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Fellow guppies and guppans!
Join your master’s Journey to transfix your mind, broaden your horizons, and maybe even learn a thing or two 
Join other users on the 2014 50/50 challenge.
- What are the “official” rules? - There aren’t any, just some useful guidelines!
- What are those guidelines? - Simple! Read 50 books & watch 50 movies before 1 Jan 2015.
- That sounds fairly simple. - Yes! That’s because it is.
- Is this challenge easy? - Maybe! That depends on how dedicated you are. The books, in particular, require you to read fairly consistently throughout the year.
- Are there prizes for winning? - No! The reward is largely intrinsic in that the journey is the reward. Expose yourself to new ideas and go Good Will Hunting at your next party.
- Are there penalties for losing? - No! Even if you fail to meet the 50/50 goal, you’re still very likely to consume more media than you ever have before.
- Who tracks our progress? - You! Update your progress in the thread (using a format detailed below), and I’ll maintain a monthly update that summarizes all our progress.
- Who verifies the legitimacy of entries? - Nobody! This contest is on the honor system. If you cheat, you’re only cheating yourself.
- Do audiobooks count? - Yes! But allow me to suggest using audiobooks in conjunction with doing some actual, you know, reading. Reading is fun.
- How long must a book be to count? - There is no strict minimum! Follow your conscience.
- What about long books? - Read them! As a rule of thumb, a book is a book. Some people like to count books that run over 500 pages as two entries. That’s acceptable, just be sure to indicate as much in your entry.
- What about REALLY looooong books? - See above! If you choose to count 500+ page books as two entries, that’s on you. But you can’t count a 1,500 page book as three entries, and so forth.
- Can I count school textbooks? - Yes! As long as you read the entire thing, it counts. But why would you even want to?
- What constitutes a movie? - Like obscenity, you’ll know it when you see it! TV films, direct-to-video stuff, feature films…it all counts. Episodic content does not count (some exceptions exist, like the hour-and-a-half long Sherlock episodes).
- How long does a film need to be to count? - See above! As long as it’s a film, I’d count it. Use your conscience.
- Can I count a really long movie as two entries? - Negative, Ghost Rider! A movie is a movie.
- Can I count stuff I’ve already read or watched? - Nope! Every entry needs to be a new item to you.
- What about TV shows and video games? - I don’t care! Feel free to track them in this thread, but I won’t include them in the master list and they have no bearing on whether or not you complete the 50/50 challenge.
- What is the rule on comics? - They’re awesome! Bottom line: use your judgment. Individual comics are definitely OUT, but some people chose to count trade paperbacks (containing 5-6 issues) as a book. I feel those are too short to count as a book since they take 20-30 minutes to read, but don’t let my opinion shape the rules you set for yourself. A safe bet would be to count a completed series as a book. For example, I counted the full Rick Remender run of Uncanny X-Force (35 total issues) as a book. Others might not count that. Sue me.
- Can I count a book that I started reading in 2013? - Maybe! If you are less than 50% finished with the book when the new year begins, count it. If you’re over 50% done, but don’t finish the book until the following year, you’ve entered reading purgatory and must read the entire Twilight series to restore your soul. Alternatively, you can follow your conscience on this one. Count it…or don’t.
*=left]Prioritize reading early and often! 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.
*=left]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.
*=left]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).
*=left]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.
*=left]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.
*=left]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.
*=left]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.
*=left]Ask for suggestions in this thread and monitor what others are enjoying. A few of the very best books I read or movies I saw were direct recommendations in last year’s thread.
*=left]Similarly, if you’ve discovered the best book/film ever, shout it from the rooftops! You might just sell us all on our next story.
Updating rules:
- Please use the following format:
Username- 22/50 books | 25/50 movies
Try to update your posts as much as you can instead of creating a new one. If you create a new post, make sure to enter your previous stats. It will make it much easier to track.
Restored attachments:
