  • Ryanne Harper

Reading Challenges


There are so many reading challenges. Choosing the right one for you can be a, well, challenge. Every year, I spend far too much time crafting the perfect reading challenge list. And then I abandon the list by February. The part of my brain that loves lists and organization enjoys the list, the rebellious part of my brain refuses to let a list dictate my reading. So, yeah, I rebel against my own, perfect, well-crafted list. It's fine. Making the list is fun and I still manage to read about fifty books a year. So, without further ado, here are a few of my favorite:

The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge. This one is a doozy. Yes, there are over three hundred books on the list. I like it because of the variety. It covers all the bases. From How the Grinch Stole Christmas to Please Kill Me: the Uncensored Oral History of Punk. I've read both. You can pick and choose or tackle the whole thing. Totally up to you. There are quite a few classics on the list (lookin' at you, Jane Eyre). I chose to skip over most of them. I really wish I'd skipped over Jane Eyre. I'd love for someone to rewrite it from the wife in the attic's perspective because she is the most interesting character in the book.

The Popsugar Reading Challenge. If you don't like being told exactly what to read, but want a little guidance, you might prefer this challenge. I prefer challenges like this one to the one above. It's fun to find a book for each category.

And, lastly, the Goodreads Challenge. This one features fifty-two categories; that's book a week. For most people, that's a lot of reading. It's fine to skip weeks or change things up a bit. This is just a guideline.

Speaking of Goodreads, if you don't have an account, you should. It's like Facebook for readers. Lately, when I have no idea what to read, I head to Goodreads and check out what my friends are reading. One friend, whom I have never met in real life, in particular. We have exactly the same taste. If Goodreads were a dating site, we would be matched. Aside from the friends, you can also join groups that correspond to your interest and ask authors questions.

Whether you need a list or not, they can be helpful when it comes to expanding your reading list and getting out of your comfort zone. And it's so fun to check them off the list. If you don't like any of the challenges posted, there are several thousand more to choose from. Here's a link to a list of list. Man, I love lists.

Okay, I need to do some actual work today. Or organize all my Pinterests boards because YOU CAN NOW SUBCATEGORIZE YOUR BOARDS!


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