Every year I spend a long time (far too long) looking through all the reading challenges. I love pouring through all of them on GirlXOXO’s Master List of Challenges. My challenges never go perfectly and, usually, I only finish my Goodreads challenge but I enjoy participating. Recently, I came across this discussion post on Way Too Fantasy which got me thinking, maybe 2021 I just….read?
After all, my biggest goal every year is just to read the books I already own. I have over 100 books sitting on a shelf waiting to be read. I am not talking about my virtual Goodreads TBR – these are actual books looking at me right now. Some I have bought, the entire YA shelf is from when I subscribed to Owlcrate, and the majority of the middle grade shelf are pre-owned but loved. That’s my entire Goodreads challenge right there!
According to We Are Bookish, the first thing you are supposed to do is match your challenges to the books you own / your TBR. This may seem like an obvious step but it’s one I have managed to skip nearly every year. What’s wrong with me?!
Now I just need to sit down and decide if there are any reading challenges that will help me with my ultimate goal: whittling down these shelves. Or, whether it would be better in 2021 to just read already.
Tell me, please! How are you feeling about reading challenges for 2021?
Silver Button Books 
This past year I tried to match my challenges to my TBR and somehow still failed most of them haha. I think it was just my mood! Good luck with your TBR–I know what it’s like having a large number of unread books. Thanks for the shout-out and I hope you have a wonderful year of reading in 2021!
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I was so inspired by your post! I am such a mood reader and I am not sorry about it anymore.
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I think that’s a great attitude to have, no regrets haha. 🙂
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I haven’t done a reading challenge in a while, and I think I am going to attempt one again in 2021. I saw an Agatha Christie challenge online and thought I would give it a go. 🙂
Maybe pick a challenge or two but give yourself permission to not complete them or to just read what you want, if that is what you end up needing.
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That is such good advice. Being gentle with ourselves is so important!
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I love reading challenges but only ones that I know I can complete easily. I don’t see the point in getting frustrated when reading is supposed to be for pleasure.
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This! This is 100% my mindset! Oh, you have sparked a fire now. Thank you!
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😀
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I’m also mostly just focusing on reading my shelves this year. So far, the challenges I’ve found most helpful for this are those with a random collection of prompts, like ‘read a book with a heart on the cover’ or ‘read a book that’s mostly orange’. I can usually find some books on my shelves that meet the prompt and they keep me from feeling completely overwhelmed by the number of options I have on my shelves 🙂
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Those are the BEST prompts arn’t they? I love challenges that help you continue to move forward. I have been pulling the thinnest books off my shelf first because it makes me feel like I’m making progress. Hah! Happy reading!
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