2019 was my year for slowly re-learning how to read. Mainly through audiobooks.

2020 is going to be my year to try a bunch of reading challenges and really push myself to get back to reading the way I used to.

I looked at a lot of reading challenges online, and talked to my two best friends about doing them as well. I was most intrigued by FaeBae Book Club’s “Save the Citadel” Reading Challenge, but I knew that it was going to be too daunting a challenge for me, and for my friends (who were considering joining me). So I decided to use FaeBae’s challenge as a template to create my own reading challenge with a similar D&D inspired concept, but on a smaller, more manageable scale. Some people might accuse me of stealing or copying their challenge, but I don’t really see it that way for a couple reasons: 1) reading challenges are ubiquitous at this point, even if the D&D theme is relatively unique, and 2) I am not trying to copy their approach in that I am not growing a massive following or customer base from this challenge, and I am not making the challenge public to join – it is only something I put together for me and three of my friends (and, more informally, for my mom).

For the curious, I will post the details of my modified challenge below. And I am linking to the FaeBae Book Club Facebook group page for anyone interested in seeing the much more substantial original reading challenge: here. (Please note that to see FaeBae’s posts and participate in the challenge, you must first apply to the join the Facebook group.)

In addition, to the reading challenge I made for myself and my friends, I am also participating in the 2020 “Finishing the Series” Reading Challenge posted here at Celebrity Readers. This is a more informal challenge, with no strict guidelines and no prize. But I thought it would be a nice way to push myself to finish a bunch of series’ I have started over the years and never finished. 

These include: the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer (read 4 out of 8), The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R. Donaldson (read the original 6, but now there are 4 new ones), the Redwall series by Brian Jacques (read 15 out of 22), the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher (read 4 out of 15), the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris (read 6 out of 13), and the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare (read 4 out 6).

On top of THAT, just in case it wasn’t challenging enough, I am CONSIDERING joining a brand new bi-monthly book club set up by my alma mater (undergrad) Rockhurst University, for their alumni. I am really not sure about this one yet, but we’ll see…

Ok, so here’s the challenge I put together for myself and my friends (alas, I do not have a cool graphic for it…). You are, obviously, free to copy/follow along, but it is not officially open for others to join. Sorry.

2020 Storm the Castle Reading Challenge:

Choose from 3 different classes and read the designated number of books per challenge/category:

             Druid: 1 book per challenge

             Rogue: 2 books per challenge

             Wizard: 3 books per challenge

There will be seven challenges. We have a year, from Jan 1^st 2020 to Dec 31^st 2020 to complete all seven challenges. So, if you are a druid you will read 7 books total, if you are a rogue you will read 14 books total, and if you are a wizard you will read 21 books total. You should announce your class by Dec 31^st 2019. Books cannot be used to fill more than one challenge. Books must be more substantial than, say, a picture book or single-issue comic, but otherwise are open to interpretation. (I’m thinking we can keep a spread-sheet with a list of everyone’s books as we read them. That way we can keep count and just see what awesome things everyone is reading.) Whoever finishes the seven challenges first, wins. The winner will receive a prize of a Barnes & Noble or Amazon gift card, toward which each participant will contribute $5.

 The Challenges:
1) “It’s dangerous to go alone, take this!” – a book that was gifted or recommended to you
2) Receive advice from an ancient hermit in the woods – a book that’s been in your TBR pile the longest (or at least a really long time – 10 years or more?)
3) Consult the tomes of wisdom and knowledge at the Great Library – a nonfiction book on science, history, etc.
4) Battle ghosts in a haunted castle – a book you intended to read in 2019 but didn’t get around to
5) Witness the birth of a baby unicorn – a book newly released in 2020
6) Recover a long-lost mythical treasure – a book you started but never finished
7) Storm the villain’s castle – a book in the epic fantasy genre