I’ve been focusing on the same few challenges for a few years now, and I decided to mix it up a bit this year, but with this caveat: I don’t want to add pressure to my reading life. That means I’m not going to focus on what or how much I read. Instead, I’m choosing challenges that will allow me to connect my reading to other bloggers and see their reviews of similar books. I’m also looking to combine challenges where I can. I’m avoiding challenges that require specific reading topics each month, since I already have a book club that does this, and that’s the kind of time pressure I’m looking to avoid.
Here’s what I’m signing up for:
First, I want to continue tracking my backlist reading. I’m happy to see the return of the TBR Pile challenge, where you create a list of 12 books, plus 2 alternates, that have been on your TBR list for more than a year. I have plenty on my TBR list so it’s a good opportunity to read some of these older works. A similar challenge is hosted by The Bookwyrm’s Hoard, so I’ll combine the two (the latter is more flexible if you’re looking for that). I’ll post my list of 14 books soon.
Second, I’ll continue with the Nonfiction Reader challenge, which asks for nonfiction books in 12 categories. I got a lot out of reading nonfiction in 2021 and mean to continue reading more nonfiction across a variety of topics. I may not hit all of these and that’s fine — though in fact, I’m reading one right now that’s perfect for the “Wild Animals” category. I’m not going to set out specific books for these categories yet but I’m open to suggestions!
- Social history
- Popular science
- Language
- Medical Memoir
- Climate/Weather
- Celebrity
- Reference
- Geography
- Linked to a podcast
- Wild animals
- Economics
- Published in 2022
Third, I’m going to join the Nature Reading Challenge, hosted by Gum Trees and Galaxies, on reading books with nature or environment themes. These can be fiction or nonfiction, and any number of books can be pledged (I’ll say 10). I’m very interested in learning more about environmental issues and I’m seeing more and more fiction that touches on these issues, not surprisingly.
Fourth, I’m going to sign up for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. I can read any number of books (I’ll pledge 15 books, the “Medieval Level”) in any historical subgenre, including romances and mysteries. This should be an easy one since I expect to read these anyway. This is hosted by The Intrepid Reader and Baker.
Last, I’m going to continue to read around the world and to add new countries to my existing list.
This sounds like a lot, but the idea is to keep them low-pressure and read what I want to read. My other blogging resolution is to become more active in the Modern Mrs. Darcy community (and maybe even apply to be on What Should I Read Next).
This year I’m going to use StoryGraph to track my challenges, in case you’d like to join in (I’m curlygeek04).
