Last updated: January 8, 2016
Note: Contains Amazon Affiliate links. See Disclosure for more details.
Considering the challenge technically started at the beginning of January, calling this my “preliminary” reading list is a little misleading. But I haven’t started reading any of my proposed books yet, so my blog title still stands.
I attempted a reading challenge last year. Alas, between my Crohn’s issues and move to Georgia, I was unable to complete it. This time, I think I’ll succeed!
Besides being less sick and stressed right now, this challenge doesn’t fall over Thanksgiving or Christmas. When I was younger I got in more reading during the holidays, but as an adult, the holiday season is too busy for marathon reading sessions.
Blogger Erin from TexErin-in-Sydneyland hosts this challenge. Read her blog post for the list of rules. If you’re interested in joining, check out the Facebook group!
5 points: Read a book, any book that is at least 200 pages long. Since this is a freebie, I’ll see what book intrigues me over the next few months.
10 points: Read a book that begins with the letter “D.” Dark Force Rising by Timothy Zahn. This is part of a Star Wars book trilogy set after the original film trilogy.
10 points: Read a book with a four word title. Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn. Also from Star Wars.
15 points: Read a book with one of the following words in the title. “mother(s)”, “father(s)”, “son(s)”, “daughter(s)”, or “child(ren).” The Minister’s Daughter by Julie Hearn (this has been on my Goodreads to-read list for ages).
20 points: Amazon ranks their “most popular authors,” and they update this list hourly. Based on when you make your book list, look at the top 100 authors, and pick a book to read from one of those authors, but here’s the catch – it needs to be an author new to you. Funny thing, the top 100 authors include the authors with pre-releases for Prime members. The Oddfits by Tiffany Tsao debuts in February. I picked it out of the other pre-releases for February as my free book. So this was an easy choice!
20 points: Read a book set in any country in Asia. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami (Not set in Norway, I promise!)
25 points: Read a book with a “Season” in the title. Winter by Marissa Meyer. I loved the previous books in The Lunar Chronicles, so I’m dying to read this one.
30 points: Read a book that will make you laugh from the list attached. The Broke Diaries or The Princess Bride, depending on what I can find at the library.
30 points: Read a book that is a friend or family member’s favorite book (or the favorite book of another participant from this challenge). My husband really wants me to read a Star Wars trilogy. He doesn’t have a favorite book, so this is close enough. The Last Command by Timothy Zahn. (The other two books fit categories above).
35 points: Read a book published the year you were born. I haven’t actually read anything by Toni Morrison, so I’m finally reading Beloved.
I’m excited to try another reading challenge! What books have you read recently?
Oh this challenge looks most interesting!
I’m excited about it!
Isn’t it sad how holidays aren’t for reading anymore? Every year I plan (or hope) to read a bunch in December because I’m still holding on to the past in that respect. And it never happens. Good luck with your goals!
Part of it is the burden/privilege of preparing! My parents used to do all that. My younger brother and I both did the bulk of the cooking for Christmas Eve/Christmas Day, which my mom used to do.
But most of it is that Christmas is now a 4-day weekend if we’re lucky, and not a 2-week vacation!
Thanks for joining us and spreading the word!
Thanks for hosting!
What a unique challenge! So far this year, I have read Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King (meh) and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (amazing). I review books on my blog if you ever need suggestions. I enjoyed Beloved…..so different. I am trying to read all of the Pulitzer Prize winners for fiction, we’ll see how that goes. Happy reading!
Ooh, I love your Pulitzer Prize challenge. My younger brother is working through all Oscar Best Picture winners. I want to create a personal challenge for myself at some point, like only reading female authors for a year, or only reading nonfiction for 3 months, or only reading books published before a certain date for 6 months. But right now I need the accountability of a group challenge. 🙂
I’m doing this challenge, too! (I was browsing your blog because of your IG challenge with Charlene.) I like your pick for “year you were born.” I had to read one of her books in college. I considered The Princess Bride, too! 🙂