Weekly Geeks 2009-23: Challenges

I know I'm a week behind on this, but I love the topic so I thought I'd go ahead and post anyway.

This week's Weekly Geeks topic was suggested by Sheri of A Novel Menagerie. She writes:

"Reading Challenges: a help or a hurt? Do you find that the reading challenges keep you organized and goal-oriented? Or, do you find that as you near the end of a challenge that you've failed because you fell short of your original goals? As a result of some reading challenges, I've picked up books that I would have otherwise never heard of or picked up; that, frankly, I have loved. Have you experienced the same with challenges? If so, which ones? Do you have favorite reading challenges?"

As we pass the halfway point of 2009, how are you doing with your reading challenges? Did you participate in any challenges this year?

Hi, my name is Tammy, and I'm a challenge addict. Okay, so I generally don't sign up for as many challenges as many of you do, but to me it's not just about the numbers. I find myself wanting to sign up for more, even when I've lost interest in the ones I've already committed to and even during those times when I'm sick of reading in general. What's worse, I can't stop myself from signing up for a new one when I know there is no way in the world that I'm going to complete it -- and not finishing something that I've committed to drives me NUTS.

So what's the allure? First, of course, I love books. I own way too many (over 800 at last count), I always buy at least one when I'm in any store that sells them, and my library card has burn marks from running through the check-out laser so many times. Challenges help me focus on particular books, especially those that I've been long planning to read or feel that I should read, but haven't. And they feed my need to overachieve, which has always manifested for me in intellectual pursuits. I was never an athlete, I don't have a high-powered job, and I don't engage in conspicuous consumption, but anything brain related and I'm there.