Happy New Year, folks.  Let’s get things started with a challenge.  The rules are simple:  pick a number and read that many books in 2019.  Last year, I hit 67 out of 108.  This year, my goal is 109 books.

Any book counts.  Fiction, non fiction, romance, urban fantasy.  Length doesn’t matter.  If it’s research for work or school, it counts.  If you’re reading Goodnight Moon for the 10,000th time to your kids, or re-reading your favorite book for the billionth time, count it if you want.

Read whatever the fuck you want, just get out there and read.  Aside from the health benefits of reading, there’s also a part of the world’s population that sees being educated as a negative thing, and it’d be rather nice to flip them the bird by opening a book.

If you get stuck, or don’t know what to read, here’s some challenges to mix things up a bit:

• Read one non fiction book from an author with an opposing viewpoint.
• Read one book from a genre that you’ve said “Never will I ever read a book from this genre.”
• Read a book from high school that you hated at the time.  See if your opinions have changed now.  I’ll tell you right now, mine is the Great Gatsby.
• Read the book that the movie you just watched is based on.
• If you live in an area with a sidewalk library, pick a book from the first one you walk by, and read it.
• Go to your library, ask your librarian for a recommendation, the last book they read that they liked, and read it.
• Pick someone you admire, or someone you want to learn more about, and read their biography.
• Read a religious text from a faith that’s not your own.
• Bonus challenge: read a religious text from a faith that scares you.
• Go to a used bookstore, find the cheapest book on the shelf, buy it, and read it.

Don’t sweat meeting your goal, just try for it.  I’ve got Goodreads linked on this blog.  If you want to track your progress, they have a handy Challenge section on your Goodreads page.  It’s free to sign up.

And give yourself a reward for doing all that reading, regardless of whether or not you meet your personal goals.  It’ll give you something to look forward to for New Year’s Day in 2020 (holy shit, 2020!).  Booze, a dinner out, chocolate, whatever the hell you want.  For me, it’s going to be either rum or some really good honey for a batch of mead.  But whatever you do:

Go forth, and…