My Challenges for 2013

One of the methods that I'm going to try and use to get myself to read more this year (70+ books won't come easily!) is that I'm going a couple of reading challenges. I'm trying not to do too many, otherwise they just become garbled and unreasonable and I lose track of what I read for what challenge. Three to start sounds reasonable, no?

Goodreads Challenge 2013

Probably the easiest one to join up and participate in, you just read! If it shows up on Goodreads you can stick it on your challenges shelf as soon as you're done and it will get counted. All you need is a Goodreads account to participate, and voila!

I'm going for 70 books this year, at least. I read 50 in 2012 and around 30 in 2011, so this seems like the next logical step. I'm counting all novels and trade paperbacks that I read.

DAC 2013: Debut Author Challenge

This one is a little more difficult, at least for me. The goal is to read at least 12 books published in 2013 by new authors. Not just new books, but the first books published by the new, fresh-faced authors of the publishing world!

I spent the latter half of 2012 being out-of-touch with what was being published, especially with newer authors, so I'm hoping that this challenge pulls me out of that funk. I want to be tuned in to what's new in the publishing world and this sounded like the easiest way to do it!

2013 YA/ MG Fantasy Challenge

A genre that I've neglected greatly, I really want to get back into fantasy books new and old. Their plots always sound so interesting to me, but for some reason they always slip away from me before I can really get into them. The goal for me is around ten books, but hopefully my love for the genre will reignite and I will read more than that :)

I'm also excited for the "middle grade" part of this challenge. I'm not a fan of romance, which I think is a little less prevalent in middle grade fiction than it is in young adult, and I don't think I've read a true "middle grade book." I really just jumped from a reading slump in middle school into young adult novels in high school, so it will be interesting to go back and see what I missed.



More challenges might be added, depending on how far I've gotten by the time summer rolls around, but you can keep up-to-date with my progress by checking out the "My Challenges" tab at the top of the blog. Wish me luck!