50 Book Challenge

[kz_blogorambling]

I just bailed on the 50 book challenge community. Too much traffic, too many people whom I didn't know (and thus whose recommendations and reviews weren't as weighty for me).

Great idea in general, but got too out of hand for me.

It'd be greatly improved if people would confine themselves to doing a once-per-month update.

Comments

[helenseidolon.livejournal.com]

Hear hear. I still have it on my list, but I rarely read it. A smaller group would have been nice.

[postmoderngirl.livejournal.com]

I'd like to set up a Doper 50bookschallenge community, but I haven't any codes left.

[mannyvision.livejournal.com]

I think I got code. Lemme check and I'll email you.

[helenseidolon.livejournal.com]

That sounds terrific!

[mannyvision.livejournal.com]

Yep. Damn, do I have code. Check your juno email.

[vix1.livejournal.com]

I was considering doing the same thing for the same reasons. It's a great idea for a community and I still intend to try to read 50 books, but my friends list is overwhelmed by all the entries.

True.

[mermil.livejournal.com]

I may bail on it too. I can't really keep track of what I've read and I get seven billion posts from it every day. Also, I find myself snickering at some of the books people are reading and if I can avoid turning into a jerk, then I will. Away with it!

Re: True.

[postmoderngirl.livejournal.com]

I find myself rolling my eyes at the books too, and it makes me feel like a judgemental snob. But I have to admit, I'm not impressed by people reading 50 romance novels.

Re: True.

[gingy.livejournal.com]

I gotta say that I'm really not that impressed by someone reading 50 books in a year. I don't mean to sound snobbish, but reading is such a huge part of our lives that I would be surprised if we didn't read around 150 - 200 in a year each around here. If you're not much of a reader, then it's GREAT that you're doing this.

Re: True.

[postmoderngirl.livejournal.com]

I usually read about 35 books a year. I know, because I keep careful track. So 50 is a lot for me.

YES!

[mermil.livejournal.com]

I know. Maybe there's a better book community out there. I really joined it so I could get suggestions for new and festive reading material. I define this as: not romance novels and, although I am a Buffy fan, no Buffy the Vampire Slayer novels. In fact, no novelizations whatsoever. If that makes me condescending, so be it.

Re: YES!

[postmoderngirl.livejournal.com]

I read a Buffy novel. Heh. But I didn't count it! That would be like counting fanfic or something!

Understandable....

[politzania.livejournal.com]

However, I plan on sticking around for awhile. I don't have a huge list of friends, so I can usually skim thru the new entries pretty quickly.

Maybe weekly postings -- monthly seems much too long to wait - then there'd be a HUGE bunch of posts at the beginning/end of the month!

As to the books other people choose to read - meh. I lean a lot towards science fiction & fantasy & I'm sure there are those who would trash me for that. If I'm supposed to be impressing you with what I'm reading, I guess I'm in the wrong place.

Re: Understandable....

[crankyasanoldma.livejournal.com]

Well, I'd tell people to post on the same day they joined, so not everyone would rush in here on the 1st of each month.

I confess, I've found some interesting people who reported reading books I loved (so I thought, cool, kindred spirit!) and there have been a few times when people have posted about books I wondered about reading. That's been helpful, and interesting. But I'm finding I'm skimming more and more, and my chances of catching those gems declines as I do so.

Your job is to post in your journal about any super-cool entries to the 50 book challenge community. You must accept this mission.

u

Re: Understandable....

[politzania.livejournal.com]

Sir, yes sir! Er... ma'am :^)

Did you see my post on Geek Love before you left?

Any specific genres/categories/posters etc. to look for?

DRAT - meant to mention I'd be interested in a Doper book group - tho I'm not always good at reading the same book everyone else is...

Re: Understandable....

[crankyasanoldma.livejournal.com]

Oho! Thanks! Someone told me about this book a long time ago, and I had it in the back of my mind to read it someday.i

heyyyy....

[mermil.livejournal.com]

It's not a question of impressing other people. Anyone who trashes someone else for what they read is a jerk. But I find that the books that get posted don't interest me all that much. And I freely admit I have weird taste...I like little-old-lady British books-- which lots of people think are either weird or pathetic. Some of the people on the site read Great Big Important Books that freak me out, because I have a short attention span. Novelizations, romances, spy novels, mysteries, Great Big Important Reads--none of these amuse me. Many people love books that fall into one or more of those categories; I'm just not one of them.

And yeah, sometimes I think I read other entries and get all-eye rolly, and then I think, Who the Hell Do I Think I Am? and I don't like that about myself. So I need to find some other resource.

And Geek Love is an amazing, disturbing book...I hoped you thought it was interesting!

Re: heyyyy....

[politzania.livejournal.com]

Oops - I guess I read your post a bit wrong... I agree there's a lot of books mentioned that I'm not really interested in... but there's a lot more that I'd prob not know about at all unless someone mentions it.

As I said in my comments about Geek Love, "It was a grotesquely entertaining read." And not something I probably would have picked up on my own if I hadn't read someone else's review.

No, I just got Joe Defensive.

[mermil.livejournal.com]

...because you sort of had a point. And then I felt guilty and then I donned my Defensive Pants. Sorry. The defensive pants are off. Repeat: no more defensive pants.

Re: No pants, hmmmm?

[mermil.livejournal.com]

No, of course not. Rock ON. I am Needy. I LOVE people befriending me.

No pants, hmmmm?

[politzania.livejournal.com]

:: checks mermil's User Info real quick ::

Oh darn - you're a girl.
In that case - I'd suggest you get dressed, young lady! Catch your death of cold!

I've been known to don an Attitude Dress at times myself - I imagine it as black leather with lots of studs & buckles :^)

Psst - mind if I befriend you?

[globetrotter1.livejournal.com]

I'm sticking around, I want to hear from other people than Dopers.

[sdmbsockpuppet.livejournal.com]

i think evryone shuld read this book:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/074341313X/qid=1047311387/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-5245631-9400902?v=glance&s=books

i here it has ekselent reviews.

[jamespolk.livejournal.com]

I bailed several weeks ago. I agree that very few books were being read that were of interest to me, but I was interested in a percentage of the posts, but there were just too damn many.

Oh well. My reading for the next couple months is pretty much being dictated to me (I have to review them) so my discretionary reading time is pretty much nil anyway.

[delphica.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I have the same complaints that everyone else does -- it's too much and there's a lot of stuff I'm just not interested in, and snotty about it.

That said, I have found a few new kindred spirits, so I'm going to stick with it for now at least.

It's interesting that this community DID start out as a SDMB community, and other people just found it and joined. I don't think anyone advertised it or anything. A victim of its own success, maybe?

[sueduhnym.livejournal.com]

I bailed awhile ago too. I still go check it, but don't watch actively. It was, as everyone else is saying, too overwhelming. I'd be interested in a smaller one though!

[postmoderngirl.livejournal.com]

I started one, it's DopersRead50.

[ex-kinsey474.livejournal.com]

Can I join? I'm more of a SD lurker these days, but I am technically a member.

[juniper200.livejournal.com]

Once a Doper, always a Doper, I say.