Styling Librarian: Reading Challenges

I love reading challenges because I actually follow through on them! Last year I enjoyed reading 611 books when I logged almost all the books I read with Goodreads. I thought I might get through 200 and officially changed the challenge number to 500 part way through the year. In the past I never logged picture books or early chapter books. Then in 2011, I realized I wanted to keep track of every single book I read and Goodreads was a terrific place to do so. I honestly miss my handwritten reading journals- I have four journal books filled up with book treasures and thoughts about them… but I really like the switch to just one online reading log source. I know many of my blog friends enjoy Shelfari and Librarything which are both fantastic, I just realized I needed to slow down, lighten my “to do’s” and have one consistent book logging location.  (To be honest, I didn’t log a few books I read because I thought they didn’t deserve even one star and I didn’t want to be mean…) Shall see what I find to enjoy with this new library book collection in addition to the lovely random books my son borrows for us to enjoy.

I enjoyed reading this post and thought I should enjoy more nonfiction picture books so I’ve committed to the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2013 Hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy:   http://www.kidlitfrenzy.com/2013/01/nonfiction-picture-book-challenge-2013.html#comment-form

Also, I expect that there will be an updated Reading the World Challenge from PaperTigers.org - this I will certainly commit to… I really appreciate how I’ve grown more open-minded and sometimes optimistic by reading children’s books written by people around the world.

Finally, one of my favorite inspiring people Donalyn Miller recently posted on Nerdy Book Club with a Book Gap Challenge - read the post for more information!!- and I sat and sat for quite a while thinking about what genres I am weaker in consistently reading books from– military fiction? No, I love historical fiction… Biographies? No, I adore plugging my way through biographies… Sports fiction and nonfiction? Oh yes, it honestly has been a few years since I purposefully grabbed books to enjoy. That genre I’ve only read because of two fantastic authors, Dan Gutman (the year he visited my school, I tried to enjoy every single book by him, he’s quite prolific!) and when Phil Bildner, fantastic, inspiring author visited Oregon a few years ago…  Sure, my former Newbery Book Club adult/kid reading group a few years ago realized we were going a little nuts reading baseball books, but they were GORGEOUS baseball related books… so I didn’t mind. Now with this focus I can “key in” on one of the weaker nonfiction areas of the library and also visit with some sports fiction authors from other places around the world… Please put in a comment with your favorite sports fiction book/author, I’d be grateful! 

So, what will your reading challenge be? Do you find that challenges are useful or intimidating? Do you follow through on them? What will your interest lead to? What will your #bookgap focus be this year?

Please visit me at Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1941055-the-styling-librarian Also, please follow this blog through email updates – (do so to the right of this blog post), my Facebook page, comment, or meet up with me on Twitter. I appreciate all of the support, makes my day! Honored by all the wonderful followers.