Last year, NoveList introduced its first-ever Reading Challenge as encouragement for readers to read outside of their comfort zones in 2021. Our mid-year check-in highlighted some of the ways libraries can enhance and promote their reading challenges.
As we creep up towards the end of the year, you might be feeling guilty about not quite following through on all those New Year’s resolutions you optimistically made eleven months ago or maybe you raced through all twenty-four tasks and want to circle back for some extra credit! Either way, don’t worry, we have created a mini-challenge with four categories from the original challenge that are the perfect way to wrap up your reading year with perhaps some unexpected titles.
- Read a book recommended for fans of a TV show you like. Who didn’t binge-watch a TV show in 2021? Whether it was Bridgerton, Ted Lasso, Squid Game, Midnight Mass, or Only Murders in the Building, we have a For Fans of Recommended Reads list full of titles that will evoke similar reactions and feelings to when you watched those shows.
- Read a book described as feel-good, heartwarming, or hopeful. No one can deny that 2021 (and 2020 before it!) has been a tougher year than usual for most. Help lift your spirits with a book that will leave you feeling good about the world when you close its pages.
- Read a short story collection written by a woman. I never feel like I have the time or attention span in November and December to read a lengthy, complex novel. Enter the short story! Dipping in and out of a short story collection is a favorite way to enjoy my reading habit without needing to devote a lot of time and energy to it.
- Listen to an audiobook featuring multiple narrators. Traveling to see family or cooking an elaborate Thanksgiving dinner? Download and listen to an audiobook while you tackle other tasks, and you’ll get to add one more title to your “read” tally at the end of 2021.
Stay tuned for our upcoming 2022 NoveList Reading Challenge…
Halle Eisenman is a Content Development Manager at NoveList. She is currently reading Bullet Train by Kōtarō Isaka and listening to The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz.
