Reading Challenges, are they worth the work?

A question had been asked in a group, does anyone read for pleasure anymore?

That makes me wonder, are reading challenges not for pleasure? Are they not fun? Do people see them as work?

I’ve recently begun participating in reading challenges. Some are for the whole year, monthly, and weekly themed.

Why do I do them? For the challenge. I mostly enjoy romance or fiction books. I fell into reading only 1 or 2 certain authors. These challenges have made me look beyond what I ‘normally’ read and see what else Is out there.

Reading challenges are what you make them. I choose to make them a fun challenge for me. In the two years that I have been doing them, I have branched out into 2 new reading genres and several new authors.

This year I am participating in 4 challenges that will be over the course of the year. As well as some monthly ones in some Facebook groups i belong to. I know what you are thinking 4?! They each have their own prompts, but some books can cover several prompts at once.

My challenges of the year:

POPSugar 2020 challenge

HPOOTP: Flourish and Blotts Wizarding World Tour

Creating & Co 2020 challenge

A to Z challenge

Now. The big question. How do you keep track you might ask? Well... that’s what my reading journal is for. I have a list made for all the challenges and I will track my completed prompts from there. I always have a section to help me write reviews. Something i am trying to work on getting better at than say, ‘I loved this book!’ Which is a great review, but I feel it could be better.

Another great way I keep track is the GoodReads website. I created a shelf for each challenge and when I finish a book, I will add it there. The website is also helpful in keeping track of the books I want to read. Something that I’ve tried keeping on paper, but let’s face it. TBR piles are ever changing.

If you are looking to shake up your reading goals for this year, join me in a challenge. You can make a simple one for yourself (as simple as challenging yourself to a certain number if books), or find one premade from several sites. Because whatever you choose, remember it’s just for fun.

Happy reading!