Yeah, Baby! It’s Time for a New Reading Challenge

“Does anyone know a book that has more than six words in the title?”

Look, it was the last week of the year. I should have known why someone would ask the question.  I didn’t.  However, a few cool answers came, including a super-cool sounding book that I’ve got to read.  Check it out: The Curious Prayer Life of Muriel Smith. 

Who could resist a title like that?

I mean, really. When I remembered the title, I had it as “the Secret Prayer life…” and knew there was something wrong.  See, that’s what you’d expect.  No one expects to hear about a “curious” prayer life.  So, I’m going to read it.

As part of the 2020 Christian Fiction Readers’ Challenge.

Yeah. I’m doing it. Every year they come up.  I think about it.  Imagine it. Then, I do the rational thing and close out of my browser before temptation overtakes me.

Look, I read a lot of books every year.  Part of it is because it’s my job. I mean, that’s what authors do.  They read and write books.  They read them because they love books and because reading books helps one develop better writing skills.  It’s a win/win there.

But seriously. Picking a challenge and following strange requirements like, “Read a book that has four obnoxious toads in it,” is kind of… um… difficult.  Especially when you get tons of review requests… and make tons of requests to review.

That’s when it hit me.  Some of these probably fit my review lists anyway.  I can count those.  If I want to. However, I promised myself that I didn’t have to.  Because this time, I got sucked into the vortex of super-cool reading challenges.

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Yeah, Baby! It’s Time for a New Reading Challenge

For the uninitiated or flabbergasted, I thought I’d answer a few questions about reading challenges—you know, like why anyone would want to do something so crazy.  Then I’ll share the one I found and see what you think.  Oh, and share a joke.  Because, when you see #2, you’re going to crack up.

What is a reading challenge, anyway?

Well, not to put too fine a point (or print) on it, it’s a challenge to read a certain number or kind of books.  Usually both.  The one I’m doing is both.

Why would anyone want to challenge themselves to read x number or kinds of books?

Readers get in ruts.  We read our favorite genres most often, right?  Well, a reading challenge can push you out of that comfort zone.  For example, this year’s challenge has suggestions like, “Read a book that…”

• • • takes place during the Civil War
    • Is YA *Is from a debut author
    • with a title more than 6 words long

This means I’m going to have some seriously cool books to read—including The Curious Prayer Life of Muriel Smith.

It means that I’ll read stuff I never would have found before—that I didn’t know existed, even.

It’ll also mean getting to learn about new authors and making new reader friends, because I’ll need help.  I mean, where am I going to find a book, under 100 pages, that I haven’t already read?  Unless Perry Kirkpatrick doesn’t get writing faster, I could be in trouble on that one.  If she gets another Accidental Cases of Emily Abbott book out, then we’re golden.  Hint, hint, Perry.

How does it actually work?

Well, I can tell you how it doesn’t work.  It doesn’t work to set up a reading challenge list on Goodreads and then try to add books you want to read to that “shelf.”  No, that does not work.  Instead, it marks them as read.  You think you just did something wrong, so you delete it all and try again.  Only to have it posted, for the second time in mere minutes, that you read the same book you just claimed to have read—and didn’t.  Basically, it makes you a double liar. Just keepin’ it real, folks.

So, for me how it is going to work is this handy, dandy Pinterest board I set up in the middle of writing this post.  Oh, yeah, baby! (what’s with the baby, thing today, anyway?  I doubt I’ve ever said that in my entire life!).

Whatever.

When I find a book I want to use for one of the challenge topics, I’m going to pop it on there.  😀  I’m also making a pin of that list for ease of use, too.  All the pinness!  WOOT.

So… now that I know you’re just DYING to take part in said challenge, want to know what’s on it?

The 2020 Christian Fiction Readers Challenge

2020_CF_Reading_Challenge

Ain’t it pretty.  There are some books I THINK I want on my list. But I don’t know!  I’m ALSO going to try to use this to “read up” some of my obscene TBR pile. Okay, so total transparency here?  I’ll probably buy as many as I read up.  But here’s the thing. I probably would have anyway.  It’s what I do. I buy books that I don’t read—at least for a long time.

Now that Mom lives with us, she’s reading about 10-15 books a week it seems.  EEEPS.  She’s going to get ahead of me.  Must. Not. Happen. 😉

So… what’s the reading challenge?  Well… I’ve created this handy, dandy DOWNLOAD for you. #becausereading

Check out #2.  Seriously, I’ve failed at my first ever reading challenge with the second prompt.  Not gonna find another Chautona, period.  Much less an author.

But over at Avid Readers of Christian Fiction, someone had a BRILLIANT idea.  And I’m doing it.  I’ll read my own book!  Why not? I obviously like them. I read them often. So why on earth not?  I’ll kick back, read the book, and enjoy life.

I hope you’ll join me (and a bunch of others) on this challenge.  Choose to do Tier 1, 2, 3… some combination, or all of them.  Use the Bonus Books to replace one from the other lists if you can’t find something… or forget that “Enough” is your word for the year before the year even gets started and read all the books like me!

Well… that’s the plan.  I’m only promising myself Tier 1. #becauseenough

Even if you don’t want a reading challenge of your own, you can help me with mine. 

Feel free to check out the options and… make suggestions.  Seriously, if someone hadn’t asked for help with the “title longer than six words,” I’d have been in a pickle.  So unpickle other ones like… “New-to-you author” or “Biblical Fiction” (just don’t suggest Francine Rivers. Not happinin’ folks).

And seriously.  A tenacious female character.  How am I supposed to know if she’s tenacious if I haven’t read the book yet!  Need major help there.

Tell me… what book should I read this year?  And where does it fit on these lists?  And  I think I might even create a “Which of Chautona’s Books Would Fit This List” list sometime soon.  Wouldn’t that be fun to see how many of mine would count?