How to Enter the Goodreads Reading Challenge

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Last Updated: January 3, 2020

Ever wanted to challenge your friends to see if they can read more books than you in a year? Well, with Goodreads, you can challenge your friends. The Goodreads Reading Challenge is their challenge that you can complete. If you want to find out how to enter this challenge, this article can explain how.

Steps

Visit the Goodreads website or open up the Goodreads app.
2
Search the Goodreads website for all the books you think you'll be able to complete. Mark them on either the "to-read" or "currently-reading" bookshelves (but do not mark them "read" just yet. Make sure the books you are reading are perfectly aligned to the correct edition of the book you are about to read. For the best chance at getting the right edition, type in the books' ISBN from the back, or, if you are reading on a Kindle the ASIN number from the bottom of the Amazon page to the exact book.
- The search box is in the top left corner of the screen.
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Scroll down just a little bit, as you look for the labeled area on the page titled "(4-digit year) Reading Challenge". This area will be in the left column, underneath the "Currently Reading" or Goodreads logo.
- On the iOS app, tap the More (hamburger) menu from the bottom right corner, then tap "Reading Challenge".
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Follow the process if you are on the mobile app. Tap the "Join Challenge" button below the current year's Reading Challenge logo.
- If you are on the website, you must skip this step.
On the website, click the box below "Challenge yourself to read more this year!: I want to read (box) books in (year)" set the number and click Start Challenge. On the app, begin typing the number and tap "Start."
If you don't have enough, you'll either have to revert to a smaller number or add more books to your list.
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Mark books as read throughout the year. Although you can update your progress through the year using the CUrrently reading, and click the "I"m finished" button at the end, you can also manually shelve a book onto your "Read" shelve, then mark the date of reading by clicking the book's profile page link, then set a review and add a full date.
- If you kept the Date read column open from the My Books folder, you can set the date by clicking the Edit button just below the "not set" button then use the drop-down boxes to set the date in year-month-day format.
Although you won't need to check this very often if you aren't reading avidly, you may want to make sure all books are being correctly marked, for mismarked/unmarked books won't count. The counter in this section will keep track of how far along on the challenge you are.

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Question

I want to add a book that I finished, but how?

Community Answer

If you already marked the book as Currently Reading, simply change it to Read and it should be added to the challenge. If you did not mark the book as Currently Reading first, you can add the date you finished the book when you write your review (or by editing your review) by tapping Edit under Date Read on your Read bookshelf, or on mobile, by tapping Add or Edit Dates Read on the book's own page underneath the space for your rating and review. You only need to change Date Finished to the current year for the book to be counted.

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Question

Can I reduce the number? I set it too high.

Mallory Justus

Community Answer

Yes. When you go to goodreads.com, look at the left sidebar and find where it says "Reading challenge" and view the challenge. Right above the progress bar, there is a button that says "Edit." Click that and change the number of books you want to read.

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How do I add a book to my Goodreads Reading Challenge if I read it the previous year?

Mallory Justus

Community Answer

Your Goodreads Reading Challenge only counts books that are read during the current year. Any books read in previous years should be reread in the current year to count towards your challenge.

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Tips

Recognize that it's easy to update your message, if you realize that you are way ahead of schedule. Just go back to the page, and click "update status", change the number of books to a higher number and click "Save", then repost.

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Propose obtaining friends on Goodreads. They'll be able to see your positive progress and see that you've challenged yourself. A good encouragement finding device to read more books.

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If, as you are searching while you have a number set, you see one you've read in the past before you had a Goodreads account and mark this book as complete, it'll be added to the books you've completed to date. Don't try to mark any as complete, unless you've completed them within the past few months to one year. At the end of December, Goodreads will give you the option to tell you're friends whether or not you completed your goal of "(x) number of books".

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