2020 Reading Challenge

It's here! It's here! It's finally here! Tress (find her blog here) and I have been brainstorming the 2020 challenge the last week or so and finally finalized it tonight. We've kept the same format as previous years, as well as the addition of free spaces. There's a handful of items that we've just felt are staples and have decided to include them every year.  I've split it up into tiers and  I'll give my thoughts on each tier and then do my overall thoughts. We tried to take into account suggestions as well.

If you'd like a PDF to use you can grab that here. As always, we don't really have any actual rules for this. The list is 60 prompts to try and read for the year. You can go level by level if you'd like or read at random. You certainly don't have to try and get all 60. Audiobooks are acceptable. I was completely blown away by the response to the 2019 challenge. It's my most viewed post by a landslide, and there were a ton of bloggers who joined us. Thank you so much for joining us, linking to the post, and giving your thoughts. Feel free to do the same this year. I absolutely love seeing what everyone picks for their categories.

1.) Read a book with a title that starts with a "W"
2.) A book you got for under $3
3.) A book with a blue cover
4.) Read a book by your favorite author
5.) A book with the word "Light" in the title
6.) A book that is set in the future
7.) A book from Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org/)
8.) Read a book of short stories or a novella
9.) Read a book you've had on your "to be read" shelf for more than a year
10.) Read a book that takes place in winter
11.) Reread a book you have recommended to a friend
12.) Free Space- Pick any book!

Level 1 thoughts:  We always try to make level 1 pretty easy. It's a good motivator for moving on to the rest of the challenge. For those of you who are audio reads, I think Gutenberg has audiobooks as well as e-books. I'm already formulating what to read in this one. The favorite author might be difficult for me because I don't know that I've formally declared one.

13.) A book under 400 pages

14.) Read a book by Julie Garwood

15.) Read a classic fairy tale

16.) Read a retelling of the classic fairy tale

17.) Read a suspense or horror book

18.) A book you got for free (gift, found or book exchange)

19.) Read a book with a building on the cover

20.) Read a historical fiction from the World War II-era

21.) Read a book that was turned into a movie or tv show

22.) A book by an author named James/Jim or a variant

23.) Read a book recommended on your local library's website

24.) Free Space- Pick any book!

Level 2 thoughts: I feel like level 2 is going to be one of my favorites. I'm really excited about the linking of #16 and #17. There are some formats that we always try to use, but change ever so slightly. We also try to move them around on tiers if possible. I feel like the movie/tv show one is always a good one because there's a lot of crossovers.

25.) A book with the word "book" in the title

26.) Read an urban fantasy novel

27.) A book published in 2000

28.) A book recommended to you by a friend

29.) Read an author's debut novel

30.) Read a book from the BBC's list of Top 100 Books You Must Read Before You Die (here)

31.) Read a book that is over 600 pages

32.) Read a book by Isaac Asimov

33.) Read a book with the word 'Star' in the title

34.) Read a book about a historical figure (fiction or non-fiction)

35.) Read a book about an assassin

36.) Free Space- Pick any book!

Level 3 thoughts: This is about where I'm realizing that I didn't proofread the list before turning it into a PDF. Sorry. I'd fix it but I'm lazy. Tress has a different PDF version on her blog that's been checked. #26 is totally a spot so that Tress and I don't have to burn a Free Space, I think. Let's be honest, #31 will probably be my yearly read a book in the Outlander series.

37.) Book 1 of a Trilogy

38.) Book 2 of a Trilogy

39.) Book 3 of a Trilogy

40.) Read a book fro NPR's favorite books of 2019 (here)

41.) Read a novel by an author using a pseudonym

42.) Read a graphic novel

43.) A book with a season in the title

44.) Read a book with exactly four words in the title

45.) Read a book about a writer (real or fictional)

46.) Read a book with a title that rhymes

47.) A book by an author named Elizabeth/Beth or a variant

48.) Free Space- Pick any book!

Level 4 thoughts: I'm pretty excited about this level as well. There's a lot of books on the list for #40 that I've been wanting to read all year. 41 should be interesting.

49.) Read a motivational/inspirational book

50.) Read a book with two or more authors

51.) Read a book by John Creasey

52.) Read a book published in 1980

53.) Read a "rags to riches" story

54.) Read a book with an occupation in the title

55.) Read a book about travel or that involves travel

56.) A book that takes place in outer space/another planet

57.) Read a book that starts with the letter J

58.) Read a book that takes place in the Middle East or is inspired by Middle Eastern Culture

59.) Read a book about a video game or virtual reality

60.) Free Space- Pick any book!

Level 5/final thoughts- I've got a handful of things in mind for level 5. I still haven't decided if I'm going to go at this randomly or by level. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the challenge and I think it has some good staples as well as a variety. I hope everyone enjoys it!