2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion
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Do You Have a Challenge Idea? Post Them Here! 2012 to very early 2013
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I've almost finished writing a challenge idea. Does it need to have different levels?
Levels are optional, Ellie--we don't usually do levels on our regular challenges, but they can be a lot of fun.
Retirement Dreams ChallengeRetirement planning takes a lot of thought and research, and it's best to start as early as possible. Traditional financial planning, supplemental income sources, retirement locale, and activities are important parts of the equation. For this challenge, each category requires 3 nonfiction books, for a total of 12 books. This challenge isn't limited to prospective retirees; those who have already retired can also participate and benefit from the ideas contained in the books.
Traditional financial planning
Being financially prepared for retirement is crucial, but not everyone agrees on how much you really need. Read 3 books about financial planning. They don't have to be exclusively about retirement, although the books should at least touch on the subject. For this category only, all books must be by different authors.
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Supplemental income
Nowadays, most people prefer to have a supplemental source of income after they retire, such as writing online or selling crafts. Read 3 books about potential income sources of interest to you.
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Location
Many retirees choose to relocate, often to a warmer or less expensive area. Read books about 3 different locales where you might like to live when you retire. If you're already retired and don't plan to move, choose books about places where you dream of taking extended vacations.
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Activities
Retirement means having more time for activities that interest you. For this category, read 3 books about how to live life to the fullest after retirement. Memoirs written by retirees also count since they provide first-hand experience.
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Good challenge, but I'm 15 so I don't want to be thinking about retirement just yet!Great for 50+ year olds though :)
Lilac wrote: "Good challenge, but I'm 15 so I don't want to be thinking about retirement just yet!Great for 50+ year olds though :)"
Wouldn't you like to retire when you're 25? :-)
Haha, nah, I want to work for a good few years first :) I might still be training for a job then anyway.
Ellie wrote: Wouldn't you like to retire when you're 25? :-)"Haha! +1
Okay so since some folks responded positively to my where you read challenge this is what I've come up with. Of course, if anyone has any suggestions please share them. I don't have a full grasp on how this challenge should be structured yet.
Where You Read Challenge
The focus in on where you read, not what you read. This challenge could help you find new reading places, expand your reading habits, or help you overcome motion sickness (like me!). Under each category you would include where you read, not what you read. For example in the Home category I can write that I read in the laundry room, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, etc. Or in Vehicles I can put down bus, car, boat, airplane, etc. The Travel category is for anywhere you go away from where you currently reside. I live in Austin, TX so I would not put down Austin, but I could put down San Antonio if I was on a day trip there, or Seattle when I go and visit my family.
Home
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Outside
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Vehicle
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Travel
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Kai wrote: "Okay so since some folks responded positively to my where you read challenge this is what I've come up with. Of course, if anyone has any suggestions please share them. I don't have a full grasp o..."
Kai - I like the idea of this challenge. I'm going to add it to my list of ones for 2013.
Kai wrote: "Okay so since some folks responded positively to my where you read challenge this is what I've come up with. Of course, if anyone has any suggestions please share them. I don't have a full grasp o..."
LOVE this idea. Great job, Kai!
I was just looking over my shelves and found myself on my "To Reread" shelf. I started mulling adding a personal challenge to my 2013 corner for rereading some old favorites or books I want to revisit for whatever reason. I thought a "Reread and Review" challenge might be fun - Reread x number of books and either write a formal review or simply report on them to the group. (Did you like the book as much/more/less this time? Does it still hold up? Do you see different things in it now or understand it differently? Or perhaps does a book you once loved now seem less stellar than it once did? Etc., etc.)I know some people are big rereaders, especially of favorites or comfort reads. I don't tend to reread books, and there are some I really should reread, either to give them a fair review or simply to revisit them with 5, 10, 20, or more years more experienced eyes.
I like that a lot Candiss! I reread a lot of books for different reasons (movie coming out, to remind myself of the story when the series being continued, etc).
Ellie wrote: "Lilac wrote: "Good challenge, but I'm 15 so I don't want to be thinking about retirement just yet!Great for 50+ year olds though :)"
Wouldn't you like to retire when you're 25? :-)"
Im 26 and I've been ready for retirement at age 23! :D
Joanne♥ wrote: "Ellie wrote: "Lilac wrote: "Good challenge, but I'm 15 so I don't want to be thinking about retirement just yet!Great for 50+ year olds though :)"
Wouldn't you like to retire when you're 25? :-)..."
I've been ready to retire since the first day I started my 1st job!! lol
Nathaly wrote: "I've been ready to retire since the first day I started my 1st job!! lol"Really? I loved my first job! I was a dishwasher at a restaurant. After I moved on from dishwashing was when I was ready to retire ;)
I love what I do now, I'm a nurse...But I can't wait till I win the lottery and can sleep in every day!
I love my job so much, I can't imagine retiring! haha. Then again, I am only 19 so maybe that's normal? ;)
I would love to retire if I knew I had to have this job till I retire. But if I got another one then not, I would just get bored!
Joanne and Nathaly: That sounds about right.Kai: I can understand that. ;)
Trevor: It's great that you love your job. A lot of people only wish they did.
Johanna: Retirement doesn't have to lead to boredom. There's always plenty to do! :-)
Ellie: But I know I would be bored, I can´t even have a long vacation without getting bored! :)
Oooh I would love to retire. Long lay ins with Mr Cox, time to read, do crafts, do lunch, and finally get my house looking how I want it to look. I dare say my cats would enjoy me being around more! Only 45 odd years to go!
I would love to retire, too. Just think of all the books that could be read! Hopefully, only about 10 more years for me!
I just want a full-time job with regular hours, not two part time jobs and school. I can't wait to have weekends off and no homework! I'll get to the retirement bridge when I need to cross it, lol.
When you get there Kelsi, it might actually feel a little strange at first when there´s no homework that you´ve been having for years and years! At least that´s how I felt :)
I'm currently working on a challenge based on Disney characters. Would that be a good challenge for this group? I may be posting it in the Crazy Challenge Connection group as well.
We'll be posting the 2013 themes soon, and that should give you all a better idea of what kinds of challenges we'll be needing. Stay tuned!
Ellie wrote: "Kara wrote: "Wow, all, some great challenges!Joanne, did those get published and used in the other groups, or were they just ideas? If the former, were they groups you were a mod of? (Before cros..."
I saw both challenges at the Crazy Challenge Connection.
Sarajayne wrote: "Do you have an idea for a challenge? Please post it here and we may use it for a future challenge!"I came up with a challenge a few days ago. Its purpose is to celebrate the sheer hard slog that goes into gaining a degree as I'll be receiving my BA in Theology Degree next month (February 2013). I hope it's OK to put it here. Any problems please let me know.
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Inspired Survival Challenge
Background
As of 2012 I finished a BA in Theology which was the culmination of 5 years of hard slog. It was not only I that went through the ups and downs of doing a degree but also my husband and children. Whilst doing my degree, I found a number of students who completed his/her degree celebrated the fact that he/she had “survived” the gruelling study regime. Therefore, I would like to devote this challenge to not only my completion of the degree but also to celebrate mine, and my family’s survival of the degree.
“Inspired” relates to how one will persevere, regardless of obstacles, when his/her goal is to finish the gruelling task involved in; “Survival” describes the feeling upon successful completion of the gruelling task - in this case study.
Purpose:
To show that perseverance, in spite of obstacles encountered, really does pay off and gives an enormous sense of accomplishment to all involved.
Reward
Each participant will receive a certificate (which I will design on the computer), via email (or other method by arrangement), congratulating him/her on the level achieved by the end of the year.
Duration: A year from sign up.
Levels:
Minor - 6 books
Major -12 books
Double Major -24 books
Masters - 26 books
PhD - 30+ books
Rules:
Unless otherwise stipulated, books read need to have a minimum of 200 pages;
There are a few ways which this challenge can be done.
1. Hard to get into books - Find books that you have either struggled to begin or finish in the past and turn to them again and resolve to completely finish them this time;
2. Mammoth books - If reading books in excess of 500 pages long would be an enormous challenge for you, then resolve to read such a book for this challenge;
3. Challenge Title - How it came about (only use this option when you've completed option 1 or 2 first): My Son came up this title. In honour of this, and as a reward for a good effort/achievement made in this challenge, Spell-Out the word "nineteen" and read books that have either been on your GR TBR shelf the longest or that you've had at home on your bookshelves the longest. Remember, these books still need to provide some form of challenge for you.
Seeing as there are a fair few people from different places round the world - how about a challenge where everyone nominates an author from their home town/county/state/country (delete as applicable). Might be interesting to see how writing differs round the world.
I like that idea, Kathryn. You know it has to differ somewhat, and it would be interesting to see how much!
So many interesting challenges in here. I really need to look into them further because I don't have nearly enough challenges on my plate, lol. I am hooked on challenges!
LOL, and this is only January! You just wait Teresa....this is only the beginning! :)
February challenge Idea: All About Cupid
Tasks:
1. It Takes Two To Tango: Read 2 books from the same Romance Series (This can include Inspirational, Contemporary or Historical Romance).
2. The Heart of the Matter: Read a book that either has a heart on the cover or "Heart" in the title. Or read a book by your favorite author or your all-time favorite book.
3. The Color of Love: Read a book that has a title that contains the colors: Red, Pink, White, or Ivory. (Can include any shade of the above colors like blush pink, crimson, rose, scarlet)
4. Covers of Color: Read a book that has a cover that is mostly Red or Pink.
5. The Month of Marriage: Read a book that was released in June of a previous year. Or if you are married, read a book that was released in the month and year you were married in.
6. Breaking Up is Hard to Do: Read a book in which the main characters are a couple in the beginning but end up going there separate ways. Or read a book that you thought you would have liked and actually hated.
7. Holy Matrimony: Read a book that has a bride on the cover, has marriage or wedding or a variation of one of these words in the title, has June in the title, or has wedding rings on the front cover.
8. Cupids Arrows: Read a book that is either set in an age in which bows and arrows were used in combat or is about Native American Indians.
9. Be My Valentine: Read a book that has Chocolate or Flowers (or a type of flower like roses or lilies) in the title.
10. A Date with Prince Charming: Read a book that has a place to go on a date in the title (ex. Movies, beach, dinner, etc.) or that has a Knight or Prince as the leading male character.
Levels:
1. Just Friends - 2 Tasks
2. Courting - 4 Tasks
3. Long Term Relationship: 6 Tasks
4. Engaged: 8 Tasks
5. Happily Ever After: 10 Tasks
Rules:
1. No more than 3 re-reads.
2. Fiction or non-fiction are fine.
3. E-books and audio books are okay.
4. All books should be longer than 100 pages.
5. You have the right to change your desired level of difficulty at any time (up, down or drop out completely).
Audrey, I love that challenge too!! I'd definitely be in that one!! :0)
Audrey, if we did that one, would you be willing to lead it?
I have never lead one before but I can try to. Does that mean I would need to start a new challenge folder? What else does leading a challenge entail?
Oh, I'm in for that one. I love Valentine's Day and I'm already looking for books that I want to read in February for tasks like this.
Audrey wrote: "I have never lead one before but I can try to. Does that mean I would need to start a new challenge folder? What else does leading a challenge entail?"Audrey, when you lead a challenge, you just make a list of participants for the challenge and what their goals are.
Ex: If I choose to do 5 tasks from your challenge you would add me to the list as Ashley K - 0/5.
As the challenge progresses, you will just update periodically (2 to 3 times a week) your list.
If you have any questions, just let one of us mods know. :)
Thanks, Ashley. I would love to lead it.
Zara wrote: "Sarajayne wrote: "Do you have an idea for a challenge? Please post it here and we may use it for a future challenge!"I came up with a challenge a few days ago. Its purpose is to celebrate the she..."
I really like this challenge, Zara! I will definitely see where we might be able to put this. We already have 9 yearly challenges, but if you don't think it is too long of a wait....this would be a GREAT yearly challenge for next year!
PS: If you'd like it used this year, it might be a 6 month challenge to begin July 1 - December 31? What do you think?
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I really like this idea, Kai!