Book Blogger Confessions [#6] Reading Challenges... YAY!

Hosted by For What It's Worth and Midnyte Reader

Reading challenges: Do you host or join in any? What is your success rate on completing them? Do they keep your reading goals on track, put too many restrictions/pressure on you? What do you think makes for a successful reading challenge?

I don't join challenges in abundance (and haven't hosted one). I always tell myself that the Goodreads Challenge is a minimum- it keeps me on track reading a book a week (or more). I may change it late on but yes, it's started at 52 both my GR years!

This is (and has been yearly) a good start- it's a simple challenge that gets you in the community. I don't consider it too imposing but see why it's not for everyone (some people don't like cataloguing books at all). 
My Goodreads Challenge & my British Book Challenges read amounts don't really fluctuate & they are the same- what I don't count for one (ie. short stories) don't count for the other. I'm also only reading British Books until I've reached the aim- that's 50. That means a slight number will be tagged on the end that aren't by authors living/born in the UK.

I wouldn't consider challenges if books read for one couldn't crossover. I think this is how challenges are kept fun- you can perhaps read one book that counts for several and that's a boost (I'd never decide which challenge a book counted for). 
Recently I've found that challenges where you don't link up reviews and completion posts to be half the challenge they could be. I like finding more books even if I find more than I read because on the way you often find reviewers, genres or authors that are absolutely amazing. You end up enjoying the challenging- it's not just about numbers. Set an achievable target & watch as your enjoyment & book count soar.

Cheer on "Challenge FC", yeah? XD Perhaps pop over to a certain
challenge competitor (if you think of them as that) & wave the pom-poms?

<--- It was a Football weekend really...

Challenges, for me, are great. I don't often lag behind- I don't really think you can fail a challenge. There's often different levels and everybody experiences the challenge in different ways. If somebody, somewhere is getting something out of it (ie. they aren't reading half the books they would) then it's worth it. It doesn't matter if they add pressure or have restrictions as long as it's accessible. Often you may have a rough idea of what you read but aren't sure how you'll plan it out or if you'll reach it. Well, go easier on yourself.
If the challenge comes later when you really put your blogger heart into it then that's fine. Just keep reaching for the moon, you'll land among the stars- yes?
Challenges can be eye-openers. You can realize you read a certain thing much more than you thought- it often isn't a fluke for me (hmm... apart from the UK element, even so I read about half/half before!) or frankly you might just be heading in a new, different direction. The BBC (yeah, same abbreviation as this meme, oops) has really helped me explore fantastic UKYA. It's got to the point where I know I'm not just reading for the sake of it (yeah, I may not have known what to expect *shifty eyes*). 
Authors, I'm not meaning to include one over another but if you hadn't guessed- it's a challenge which I am falling in love with. There are plenty more goals and challenges I set myself. This is just the obvious one (:

It's OK if you react to challenges like I do! *cough* You get into them... *cough*

I'm actually, these days, considering & enjoy signing up for read-a-thons and other short while challenges- things that I hope to get into & feel the pressure. Challenges are odd... Pressure, then no pressure, then.... Yeah, well.