Want to Read More This Year? Here’s a Reading Challenge to Inspire You

Happy New Year, friends! As we embark on a new trip around the sun, I’m thinking about what I’d like to experience and learn this year. Among other things, this includes a friendly and fun reading challenge.

I don’t know about you, but I can sometimes get stuck in a reading rut. For a couple of years after leaving university, I only read psychology and self-help books and didn’t realise how much I was missing all the other genres I’d put aside in the meantime. My reading now is more balanced but I’m always looking to broaden my book-based horizons. This year, I’ve created a reading challenge to jazz up my book list.

The idea behind these challenges is to encourage myself to read books I might usually overlook or wouldn’t otherwise consider. If you’re not a huge fan of reading but would like to try to read more, creating a reading challenge is also a great way of gamifying this activity and making it more fun.

There are two versions of this challenge you can try depending on how ambitious you’re feeling. The first is a 26-book version, which evens out at a book once every two weeks. The second is the 56-book version, which is the equivalent of a book a week. I’m planning to start with the 26-book version and see how things go. Join me?

The 26-book 2017 reading challenge

A book you read in school
A book from your childhood
A book published over 100 years ago
A book published in the last year
A non-fiction book
A book written by a male author
A book written by a female author
A book by someone who isn’t a writer (think Paul Kalathani or Richard Branson)
A book that became/is becoming a film
A book published in the 20th Century
A book set in your hometown/region
A book with someone’s name in the title
A book with a number in the title
A book with a character with your first name
A book someone else recommended to you
A book with over 500 pages
A book you can finish in a day
A previously banned book
A book with a one-word title
A book translated from another language
A book that will improve a specific area of your life
A memoir or journal
A book written by someone younger than you
A book set somewhere you’ll be visiting this year
An award-winning book
A self-published book (may I suggest this one? :))

The 52-book 2017 reading challenge

A book you read in school
A book from your childhood
A book published over 100 years ago
A book published in the last year
A non-fiction book
A book written by a male author
A book written by a female author
A book by someone who isn’t a writer
A book that became/is becoming a film
A book published in the 20th Century
A book set in your hometown/region
A book with a name in the title
A book with a number in the title
A book based on a true story
A book someone else recommended
A book with over 500 pages
A book you can finish in a day
A previously banned book
A book with a one-word title
A book translated from another language
A personal growth book
A memoir or journal
A book by someone younger than you
A book set somewhere you’ll visit this year
An award-winning book
A book you were supposed to read in school but haven’t yet
A book with a character with your first name
A book with a place in the title
A book set in the future
A play
A scary book
A funny book
A book of short stories
A trilogy or series
A bestseller
A book you own but haven’t read yet
A book about philosophy
An epic poem
A Victorian novel
A book of poetry
A book with a colour in the title
A book with an appealing cover
A book about psychology
A book about science
A graphic novel
A self-published book
A book based on a true story
A famous author’s first novel
A book of non-fiction essays
A book by an author you haven’t read before
A book set in a country you’ve never been to
A book set in the place you live today

 

So what do you think? Are you planning to do a 2017 reading challenge? Leave a comment and let me know!

Further reading: 7 must-read books that will better your relationship & my favourite books on creativity and personal growth from 2015

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