At first glance, the idea of reading 50 books in the span of one year may seem like a daunting task. Especially in light of a recent Associated Press poll that showed one in four people didn't read a single book at all in 2006. But how does a non-reader or an infrequent reader become an avid one? By setting goals and making reading a priority. The 50 Book Challenge is the ideal way to set, track and monitor reading goals.
Origins of the 50 Book Challenge
The official 50 Book Challenge was started as an open community on the social networking website, Livejournal. It began in 2003 as a way for book lovers to interact with each other, discuss all things literary and serve as a place where people could set a personal annual reading quota for themselves.
Participants would all assume a fifty book quota for the year, and as they finished each book they would keep track of their progress. Some people choose to keep extremely detailed logs of what they were reading, including total page counts, while most simply kept track by listing the title of the book and the author(s). Participants were also welcome to give a brief review of the book to the rest of the community and rate it as they saw fit.
Benefits of the 50 Book Challenge
The immense popularity of the 50 Book Challenge spread quickly to other groups, both online and off. Those interested in joining a group need only do a quick internet search and find the one that's right for them. Essentially, there are no strict rules other than read and keep track of completed books. There are many benefits of participating in the 50 Book Challenge including:
- The ability to set reading-focused goals. Sure, everyone would like to read more, but by making reading a goal, people are more likely to do it consistently.
- Freedom in reading choices. There is no set of specific books that participants have to adhere to. Any kind of book is fair game. This allows for the ability to read across different genres and find something that fits every reader's individual preferences,
- Sharing reading selections. By publicly sharing their reading list, participants can share their opinions of what they have already read. This gives everyone else ideas about what books they might also enjoy and which ones to pass over.
- Meet other book lovers. Whether in person or in an online group, the 50 Book Challenge serves as an ideal way for bookworms to socialize and talk about all things literary.
Though average readers should be able to complete the challenge, infrequent readers may have some difficulty meeting the quota of fifty. Rest assured that there is no strict rule as to the number of books a reader must challenge themselves to. The important thing is to set a number that is realistic, yet allows for some degree of challenge at the same time.
Lisa Rufle - If I had to describe myself in one word, it would easily be: curious. So as a natural extension of my curiosity, reading is my life's ...
