Reading Challenges for 2016

The end of January may seem like an odd time to talk about setting goals – half of those New Year’s resolution people who bought gym memberships and signed up with WeightWatchers are already discouraged and have quit – but it is the perfect time to consider a reading challenge because you can take what you’ve read in January, start filling out the chart, and see that, unlike the weight loss people, you’ve already made progress!  Goodreads invites you to indicate the number of books you plan to read for the year. That’s certainly a fun goal if you keep track, like I do, of the books I have finished and when I finished them – like a marathon runner, you can see if you are on pace. 

I’ve come across two other challenges that I like better because they encourage you to read with greater diversity.  Bookriot, a great readers’ site recommended by my friend Sheri, has issued a Read Harder Challenge.

http://bookriot.com/2015/12/15/2016-book-riot-read-harder-challenge/

There are 24 categories on the list (e.g. “Read a nonfiction book about science”, “read a horror book”, “read a book outloud to someone else”, “read the first book in a series written by a person of color”) and you can count a title more than once if it fits more than one category.  Bookriot is a wonderful book lover’s site where you can find reviews, articles about favorite libraries and short Youtube videos where readers recommend titles for the various categories on the challenge list.  Bookriot also has book clubs around the country where you can get together with people to collectively work your way down the list.

The second challenge comes by way of a friend of a friend from a website called PopSugar.com.  

http://www.popsugar.com/love/Reading-Challenge-2016-39126431   

It is not strictly a reading site, but it has a reading page ("Eight books every Pride and Prejudice fan should read,”  “49 tatoos inspired by famous books”) but I like the reading challenge they have created.  Again, it has categories – 40 on this list – such as “Read a National Book Award winner”, “read book set in your home state”, “read a political memoir”, “read a book published in 2016”.  I feel like the list here lets me read a little closer to my preferences while still encouraging some adventure. 

So, why do reading challenges?  If you fill out BookRiot’s list and send it to them at the end of the year, you get 30% at their store.  A small incentive.  PopSugar suggests that you keep track of your titles on Goodreads and periodically share your completed chart on Instagram.  In other words, just have fun with it. Maybe you are a person like me who likes lists and enjoys crossing things off the list.  (I even add items I have completed to the list just so I can cross them off.)  Really, the value, I think, lies in trying new authors, new genres, and confronting new ideas.  Maybe you get to December 31 and don’t have a title for every category, but who cares?  Back to the beginning, however, unlike exercise and weight loss – two things that are hard to sustain – reading is always a pleasure.  Oh, and I already have five titles on my PopSugar list.