Last year, I did not read much. I listened, a lot – on the train, in the car, whilst I was walking to work. I listened to audiobooks, podcasts and the Calm App, when I really wanted to relax. But I didn’t read much. And I missed it.
I missed the feel of the paper between my fingers, the weight of a book in my hands and the smell of the pages. I missed being able to immerse myself in a world in a different way to the way I do when listening to something. Part of the reason that I didn’t read was lack of motivation – I have (undiagnosed, but fairly obvious) Attention Deficit Disorder, and I found the idea of just sitting with a book, really difficult. Especially as last year was a very stressful one.
I knew that this year, I wanted that to change. So, along with my resolutions to challenge myself (hello, snake phobia day!) and eat a more plant-based diet, I decided to do a reading challenge, with the extra engagement of picking a prompt and book out of a mug, so that there was an element of excitement around the choosing of a book.
I chose the Popsugar 2020 reading challenge, which has a number of prompts, most of which are quite open-ended. These prompts can be assigned to books in my ‘to be read’ (TBR) pile, to audiobooks in my Audible library, but also to books I would not usually have picked up and read. I want to expand my reading habits and enjoy a range of books, just like I advise my students to!
So, this year, I am going to try and keep to the challenge. I also want to practice my writing skills more, hence this blog. If you would like to do something similar, I really recommend the Popsugar reading challenge – either this year’s or another year’s, if you prefer. Look at the challenges and then have a go. You might be surprised at what you read!
Jen's Book Blog 