I’ve been seeing a lot of reading challenges in the various book groups I’m a part of on Facebook and have been thinking about choosing one to start for this year. Last year I read some amazing books and even with my busy writing schedule these days, I still love losing myself in a good book. There is no better feeling than picking up a book in the morning and quite literally getting lost in its contents, not poking your head back up until after dark. I’ve loved that last year I actually found several that had that effect on me.

This challenge I’m sharing below is one I came across on the Writers Write website (www.writerswrite.com). If you’re a keen reader like me, why don’t you join me in the challenge and we can discuss our picks throughout the year.

The Writers Write Book Reading Challenge:

1. A book where the main character is from a completely different culture to yours.

2. A book recommended by a librarian.

3. A bestseller from a genre you’ve never read.

4. A book that was published in 1999.

5. A book that was published more than 100 years ago.

6. Your favourite childhood book.

7. A book with a character’s name as a title.

8. A book recommended by your mother/sister/daughter.

9. A book recommended by your father/brother/son.

10. A book with a protagonist who shares your first name.

11. A book that was adapted into a television series.

12. A novel with a month or day of the week in the title.

13. A book about books.

14. A memoir recommended by somebody whose opinion you respect.

15. A book set in summer (to be read in summer).

16. A book set in winter (to be read in winter).

17. A book with a colour in the title.

18. A book with a non-human protagonist.

19. A book with a teacher as the protagonist.

20. A book set in two time periods.

21. A book that is being adapted for film.

22. A book set around a holiday.

23. A book that won a literary prize last year.

24. A novel that is based on a true story.

25. A book that has been translated from another language.

26. A graphic novel.

I liked this particular challenge because it doesn’t restrict you to a set book for each month of the year. Some weeks will be busier than others and there might be weeks where I don’t get to sit down with a book, then I’ll have some quiet time and read three books in two days (yes, I’ve been there and done that. I’ve started my 2023 off by back-to-back reading and smashing out a handful of books already). On my Goodreads profile I’ve set myself a challenge to read 50 books this year and I’m off to a fantastic start, with 11 completed already. There’s nothing better for tuning out from the world than losing yourself in an engaging novel, and I’m spoiling my mind with lots of reading time right now.

If you’ve come across a reading challenge that you love and think is fun, please share it with me and I’ll join you in the challenge. It’ll be interesting to see what we all come up with by the end of 2023. If you have any fantastic reads that you can recommend to me that will help me tick off some of my list, shoot them my way. I’m keen to branch into new genres and authors this year.

Happy reading!

Love,

Carol xx