Inspy Romance

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Creating Your Own Reading Challenge

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Do you like reading challenges? I was thinking about books to read, other than my own, and I thought that it might be fun to categorize them into various little interesting groups. Have you done that, and if you have, what were the results? Was it entertaining or was it a disaster?

Just assuming it would be fun, I thought of several types of books, not in the same categories we see on Amazon or other bookstores, but in ways that are outside the box. How about some of these ideas?

Colors: Read a book that shows your favorite color prominently on the cover. Or read a book with bright covers. Or dark covers.

Wouldn’t that be something? Of course, you can choose your own genres, but what if you read three books with certain colors on the covers? I wonder what that will do to your reading time? In my Savannah Sweethearts series, pink is on every cover in the entire collection.

Locations: Read a book set in Europe or Antartica or somewhere you have never been to before. Or how about a novel set in the place of your birth?

If you’d like to read a book set in the Bahamas, my summertime Smile for Me (Vacation Sweethearts Book 1) novel talks about the ocean, trees, and flowers that are found in the Bahamas and Caribbean islands. Or if you’re interested in Alaska, I put a broken family on a cruise ship in Wait for Me (Vacation Sweethearts Book 3).

Things: Read a book featuring bicycles. Or maybe jewel boxes or musical instruments. Or helicopters. Or cowboy hats. Or umbrellas in the rain.

Some of these items might be more prominent in other genres, but they can also be in romance novels. In His Wake-Up Call (Seaside Chapel Book 2), my Emmeline rides a bicycle to work after her van breaks down and she has no money to buy a new vehicle. Yes, there is one scene in which Emmeline walks in the rain under and umbrella. In the same novel, I mentioned a particular necklace several times. In His Longing Heart (Seaside Chapel Book 1), Brinley is looking for an old Stradivarius violin that was stolen from her family. In some of my romantic suspense novels, helicopters play a role.

Pets: Read a book with a dog or cat in it. Or a tortoise!

For the longest time since we lost my black lab, Henry, I could not read a book with a dog in it nor could I watch sad movies with dogs in them nor could I write a novel with a dog in it. The Lord heals, and after a while, I was able to write Tell You Soon (Savannah Sweethearts Book 2) in which a golden retriever makes a cameo appearance. In Cherish You So, Nadine volunteers to feed her friend’s cat. I don’t think I have a tortoise in my published books at this writing, but one never knows what the future holds.

Characters: Read a book that has a centenarian great-grandfather in it. Or multiple generations in a family saga. Or a character with an unusual profession.

This challenge would begin by looking for books that have those characters in the first place. They might not be so easily found. In Kiss You Now (Savannah Sweethearts Book 7), I somehow ended up writing about a 104-year-old preacher who lives a life so faithful to the Lord that he sets a godly example to his huge family. In the same novel, Priyanka Patel has an unusual job. She is a people walker. Have you heard of such a profession?

The list is endless if you let your imagination fly.

To save you a bit of time, I created a blank Reading Challenge that you can fill in with five items each to check off. I put random headers in the first three categories, but you can cross them out and replace them with your own. The bottom three are blank for your own headers. You can download the Reading Challenge by clicking on the PDF link below and then saving the file to your computer.

Print this PDF file as many times as you want: IR-JT-ReadingChallenge-2022

For example, under LOCATIONS, I could list the places I want to read about in my to-be-read books, for example:

  • Edinburgh
  • Country south of the equator
  • Cold, snowy place
  • Campground by a river
  • Road trip

Under INTERESTING THINGS, I could list items such as these, and look for books that contain them:

  • Container gardening
  • Necklace
  • Lost violin
  • Vintage clothes
  • A book that is at least 500 pages long

I try to keep my own reading challenges manageable so that I can achieve them in my busy schedule. For example, my own current challenge is to read at least three non-fiction books this year, with one of them at least 1000 pages long. I don’t know if I will accomplish this, but I’m working on it, Lord willing.

How about you? How many reading challenges have you done over the years? Do you usually complete them with flying colors, or do you abandon them halfway?

If you’re looking for free ebooks to kick off your reading challenge, here are two potential candidates from my own book library, if you haven’t already read these Contemporary Christian Romance set on the Georgia coast:

Happy reading, everyone, and I hope you’ll have fun creating your own reading challenge!

In Christ,
Jan Thompson

Jan Thompson (72 Posts)

USA Today bestselling novelist Jan Thompson writes clean and wholesome multiethnic contemporary Christian romance with elements of women’s fiction, Christian romantic suspense with an air of mystery, and inspirational international thrillers with threads of sweet Christian romance. Join Jan's mailing list for her latest book news: JanThompson.com/newsletter


Comments

  1. I have a site that I write my yearly reading challenge. I post every book I read with how I found the book. I’m hoping to past it this year.

  5. The closest I have come is when goodreads asks how many books to read this year. Though some of your challenge items I could cross off. Now I am reading on apple books, it’s more like an archaelogical dig as I become distracted and start reading a different book, luckily when I finish them the ones I started reading earlier reappear from beneath the completed layers. Interesting idea, I think it’s a bit too structured for my impulsive choices. :)

  6. I have tried to do a different reading challenge but I think I’ve only completed it one time. It was different and fun. I do the Goodreads challenge every year and I surpass my goal there every year. It’s easier to do and I don’t have to find the challenge paper which I often misplace.

  7. Hi Jan! Every January I am intrigued by different reading challenges. Some associated with Facebook Book Clubs and others found on line. This year I came across two on The Book Girls website: Read Around the World and Decades Reading (1910 – 2020s). After teaching American Literature for years, this retiree is doesn’t want to be locked in a reading challenge. Never know what genre or book series will grab my interest. For the last 8 years I have set a reading goal on Goodreads, where I keep track of my weekly reading. This avid reader enjoys finding stories with a unique premise. A color challenge would be fun. I did read several historical novels by Marion Kummerow set in my place of birth Berlin. Plus I enjoyed Valerie Comer’s Urban Farm Fresh series with Pansy the runaway goat. Thanks for sharing. Enjoy your weekend.

  8. This is the second year that I have done a reading challenge. I read a lot of books so it is fun to try to find books that fit into the categories. I also read many books that are just for fun, separate from the challenge.

  10. I don’t do reading challenges. I just don’t have the time! Most of the books I read now are for my proofreading business or are ARC’s, which just means I have lots of great books to read!! My TBR stack keeps growing, and I don’t mind that at all! Eventually, I’ll get to a lot of them! I’ve actually been able to read more books from my TBR stack this year, and I’m not sure how it’s happened, as I’ve had lots of books to proof/edit and a lot of ARC’s. Maybe I’m just reading more overall! I’m on book # 36 for this year. There are some of the books I proof/edit that I read twice, though I only count them once, so I guess technically it’s more than 36 for the year so far!

  11. I’ve never done a reading challenge before, but for March I’ve signed up to read RomComs for the month. Interesting to see how that goes. I’ve thought about organizing my Kindle books, but haven’t got around to that yet. Thank you for the downloads as these seem helpful for my challenge.

  14. I do not do any reading challenges, I read what sounds and looks good to me. Your idea sounds really good though. Thank you for sharing it. Have a great weekend and stay safe.

  16. I use to try to read a book set in each state of America.
    But I like yours. (colour would be red or blue) have read done a red and a couple blue.
    I can handle a pet one (must be cat).
    I like location too. I have read one of my favourite places this year (Hawaii) I also love books in Alaska. I have been to Hawaii not Alaska. have read one in England so far (Australia is my home so that doesn’t count)
    But I think things like a book set on a type of transport (did that with one of Milla Holt’s novellas)
    But will look for some other ideas. I think having a food theme or a book with a recipe in it.
    You have my brain working and considering how tired I am that is an achievement.

  17. I have never done a reading challenge as I like to just read what grabs me, but you have some interesting ways to find a book listed. I never would have thought to try to find a book by color or mode of transport.

  18. I did a reading challenge last year where each month we read a book set in a specific time period. I missed a few months during the year, but overall it was fun branching out a little bit.

  29. I sign up for reading challenges then forget about them. My interest in reading is not fully back yet.

  31. No, I’ve never done a reading challenge and don’t think I’d stick to it. I’m such a mood reader so I’m not sure something like this would work for me.

    My books are all over the place as far as genre, sometimes I binge read historical, then a few contemporary, then maybe novellas….it just depends on what I find interesting at the time. :-)

  36. What a great idea to read a book set in each of the 50 US state. There are also territories such as Guam and Puerto Rico.

    I think Australia counts too. There are more and more novels set in Australia these days.

    Love your challenge ideas. Yes to cats!

  38. Yes, I read books in more genres than I write in. The reading challenge is meant to be fun and flexible — why I put blanks in the boxes. Either way, I do love to read. Happy reading, whether you use a reading checklist or not.

  41. I’ve done a few reading challenges with friends that I really liked however this year and last year I haven’t had as much time for reading so I haven’t done any recently.

  42. Wow, thank you for all the fun ideas! I don’ think I’ve ever followed one, but we’ll see if this one is the year. Love the locations and colors. :)

  45. One of the easiest reading challenges is to decide how many books a year you want to read and then try to see if you can read that many/few books.

  46. I hear you. I’ve had rapidly depleting time also, and find myself limited in what I have time to read. This year I hope to read a 1000-page non-fiction book. It might take me all year!

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