ŷ������

Is it a challenge if there are no rules? If you can read what you want, when you want, if you want? If so, this is again my mostly "no rules" challenge, but with a huge TBR is hard to pick the next book, so I'm trying to be a little more organized.
All my reading is done these day as audiobooks and ebooks, and the audiobooks are by far the winners. Tons of them on my ipod, tons of ebooks on my Kindle. They are not sorted in any fashion, not by age, not alphabetically, not by anything. So the way I'll pick my 2022 books (Bill inspired) will include:
- first or last (at the time) on my ipod
- first or last (at the time) on my GR audiobook list
- first or last (at the time) on my GR ebook list
- any next in series
- any buddy read
- any GR group book
- any book that I really need to read at the time, just because.

I realize this does not look like a lot of structure, but trust me, for me it is. Plus, I can abandon any book that does not grab me fast, and I'm not shy about it.

I'll aim for 80 books, and with 45 series currently in progress, I'm hoping for a somewhat even split between series and stand-alone books. I'm ready!

Stand alone books:
1. A Good Neighborhood 3*
2. The Last Thing He Told Me 3*
3. The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest 3.5*
4. Childhood's End 3*
5. Button Man 4*
6. The Night Parade 4*
7. American Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West 3*
8. The Lathe of Heaven 4*
9. Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster 3*
10. Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family 4*
11. I Must Betray You 3.5*
12. Diagnosis: Solving the Most Baffling Medical Mysteries 3.5*
13. The Book of Lost Names 3*
14. Between Shades of Gray: The Graphic Novel 5*
15. How Beautiful We Were 3*
16. 'Salem's Lot 2.5*
17. The Death of Vivek Oji 4*
18. Klara and the Sun 2.5*
19. Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth 4*
20. A House in the Sky 4.5*
21. A Desperate Fortune 4*
22. The Dutch House 4*
23. The Giving Tree 4*
24. Malibu Rising 2*
25. Strength in What Remains: A Journey of Remembrance and Forgiveness 3*
26. While the City Slept: A Love Lost to Violence and a Young Man's Descent into Madness 3*
27. Code Name Verity 3*
28. The Babysitter: My Summers with a Serial Killer 2.5*
29. Elevation 2*
30. The Death of Ivan Ilyich 3*
31. Victim F: From Crime Victims to Suspects to Survivors 4.5*
32. The House of Special Purpose 4*
33. Sarum: The Novel of England 2*
34. American Prison: A Reporter's Undercover Journey into the Business of Punishment 4*
35. Daughters of Smoke and Fire 4*
36. The Lincoln Highway 3*
37. Upgrade 3.5*
38. X-Men: Magneto Testament 3*
39. American Cartel: Inside the Battle to Bring Down the Opioid Industry 3.5*
40. No Good Men Among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War through Afghan Eyes 4*
41. Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake 3*
42. Every Last Fear 2*
43. The Institute 4*
44. The Push 3*
45. Mademoiselle Chanel 4*
46. Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted 4*
47. Somebody I Used to Know: A Memoir 4.5*
48. American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road 4*
49. My Sister Rosa 4*
50. Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod 3.5*
51. An Anonymous Girl 3.5*
52. Pied Piper 4*
53. The Nature of Fragile Things 4*
54. Hum If You Don't Know the Words
55. The Fountains of Silence 3*
56. Darling Rose Gold 3*
57. The Other Daughter 3*
58. The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear 3*

Series:
Women of Troy
1. The Silence of the Girls 2*

Rogue Team International - Completed
#2. Relentless 4*

Stephen Fry's Great Mythology
#3. Troy 4*

Dune: The Graphic Novel - will not continue
#1. Dune: The Graphic Novel, Book 1 2*

The Checquy Files
#1. The Rook 4*

Charlie Parker
#1. Every Dead Thing 3*

Kenzie & Gennaro
#1. A Drink Before the War 3*

Escape Artist - Completed
#1. The Escape Artist 4*
#2. The Lightning Rod 3*

Harry Bosch
#23. The Dark Hours 4*

Unsolved Case Files
#1. Escape at 10,000 Feet: D.B. Cooper and the Missing Money 4*
#2. Jailbreak at Alcatraz 4*

The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels
#1. The Lady of the Rivers 4*
#2. The White Queen 4*

Trident Deception
#1. The Trident Deception 3*

Matt Cruse
#1. Airborn 4*

Persepolis - Completed
#1-2. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood 4*
#3-4. Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return 4*

Orphan X
#7. Dark Horse 4*

One Thousand White Women
#2. The Vengeance of Mothers 3*

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek
#1. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek 3.5*

Conqueror
#4. Khan: Empire of Silver 4*

Firefly Lane - Completed
#2. Fly Away 2.5*

Will Trent
Fallen 3*

Counts by genre:

Fiction: 14
Historical Fiction: 16
Non-Fiction: 23
Science Fiction: 6
Mystery/Thriller: 11
Fantasy: 4

It's plenty of structure. Excellent challenge. I do look forward to seeing how you flesh out your lists.

Good luck, loana! 🐾

Good luck, I like the idea of just enough structure to help when you are looking at a very long list debating what to read, but not too much that you feel you can't read a book when you are in the mood. I also can't get my TBR to stop growing, I keep thinking I should do more, but then remember how boring it was when I didn't allow myself to get a bargain

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Good luck, I like the idea of just enough structure to help when you are looking at a very long list debating what to read, but not too much that you feel you can't read a book when you are in the ..."

A small TBR is no fun. The bigger the better, and we'll all live several lives to be able to finish them 🤣

I hope we can finish them! I have recently been asked why I don't just wait till I need a book before buying one, I don't understand why you would want to risk not having anything to read! And as I buy when they are on offer, it works out cheaper in the long run

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "I have recently been asked why I don't just wait till I need a book before buying one, I don't understand why you would want to risk not having anything to read! And as I buy when they are on offer, it works out cheaper in the long run"

I agree with you 100%. Just don't listen to those people, they don't know what they're talking about 📚 📚 📚

Ann_R wrote: "isn't having no rules, actually a excellent rule, lol?"

Ann_R, you are so right...I was too close to see it, but now I do! Thank you😉

I'm always following your challenges, you pick such interesting books. Let me know what you think about the additional structure to your challenge. I have thought of doing the same, but it feels too restrictive. I like to have some a pool of books to pick from - if I have to read a specific book, I get rebellious. :-)

Lea wrote: "I'm always following your challenges, you pick such interesting books. Let me know what you think about the additional structure to your challenge. I have thought of doing the same, but it feels to..."

I tried this for a month, it worked well for the 1st book and then I went back to no plan/no structure. I like that approach much better 🤣

Ioana wrote: "I tried this for a month, it worked well for the 1st book and then I went back to no plan/no structure. I like that approach much better 🤣"

Well, you know what you like, and that's a good thing. I don't mind picking from a list of books, but it's hard to persuade me that I have to read a certain book by a certain time. I will want to read everything else besides the book.

Lea wrote: "Well, you know what you like, and that's a good thing. "

LOL, and I ended up reading 3 NF books in 2 weeks, and I loved them all, so who cares about any plan/list/structure???

I'm really curious how you can decide what to read next if you have no plan/structure? I just have themes, but this month is no theme, and I think I'll run out of PIFM books, so just keep looking at my hundreds of books with no idea how to pick one!

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "I'm really curious how you can decide what to read next if you have no plan/structure? I just have themes, but this month is no theme, and I think I'll run out of PIFM books, so just keep looking a..."

I have about 150 audiobooks on my ipod and maybe 1000 kindle books...I just pick one that sounds interesting at the time. I go in with no expectations, sometimes not knowing anything about the book. Most of the times I'm pleasantly surprised, but if the book and I don't click, we part ways with no bad feelings.

I think I'd just spend that long looking at books if I tried that!

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "I think I'd just spend that long looking at books if I tried that!"

Ohhh, I spend no time picking; it's like a blind date, I never know what I'm getting. Well, most of the time...

I love this concept of minimal structure! Hope you enjoy everything you read.

Ioana wrote: "Is it a challenge if there are no rules? If you can read what you want, when you want, if you want? If so, this is again my mostly "no rules" challenge, but with a huge TBR is hard to pick the next..."

Rules?? We don't need no stinking rules!! LOL


Good luck, Ioana!

Alondra wrote: "Rules?? We don't need no stinking rules!! LOL"

You speak like a real moderator, that's why I love you! 😉

There may be no rules but it sounds like a solid plan. Best of luck!

Michelle wrote: "There may be no rules but it sounds like a solid plan. Best of luck!"

LOL, I tested the plan in December... I could not stick to it past my 1st book. So I think I will go to the 2021 "no plan" approach and just read what I feel like at the time. Can't say I did not try...

Just reading what you like is an even better plan :D

It's got some structure if you're pseudo-inspired by Bill, hes the most structured reader I've ever seen! lol

I love your reviews and the books you read. I'm looking forward to your books as I do every year =)

Alissa wrote: "I love your reviews and the books you read. I'm looking forward to your books as I do every year =)"

Get ready for a lot of NF. I just realized, I have about 50% of the books on my ipod in that genre. That still leaves 60 books of other genres, so...we'll see.

I don't know if everybody here is still checking out the post in the other group, so here is my final update there for 2021:

102 books (65 were stand alones, 37 part of a series)
27 fiction
19 historical fiction
20 non fiction
9 science fiction
20 mystery/thriller
7 fantasy
14 series completed - I still have a lot of series ongoing, not sure I will continue all of them, though
37,712 pages
average rating: 3.7

I'm happy!
Happy New Year and wonderful books in 2022 to all!

Ioana, your 2021 was amazing, and added to my TBR. I must have added nonfiction books that you read in years past, because I KNOW I have more than 20 non fiction additions to my TBR to thank you for! :-) Let's see what 2022 will bring; here's hoping it will include a lot of great books and another year of friendship.

Lea wrote: "Ioana, your 2021 was amazing, and added to my TBR. I must have added nonfiction books that you read in years past, because I KNOW I have more than 20 non fiction additions to my TBR to thank you fo..."

Same to you and your family, my friend! I've read some great books because of you, and I know that will continue. Happy New Year! 🎉

Ioana wrote: "I don't know if everybody here is still checking out the post in the other group, so here is my final update there for 2021:

102 books (65 were stand alones, 37 part of a series)
27 fiction
19 h..."

I love the variety of genres. Thank you for your reviews, I added many to the TBR this year! Hope there is lots of time for books in 2022!

Carolien wrote: "Thank you for your reviews, I added many to the TBR this year! Hope there is lots of time for books in 2022!"

I couldn't have said it any better, same to you too!

I love your 'no rules plan'! Unfortunately, I'm a challenge junkie, too, as evidenced by my individual plans. LOL Happy Reading! I'm excited to see what you end up reading.

Martha wrote: "I'm a challenge junkie, too, as evidenced by my individual plans."

But you manage to complete them, and I admire that. I can't stick to any plan, so this works for me. Whatever makes us happy, and if in the process we manage to read some good books, who cares what was the process to select them?

I know what you mean about needing some organization in picking what to read next. With so many choices, it can be overwhelming. Because of one of the prompt's on the motley challenge, I went back & looked at some of the first books I put on TBR when I joined ŷ������. Some I just took off, but I took one off my shelf & am determined to being reading it this month.
Have fun & happy reading!

You had a great year, Ioana. Congrats and good luck in 2022.

Patricia wrote: "I know what you mean about needing some organization in picking what to read next. With so many choices, it can be overwhelming. Because of one of the prompt's on the motley challenge, I went back ..."

I found some very good reads that way. They were sitting patiently waiting, so now I make sure I check the oldest ones from time to time. Hoe yours oldies are goldies, too.

Bill wrote: "You had a great year, Ioana. Congrats and good luck in 2022."

Thank you! Same to you, looking forward to seeing your picks and the books you **don't** recommend 🤣

Ioana wrote: "I don't know if everybody here is still checking out the post in the other group, so here is my final update there for 2021:

102 books (65 were stand alones, 37 part of a series)
27 fiction
19 h..."

You accomplished quite a bit. Great job, Ioana!!

Ioana wrote: "Is it a challenge if there are no rules? If you can read what you want, when you want, if you want? If so, this is again my mostly "no rules" challenge, but with a huge TBR is hard to pick the next..."

Looks like a great challenge. I like that you can pick anything you want and aren't constrained by a specific book or genre. Good luck!

Alondra wrote: "You accomplished quite a bit. Great job, Ioana!!."

Thank you, it was a very good year of reading. Not the best, but in the top 3. Hoping for an equally good 2022.

Lillie wrote: "Looks like a great challenge. I like that you can pick anything you want and aren't constrained by a specific book or genre. Good luck!"

I really like picking anything I wan to read, but I lose track of books that I **really** want to read, and I forget about. So it's both good and bad...

December 2021 was a great month of reading. Unfortunately, the trend did not continue in January. 1st read, The Silence of the Girls was utterly underwhelming, and I really wanted to like it.
Interesting topic, it had potential, the Trojan War seen from the women's point of view, but badly executed. Booooring! It started well, but it soon lost steam; I kept wanting it to pick it up again, but it never did. 2 very disappointed stars.

Ioana wrote: "December 2021 was a great month of reading. Unfortunately, the trend did not continue in January. 1st read, The Silence of the Girls was utterly underwhelming, and I really wanted t..."

Ouch! Sorry that the first book was not good. At least we have a whole year left!

Alondra wrote: "At least we have a whole year left!."

So true, it can only get better.

Sorry to hear that your first book wasn't very good. You probably don't have to worry about reading the rest of the series, right? :-)

Lea wrote: "Sorry to hear that your first book wasn't very good. You probably don't have to worry about reading the rest of the series, right? :-)"

There's only another one, and I might read it...I love Greek mythology, but if it doesn't work out, I will not feel bad abandoning it. With the 1st one I was hoping it would get better...I should've trusted my first instinct.

Ioana wrote: "There's only another one, and I might read it...I love Greek mythology, but if it doesn't work out, I will not feel bad abandoning it. With the 1st one I was hoping it would get better...I should've trusted my first instinct."

Sometimes it's better when books don't hint at greatness. There's always a greater disappointment than if the book just was bad all the way through. If there's potential, it just makes it even more disappointing that the execution of it wasn't any good.

Lea wrote: "Sometimes it's better when books don't hint at greatness. There's always a greater disappointment than if the book just was bad all the way through. If there's potential, it just makes it even more disappointing that the execution of it wasn't any good."

I agree. In this case maybe my expectations were too high, the book gets general good reviews, although I agree with the not so good ones.

Ioana wrote: "I really like picking anything I wan to read, but I lose track of books that I **really** want to read, and I forget about. So it's both good and bad..."

I hear you! That’s why I have to make a list. Otherwise I get so sidetracked it’s crazy. I swear I’m the kind that gets so easily distracted by shiny new books. I just went to library to pick up 2 holds and came home with 5 books because the other 3 were just sitting on the “New Book�� shelves waiting for me.

It's not you...it's the library's fault. I am saying this with a straight face.