Summer Reading Challenge Midpoint
A reader is never late. Nor is he early! He reads PRECISELY when he means to!
When our county library turned things over for its summer itinerary, a major event it introduced was the 2024 Summer Reading Challenge. We heard about it from my son’s storytime visits, where the kids were encouraged to bring home various kinds of books and/or complete various activities.
Until recently, we thought it was only for kids and teens to further their literacy journey over the summer while school’s out of session. However, we then found out that there was an adult Summer Reading Challenge, too, and I signed up immediately!
Joining the reading challenge has come at an interesting time for my own reading journey, too. One of the major contemplations I’ve had is whether or not to join the Goodreads Reading Challenge next year, wherein, at the start of the year (or whenever you join), you set a reading goal for the year.
Normally, I find it a strong incentive to plow through a TBR and attempt to make a decent dent in it.
This year, I’m finding it a majorly discouraging aspect of my reading this year.
Because of so many factors, I have not been able to read as much as I may have in previous years. As such, I’ve fallen behind on my reading challenge for Goodreads, and Goodreads makes sure to tell you how much you’re behind.
It’s heartbreaking to watch that number go up and practically feel helpless to do anything about it. Sure, I could try and blitz through more books, but then am I even enjoying the process of reading? Am I getting anything out of these stories?
Our library’s reading challenge is similar in that it presents the challenge to read a certain number of books, which are mostly set by you, yet it also finds new ways of encouraging you to read.
When you join the challenge, you’re given a challenge log which lets you both record all the books you’re reading and activities you’ve participated in at the library. On the front are various suggestions for someone to choose from regarding what to read over the course of the challenge.
The fact that there is no number hanging over you, only a time limit, sort of takes the edge off. You set your pace, you set the goal, and you’re part of a challenge that the community is taking part in, too. There’s nobody reminding you that you’re X amount of books behind your goal because the goal is simply to read.
I’ve mentally tethered this challenge to going to the library. Of the three books I’ve read for the challenge so far, two were from the library, and it was exhilarating to check out a new book and receive my little completion slip. The fulfillment of finishing a book at my own pace, and truly feeling that level of enjoyment and immersion, was propelled by having to fill out the review slip for the challenge. It made me reflect on and think critically about the book I’d just read, not just set it aside and count it as another number.
The book became something to think about, not just another number.
I’ll have to write later about my trips to the library. They’ve been so eye-opening, and just such a fun journey to make every now and then. Moreover, going to the library has encouraged my physical reading push, which, as predicted, has improved my reading. I’ve missed holding a book in my hands, not simply staring at a screen and flicking my finger (again, there’s nothing wrong with it, but it’s not for me at this stage in my reading journey).
I can’t wait to see where this challenge takes me, and how it ends up. I’ve got a few books lined up I want to get to that I may be able to wrap into the challenge, and if I can’t get to them, then I know I have the momentum to read them, anyway!
If you haven’t, I highly recommend heading out to your local library and seeing what sort of fun summer events they have going on. In general, you should go to your library anyway. It’s better than any bookstore, that’s for sure.
Read The Quiet Ever After HERE on Inkitt!
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