As was proved in 2017 I really suck at reading challenges, even ones I set myself for fun!
This year I am trying to do a little better. My job has changed somewhat and for the first time in 21 years I am not working directly with books, authors and readers.
As I've survived a brain hemorrhage and regained the ability to read it feels very important to not lose my book world knowledge or my love of books.
I belong to an online book discussion group linked to Norfolk's libraries and for this we created two challenges for 2018.
One is a simple monthly challenge:
- In January I read Flat Share by Beth O'Leary
- In February I started If Cats Disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura, a book I only bought because I fell in love with the cover! (I didn't actually finish this one in Feb but I'm counting it as a challenge sucess!)
- In March my reservations for Two Weeks in Florence and Yesterday Morning by Diana Athill arrived and I enjoyed both of these short books, one a diary of a holiday to Italy and the other a memoir of a Norfolk Childhood.
We also launched a bingo style challenge to inspire reading:
Without even realising it I have actually 'ticked' many of the boxes here as many of my reads do tick more than one box!
- Is a story about a real character - Becoming Mrs Lewis
- A debut novel - The Flat Share
- A number in the title - Vintage 1954
- Set during war time - Island Song
- A non fiction book - The Cut Out Girl
- Award Winning - The Cut Out Girl
- A book from my wishlist - Chasing the Sun
- An item from a library that is new to me - Beauchamp Hall
- Read a children's book/watch a children't film - The Lego Movie 2
- Read a book set in Norfolk - Beauchamp Hall
- Read a book in translation - Vintage 1954
If I do complete this one, I might go back and try to get a unique item for each prompt.
Just this week one of my closet friends shared the reading challenge that she has developed as part of her job and I am tempted to start that one too.
I think that I like these challenges so much because I don't have to read anything set but can retrofit my choices!
