Hello Readers,
I’m the kind of person who, at the beginning of a fresh (and hopeful) year sets out to complete a challenge. Specifically one that involves reading. Every year I set a goal of reading a certain amount of books – that number often based upon the previous years outcome.
Besides setting a reading goal, I often am hopeful that I can conquer several other reading goals throughout the year. Some of those challenges are: clearing off my shelves, completing series I’ve started by haven’t picked up, and getting around to all those books I was once so excited to read (my backlist of books I call it).
This year was a little different though. I set my reading goal and said that was enough of a challenge.
And I set my goal lower than I usually do. I purposely did this with the knowledge that I can adjust accordingly throughout the year as I please. Afterall, it’s my reading goal.
But by the end of January came around I noticed something: I’ve been reading a lot more. More than I did in 2018, more than I usually do in any given month. And that’s because I’ve taken advantage of audiobooks.
This post isn’t about audiobooks, or my new-found love of them, but instead I’m going to talk about some of the reading challenges I’m undertaking in 2019.
Like I said, I generally only do one challenge: the Goodreads Reading Challenge. This year I decided to set my goal lower than normal. In the past years I’ve set my goal at 150 books, but this year I set it at 100. Why? Last year, I didn’t come close to reaching my target, and it really bummed me out. So this year, I decided to reset, recharge, and not over think it.
But again, by the end of January I realized something: I’m reading a lot more. So I decided, not to up my Goodread challenge, but to take on some others.
Now I don’t know that these are official challenges. Okay maybe one is, because I found it while Googling “reading challenges”, but they will challenge me.
The first challenge, besides the normal Goodreads one, I decided to undertake was a series challenge. I’m terrible with series. I read book one, love it, and by the time the next one comes out (even though I’m super excited about it), don’t pick it up. Why? Because more than likely I’ve forgotten what happened in the first book.
Well, I decided that this year I was going to read and finish the series I wanted to read and to finish. I created a list of series – which I’ve kept in my newly created book bullet journal – with boxes correlating how many books are in the series. Each time I read a book in the series I get to “x” it off. Which is more satisfying than I thought it would be.
The next reading challenge, which I found from this website, is the A to Z challenge. The thought behind this challenge it to read a book for each letter of the alphabet. I took it a step further and decided that I would use this challenge to get to some of those books that have been on my TBR list for quite some time. You know what they say: two birds one stone.
Once again, using my book bullet journal I listed the letters of the alphabet, a title from my TBR list, and a nice check box next to it, so that when I read a book from this list, I can mark it as read. Again, so satisfying.
I’m hopeful that, even if I don’t 100% complete all of these challenges, that I will at least knock a lot of books off my list, and accomplish my Goodreads challenge in the meantime.
So, dear readers, are you participating in any reading challenges this year? I’m interesting in hearing! We can cheer each other on.
And, if you are interested in hearing what books are on the two challenges I am taking, please let me know in the comments.
The BookBandit Blog 