If you’re anything like me, every New Year brings the same overly-ambitious bookworm resolution: read more this year than you did the last. And every mid-March (if I’m being generous), you’re left shrugging at a pile of uncracked spines and broken literary promises to yourself.
Sound familiar? Hey, no judgement here – lord knows there are approximately one million other wayward distractions luring me away from that cozy reading nook too. From the endless dopamine scroll of social media to those irresistible 10-hour binges of The Last of Us, the struggle is very real.
But maybe the solution to finally achieving your voracious reading goals this year is to gamify the whole experience. Introducing: Reading challenges!
These handy little motivational frameworks take the joy of getting lost in a good book and kick it up a level by adding an engaging layer of goal-setting and structure. Some focus on checking off specific titles or authors, while others push you outside your usual genres and comfort zones. There are challenges tailored to every reading preference, interest, and commitment level imaginable.
Not only do these brilliant literary puzzles transform reading into an addictive sport for wordsmiths – they naturally propel you to read more diversely, more expansively, and ultimately more frequently than you might on your own.
Itching to supercharge your 2024 with as many fresh reads as possible? Any of these 10 inventive reading challenges will give you the motivational jolt you need to crush those goals.
A Book Bucket List Challenge
Got a mile-long list of books you’ve been “meaning to get to” since the Millennial era? Same, dear, same. Let this be the year you finally knock out all those bucket list classics and buzzed-about modern masterpieces!
This straightforward yet satisfying book bucket list challenge is perfect for any reader who craves a sense of purpose. To start, draft a handwritten list of 24 fiction/non-fiction titles you’ve vowed to conquer—a mix of award-winners, old faithfuls that build character, books by authors you revere, or popular recent releases respected friends raved about.
Assign yourself two books to read per month (one classic, one contemporary) and relish in the deep sense of accomplishment as you cross each title off. For an extra motivational jolt, pick up a beautifully bound anthology that incorporates every story onto your bucket list. That way, your completed book lives on as a coveted coffee table trophy!
The 12 Genres in 12 Months Challenge
If you find yourself stuck in an endless literary loop of rom-coms and murder mysteries, it’s high time you shook things up by dabbling in some uncharted genre territory. Enter the 12 Genres in 12 Months challenge, designed to bust any book ruts once and for all!
Take a few minutes to brainstorm all the genres that intrigue but intimidate you – magical realism, Westerns, experimental poetry, dystopian sci-fi, creative non-fiction about niche subcultures, you name it. From there, assign yourself one genre per calendar month and get busy reading a celebrated title that epitomizes each style.
Not only will this ultra-engaging theme cure those stale reading habits for good, you might just stumble upon some new unexpected passions too. And hey, at the very least, you’ll build up some solid literary street cred by year’s end!
A Travel the World Reading Challenge
Can’t quite afford those luxe, Around the World jaunts you’ve been dreaming about? Explore the planet’s rich tapestry of cultures through the power of the written word!
For this wanderlust-stoking book challenge, spend 12 months “reading” your way across the globe by selecting one novel, memoir, or short story collection authored in a different country each time out. Better yet, pick books that not only take place in a given geographical setting but were penned by those native to that region. You’ll absorb far richer, more authentic glimpses into diverse ways of life.
I highly recommend tapping your local indie bookseller for lesser-known, off-the-beaten-path suggestions once you’ve ticked off the big literary capitals. They’ll help you dive into those underrated hidden gem books that unearth stunningly fresh perspectives you’d never find in the travel guides.
The Time Travel Challenge
Ready to bend your mind grapes in dazzlingly cool book-style? Then allow me to introduce you to the far-out excitement of the Time Travel challenge!
Over the next 12 months, you’ll hop between multiple vibrant eras and cultures by alternating selections between books set in distant pasts (Ancient Rome, feudal Japan, the Victorian age, etc.) and ones offering speculative glimpses into plausible futures. Trust me, the contrasts between these twisted strands of human civilization and technology will ignite compelling new thoughts.
For your historical reads, a mix of literary fiction like Hamnet and Wolf Hall, illuminating historical accounts à la The Radium Girls, and vivid retellings like Circe by Madeline Miller or The Red Tent works perfectly. Then head to the cosmos with modern sci-fi greats like The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin, titles by titans like Octavia Butler, or fresh experimental fare like Klara and the Sun.
Just prepare for some trippy existential crises along your journey—no complaints when you start spontaneously pondering humanity’s place in the multiverse continuum!
A Completely Random Book Challenge
Maybe the ultra-specific challenges aren’t quite your cup of tea. If so, embrace the delightfully anarchic joy of a Completely Random book challenge!
The premise is simple – remove all free will from the reading equation by crowdsourcing your 2024 book selections from complete and total randomness. There are tons of fun ways to embrace spontaneity too:
- Use an online Random Book Generator that picks books for you based on funky algorithms.
- Ask your well-read friends to blindly choose 12 titles from their shelves, and read whatever they luck into.
- Embrace full chaos by literally closing your eyes inside your local bookstore and plucking unseen books off the shelves.
- Or, take to Instagram for one of those viral “shelfie” giveaways where you win a grab bag of surprise reads.
Will you stumble onto some new beloved lit that flies under your usual radar? Or come face-to-face with some real stinkers? Who knows – but you’re guaranteed an unforgettable experience either way!
An Adapted Book Challenge
Listen, I’ll be the first to admit that more often than not, book-to-film/TV adaptations ultimately leave us bibliophiles whining “the book was better.” But if we’re being honest…isn’t hate-watching those butchered translations half the fun?
Either way, you can capitalize on all those smug feelings of literary superiority with an Adapted Book challenge! For each month, you’ll read a book knowing a filmed adaptation awaits – then follow things up by viewing the on-screen interpretation and judging how it measured up.
Not only does this offer a fun twist on your usual book club hangs, having the looming specter of a visual adaptation pushes you to more critically absorb every narrative detail and characterization on the page. And just wait until that inevitable moment you turn to your squad in the theater and shriek, “THEY COMPLETELY VIOLATED THE ESSENCE OF THAT PIVOTAL CHAPTER!”
Best picks for this entertaining showdown include recent award season darlings like The Whale and She Said, buzzed-about genre releases like The Last of Us and Daisy Jones & The Six, along with remakes fans can’t help but obsess over (Dune, House of the Dragon, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power).
A Book Club Curated Challenge
As any seasoned book club vet can attest, there’s nothing more motivational for personal reading goals than being held accountable by your peers’ high expectations. Which makes a book club curated challenge pretty much the perfect blend of support and tough love!
Here’s how it works: At the start of the year, have each of your book club members contribute 2-3 titles they’ve been aching to discuss. It could be a combination of that overlooked tome they’ve been meaning to re-read, a buzzy page-turner everyone’s been sleeping on, or a nostalgic classic ripe for new evaluation with fresh eyes.
From there, your gang amalgamates all the picks into an official 12-month curated reading syllabus that takes you through January to December. These selections take priority over whatever else you might have in your own TBR pile – the motivation being that you absolutely must be prepared for those book club discussions!
Not only will this approach unlock access to tons of stories you might otherwise miss, there’s just something so satisfying about chipping away at a syllabus designed by your most trusted literary confidants. It’s the ultimate in peer-pressured, well-rounded reading!
An Audiobook Challenge
Let’s be real – sometimes no matter how voracious your literary appetite, you’d give your kindle collection to have more than 24 hours available for bodily functions and sleep each day. Wouldn’t it be glorious to keep chipping away at new books while ticking off all those other pesky chores and errands too?
That’s where an Audiobooks-only challenge comes into play! This themed experience allows you to absorb new titles through listening rather than reading the physical copies. It’s the perfect lazy literati hack for multitasking bibliophiles.
I’d recommend sticking to fiction in particular for this mode, given how much more narrative-driven and immersive the storytelling experience tends to be. Imagine luxuriating in the lush, atmospheric world of Cloud Cuckoo Land while folding laundry, or tearing through the heart-pounding thriller What Have We Done while knocking out your morning jog.
Think of it like this: by allotting a good chunk of your monthly literary intake to audiobooks, you’ll be freeing up ample bonus hours to sit back and savor all those other gorgeous hardcovers you’ve been dying to crack open.
A Book Award Challenge
Listen, yes – I’m well aware those prestigious literary awards often have a reputation for going to dense, esoteric novels adored by snooty critics far more than us common folk. But let’s shrug off that stuffy baggage for once, friends! Why not use 2024 to familiarize yourself with some of those highly-celebrated titles you should definitely read before you die?
Simply put together a themed reading syllabus comprising recent(ish) winners from the biggest award institutions: The Pulitzer, Booker, National Book Award, O’Henry Prize Stories, you name it. You could even expand the parameters to include acclaimed award-winners in more niche categories too, like the National Book Critics Circle Award or the Raymond Carver Short Story Award.
Beyond finally enabling you to thumbs-up alongside those vaunted literary giants, a curated award-centric reading challenge illuminates so many other under-the-radar gems to put on your radar. You’ll gain new appreciation for storylines and styles that defy your usual comfort zones. Who knows – it could even inspire ambitions of your own future writing acclaim!
A Family-Friendly Reading Challenge
For all the parents, aunties, uncles and babysitters out there: perhaps one of the most enriching and nostalgic reading experiences you’ll have in 2024 is to rediscover the magic of timeless children’s literature – together!
This year, dedicate a themed literary journey specifically to revisiting those imaginative, whimsical classics that first ignited your passion for reading. You could curate a list of say, 25 quintessential titles universally adored by virtually every parent or guardian on the planet. Then endeavor to slowly make your way through them, whether reading aloud with young loved ones at bedtime or reflecting on those treasured stories as an adult.
The Giving Tree, Goodnight Moon, Charlotte’s Web, Alice in Wonderland, The Little Prince, oh my! Not only will working your way through these delightful reading selections spark heartwarming new family traditions, it’s bound to rekindle that youthful sense of curiosity, possibility and unbridled imagination even us jaded grown-ups tend to lose touch with.
So there you have it, ten inspired book challenge concepts that’ll have you absolutely devouring 2024 from front cover to back! Whichever concept you decide to run with, the thrill of working towards a centralized literary goal – be it checking off a specific syllabus or expanding your horizons – brings a joyful sense of purpose to your reading habits.
Mark my words: once you start building momentum and holding yourself accountable to creative challenges like these, not only will you blow past your reading aspirations for the year, you’ll rediscover a profound and infectious enthusiasm for literature you may have lost touch with. And really, what better gift to ourselves as book nerds?
