Monday, December 29, 2014

My 2015 Book Challenge


Reading has always been an important part of my life, and now as I try to navigate the world of professional writing, reading is even more critical than ever.

For the past three years I have participated in the Goodreads Reading Challenge.  I have not managed to meet my reading goals yet, but to be fair – I keep upping the goal.  Two years ago I read 46 books, but my goal was 52.  I thought it would be a cool idea to read at least 1 book per week (52).  I did start after the year began, so my results were pretty good.  Then I decided to increase my goal to 100 books this past year –and so far I have completed 71 books.  With only a few days until the end of the year I doubt I will get much beyond 72, however I nearly doubled my reading total from the previous year.  I will do the Reading challenge again this year – and I think I will stick with a goal of 100 books in 2015, and hopefully this year I will make it all the way to 100 or I might up the goal to 104 – that way if I do finish, I will have read 2 books per week.  Each time I have increased my goal my reading has increased as well.    

…but reading is about much more than just the number of books, it is the choice of books.  I read new books by my favorite authors (Claire Cook, Jodi Picoult, etc.).  I read books by fellow aspiring authors.  I read books from the bestseller lists that everyone is talking about.  I read books that help me with my own historical research.  I read books that my book club chooses.  I have piles and piles of books at my house that I am hoping to read one of these days.  I am never at a loss for something to read; in fact it’s often quite the opposite.  I am often overwhelmed at the amount of choices I have for reading.  Recently I found this amazing book challenge list on a blog post (http://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2014/12/daily-december-29-2015-book-challenge.html) and I was intrigued.  The list of books to read isn’t a list of specific titles, but more a challenge to find a wide variety of books.  I really love this list and I am going to try to fit these into my reading goal for 2015.  I will also share this list with my book club, because I think they would appreciate it too. Feel free to join me in this reading challenge and 'challenge' yourself to read one or more of the books mentioned on this list.  I would love to hear all about your reading, and I promise I will share about my reading on my blog this year too.
 
A book with more than 500 pages
A classic romance
A book that became a movie
A book published this year
A book with a number in the title
A book written by someone under 30
A book with non-human characters
A funny book
A book by a female author
A mystery or a thriller
A book with a one-word title
A book of short stories
A book set in a different country
A non-fiction book
A popular author's first book
A book from an author you love but haven't read yet
A book a friend recommended
A Pulitzer-Prize winner
A book based on a true story
A book at the bottom of your to-read list
A book your mum loves
A book that scares you
A book more than 100 years old
A book based entirely on its cover
A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't
A memoir
A book you can finish in a day
A book with antonyms in the title
A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit
A book that came out the year you were born
A book with bad reviews
A trilogy
A book from your childhood
A book with a love triangle
A book set in the future
A book set in high school
A book with a colour in the title
A book that made you cry
A book with magic
A graphic novel
A book by an author you've never read before
A book you own but have never read
A book that takes place in your hometown
A book that was originally written in another language
A book set during Christmas
A book written by an author with your initials
A play
A banned book
A book based on, or turned into, a TV show
A book you started but never finished

4 comments:

  1. That's a great challenge! I've been at a loss for something to read lately so I might try that. I recently did a post on my favorite books: http://www.ourcharmedlife.net/2014/12/a-bibliovores-favorite-books.html
    Found you through the Meandering Mondays Link-up
    Amber at OurCharmedLife.net

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    1. Thanks Amber - your list looks great. I may have to do a blog post in the future with my list of favorites - but it will be so hard to narrow them down to just a few. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog

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  2. I love challenges like this - keeping it mixed up keeps it fun! I'd love it if you'd share this at Reviews, Chews & How-Tos this week for our first Awesome Life Friday Link Up http://rchreviews.blogspot.com

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    1. Hi Lynda- I would be happy to share my post on your blog and thanks so much for stopping by

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