How are those reading goals for 2022 coming along?
I admit, I haven’t had time to get much reading in yet. But now that I’m settling back into a routine after the holidays, I look forward to diving back into my stack of books.
One way I add more fun to my reading goals is with monthly challenges. At the beginning of the year, I pick a theme – either a different one for each month or an ongoing one for the whole year. Then, each month, I read at least one book that fits that theme.
These types of monthly challenges provide several benefits. They help me read a wider range of books. By including specific themes, I force myself to branch into genres and authors I don’t normally gravitate towards. Also, using these monthly picks helps me check off a few books from my To Be Read list. I can tailor my themes around books I already have.
My 2022 Monthly Reading Challenge
While there are plenty of pre-made challenge lists out there, I decided to create my own themes for this year. I included different genres and authors, as well as seasonal themes. I already have books in mind for some of these. I look forward to seeing what titles jump out as I approach each month’s challenge.
Here’s my 2022 Reading challenge list:
- January – a Success book (something on leadership, self-development, inspirational, etc…)
- February – Fantasy or Fairy Tale retelling
- March – St. Patrick’s Day (something by an Irish author or set in Ireland)
- April – Classic
- May – Autobiography or memoir
- June – Summer read (something light and fun)
- July – New Release
- August – Historical Fiction
- September – Back To School (Young Adult)
- October – Scare Your Pants Off (something with scary creatures or psychological suspense)
- November – Something written by a Native American author or biography
- December – Winter Wonderland (something set primarily in the winter)
How To Create Your Own Monthly Challenge
The first part of incorporating reading challenges is choosing which themes you want to use. A quick search for monthly reading challenges online (Pinterest has a lot) will bring up lists from bookstores, libraries, authors, and fellow readers. Or, you can create your own based on your specific goals and interests.
You want to consider a number of factors as you decided on your themes. Do you want to try new genres and/or authors? Do you primarily read fiction or non-fiction? How many books do you normally read in a month? Are there genres you absolutely won’t read? Do you want to learn more about the subject or will it be just for fun?
If you want to create your own list, here are 10 suggestions you can add to your own monthly reading challenges.
- Color Your World – For each month, pick a different color. Then, chose a book that somehow features that color. This could be a repeated color within the book, symbolism (green dress representing a jealous character), or even the predominant color of the cover art.
- Classic Craving – Pick one classic book each month. Either revisit some of those old high school reading assignments or chose one from a Top 100 Classic Books list.
- Trip Around the World – Each month, pick one book set in an exotic location or written by an author from a different country.
- Take a Leap – Pick one book that challenges your current systems or understanding. For non-fiction, find books about your line or work or general business and leadership that expands on what you already know. Or, for fiction, read books that push the boundaries of your own experiences to learn from others.
- History Has Its Eyes On You – Pick one book a month that focuses on historical events, characters, or eras. Choose from historical fiction or biographies and commentaries.
- Superheroes – Heroes come in many forms, from classic superheroes in comics and graphic novels to novels with underdogs overcoming the odds. Or read about real-life heroes making a difference in the world through acts of courage, kindness, and faith.
- Crime Spree – Choose a mystery or thriller each month to play detective and try to solve the case. Or read non-fiction books outlining the lives of notorious criminals and unsolved mysteries.
- Choose Your Own Adventure – Pick 12 books from your To Be Read list and write each title on a small piece of paper, and put them in a container. Each month, pull out one title. This way, you make a dent on your TBR list without having to think through what book to read next.
- Use Your Senses – Pick a book related to one of the five senses, either themes within the book, titles, or character traits. Examples include Sound and the Fury (title), All the Light We Cannot See (themes/title), or a biography of Helen Keller (subject).
- Planes, Trains, and Automobiles – Choose books that incorporate some form of transportation as a significant theme. Think of The Woman in Cabin 10 set on a cruise ship or a biography of the Wright Brothers’ attempt to create the first viable aircraft.
BONUS: Time Traveler – Chose books related to time. These could be a sci-fi novel about time traveling, something that utilizes the passage of time as a theme, or even has a time in the title like 1984 by George Orwell.
Are You Ready To Set Your Challenge?
However you decide to set up your reading challenge, adding a specific focus each month can be a great way to spice up your reading life. They provide a running theme throughout the year. These challenges also help with narrowing down choices from your To Be Read list. But the best part of including a monthly reading challenge is that they expand your ideas, provide new forms of entertainment, and offer insights into different worlds.
If you haven’t already set a monthly challenge goal, I hope these suggestions will get you thinking about it. Even if you want to start with only doing four or five months to see how it goes, you can always add more challenges as the year goes on.
**Do you use monthly reading challenges? If so, what are your themes? If not, which theme could you choose for January to start your list?**
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