 |
| Photo by Florencia Viadana on Unsplash |
I know what you’re thinking: I’m already a reader! Why do I need a reading challenge? Well, what else do you have to do??? (I saw with the utmost respect and love!) The main goal of this reading challenge is to take advantage of the time you have now that we’re staying at home (and if you’re not, please stay at home as much as you can!), and take the time to read those books you’ve been meaning to, or ones you never thought you would! Let’s get a little adventurous while we’re bored, take a break from watching endless TV, and travel to new worlds, meet new characters, and (re)discover old books sitting on our shelves that we always meant to read, but never did. Because now is the time! Because we have the time! So let’s stay at home and read! (Also, an ideal date night for myself, FYI. With or without a date!)
I have graciously and creatively (if I do say so myself) created a fun list of categories to spark some ideas and inspiration for various books for you to read! You know you have a lot of books in your to be read list, and at least five of them will fit into these categories, I bet, so if you need the motivation to start reading those books you’ve always meant to read, then this list is for you! Not only will you be getting lots of reading done, but you’ll also be accomplishing that task that you’ve always been meaning to do: read those books you always said you would but never did! (Yet!)
Looking for more book-centric posts by me? Check out this list of posts I've written about all things bookish here!
*A book you’ve had on your shelf for over a year (or two or three...) that you’ve been meaning to read but never did (the dustiest one! You know the one!).
*A book with a strong female heroine who kicks butt and saves the world (because who runs the world? Girls!).
*A classic children’s book you’ve always meant to read but never did (if it entertained children in the past, it could entertain your inner child still!).
*A best selling book that everyone else has read but you never did (just to see what all the fuss was about!).
*A young adult novel where a young couple fall in love but there’s something wrong with at least one of them that’s keeping them from being together (oh, teenagers!).
*A full series or trilogy of books (I know you can do it! And think how accomplished you’ll feel afterwards! But be sure it’s a finished trilogy or series or else the waiting for the next book will be excruciating!).
*A book from your teenage years that you were obsessed with (reread it and see if it’s still life-changing! Or just plain old cringey now. You were so different then!).
*A classic romance novel with old fashioned language to get enveloped in (why don’t people talk like that anymore?? Man, online dating and texting is lame! Mr. Darcy would never send Elizabeth Darcy an eggplant emoji!).
*A historical fiction novel that will transport you to another time and place (because it’s the closest we have to time travel. For now…).
*That one thriller that no one can shut up about currently (and that has been or will most likely be made into a movie. It’s inevitable.).
*A book that was made into a movie that you saw, but never read the book (it’s time to find out if the book is always better!).
*A tell all celebrity autobiography (it’s okay to read one every now and again! And you know you want that celeb dirt!).
*A book from your childhood to remind you of more simple, happy times (and by this I mean chapter books, no picture books! Let’s not get lazy!).
*A fantasy novel that will take you to another world with other beings and creatures that you could never have even dreamed of (but some authors definitely could and then wrote about them!).
*A nonfiction book that will make you sit back and think of the world in a completely different way (even better if it opens your mind to causes and histories of people and events that you had no idea about before!).
*A spooky book that has always creeped you out and prevented you from reading it- but now is the time to read it! (It can’t be any scarier than what’s happening in the world right now!)
*A book that you could never get into, but want to give it one last chance (you never know, you may love it this time! Or not…).
*A fun, light chick lit romance book that you always wanted to read, but were too embarrassed to have people see you read it (who cares! You’re inside! No one cares about how cute the cover looks!).
*A mystery that you don’t know the ending to (this is important) and will (hopefully) make your jaw drop when the killer is revealed (“It was HIM?? Nooooo!” Or it could turn out to be terribly predictable. The fun is that you don't know!)
*And a book you were supposed to read in school but never did (pick one that sounds interesting to you and remember, you don’t have to write a report about it afterwards!)
*Rearrange your books on your shelves! You can arrange by color (rainbow!), or go alphabetical, or however else you’d love to arrange your books! Go for pretty or functional, or both! Add some cute decor or lights (or both!) to make it look extra bookish!
*Go through old books and see if there are any you want to pass along or donate (a book you didn’t care for that much could be someone else’s next great read!)
*Set up some of your books for an Instagram photo session! Add in cute props and theme it by color, series, or subject! (Bonus points if you get your pet in the picture!)
And these are 20 suggestions of (very specific) categories of books to read! See if you can check them all off the list or even just a few of them! You never know, you could discover a genre of book that you loved that you never would have tried if you weren’t prompted! And see if you can unclutter (and dust) your shelves (physical or digital) by checking a few of these items off of the list, and better yet, see if you were missing out on some incredible reads that were just waiting around for you to read them!
Remember to, of course, use your local library (online resources at your local libraries are amazing! If you have a library card and a tablet or a phone, you can read ebooks for free!), audiobooks, ebooks, and your own books that you have piled up on your bedside table (or wherever you’ve put them throughout the house) to help you complete the challenge. I know you can do it! (You know, only if you want to. Like, if you want to pass the time by reading. If not, that’s cool. It’s just an idea. Just a suggestion. Whatevs.)
And also, you’re welcome for all the random book prompts! I had such a great time coming up with them (and yes, I looked at my own to be read list for inspiration!). I was going to add in book suggestions, but I figured my own reading choices may be a bit too niche, but if you need any suggestions, just feel free to ask! And let me know if you end up doing the challenge or using one of my prompts to read a book! I’m not going to create a hashtag or anything, but I’d love to know if my list helped get you to cross a few books off of your to be read list! (But also, if you think of a cute hashtag, let me know and maybe we can start a trend!)
Also, remember: not only are you getting some much needed reading done, you’re also doing the world a great service by staying at home! So for that, thank you so much!
Let me know what you think of my suggestions for reading prompts and if any of them make you think of a book you’ve been meaning to read! (I know I relate to at least 10 on this list!)
Happy reading, weirdos!
The Let's Stay At Home 2020 Reading Challenge:
*A book with a strong female heroine who kicks butt and saves the world (because who runs the world? Girls!).
*A classic children’s book you’ve always meant to read but never did (if it entertained children in the past, it could entertain your inner child still!).
*A best selling book that everyone else has read but you never did (just to see what all the fuss was about!).
*A young adult novel where a young couple fall in love but there’s something wrong with at least one of them that’s keeping them from being together (oh, teenagers!).
*A full series or trilogy of books (I know you can do it! And think how accomplished you’ll feel afterwards! But be sure it’s a finished trilogy or series or else the waiting for the next book will be excruciating!).
*A book from your teenage years that you were obsessed with (reread it and see if it’s still life-changing! Or just plain old cringey now. You were so different then!).
*A classic romance novel with old fashioned language to get enveloped in (why don’t people talk like that anymore?? Man, online dating and texting is lame! Mr. Darcy would never send Elizabeth Darcy an eggplant emoji!).
*A historical fiction novel that will transport you to another time and place (because it’s the closest we have to time travel. For now…).
*That one thriller that no one can shut up about currently (and that has been or will most likely be made into a movie. It’s inevitable.).
*A book that was made into a movie that you saw, but never read the book (it’s time to find out if the book is always better!).
*A tell all celebrity autobiography (it’s okay to read one every now and again! And you know you want that celeb dirt!).
*A book from your childhood to remind you of more simple, happy times (and by this I mean chapter books, no picture books! Let’s not get lazy!).
*A fantasy novel that will take you to another world with other beings and creatures that you could never have even dreamed of (but some authors definitely could and then wrote about them!).
*A nonfiction book that will make you sit back and think of the world in a completely different way (even better if it opens your mind to causes and histories of people and events that you had no idea about before!).
*A spooky book that has always creeped you out and prevented you from reading it- but now is the time to read it! (It can’t be any scarier than what’s happening in the world right now!)
*A book that you could never get into, but want to give it one last chance (you never know, you may love it this time! Or not…).
*A fun, light chick lit romance book that you always wanted to read, but were too embarrassed to have people see you read it (who cares! You’re inside! No one cares about how cute the cover looks!).
*A mystery that you don’t know the ending to (this is important) and will (hopefully) make your jaw drop when the killer is revealed (“It was HIM?? Nooooo!” Or it could turn out to be terribly predictable. The fun is that you don't know!)
*And a book you were supposed to read in school but never did (pick one that sounds interesting to you and remember, you don’t have to write a report about it afterwards!)
Bonus Non-Reading But Still Bookish Activities:
*Rearrange your books on your shelves! You can arrange by color (rainbow!), or go alphabetical, or however else you’d love to arrange your books! Go for pretty or functional, or both! Add some cute decor or lights (or both!) to make it look extra bookish!
*Go through old books and see if there are any you want to pass along or donate (a book you didn’t care for that much could be someone else’s next great read!)
*Set up some of your books for an Instagram photo session! Add in cute props and theme it by color, series, or subject! (Bonus points if you get your pet in the picture!)
And these are 20 suggestions of (very specific) categories of books to read! See if you can check them all off the list or even just a few of them! You never know, you could discover a genre of book that you loved that you never would have tried if you weren’t prompted! And see if you can unclutter (and dust) your shelves (physical or digital) by checking a few of these items off of the list, and better yet, see if you were missing out on some incredible reads that were just waiting around for you to read them!
Remember to, of course, use your local library (online resources at your local libraries are amazing! If you have a library card and a tablet or a phone, you can read ebooks for free!), audiobooks, ebooks, and your own books that you have piled up on your bedside table (or wherever you’ve put them throughout the house) to help you complete the challenge. I know you can do it! (You know, only if you want to. Like, if you want to pass the time by reading. If not, that’s cool. It’s just an idea. Just a suggestion. Whatevs.)
And also, you’re welcome for all the random book prompts! I had such a great time coming up with them (and yes, I looked at my own to be read list for inspiration!). I was going to add in book suggestions, but I figured my own reading choices may be a bit too niche, but if you need any suggestions, just feel free to ask! And let me know if you end up doing the challenge or using one of my prompts to read a book! I’m not going to create a hashtag or anything, but I’d love to know if my list helped get you to cross a few books off of your to be read list! (But also, if you think of a cute hashtag, let me know and maybe we can start a trend!)
Also, remember: not only are you getting some much needed reading done, you’re also doing the world a great service by staying at home! So for that, thank you so much!
Let me know what you think of my suggestions for reading prompts and if any of them make you think of a book you’ve been meaning to read! (I know I relate to at least 10 on this list!)
Happy reading, weirdos!
Pin It!
This a lovely idea! Its awesome that you have non-reading bookish activities too.
ReplyDeleteHi Sumedha! Aww thank you so much! I had a blast coming up with the ideas, and I have to admit, a lot of these were influenced by things I'VE been meaning to read, haha. Thank you so much for reading and commenting! It really means a lot to me <3
DeleteI have sooo many books that are just collecting dust! I call myself a book collector instead of a book reader at this point lol. I don't have a book that fits every category, but I do have some that fits most and some fit multiple categories. Maybe this will actually help me dust off my books and finally give them a read!
ReplyDeleteDeandra|theblackprincessdiaries.com
Same here, Deandra!! I end up just collecting books but not reading them! I turn to the library for actual books now, haha. Oh yay! Let me know if you end up finding a book or two that fit a category and if you end up reading the book(s)! I figured we could all use a gentle push to read all the books we've been hoarding. At least for me!! <3 Thank you so much for reading and commenting, lovely! xoxo
DeleteI love this challenge, I just wish I had more time to read 😞 But these are really creative ideas and I will definitely have to try to get to some of them. I always wanted to read the Percy Jackson series so I might do that. Great post Emily 😊
ReplyDeleteAww thank you so much, Meagan! I totally get that though. Sometimes when life is so busy reading is the furthest thing from our minds. And thank you! I had a whole bunch of fun putting the ideas together! And let me know if you do end up reading Percy Jackson! I thought the series was so fun (plus I've always loved Greek mythology so it was just a win-win!). Thank you so much!! Your comment means to much to me! <3 <3 <3
DeleteGreat challenge!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!! I had one heck of a good time putting it together! Plus it's really putting my rear in gear to get to my big stack of TBRs! ;)
DeleteAh I miss those days when I can just shut off and read a book. It's increasingly difficult to do that these days. I really need to learn from you and pick up reading again! Thanks for the great tip! I'm going to check out the library resources, because I don't have many physical books anymore! :p
ReplyDeleteI hope my list can help you get back on the reading train! Though I really do understand about not being able to shut off and read. Sometimes you just have to be in the right mindset! Oh, library resources are the best! That's where I've been getting my library ebooks, since my library still isn't open yet.
DeleteThank you so much for reading and your lovely comment, Julie <3