Cookbooks are books, too! Thanks, Sam, for sharing your photo of your 2015 Christmas cookbook haul to start off this 2016 Read in the New Year post!
Sam and I are both readers. Actually, all of our family are readers! I love that! But I tend to fall into the moment’s entertainment of reading what is familiar: the same genres and authors. Nothing wrong with that, but as an easy adventure this year I have decided to reach farther in my selections.
If you are looking to Read in the New Year, too, here is a collection of reading challenges from which you can choose. Most of them can overlap with one another — if you want to read 52 books in 52 weeks, you can also use a list like the one Sam is working from to guide your choices (find it in the list!) My younger daughter Becca (Gilmore Girls groupie) likes the Rory Gilmore list a lot even though it isn’t a yearly challenge. It’s in the list, too.
- 20 tasks in the BustleReads Challenge — includes several suggested titles for each. Why haven’t I heard of Bustle before? I need to explore it more! http://www.bustle.com/articles/130754-bustlereads-challenge-2016-encourages-you-to-read-women-and-writers-of-color
- The 2016 Read Harder Challenge from Book Riot — 24 tasks; pdf of the checklist/log to print if you wish. http://bookriot.com/2015/12/15/2016-book-riot-read-harder-challenge/
- Here are suggestions from the New York Public Library for the Read Harder challenge above. http://www.nypl.org/blog/2015/12/15/read-harder-challenge
- Combine social media sharing with a 52 book reading goal, read-a-longs, mini-challenges, and have some fun! http://www.read52booksin52weeks.com/
- Modern Mrs Darcy doesn’t ask you to stick with classic literature! Including a printable reading journal and logbook, the opening paragraph is what hooked me on doing a reading challenge this year. There’s a pdf checklist of the 12 guidelines available. http://modernmrsdarcy.com/2016-reading-challenge/
- If you’re an avid reader, hop on this challenge that Sam’s using from PopSugar — printable checklist available. Fun suggestions like “a book with a blue cover” can be combined with “a book that takes place during summer” or “a book recommended by someone you just met.” http://www.popsugar.com/love/Reading-Challenge-2016-39126431
- Sidenote: how funny that I asked a young woman at Panera about the blue-cover book she was reading yesterday! Would that count? The Luminaries.
- Rory Gilmore reads everything! http://www.listchallenges.com/rory-gilmore-reading-challenge
- Goodreads has a quantity challenge — you pick your quantity when you sign up for the challenge, tell them your fave genres, and they provide suggested books. With a built-in way to track your finished books, groups and discussions you could join, this would be great for any level of reading commitment. https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/601-want-to-read-more-this-year-join-the-2016-reading-challenge
- Whether you read to your kids or they read for themselves — or both! — I really think anyone could use this list even though it is presented as a kids’ reading challenge. http://www.clarescontemplations.com/2015/12/2016-reading-challenge-for-kids.html
I like all of them; I have pinned them to my Books Worth Reading Pinterest board and will consult them all when choosing upcoming books. I also will push myself to download other genres from my Bookbub emails! Sign up for Bookbub if you have an e-reader or any of the apps on your phone or computer — there are free books to download every day! (Note: many freebies are self-published and/or new authors and, while good stories, may not have the best editing.)
Need more suggestions? Don’t forget to check your local area library systems’ suggested reading lists! If you were a math/science geek like me during high school and college, you might find many books typically read in English Lit classes might be great choices. Libraries also have lists of the various award winners if you want to read the cream of the crop of newer books. You can even just pick the next Best Seller off of the grocery store’s display when you finish your current read. (Hey, I just spotted that on the kids’ challenge list LOL)
Don’t forget cookbooks! Cookbooks with blurbs and stories and tips and lessons make great reading. Settle in and browse for new recipes while enjoying the additional work that the author and team went to — learn while making your menu plan :)
And don’t forget your parents and siblings and friends! Spread the challenge to read more, reach further in reading choices, and Read in the New Year with joy!
Happy page-turning!
Gail