This challenge came from Fiftyfifty. The challenge is simple: You have one year to read 50 new books and watch 50 new movies.
Rules:
- 1- Read 50 NEW books and watch 50 NEW movies before Jan 1st 2018.
- 2- You can join the challenge at any time.
- 3- Be honest! Nobody is going to be making sure you actually read that book or watched that movie.
- All you have to do is make a post in this very thread. Your initial post will be where you update your list. You MUST follow this format in order for your entry to be counted.
- This is important - I will be updating the Master Tracker (which will be in the second post of the OP) every month. If you want the Master Tracker to reflect your book/movie count, please do a separate update post at the end of each month. The update post should follow this format:
*Please try to stick to the formats as it makes my life easier when updating each month.*
- What do you mean by 'new'? It doesn't matter what year the book/movie was released in, as long as you have NEVER seen or read it before, it counts.
- What is the prize for finishing the challenge? You will win some brownie points.
- What is stopping me from lying? Absolutely nothing, but, why would you?
- Ok, I'm in. Who keeps track of what I read/watch? You do! Update your initial post as you rack up the books and movies.
- What counts as a book? Anything over 100 pages.
- What if it is really long? If it is more than 500 pages, you may count it as two books. But only two.
- Do Audiobooks/Textbooks count? Yes.
- What about comics/graphic novels? Use your best judgement. Rule of thumb, a "run" would be considered one book.
- What counts as a movie? 90+ minutes of pure enjoyment.
- Can I count my favorite TV show? Most will say no. If you do want to count them, one season = one movie. Use your best judgement. People do keep track of the shows they watch, but I won't keep stats on it.
- Do Documentaries count? Yes.
Remember 100 page count/90 minute are guidelines. Meaning, if you read a book that is 85 pages and you count it, nobody is going to kill you. But if you start counting a bunch of 50 page books/short movies, people will call you out on it. This is meant to be a (fun) challenge. Keyword there is challenge.
Hints and Tips (from Tragiccomedy):
- Prioritize reading early and often! Participants in last year’s thread watched twice as many movies as they read books, since the time commitment and mental effort tends to be significantly less on the film front. Theoretically, you could binge watch all 50 movies in a month or two and be done with that aspect of the challenge. If you’re reading a regular 300+ page book, that is unlikely to hold true on the book front.
- Avoid “dead time.” My wife gets hooked on HGTV programs because when they finish an episode they cut straight to the next one without a commercial break. That’s their hook, and it’s quite effective. Treat reading the same way. Finish a book knowing what you want to read next and try to start it immediately. Even reading 10-15 pages might be all it takes to get you immersed in your next book.
- Read every night as you fall asleep, or find time to squeeze in a chapter or two during break times at work. If you can read ~30 minutes to an hour a day, you should be able to finish the challenge quite easily (and maybe even early).
- Lists can be super helpful! Goodreads, in particular, is a great way to track what you’ve read and what’s in your queue to read next.
- Consider picking up a Kindle or e-reader of your choice. One very common trend you’ll hear among e-reader users is they actually read more and at a faster pace than they do with physical copies of books. That has certainly been my experience.
- Check out some classics. Some stuff may be dated, but there are a ton of gems out there ready to be discovered by a younger generation.
- Find your niche! I’m a science fiction and fantasy guy. I can blast through a 1K page fantasy book faster than I could ever finish a 300 page love story. Feel free to expand your horizons but know what’s in your current wheelhouse.
- 2012
- 2013
- 2014
- 2015
- 2016
- Goodreads Nice way to keep track of what you're reading and creep on other participants.
- Letterboxd Keep track of what you're watching.
- Good lists of books by genre by Maklershed.
- Movie lists: IMDB and Rottentomatoes.
- 52 Games. 1 Year. 2017.
If you need stars for reviews:
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Credit: The credit goes to the past OP's, who have helped pave the way for the challenge to be more efficient for everyone around. Graphics were (shamelessly) taken from Fiftyfifty's website.
