I love the new year and the focus I begin to see in reader circles on planning books for the year.
There are so many fun things readers do — from Goodreads challenges (which is generally just a number of books you hope to read) to monthly (or other) theme challenges.
Of course, challenges aren’t everyone’s jam.
I’ll admit, I really only set a “goal” on Goodreads. And even then, I use the quotation marks because I choose a number that’s generally around what I’m going to do without much effort. In 2022, I set the goal for 200 books, because I had read a little over that in 2021. I ended up at 191, and meh, that’s close enough.
I consider it a win, even if it technically isn’t.
I definitely never want reading to become something stressful. That defeats (to me at least!) the whole purpose.
This year, I’ve been seeing something new (to me) that I think is super creative. Reading Bingo.
The idea is that you have a reading Bingo card (new each month) and if you get Bingo, then you treat yourself to a book that you’ve been putting off buying/reading for whatever reason.
I enjoyed the idea so much, I thought it would be fun to make a January Bingo card for InspyRomance. Obviously, the prize is up to you so it’s the definition of no pressure, but I also thought it would be a neat way to broaden the old TBR for the month in a low pressure way (as opposed to some of the themes I see on the theme-based challenges that seem really hard to meet.)
So here we have it, your very own (my very own? But you’re invited! For real! Join me!) InspyRomance Bingo card. I plan to try to get Bingo using only InspyRomance authors — but I’m not sure if it’ll end up being super possible. (We don’t have any January releases, for example, right now on the Books page.)
Best part of this is that there are a lot of ways to win. And the prize is a book. And honestly? I think there should be a book as a prize for losing, too. I’m adding that in, now that I think of it.
In many ways, this will be a bit of a bigger challenge for me than for many others. As a reader, I tend to be a whim reader. I like to peruse and find a book that catches my interest and read it right then. I don’t actually tend to have a big stack of books waiting for me to get to them. If I buy (or borrow) a book, I want to read it RIGHT. NOW.
And usually I do.
When it’s done? I go looking for another book that catches my fancy. Sometimes (often?) that ends up being something I want to re-read. I love to re-read.
Anyway, let’s chat! Tell me about your TBR — what’s on it? Or if you don’t have one (like me), tell me about how you choose your next book.
Elizabeth Maddrey is a semi-reformed computer geek and homeschooling mother of two who lives in the suburbs of Washington D.C. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books. She loves to write about Christians who struggle through their lives, dealing with sin and receiving God’s grace on their way to their own romantic happily ever after.
I also love rereading books! 🥰
I tend to store books that I want to read and they sit there waiting for a while lol it’s a way to make sure I don’t miss or forget any books.
Hi Elizabeth! I also look forward to the new year and enjoy looking for unique reading challenges. One site that is intriguing is the Book Girls’ Guide with reading around the world, reading around the US states, reading through decades from the 1880s-2010s, and exploring characters of different ages challenges. For over a decade I taught high school American literature, so I was interested in seeing what books were included in the reading through the decades challenge. With all the gloomy weather in SW Michigan, in January I often can’t read a Happily Ever After book; so I read cozy mysteries, plus some historical fiction. Also since I am doing WW2 research about my mother fleeing East Prussia and living in Berlin post WW2, I am reading non-fiction.
While I usually do not reread books – too many new authors and books to explore; I enjoy your Bingo Challenge. Always a fun way to REVIEW the 800 books in my Kindle account and revisit books. Thanks Elizabeth and Happy New Year. Happy Reading to ALL!
I love finding a fellow rereader! I get the side eye from some people because of that :)
It’s definitely good to make sure you don’t forget about a book while you’re finishing another.
Ooh. I love those challenges you mentioned. I’ll have to check them out.
Have you read We Were the Lucky Ones? It’s a fictionalized (but still true – just dialogue and thought added where records weren’t available) account of a Jewish family who fled Poland in WW2. Such an amazing story.
Can we get Inspy writers to tell us which boxes their books fill?
I can easily do box I2 with any Maddrey book, and use the free space in the middle
I meant to suggest that in my post! Thanks for asking this bc it’s a great idea :)
Love your Bingo card!! I have a shelf of paperbacks/hardcovers I haven’t read. I’m starting the year with those. Then I’m going to remind myself what I’ve downloaded to my Kindle I haven’t read. I also enjoy taking a bagful of read books to the used bookstore to trade in on others. It’s never ending really! 🤣
welcome today. yes I have seen these bingo cards popping up. but I read what strikes my fancy at the time. sometimes I can go a month without reading just because I have other things to do. I sew/quilt and make my own greeting cards and make cards for our church caring ministry. I thought that being retired things would slow down. HA HA well that didnt happen with me, if anything things sped up because I was now able to do more with more free time and no work constraints. oh well, I enjoy the volunteering I do at church.
Oh fun! I’m told we have a used book store not far from here but I need to find it.
Or maybe not lol.
I have a HUGE TBR stack!! My Amazon account says I have over 8000 books in it!! I did read 231 last year (not counting the ones I read twice), and started the 232nd one on Dec 31, which was finished on January 2 or 3. I do NOT do reading challenges! I’ve already proofed/edited four books this year, and have read one ARC. I don’t want to make reading stressful, so I won’t even try your “easy” bingo, as I’ll be reading whatever my author’s send me! I usually also read a book “for fun” while reading an ARC and one I’m proofing, but it’s that I want to get that TBR stack a bit more manageable!! I have a physical TBR stack that has 50 books in it! And, yes, I do keep adding to both stacks!!
Ooh you have a lot of fun hobbies!
I am a fan of not making reading stressful! I don’t do most challenges for that same reason.
Hi! The Bingo idea is a fun one, but I tend to pick out my best read by other means – is there an ARC I need to write a review for? Does my favorite author have a new book out? If so, is it part of a series I haven’t read for awhile so I need to re-read the last one? Is there some book I just picked up on sale that I’m ready to try?
I recently re-read a lot of Carol Moncado books because the others I had that were new I wasn’t in a mood for :-) And if I’ve just finished an intense book, I’ll often go find a favorite oldie that I know isn’t intense, just to “cleanse my palate” :-)
I like the bingo idea. It sounds like fun. I used to go on a whim as to what book to read next. But my TBR list has increased to much this past year that it is a little overwhelming to decide what to read next. And I am on so many authors’ newsletters that after I go through them all I don’t have much time to read (and I’m retired so I have plenty of time). I think I let it get a little out of hand. But there are so many GOOD Christian authors and I want to read all of their books. So maybe the bingo card will give me direction. Thank you.
Carol’s books are so fun.
And I need those palate cleanser books too!
I hope it helps! Or if not help, at least make it a little fun :)
looks fun
My TBR is too many to count. I purchase books with a desire to read them right away. The issue comes up that I need to read a book for a book club or life gets in the way. I am working on trying to do better this year about reading some of the books that have been collecting dust. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.
Oh dear I lost my comment. I am late. I figure I could do bingo by about December the way I read.
I don’t mine a challenge like try to read a book from each state but that doesn’t get done now as I don’t read like I use to. I think my number was 36 fiction last year.
Theme challenges don’t appeal to me as they often include genres I don’t read or tropes I don’t like. I also don’t like being tied to have to read something cos it then stops me reading at times. Your bingo looks acheivable (but not in one month for me) The line with finish in one sitting will never get done. even a novella can take me a few days.
I should finish my TBR pile by the time I read 864