How would you like to read more books, discover new authors, and creatively track the books that you read during the upcoming year?
If this sounds like a worthy goal, I invite you to join me in officially becoming a Reading Challenge Addict!
A Reading Challenge Addict commits to entering and completing one or more Reading Challenges during the upcoming year. Since I love challenges, I’ve decided to go all out! This year, I’m participating in 25+ diverse Reading Challenges that will:
- Encourage you to read more
- Introduce you to new authors, genres and bloggers
- Stretch you intellectually and stimulate you creatively
- Entertain and edify you
- Reignite your passion for reading and your love of books
Intrigued? Come join the fun!
Check out the challenges I’ve shared! If you see a challenge you like, sign up on the hostess’s site, then leave a comment to let me know you’re participating! At the end of the article, you’ll find a Link-Up where can share the Reading Challenges you’ve joined or are hosting, as well as the books you have read for these challenges!
Which Reading Challenges are your favorites? Leave a comment!
I’ll post periodic updates throughout the year. To see the latest books I’ve read, visit Create With Joy – Book Reviews.
Challenges That Encourage You To Read More Books
The 2013 Read 52 Books In 52 Weeks Challenge encourages you to read one book a week or 52 books in a year. There are also a number of optional mini-challenges you can participate in to spice up the challenge, including a 5/5/5 challenge to read 5 books in 5 categories and/or 5 genres.
This is my second year of participation in the challenge. I will be participating in Two Mini Challenges: The Dusty Mini Challenge (limit buying new books for 1-4 months and read 4 to 12 or more books gathering dust on your shelves prior to 2013) and the Inspiration Mini Challenge.
The purpose of the Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge is for you to outdo yourself by reading more books than you did last year! This is my second year in participating in this challenge. Last year I outdid myself by reading 24 more books than the previous year! This year my goal is to get “out of breath” and read 6 to 10 more books.
TBR Challenges – Read What You Already Own
The Embarrassment Of Riches TBR Challenge 2013 encourages you to read books in your To Be Read (TBR) pile that you owned prior to January 1, 2013. I am joining this one at the Copper (6 Book) level.
The 2013 TBR Pile Reading Challenge encourages you to read your TBR books with a 2012 or earlier release date! I’ll be joining at the A Firm Handshake (1-10 TBR Books) level.
Off The Shelf 2013 encourages you to read the books off your own shelves (2012 or earlier) that have gone unread for too long. You choose your challenge level (quantity) and can participate in additional challenges as well. I am joining at the “tempted to choose 5 books to read” level.
The Free Reads 2013 Challenge encourages you to read all of those books you have received for free but haven’t been able to get to. They include books you’ve received as presents, review requests, prizes, or just found in the streets. They do not include library books or other lending services. These must be books that have become part of your personal collection. Includes ARCs and new releases.
I am joining at the “For me? Choose 5 books to read” level.
The 2013 Mount TBR Reading Challenge is perfect for those of you who have HUGE stacks of unread books of your own that you need to start whittling down! I have to confess – this one intimidates me – but I will tackle Pike’s Peak (12 books) and see how high I climb!
Reading Challenges By Format & Publisher
The 2013 E-Book Challenge encourages readers to expand past just physical books to embrace e-books in all forms. This is my second year of participating in this challenge and I will be joining at the Floppy Disk (5 E-Books) level.
The 2013 Self-Published Challenge encourages readers to look beyond the traditional, and experience pure imagination. You can read any genre, length or format of book counts, as long as it is self-published by the author. This is my second year of participating in this challenge and I will be joining at the Sentence (5 book) level.
The 2013 Go Indie Reading Challenge encourages readers to give non-mainstream types of published works a chance. It includes both self-published books and books published by Independent Publishers. I’ll be entering at the Tentative (5 book) level).
Reading Challenges By Genre
If you love reading about food, the Foodies Read 2013 Challenge is for you! For this challenge, decide how many food books you would like to read during 2013. A food book is a book that is centered around food and/or drinks. This could be a cookbook, a food biography or memoir, or a non-fiction book focused around a specific food, wine, chef or restaurant. You can also include fictional stories in which food plays a major role.
I’ll be joining this challenge at the Pastry Chef level of 4 to 8 books.
The Nerdy Non-Fiction Challenge 2013 encourages participants to read more non-fiction this year. The challenge site contains a huge list of non-fiction categories, and you are encouraged to read a minimum number of books in at least 2 to 3 categories. I don’t consider myself a Nerd… but for the purposes of this challenge, I guess I’ll be proudly donning that label! My goal is to rock the Nerd category by reading 15+ books in at least 8 categories!
The Non-Fiction Non-Memoir Reading Challenge 2013 encourages you to read a variety of non-fiction books across a variety of topics, excluding memoirs, journals, autobiographies, and cookbooks, instruction manuals, how-to, self-help and travel books, individual essays and articles, children’s books, and any other types of books not meant to be read cover to cover. Sounds like a lot of exclusions, right? That’s part of the challenge!
I’m aiming for the PhD level – 25 books – in this challenge!
The Immigrant Stories Challenge encourages you to read books of any type that include an immigrant story. What a fabulous way to expand one’s horizons and learn more about one’s roots! I am going to start this at the entry level – Just Off The Boat, 1 to 3 Books – and see where this challenge takes me.
Author Challenges
The purpose of the 2013 Women’s Challenge is to read more books by female authors. I thoroughly support that goal! I’ll be participating at Level 4, Reading 16+ female authors this year.
Seasonal Challenges
The New Year’s Resolution Challenge is a seasonal challenge that encourages you to take action on your New Year’s Resolutions by reading 1 to 4 books that will stimulate actions on your goals by January 31, 2013. I plan on reading at least 4 books in this category before the month is over.
Specialty Challenges – AKA The Fun Stuff!
The 2013 Book Bingo Reading Challenge is one of the coolest challenges I have come across. If you love Bingo and you love fun and games, you will want to participate in this challenge just for the thrill of filling out their very cool scorecard!
To participate in the challenge, you use their scorecard to complete rows the way you would in a game of Bingo. Each spot contains the specific reading challenge you must complete, such as:
- Reading books in your TBR pile
- Re-reading some books
- Reading some new books
- Reading books that everyone but you has read
- Reading books from a series that you have started & have been neglecting
Be sure to visit their site for the full details!
The A To Z Reading Challenge is self-explanatory. Read one book starting with every letter of the alphabet!
The What An Animal Challenge encourages you to read at least 6 books that meet any of the following requirements:
- There is an animal in the title of the book.
- There is an animal on the cover of the book.
- An animal plays a major role in the book.
- A main character is (or turns into) an animal.
The What’s In A Name 6 Challenge encourages you to read books in 6 categories with the following words (or their equivalent) in the titles:
- A book with up or down (or equivalent) in the title.
- A book with something you’d find in your kitchen in the title.
- A book with a party or celebration in the title.
- A book with fire (or equivalent) in the title.
- A book with an emotion in the title.
- A book with lost or found (or equivalent) in the title.
Geographical Challenges
The 2013 Where Are You Reading Challenge invites you to travel via book across the entire United States during the course of the year – and, for bonus points, beyond! You receive points by completing books and identifying the state or country where most of the action in the book takes place (for fiction) – or, for non-fiction, identifying the locale the book is about! Visit the site for the complete details.
I don’t actually expect to journey to all 50 states during the year – but I do think it will be fun to see how many places I do visit during the course of the year!
The 2013 Postal Reading Challenge invites you to read and review books with a postal theme. You can choose non-fiction books about letter writing, collections of real letters, or epistolary fiction of any era. I’ll be joining this challenge at the Postcard Level, aiming to read 4 books with an epistolary theme!
Faith-Based Reading Challenges
The following challenges are a little different than the previous challenges in that they are offered more for your personal edification than for public tracking (although sign-ups are available!) But, after reviewing the resources and parameters of the challenges, I felt that they were too good not to share!
Operation Actually Read Bible is a Perpetual Challenge that encourages you to set your own Bible Reading goals – and your own timeline for completing them! Read the entire Bible in a year – or in five! Read portions of it in depth. Read the Bible any way you choose – just read it! Guidelines for Getting Started are provided if needed.
Operation Deepen Faith is a wonderful challenge that offers several options for deepening your faith! Again, there are no strict guidelines or commitments to make – choose what you like then delve in. This is an awesome challenge for anyone who is serious about growing in their faith!
The Cloud Of Witnesses Reading Challenges (based on Hebrews 12:1-2) encourages you to read Christian classics. The main criteria for this challenge is that the author is a deceased Christian. Suggestions are provided for those who need ideas.
I’ll be using these challenges for ideas and inspiration and as a means to help track my faith-based reading this year. I am starting my Bible Reading for the year in the Book of Ephesians.
Which Challenges Are Your Favorite?
As you can see, there is no shortage of Reading Challenges to choose from this year! Which challenges do you like the most? Please leave a comment and let us know your thoughts!
Reading Challenge Link-Up
Are you are hosting a Reading Challenge of your own? Are you participating in any Reading Challenges, including the ones listed in this article? If so, please feel free to share the direct links to your posts so that we can visit you, discover new challenges, and cheer you on!
I’ve never participated in a reading challenge, but it sounds like fun. Thanks for sharing all of these!
wowEE I would have no time to do all those kudos to you for doing it!! I bet you’ll do great at it…. I will for sure have to up the “reading” this year. By reading I mean listening to audiobooks lol!!
Thanks for posting all these great challenges. I love to read and love to be challenged reading so this is right up my alley! I’m going to sign up for several of these as I have several books on my shelves that need to be read and I love reading self published authors. I have found some of my favorite authors this way.
LOVE the idea of a challenge! I just need a few more hours in the day to do it. I will try for one a month this year!
This is amazing! I’ve been wanting to do some more reading this year and I think doing a reading challenge is the perfect idea to help me with that goal. Now it’s just a matter of picking one to do. I never realized how many was out there! Thank you for the great idea and all this wonderful information!
This is an awesome list!! I need to participate in the TBR challenge, as I have tons of books that I haven’t even read yet. I also need to do the Read for Free challenge, because I’ve downloaded tons of free ebooks to check out the authors. Hey, that will also count as the Indie challenge, right? A lot of those are self-published. Thanks for all the great challenges to check out! I usually read close to 100 books a year, but last year I read an embarrassingly low amount due to major time restraints. I want to get back to my old reading habits this year.
Wow! This is just the thing I need. I am a book worm! In fact, I started a book review section in my blog very recently. I could use your help. Will check back with you again. Cheers!
When I first started reading your post I thought – sure, I’d love to join a reading challenge. By the time I got through the post I was ‘there is no way I could read this year’. That is sure a lot of reading.
Making time for reading is my problem. I can sure make time for other things.
I think I will read just one book a month for 2013 and that won’t feel so overwhelming.
For the last 2 years I’ve been doing the Read the Bible in 90 days challenge which has been fun. I’ve also done eBook challenges where we go through a book together.
Not sure where my 2013 is headed but as far as reading goes, 1 book a month is my goal.
Good luck to you on all the challenges. I hope you get them all completed. I think I may have to join the reading what I already own challenge. I own lots of books that need to be read. LOL
Thanks for joined my Women Challenge and a big GOOD LUCK!
I left the link to my challenges post for 2013 😉
p.s. you’re a real Reading Challenge Addict! ^_^
Valentina
http://www.peekabook.it
I like the faith based challenge. I am using my iPhone to read the Bible daily. I also get a devotion in my inbox. I have so many books I’d like to read. With Kindle freebies all the time, I have at least 100 in my TBR pile. 🙂
Thanks for this post and good luck on your own personal reading challenge.
Wow! I had no idea there were so many reading challenges in blogland! That’s great! I’m particpating in the 13/13 Reading Challenge, 13 books in 2013. I think its doable for me with two small kids and work. Good luck on your 52 books! That sounds awesome!
Oh wow!!!! LOVE the idea of joining a book challenge….and it’s early enough to still participate and I almost have a book completed.
The Bingo idea is cool, but I think the one that caught my eye the most was the A-Z Challenge. I am seriously thinking of joining this one because I’d like to get more use out of my Kindle and READ MORE. I like that e-books are also allowed.
Thanks for lighting a fire underneath me to read more books instead of hoard more books!
So thrilled you are joining in on the challenges Yona! Doesn’t the A to Z challenge sound like fun?
I think it is going to taKe me quite some time go get all of these organized – but it will help me track my reading habits!
Look forward to seeing what you read this year – please join us on the linky and meet some of the other fabulous participants!
YAY!!! SO glad you are joining in the challenge! Good luck to you!
I like the TBR Challenge myself- I was recieved a pile of books in 2012 that I haven’t gotten around to reading yet!
Ive signed up for 2 book challenges for 2013.
The first one is called – 2013 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge, ( listed above in your post ) and the 2nd one is called “The Cozy Mystery Alphabet Challenge”
on goodreads.com.
I didn’t even know reading challenges existed, to be honest with you! I would love to do the food one-unfortunately right now my priorities and time commitments are honestly booked-I do love to read though! My prayers are that God opens up more time in my future for me to do more of what I enjoy, rather than sitting at a desk for 40+ hours a week on top of blogging and running a PT business and being a good wife and mommy 🙂 But this is really neat, esp for someone like me that is new to a reading challenge.
Good for you to do all that reading! I mostly just have time to read blogs & children’s books!
I did not realize so many of these challenges existed. I would love to read more. I am thinking about joined one or a few of these challenges
WOW ! Who knew there were so many reading challenges out there. I belong to a book club, which helps me to stay focused and read at least one book per month. I’m so thankful for my Kindle, I’m able to read so many great free books that I normally wouldn’t have read.
I’ve been adding my books to Good Reads – and I think that’s been making me read even more. I love seeing my number increase.
This is a HUGE post – wow so much to read. I love books and read them very quickly if they are lightweight reads. I am a believer in supporting my local bookshop as well as my little ereader.
Our family keeps all of its light reading and once a year sells them to a local second-hand bookseller – so they are shared again and we raise some funds to keep our local bookshop in business.
Thanks for sharing this with us. I have signed-up for two challenges. This is my first year so hope to expand next year.
I would never have guessed there were so many reading challenges out there. I saved this so I can come back and sort through to pick one that fits our family.
Oh my goodness! I can’t wait to join. So cool.
I love to read! And you have so many great reading challenges listed. Can I count the books I read to the kids for homeschool? We do that so much that I often neglect my own reading. What I’d really like to do is the Foodies Read Challenge. I’ll have to look into it. Thanks for the post!
When I read the intro to your post I had to laugh outloud. One of my personal goals for 2013 is to read ONE book. Yep, only one. I used to be an avid reader, at least a book a week. But now I have 6 kids, so if you don’t include kids books, I think I only read one book in all of 2012. Your post makes me think I ‘d better ramp up my goal a bit!
My jaw seriously dropped to the floor (well almost), I just kept scrolling and scrolling and OMG you have a lot of reading and blogging you’re committed to! I definitely need to sign up for one of the TBR challenges, and would love to see some reading challenges that involve reading to/with your children. I’ll definitely have to check back at the end of the year and see how many books you read!
~Terri
Eco-Crazy Mom
Ohmygoodness! I had NO idea there were such Challenges! I have been an avid reader since preschool days (really!) back in the Paleolithic Era… ;-} I have real books, my Kindle App on my iPhone and Audiobooks – all going at once – along with all the other things I do… Will return here when I have time to consider more in depth and make choices – am out of time for tonight… – Thank You!
Lynden
http://aneleganttouch-lynden.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/An-Elegant-Touch-/162889457132788
These are great challenges. I love Operation Bible and Deepen Faith. I am yet to read the Bible from start to finish but think I can do it with the challenge!
Aren’t those awesome challenges Marina?
One thing I particularly like about those is that they are self-paced –
I don’t do well with those “read thru the bible in a year” challenges because I tend to read where Spirit leads me!
Best of luck to you with your reading this year!
Oh my look at the challenges! Now I am a big reader and love a challenge so I think I am going to take a stab at the Bingo Book Challenge. What a great motivational tool to get others reading out there! Thanks for sharing all of these!
I love all the reading challenges. I really like how some encourage you to read books you already own. Sometime around November I found myself on a kick of downloading free e-books and I really do need to go back and actually read those books (even though I do much prefer to have a physical paperbound book in my hands). I’m going to have to go check out that nerdy, non-fiction challenge as that’s my reading preference.
Wow, so many challenges! I love reading, but can’t seem to find enough time to read as much as I want these days. I typically do the yearly challenge on Goodreads.com, which reminds me I need to update it for 2013.
I may also check out the non-fiction challenge you linked here….I enjoy reading non-fiction!
This is sooo excited! I have alot of books that need read! One thing I am hoping to do this year is to read the books on my shelf and then do giveaways with them on my blog! So I am joining the “off the shelf” challenge to keep me accountable!!! This is awesome! Thanks for sharing!!!
I never participated in a Reading Challenge, though I consider myself an avid reader. I think the 2013 Women’s Challenge is a great idea, I always love reading books by female authors, and getting their many varied perspectives on life.
This is a very thorough post. I had no idea challenges like this existed. I have set a goal for myself that included reading 6 more books this year than last. I am working on a blog post for this right now. I will come back and link up when I am done. I am going to sign up for the Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge. Thanks for this helpful and insightful post.
Welcome to the Mt. TBR Challenge and to our Challenge Addicts group! So glad you’ll be climbing with us–good luck reaching the peak!
Thank you Bev – I am delighted to join you this year and only hope I make it to the top and don’t slide down the mountain and land on my backside – lol!
I love reading! Right now I tend to read books with the kids. However, I made a promise to myself that I will read a book a month. So that is my challenge. We all need to take time to read. I have several books I’ve bought and haven’t read yet so I think I might sign up for one of these challenges. Good luck on your challenges.
Wow – that’s a lot of reading challenges. I’m not a book reader. I just read to my son and my magazine. YOu also have lots of comments so this must be a very popular subject in the blog world….great going.
I have read about reading challenges. All those different challenges sound interesting (and, for me, intimidating). I have read more books last year than I have read in a long time. I do want to push myself and keep reading more. My goal is to read one book per month. I hope to read more than that, but I want to be realistic as, in previous years, I hadn’t read much (for myself).
I have been reading through the Bible every year but haven’t joined a reading challenge group for that.
This is a great resource. I’ve never seen so many different reading challenges compiled like this.
Thank you for including Reading Scotland Challenge 2013 !
My first EVER as a Challenge host 🙂
and it is b/c I’ve participated in so many other challenges but Scotland never covered, soooo I made my own. And considering the number of great authors from Scotland, it’s about time :)) ! + stories located in the Lowlands and Highlands and castles and lairds, its definitely an adventure in reading that may get some travel planning results!
Having lived there I can’t recommend it highly enough!
So – Welcome to Scotland for all my reading friends and friends to be…
wow… I didn’t know there were that many reading challenges out there! I wish you all the best in signing up for all those challenges! I think that if I did any of them, it would be one of the ones where I’d read to deepen my faith, or books that I already have in my home…. There are a few that I definitely have wanted to read but just never ever found the time to sit down and open the books to read, or I’d start but never manage to finish the book. 🙁
Think I can find time to sit and read besides sew, and homeschool, and all the other things I do? LOL I hope so!
Sure you can Lenora – even if it’s just 15 minutes a day it will add up – I promise! 🙂
I am really excited about tackling some of the books in my TBR pile. I have been going around my house gathering some of the books for some of the specific challenges. I’ve already started reading my first one!
I love reviewing but it’s nice to read something just for me! 🙂
Wow that’s a lot of challenges! I should do a TBR one – I have so many boks I haven’t gotten too….but I know I just don’t have the time right now.
You could always leave one in the bathroom and catch up there! 🙂
Sounds like a really fun challenge if I had time. As a Work at home mom of 4 and homeschooling, time is so limited. Thank you for sharing the challenge.
Dawn
Dawns Delights Art
I came from Cym Lowell‘s Book Review Party Wednesday (BRPW).
Daunting…
Cherry Mischievous
http://www.cherrymischievous.com
What a great inspiration you are! I have always been a book lover, but since becoming a mom, I haven’t had much time to sit down and read. Last year, however, I decided to start getting up a bit earlier than my kids to take time to read. I managed to get through 31 books! I started with books that I already owned, but hadn’t read, then I moved on to library books and free books that I received as part of a blogging for books program. It’s been great reading again 🙂
Awesome Erin – I think YOU are an inspiration!
Reading can be done in a few stolen moments here and there if we really set our minds to it!
Thank you for sharing your accomplishments with us – I think that is fabulous!
I love reading challenges! I could never do 25 since I probably could only read a total of 50 books (in a good year!) I did end up joining 8 though (9 if you count the Reading Challenge Addicts Challenge). I chose ones that overlap a bit and I like that they help diversify and guide my reading and help me tackle all the books I’ve been meaning to read forever.
I added my list of all the challenges I joined as well as a direct link to the one I’m hosting, the Banned Books 2013 challenge (I’m really excited about that one!). Good luck with all your challenges!
P.S. I found you through Cym Lowell’s Book Review Wednesdays!
Christine,
I am SO glad that you are joining me on this journey of Reading Challenges! 9 is a FABULOUS number (I DO count the Reading Challenge Addicts Challenge!) I’m also glad you joined the Banned Books one – I wanted to include that on my list but as you can imagine, I was quite weary by the time I got done compiling THIS list!
SO glad you linked up look forward to visiting you directly!
Also glad to hear that you found me through Cym’s. He is an AWESOME blogger – if anyone reading these comments has not met him, I encourage you to visit him at http://cymlowell.blogspot.com and tell him that Create With Joy sent you! 🙂
So many great reading challenges – thanks for sharing them. I read pretty consistently throughout the year, and am always looking for something new to check out!
What a great idea. I do love to read! I just might have to sign up.
Do join us Tanya! The more the merrier! 🙂
Wow, that’s a lot of challenges! I’ll have to look closer at what’s going on and try to join in! My main goal this year is the same as last year, to read a book a week, which I didn’t achieve last year and so my hope this year is to at least outdo last year’s total. I’m on Goodreads and joining in some fun challenges there, but will mark this as well! Great post, new follower! <3