwick finished 6.12.13 1 point + 2 400+ bonus points
47.) The Magician's Death ; Paul Doherty finished 11.12.13 1 point
48.) The Scarlet Lion ; Elizabeth Chadwick finished 29.12.13 1 point + 2 400+ bonus points
49.) Dúnmharú ar an Dart ; Ruaidhrí Ó Báille finished 29.12.13 1 point + 6 points
50.) The Waxman Murders ; Paul Doherty finished 29.12.13 1 point

Comics & Magazines:

February:
1.) Buffy season 9: Guarded (3 issues) 1 point
2.) Buffy season 9: Starring Billy the Vampire Slayer (2 issues) 1 point
3.) Angel & Faith: Family Reunion (4 issues) 1 point

April:
4.) FedCon Insider #1/ Geek #5 1 point

May:
5.) Wire # 61 + # 62 1 point

July:
6.) Wire # 72 + # 63 1 point
7.) Geek # 6 /FedCon Insider # 2 1 point

October:
8.) Geek #7 + FedCon Insider #3 1 point

November:
9.) Chefkoch 10/13 & 11/13 1 point
10.) Geek # 8 & FedCon Insider #4 1 point

Congratulations on your first book!

Thanks :-) I was only a few chapters away to add it to the finishing race for 2012, which I lost, so I had a head start.

I had bought The Isle of Iona on a visit to the island in 2007. I had read the first part of the book while on holiday, but completely forgot about it afterwards. While looking for some old and non-fiction books for my 2012 challenge I stumbled across it again. I started from the beginning again, but did not quite manage to finish it before the new year, so it now helped my make a giant leap in my points challenge.

The book had many beautiful pictures in it and gives a nice overview of the island's history as well as the place of Iona in the modern day. It reminded me what a wonderful place Iona is to visit.

Congrats conachair to your head start into the new year! Really great, especially your points systems.

I was really surprised to see that Sharpe's Enemy has an entry date of October 2010 making it a 4 points book. It must have been one of the first books in the series I got.

I had some stuff happening recently slowing my reading down. I would have thought to have finished more by now, but I am still on track, so there is nothing to worry about, and the year has just started.

Four books in twelve days seems like an impressive start to the challenge! Congratulations!

Well, thanks, and I know that I am well on track, the only reason why I feel a bit slow is that I read the previous books in the series in about three to four days, so 10 days feels long. But then again I tend to be a perfectionist :-)

Another ROOT done. One thing I noticed with this one was that I was getting slightly annoyed with it. I think it was not the book, but the fact that I still have a couple of books in the series waiting to be read. It still seems such a long way to go. I think I'll take a break from the series and read something else instead for a change, hoping that I'll enjoy the rest of the series better for it when I get back to it.

Looking at my points challenge is seem to be moving pretty quickly. I am wondering if I was too generous in awarding points or too cautious in setting my goal. I might have to rethink that.

"Looking at my points challenge is seem to be moving pretty quickly. I am wondering if I was too generous in awarding points or too cautious in setting my goal."

Or maybe you're just making excellent progress because you're really committed to your goal!

You might have a point there :-)

The reason why I am thinking about raising the goal is that the points system was supposed to be an incentive for reading a certain kind of books, and if it is too easy to meet the goal with other books it might not work as well.

And I calculated my goal before introducing the split in the pre 2011/pre 2012 level which originally was one level. I thought the average book would be a 2 points book, so I set the goal to match the 50 books. I realized, however, that the average book has 3 points.

I'll have to think about it, but I'll probably raise the goal by 50 points.

Taking a break from the Sharpe series seems to have been the right choice.

I do prefer the Temperance Brennan books set in Montreal more than the Carolina ones so I was a little disappointed that Flash and Bones was another Carolina one. I did enjoy it though, but felt it a little difficult to keep all the bits of the story and all the names straight. It seemed a little complicated and hard to keep track sometimes.

I like the Montreal Temperance Brennan books better as well, and the first few the best of all.

Count me in with that as well. I really was disappointed when I read the first Carolina books. I always miss Ryan then, but I also dislike how she often squeezes hin into the Carolina stories.
Have you already tried to ya-books with temperance niece or what it's supposed to be?

Yeah, I love the Brennan- Ryan dynamic.

No, I haven't looked at the YA book yet. I know about them, but have so much other stuff lined up that I haven't given them much thought so far.

I will raise my points goal to 150. I will, however, also include comics and magazines in the points challenge (but not the book challenge). I have far to many of those lying around and need to do something about them.

Good luck with those as well. The can reallky make one feel guilty of neglecting them.

I'm trying a point challenge as well, and I keep looking at your pt awards and thinking I like them better than mine, I may have to change. Hum.....

I got distracted by live in February, well by someone in my life. I suddenly find myself in a relationship I never expected. As a result of that distraction I managed to read a pitiful 2 books. Luckily I got ahead in January so I am still on track.

Congratulations! That is really very nice for you. Enjoy!

I made decent progress this month, but also added a couple of books. I did quite well on points and found new bits to adjust.

I previously neglected to set rules for re-read books. I decided to put them in the 1 point category.

I also decided to add a bonus point category for ER books.

I guess the Saxon Chronicles series isn't really finished yet, but at this point I am caught up with all the books published so far, so I did count the finish series point for that.

From the looks of it I have the feeling that I'll finish my points challenge before hitting the 50 books.

Done :-)

Congrats!!! Well done.

Hurray!!! :D Congrats!

Well done!!!