Perpetual Reading Challenges

Of the wide range of reading challenges out there, many are perpetual. This means that the reading challenge spans the reader's entire life, or until they finish whatever stipulations the challenge presents. Some of them are simple; you are supposed to read 1 book a week, for example. Perpetual challenges offer an advantage over those with a time limit - you can read at your own pace, without being discouraged by the prospect of failing to read before the year is over.

EW's New Classics Books Perpetual Challenge is one challenge that invites readers to read all 100 of the "new classics". This list includes books like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling and Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt.

The Notable Challenge asks you to read the books listed on the site, like When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson and Night of Sorrows by Frances Sherwood. This challenge offers a wide variety of books to read to meet your overall goal. Not only are there fiction books, but there are also non-fiction and children's books. No matter what your interest is, you can find something on the list that you want to read.

Even those who enjoy reading books electronically won't miss out on reading challenges. There is one specifically meant for those who read on electronic devices, like the Kindle - The Electronic Book Challenge allows those readers to provide links to the books they read, in order to share with others.

For those with an interest in religion, Operation Actually Read Bible allows you to read the Bible at your own pace. It may seem like a daunting task at first, but like any other challenge, baby steps will help you achieve your goal.

Some people really enjoy non-fiction, and there are challenges for them as well. For United States history buffs, why not read a little bit about the past presidents? The U.S. Presidents Reading Project invites everybody to read one book about each president. The rule is that the book mut be non-fiction.

100 Shots of Short will let you explore short stories you migh not have read otherwise. The goal is simply to read 100 short stories. It's up to you which stories you read. This is one of the challenges that can be achieved either very quickly or over a long course of time - it's all up to you!

Some blogs will challenge readers to read all the works done by one author. For mystery fans, the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge is available. This particular challenge asks that all the books be read in the order that they were published. This seems like a good idea, because you can see the progression of the author's writing. The Prey Challenge sets out to have readers enjoy the Prey Series by John Sandford, starting with Rules of Prey, then Shadow of Prey, and so on in order.

Not only are the challenges encouraging you to read - they're meant to be fun! You also have a built-in support group in case you are running behind or feel like giving up. New challenges pop up all the time, and are usually themed for the year, season, month, or even just one special day.