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[Diprosalic]

I don't really understand what your point is here. It's difficult to sink that much time into anything if you're a working adult, regardless of how much money you make.

i wasn't really talking about this project here. i meant people that moan about not having time in general, sorry. but i think i could do this and i work 42h a week and go to school on saturdays. it's just a matter of priorities in my case. if i would cut gaming, procrastinating + other small things i could do it. i don't want too though.

 

[Monroeski]

In the 5 full years since I started tracking such things, I've averaged ~41 books per year. In 2011 I finished 53.

I would like to say I could match that, but a lot of the books I have to read in my backlog are quite large, like Anathem and 1Q84.

 

[Jedeye Sniv]

Reading 50 books in a year means you'd have to restrict yourself to shorter ones, which cuts out a lot of classics. That defeats the whole point of this to me.

Not really, it's mostly genre fiction with it's insanely bloated fatbeard-pleasing pagecounts that account for the massive books. Most 'classics' I can think of are 300 pages or less.

 

[SolKane]

Not really, it's mostly genre fiction with it's insanely bloated fatbeard-pleasing pagecounts that account for the massive books. Most 'classics' I can think of are 300 pages or less.

You're way off here, 19th century authors were the kings of bloat.

 

[Red]

A book a week? On what planet is that average? Planet All Books Are 200 Pages And No One Has Jobs?

I listen to audio books on the commute to work, and read something different at home and on break. Even then I only average 2-3 books a month. 50 in a year would be overwhelming. Unrealistic imo, can't put life on hold for that long.

I guess it depends on the type of book. I often do short story collections, textbooks, or novels at 300+ pages. If we're talking, like, Goosebumps, then I guess 50 ain't too bad.

 

[demon]

I think I could easily do 50 books in a year if I had no job and didn't read too many 450+ pagers. I don't know how people with jobs and lives read 50-100 books a year, like some people do. I know a guy who can tear through a book in one day, regardless of how long it is. I hate the fucker.

Last couple years I've averaged about 20 books a year.

 

[Jedeye Sniv]

You're way off here, 19th century authors were the kings of bloat.

I think there's a bit of both really. Some fatties, some thinnies. I've never read any Victorian fiction over 300 pages though, maybe it was a subconscious choice by me?

But 20th Century... lots of the classics I can think of are around the 200 page mark (Of Mice and Men, 1984, Great Gatsby, On the Road, Fear and Loathing, One Flew Over the Cookoos Nest, To Kill a Mockingbird, Foundation, anything by PKD...).

Page length is the main reason I don't read much fantasy. The GRRM books are the first long series I've read, most of the time I prefer a concise book over a sprawling one.

 

[TouchMyBox]

I listen to audio books on the commute to work, and read something different at home and on break. Even then I only average 2-3 books a month. 50 in a year would be overwhelming. Unrealistic imo, can't put life on hold for that long.

I guess it depends on the type of book. I often do short story collections, textbooks, or novels at 300+ pages. If we're talking, like, Goosebumps, then I guess 50 ain't too bad.

I'm in the same boat here pretty much. I'm an audible subscriber and I have a kindle, yet I'm averaging a book every three weeks (though that's mostly epic 700+ page books). I can maybe go through 20-25 in a year.

 

[Red]

I'm in the same boat here pretty much. I'm an audible subscriber and I have a kindle, yet I'm averaging a book every three weeks. I can maybe go through 20-25 in a year.

Yes, same, audible changed the way I experience books (for the better). That "free" credit a month is amazing, finally I am no longer stuck listening to Katy Perry on the radio every morning.

 

[Angry Fork]

Did this start already? I want to take part for sure, reading the site now to see if there's some kind of community where you could share what you've watched/read. Maybe gaf could set that up with it's own 50/50 thread? (edit I just realized this is the thread for it lol, but is there a start date? I guess Jan 1st would've been it)

For me 50 movies for the year is dreadfully easy. I've done this within 2 weeks before while going down the list of top 250 on imdb I hadn't seen. The book one is much harder but I have lots of time on the train traveling. I'd have more of a problem paying for 50 books then having the time for it.

 

[Cindres]

My new year's is to read more so I'll join this as I wanna get through my must-see movie backlog.

 

[kingocfs]

This has gotten me excited about my chances.

http://www.themillions.com/2012/01/most-anticipated-the-great-2012-book-preview.html

Great article, thanks!

 

[SmokyDave]

Well, it's nice to have incredibly average and easily attainable goals I guess.

What a crap first post for an otherwise good topic.

Kudos to those of you that take this up and stick with it.

 

[iNvid02]

50 books is too much for me, way too much. i only ever seem to read massive
books which take me almost a month each to get through.

50 movies though, easy.

 

[Angry Fork]

If this is going to be an official gaf thing OP should update the first post and list people who are going for it. Then we can update as we go along.

Like that thread about how long you can go without masturbating lol. (I haven't seen that in a while did people get tired of it or something?)

 

[ShinAmano]

I am a fast reader...I will probably finish my third book of the year tonight. (Hunger Games Trilogy)

That said I usually only read 10-20 books a year. I did get my wife a Kindle Fire and it made reading a much more convenient process so maybe my number will go up this year?

 

[survivor]

I'm gonna do the 50 books challenge. They had one last year on goodreads, but I kinda failed maintaining my pace after I got a job in the summer. Seeing how this year, my winter semester is extremely easy and I'm not getting a job in the summer, I will probably do it.

50 movies is gonna be hard. I'm not really a movie guy and I don't even think there are 50 movies that I want to watch. But I will see.

 

[Kabouter]

If this is going to be an official gaf thing OP should update the first post and list people who are going for it. Then we can update as we go along.

Like that thread about how long you can go without masturbating lol. (I haven't seen that in a while did people get tired of it or something?)

Thread was banned. There is currently a contest to not eat fast food though.
But yes, I agree, an updated OP with participants would be nice.

 

[AndyD]

Well, it's nice to have incredibly average and easily attainable goals I guess.

Yep. 50 books is easy, but 50 movies, that's a tougher one I think. Unless you count any movies that you happen to watch on TV. I won't for my list. As to books, I am on my third book already since Sunday. Although this is a long one.

Books:
1. Trial - Kafka
2. A Selective History of Max Werner - Scott Forbes
3. A Storm of Swords

Movies:
1. Dinner for Schumucks
2. Due Date

 

[runlikehell]

I'm gonna be doing this; though I'll be cheating probably, doing an English degree. We read lots of short stories.

 

[Mr.City]

I support the OP in this challenge.

 

[The Chef]

Not a chance I could ever do 50 books. A book has to be absolutely amazing from beginning to end for me to even have a hope of finishing it. 90% of all books I read I get about 3/4 of the way through and just toss it.

I've really started to get annoyed reading lately. I mean really when a writer is going to novel writing school I swear they teach them to just be as mind numbingly descriptive about everything. There is probably a rule to use 100 adjectives per paragraph.

"The room smelled of asparagus and sunflowers which caught my scenes in a profound yet somewhat abstruse way. The sun seemed to glisten off the dishware in the kitchen cabinets that appeared to have been taken from a 19th century hobbiton village in the Sammoan Mtn range. Oh, how he longed for those times. 'Whats for dinner?' he heard the voice behind him. Standing there was a tall beautiful woman in her 30s. Her eyes were the shade of grey with olive skin. Her hair was a capacious black velvet that hung just past her shoulders."

GET TO THE GOD DAMN POINT.
Books such ass. You can keep your 50.

 

[Mr.City]

So many avid readers here on Gaf.

 

[kswiston]

If I read 50 books in a year, I would have 0 time to do anything else. Unless they were all 100-200 page novellas. I am a slow(ish) reader and can only read 30-40 pages an hour.

If audiobooks counted, I could have probably done this last year when I had a job requiring a lot of driving. Got through the His Dark Materials trilogy in a week, and the first four SOIAF books in about two weeks each.

EDIT: Typically I have 1-3 hours of free time a day.

 

[Aquavelvaman]

I already set my Goodreads challenge to 50 books. We'll see how that ends up. 50 films would have been easy last year when I still had access to Netflix, but won't happen for 2012.

GET TO THE GOD DAMN POINT.

Read better books.

 

[EliCash]

No way will I be able to read 50 books this year, I probably wouldn't even reach 25, but I'll give it a shot. I do have enough that I want to read though.

The 50 movies will sort itself out.

 

[RedShift]

I'll try for 50 books. I spend 7 hours a week on the bus, might as well do something. I'll try for mostly new but might re-read a few

Spoiler

I want to read Harry Potter again when the eBooks come out

Probably won't bother with movies, I watch enough as it is.

 

[ahoyhoy]

You guys ever feel like you absorb too much media?

That's pretty much the order of the day right now. The goal of the internet seems to be to absorb as many different "experiences", be they in text, audio, or video format, as possible. While some people might just use the internet as a resource for looking up information/sending the occasional e-mail, since you're posting on GAF I have to assume you are not one of those people.

 

[Angry Fork]

Not a chance I could ever do 50 books. A book has to be absolutely amazing from beginning to end for me to even have a hope of finishing it. 90% of all books I read I get about 3/4 of the way through and just toss it.

I've really started to get annoyed reading lately. I mean really when a writer is going to novel writing school I swear they teach them to just be as mind numbingly descriptive about everything. There is probably a rule to use 100 adjectives per paragraph.

"The room smelled of asparagus and sunflowers which caught my scenes in a profound yet somewhat abstruse way. The sun seemed to glisten off the dishware in the kitchen cabinets that appeared to have been taken from a 19th century hobbiton village in the Sammoan Mtn range. Oh, how he longed for those times. 'Whats for dinner?' he heard the voice behind him. Standing there was a tall beautiful woman in her 30s. Her eyes were the shade of grey with olive skin. Her hair was a capacious black velvet that hung just past her shoulders."

GET TO THE GOD DAMN POINT.
Books such ass. You can keep your 50.

This made me lol, I know what you mean. But a lot of times the point of this is to allow your imagination to run wild and form a room/scene in your head. The more descriptive something is the better you're able to imagine it and for me convert the lines as if I'd see them in a play or movie. If everything was get to the point then there wouldn't be much style, wit, development, effort, reward etc. in writing/reading. Otherwise you could just say "so and so went to the store, then went to the factory, then shot john and killed in prison. the end"

I do get annoyed with chapter long backstories on people that aren't important to the story though. Nobody gives a shit about the cousin of the brother-in-law who's marginally related to the aunt who knows the protagonist through a common friend etc., but they give them the time of day anyway.

 

[TheKaeptain]

I can knock out 50 movies by the end of the month. Books are a different story. Between classes I can read maybe two books a semester.

 

[Krauser Kat]

trying to read anything my GRRM in a week would be crazy. Plus its wasted time. So much senseless filler. 50 books is a bit much for me. Unless i ventured into non fiction. I could probably do that if wanted to to.

it would probably be 10 games 30 books 50 movies.

 

[Kosh]

I had already put myself down for 50 books in the Goodreads challenge. What's 50 more movies? I'm in.

 

[thestopsign]

I made a personal twitter account just to help me keep track of what I've seen/read and my opinions on them. I'm also going to be putting games up there. This goes along nicely with my new years resolution of not buying any games in 2012 so I can complete some of my Steam backlogue.

 

[TheKaeptain]

trying to read anything my GRRM in a week would be crazy. Plus its wasted time. So much senseless filler. 50 books is a bit much for me. Unless i ventured into non fiction. I could probably do that if wanted to to.

it would probably be 10 games 30 books 50 movies.

I read Game of Thrones in like three days.

 

[Arment]

I was unemployed for a full year, read every night, and I don't think I managed 50 books.

Mostly because I read gigantic epic fantasy books. I knocked out The Hunger Games trilogy two nights each.

I read Game of Thrones in like three days.

I could, but it would be unenjoyable. I read fast, but I only read about an hour on average before I start getting tired and put it down to sleep.

 

[Salmonax]

Well, it's nice to have incredibly average and easily attainable goals I guess.

Bummer - hope things pick up for you.

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

If this is going to be an official gaf thing OP should update the first post and list people who are going for it. Then we can update as we go along.

Like that thread about how long you can go without masturbating lol. (I haven't seen that in a while did people get tired of it or something?)

Yeah, I'll update the OP tonight with a list, so everyone officially chime in, preferably with your first book/movie.

 

[Extra Sauce]

I'll definitely watch more than 50 movies in 2012, and something around zero book.

 

[Ceebs]

50 books is not that bad. Over the holidays this year I read through 6 books in a week and a half. If you enjoy reading and choose to do it over playing games or watching TV, or even sitting on GAF you can knock out 50 books a year with ease.

 

[Lissar]

Aw, I thought this was going to be a set list everyone could read/watch together and discuss.

Fifty books is easy, I do more than that yearly. Fifty movies though? I don't know that I could... I don't really enjoy movies.

 

[East Lake]

That's pretty much the order of the day right now. The goal of the internet seems to be to absorb as many different "experiences", be they in text, audio, or video format, as possible. While some people might just use the internet as a resource for looking up information/sending the occasional e-mail, since you're posting on GAF I have to assume you are not one of those people.

I'd say I'm somewhere in-between. I sort of asked to gauge other people but I should have expanded a bit. School takes up most of my time now but I don't know what my intake will be in the summer. If I had to guess I'd probably say a movie or two a week and a book or two a month. Probably no albums or tv shows.

I don't mean to implicate anyone in this thread but I think now that there's so much available on the web a race to be the most erudite guy around has started, so you can verbally dickslap the guy who hasn't heard of writer x or doesn't get the finer details of cinematography. Everybody's a critic and nobody wants to listen to the other forum critic. And I don't mean too dismiss people who enjoy reading and watching tons of movies or whatever. I get it. I get why people enjoy watching and reading. But for every guy who watches and takes it easy here there a dozen dudes arguing about film rankings or how Spielberg has been shit since whenever. Like at one point they enjoyed movies but now it's half movie watching half internet historian olympics.

I guess I could write this about movies or games or anything but it feels like people are spinning their wheels. You watch hundreds or thousands of movies, and have this huge span of time spent absorbing this information. You haven't created much. You're not getting Robert Osborne's job. I hope it was fun at the very least? Watching, arguing?

 

[Monocle]

I was seriously considering aiming for 100 books this year. It's certainly doable if I throw in a lot of short ones like Goodbye, Mr. Chips and The Crying of Lot 49. You can knock those out in an afternoon. There are plenty of monsters in my backlog, though, and anyway, I find that I miss out on a lot if I don't let myself enjoy a book slowly.

50 in a year sounds good, but 35 - 40 is more realistic for me. I still might try this 50 + 50 thing.

 

[MorisUkunRasik]

Talked to my gf, we're doing a modified challenge since we're full time students and I work fulltime.

50/25.

I could watch 50 films no problem but I hardly read or finish books I start so this will be interesting. Trying to get more friends involved right now.

Our first film will be 2001 A Space Odyssey.

Our first book is The Grapes of Wrath, #2 will be Ender's Game.

 

[idlewild_]

Trying to use ASoIaF books to meet a book/week goal is pretty ambitious. Good luck OP.

 

[Kosh]

Yeah, I'll update the OP tonight with a list, so everyone officially chime in, preferably with your first book/movie.

First book already down. Stories I Only Tell My Friends - Rob Lowe
Currently reading - Catching Fire and Hitch-22

First movie will be Transformers Dark of the Moon whenever Netflix gets it here.

 

[RedShift]

Shamelessly stole the idea for my first book to be True Grit from bengraven. Never seen either movie, then saw a bit of the John Wayne version on TV the other day and it piqued my interest. Didn't realise there was a book.

 

[Vox-Pop]

GAF should do 50 movies a year just for fun. Some one make a thread with a list of movies we can watch all year.

 

[Like the hat?]

My goal is to read a book a month :/

 

[Angry Fork]

Movie #1 and #2 will be Battle Royale and The Seventh Seal.
Book #1 will be The Portable Atheist.

 

[besada]

Well, as long as I can do it all on GAF, I'm in. I'll be here anyway.

1st Book: When the Sacred Ginmill Closes by Lawrence Block
1st Movie: Uh, I dunno. Probably something shitty like Cowboys and Aliens.