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2012 Reading Has Its Rewards Challenge

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2012 Reading Has Its Rewards Challenge
Type: Personal
Duration: 1 January – 31 December 2012
Purpose: To raise money for First Book; to make a larger dent in my “to be read” pile and to reward myself for reading older books. Below are my guidelines and rewards.

Goals:
I decided on points and page goals to create “reward” milestones — I will reward myself for achieving them along the way.

Number of Books: 80
Dollar Amount per Book: $2.00
Number of Point: 20,000 30,000
Number of Pages: 30,000 20,000
Amended 31 March 2012; Reason: Reached 10,000+ points on 25 March. Though I’ve been reading older books, the books haven’t been longer ones. If I continued this trend, I would easily have reached the points goal, but fall short of the page goal. Switching them gives me a better shot at reaching them both by the end of the year.

The Points

Added to TBR: I will be using my personal database, not Good Reads, Shelfari or the like. My database is the only thing 99.9999% accurate. It was also established in 2006. “Date added” is not always the same as “year published” — some books were on my wishlist for a time or I switched editions (in the case with many Georgette Heyer’s). The “date added” is auto-generated by the program when the book is entered.

2012 = 25
2011 = 50
2010 = 100
2009 = 150
2008 or earlier = 300

Number of Pages: Number pages will be based on the page the actual story ends, not including any additional information such as sneak peeks or end-of-book glossary of terms.

349 or less =100
350-400 = 200
401-499 = 300
500+ = 500

Bonus Points

Bonus for Series Books: One of my other goals is to get a handle on the number of series I have malingering on my shelves. I would like to catch up on long-running series and find out which of the newer ones (with only 2 to 3 books) I wish to continue. Again, I will use Good Reads for series information.

Book 1 = 25
Book 2 = 50
Book 3 = 75
Book 4 = 100
Book 5 or higher = 200

Example:
Storm Kissed (Jessica Andersen): added in 2011 (50 points); 451 pages (300 points); 6th in the Series (200 points). Total: 550 points

Bonus for Original Copyright/Publication Date:
Regardless of when the it was added to the TBR, books with original publication/copyright dates 2005 or earlier, doubles the total of points for the book.

Example:
Footsteps in the Dark (Georgette Heyer): added in 2010 (100 points); 347 pages (100 points); Original Copyright 1932 (200 X 2). Total: 400 points

Bonus Points for Number of Books Read (Monthly):
In order to achieve my goal of a 80 books by the end of the year, I will have to read an average of 7 books a month. To encourage this, and hopefully work up toward 10 books a month, I will add 50 points per book read after the sixth. The book will count for the month I finished it, regardless of when I started. Books started prior to 1 January 2012 or not finished by 31 December 2012 will not count toward any goals.

Milestone Rewards

25 Books (30 April)
500 Bonus Points
$25.00Cannot be spent on books. Ideas: Bath & Body Works; Yankee Candle; Godiva Chocolates; Etsy.

Series Catch-Up (31 August)
Caught up  at least 2 long-running series:
1,000 Bonus Points
$100.00Cannot be spent on books. Ideas: Levenger; Vera Bradley; Longaberger

Long-Running Series Criteria:

  • Must have at least 3 books left unread, not counting the 2011 release, by 1 January 2012
  • If the series is in hardback, then the last paperback issue counts toward “caught up” if published before 31 August.

Finishing Early (31 October)
Number of books read; Number of pages read; Number of points
1 Goal Reached: $150
2 Goals Reached: $250
3 Goals Reached: $350

Can be spent on “Coming Soon” (2013 releases) books, or on anything else (including adding all or part to the charitable donation).

END Of YEAR

Second Chance (Conditional)
If the Series Catch-Up milestone was not reached in August, add 50 points per series caught up by 31 December, regardless of the number of books left to read as of 1 January 2012 (the other rule remains).

By the Dozen Challenge
Completed by end of the year: 1,000 points

Completed Goals
For each goal reached: $50.00

Example:
If I read 80 books by the end of October ($150) and I met the pages goal by the end of the year,  but not the points goal, than I would add $50.00 to the October amount ($150 + $50 = $200.00).  If I didn’t reach any goal in October, then start with $0.00 and add $50 per goal reached on 31 December.

Special Rules

Audiobooks, individual novellas/short stories, and Did Not Finish:
Since the purpose is read and finish full-length novels, these will only count for half the points/dollar amount.  Short stories will not count toward series bonus points unless they are a whole number (book 2, as opposed to 2.5 or 0).  Again, Good Reads will be used to determine the short stories status in the series.  Audiobooks will not count toward any goal.  Anthologies, if read in their entirety, will count fully toward this challenge: points (except series bonuses), pages, and number of books read).  Individual stories, if read singularly, will count for number of pages read and be worth $1.00.  For points:  the year the anthology was added to my TBR only.  Did not finish will only count for the number of pages I read before deciding to give it up (no points), and will count for $1.00.

Amended 31 Marc 2012; Reason: After reading “Crystal Skull”, I realized that the original rule just didn’t make sense. Individual short stories, and books that I don’t finish, still take time to read and should count for more than I originally decided. Audiobooks shouldn’t count for anything.

Example:
Hexed (Anthology), if I read the whole book, would be worth $2.00 and 150 points (50 for TBR date and 100 for 326 pages). “Crystal Skull” by Jessica Andersen, in the On the Hunt anthology, would only be worth $1.00 and 25 points 50 points (2011 TBR date) — no points for page total or being connected to a series (it is “5.5”).

Re-Reads (A.K.A. The Jane Rule)

Re-Reads will not count toward any goals.

Unless…

It is the work of Jane Austen. I’ve long held the goal of re-reading her books in two-year cycle. If I read the books (instead of listening to the audiobooks), each novel will count toward the pages and points goals (not number of books read). PLUS, add an additional 1,000 points per Austen novel read because she’s worth it!

The Harry Potter Rule:

  • Books will count toward books read goals (except series catch-up)
  • Books will count toward pages read goals (that’s 4,100 pages!)
  • Dollar amount I will give to First Book for each read: $5.00

However. . .

Points will count if, and only if, I read all 7 books and watch all 8 movies. Just how many points am I talking about? 9,900 points. Below is the breakdown:

  • Sorcerer’s Stone (1997 UK/1998 US) (309 pgs) added Dec 1999: 300 (TBR) + 100 (pages) + 25 (series) = 425 x 2= 850 points
  • Chamber of Secrets (1998 UK/1999 US) (341 pgs) added Jan 2000: 300 (TBR) + 100 (pages) + 50 (series) = 450 x 2= 900 points
  • Prisoner of Azkaban (1999) (435 pgs) added Jan 2000: 300 (TBR) + 300 (pages) + 75 (series) = 675 x 2= 1,350 points
  • Goblet of Fire (2000) (734 pgs) added 2000: 300 (TBR) + 500 (pages) + 100 (series) = 900 x 2= 1,800 points
  • Order of the Phoenix (2003) (870 pgs) added 2003: 300 (TBR) + 500 (pages) + 200 (series) = 1000 x 2= 2,000 points
  • Half-Blood Prince (2005) (652 pgs) added 2005: 300 (TBR) + 500 (pages) + 200 (series) = 1000 x 2= 2,000 points
  • Deathly Hallows (2007) (759 pgs) added 2007: 300 (TBR) + 500 (pages) + 200 (series) = 1,000 points
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