I’ve been thinking about it the last few days, and I’ve decided that I really do feel encumbered by all the challenges I’ve joined. While I do enjoy this sort of thing, and I do find myself reading works I would otherwise always leave for ‘later’, I find that I’m always thinking of my next read in view of the challenges I’ve signed up for. I look at something new and I think hey! I’d like to read that! But then I pause and decide not to simply because I’ve several ‘challenge’ books to read.
So…
I’ve decided to give up on these challenges this year, and just enjoy myself. I want to be able to read anything as and when the mood takes me. As things go, I already have a personal goal of whittling down my TBR stack. This stack includes almost all of the works I have mentioned under these various challenges. This ‘ban’ of sorts, does not include the read-alongs I’ve joined. I’m likely to join more read-alongs this year, should the mood take me, and also mini/short term challenges like the RIP Challenge later on this year, and Irish Short Story Week in March.
Therefore, the only events I’m sticking to that I have signed up for so far are:
- The Narnia Project
- The Chunkster Read-along of Les Misérables
- War and Peace Read-along
- Reading Shakespeare: a play a month
Whew! I feel like that’s a load off my chest!!
In other news:
Cathy at Kittling: Books will be posting, later today, a guest post of mine on her weekly feature “The Scene of the Blog”. In this feature, bloggers talk about and ‘show’ their working space, and, perhaps where they keep their books. I’ve done the same, of course. So, if you’re curious to know what my working space is like just hop on over and read about it at Kittling: Books! 
Certainly understandable! I’m glad you’re sticking with War & Peace!
I will miss you in the Back to the Classics Challenge, but totally understand. Reading is meant to be fun, not a burden! No need to feel overwhelmed already! Good luck with the events you are continuing with!
Thanks, Sarah. If I do read anything along your challenge guidelines, I might check in.
I think you’ve discovered the reason why I only opted into two challenges this year (not counting readalongs). I simply don’t have enough time and I would like at least a little flexibility in my reading.
I always go back and forth with reading challenges. Some years I am interested in most of them and other years I just avoid them…
I suppose it might be the same with me. I’ll see. But so far, I’m having a great time not following a challenge pattern!