Back near the end of January, Penny prepared a Backlist Reading Challenge for herself and in March, just those few short months later, a Review Hoarding post was added as well.
Are you interested in checking in and seeing how these challenges are going? How well has Penny been keeping to her backlist challenge and just what has been our review-books-sent to review-books-read ratio?
Well – it’s been going “okay” – our hoarding issues, the dangling of shiny new books and for the better part of our excuses why the ratios have been so low is that work (those damn 9-5 gigs) have really gotten in the way from seriously knocking more of these titles off the lists.
Let’s start with the one that shows more promise in the progress department….”Review Hoarding”. We didn’t do too badly in this area! Of the 14 posted, we’ve been able to read and review five (well, four reviewed. Jackie is finished reading Songs of Three Islands, just has to write up a review). And let’s add in The Accident, shall we, as this was a review copy sent to us, and it was read and reviewed! ;-)
Penny’s Backlist Reading Challenge on the other hand, seems to have fallen apart. The “Windsor Public Library” list and the “At Home on the Shelves” list remain completely untouched. Although, The Tilted World IS on hold from the library in audio!
The only one list receiving the most reads from was the “NetGalley” and only one so far from the “Kobo” list! Yikes.
Only 4 out of 36 have been read! Clicking on the book cover will take you to the review, with the exception of Ten White Geese. That one was apparently not the right book for me at the right time. It was so painfully slow and plodding.
What has been happening? Why does it seem like it’s been falling apart? Well, the usual issues – accepting more books being a large issue! Taking new ones out from the library and even buying more! It’s become a little overwhelming.
For some reason though, just posting about the results gives a solid perspective on the matter and helps get one back on track. Hopefully in the coming months you will find reviews from these lists appearing with more frequency. Fingers crossed! There are really great titles on those lists! Just have to put some blinders on and focus.
I feel like I have so much for publishers and NetGalley that have to be read that I’m not even touching my backlist pile either. Things slow down for me in June, so hopefully I can dedicate the summer to books I already own and throw in some library picks too. It’s just so hard because every week more great books are published. Our quest will never be done.
Agreed Tanya – March and April are crazy times where not a great deal of reading can be done, but overall, this year schedules haven’t been as conducive to reading as much as we would like. The problem is saying no. We’ve got to start saying no unfortunately until we can catch up! But seriously – look at all the new shiny ones that keep coming out! It’s SO HARD to stay focused! :-)
I’ve taken an extended break from accepting review copies so I can tackle my backlist and it feels so good! But it’s also hard to stay focused with all those pretty new books coming out.
I know right?! Have become much more vigilant on saying no. There are just so many, the guilt is becoming overwhelming. Trying to put blinders on now, but seriously, so many new pretty books! Thanks for stopping by Kate and sharing the guilt! :-)
We know EXACTLY what you mean Kate!! Those pretty new books are so incredibly tempting!! Thanks for stopping by!