2021 Reading Challenge

Want to bust out of your reading bubble? Join this fun reading challenge!

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Back in the day I did a few yearly reading challenges and really loved them. They forced me out of my reading bubble and made me try new authors, genres, and subject matters.

I decided to devise my own reading challenge for a few months of the year and would love it if you joined me!

There are 15 categories—challenge yourself to do all or just pick a few that you can accomplish. The point is to inspire you to read or try something new. I know reading takes time, so even if it’s only one book this year, I think it’s 100% worth doing!

Unfortunately I can not offer you a physical prize for completion. But I CAN send you a virtual award signifying you are an awesome person. So there’s that.

Here’s my list with what I plan to read for each one. If you would like to participate in the challenge, it would be awesome if you could comment on this post with whatever category/book you plan to read so that other readers can get more ideas for each category!

If you’re struggling to find a book for each category, try searching around on Goodreads.com or shoot me a message and I can see if I can offer some other suggestions.

Shelf Reflection’s 2021 Reading Challenge:

1. A book with a number in the title:
   Surviving Religion 101 by Michael J. Kruger
   Ten Words to Live By by Jen Wilkin

2. A book about a book/s:
   The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
   Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

3. A book with alliteration in the title:
   Christians in a Cancel Culture by Joe Dallas
   Color, Communism, and Common Sense by Manning Johnson

4. A book containing pictures:
   Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh

5. A book whose cover has no picture:
   The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

6. A book that takes place in another country:
   In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl’s Journey to Freedom by Yeonmi Park
   The Marriage Code by Brooke Burroughs

7. A book in a series:
   A Beautiful Blue Death (Charles Lenox #1) by Charles Finch

8. A book with a repeated word in the title:
   The Deep, Deep Snow by Brian Freeman

9. A book written by an author with the same initials as you:
   Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
   Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

10. A book with flowers on the cover:
    Broken (in the best possible way) by Jenny Lawson

11. A book about a famous person:
    The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s: An Oral History by Andy Greene

12. A book with more than one adjective in the title:
    Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament by Mark Vroegop

13. A WWII novel:
    The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

14. A book that’s been on your list for awhile but you never get around to it:
    ”Fundamentalism” and the Word of God by J.I. Packer
    A Test of Wills (Inspector Ian Rutledge #1) by Charles Todd

15. A book with a blue cover:
    The Edge of Lost by Kristina McMorris

[I will update this list with links to each review as I read these books.]

Share this post on your social media pages and let’s get a community of readers doing this challenge!

Don’t forget to share your list (even if it’s only a couple books) in the comments.

Happy Reading!

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