Mornings have been cooler lately around here, as have evenings. And even though it still gets up into the 80s most days, those cool bookends to our days remind me that fall is not too far off. And with thoughts of fall come thoughts of Fall Into Reading, at least for me. I’m ready to incorporate a little structure into my reading routine, read some books that have been languishing on my shelves, be a little more deliberate with my book choices.
If you’ve been faithfully watching for more information about Fall Into Reading 2011, I’m happy to say it’s here! Those of you who have participated in my reading challenges in the past already know the drill, but for those of you who are new (or who would just like a refresher), read on.
Essentially, Fall Into Reading 2011 is a fun, low-pressure reading challenge open to anyone and everyone. It will take place September 23rd-December 21st (which, as you may have guessed, lines up with the fall of 2011).
To participate, here’s what you need to do:
- Create a list of some books you’d like to read or finish this fall. This is the only real requirement for participating in the challenge.
- Feel free to set some additional reading goals (such as reading to your kids two hours per week, getting through your pile of magazines, etc.). However, this is not required; setting additional goals is completely optional.
- Write a blog post that includes the list of books you want to read (and any additional goals you’ve set), and get ready to post it on your blog on September 23rd.
- Visit Callapidder Days on September 23rd to sign up for the challenge. I’ll have an official launch post up that morning, complete with an area for you to submit a link to your personal Fall Into Reading post, where it will be added to the master list of participants.
- Read! Work on your goals throughout Fall 2011.
- Report your results. Write another blog post in December to let everyone know how you did. (I’ll post an official wrap-up to the challenge on December 22nd, where you’ll be able to share your results.)
- Have fun! Visit other participants to see what they’re reading. Write reviews if you’re so inclined. But most of all, enjoy your fall reading!
A brief Q & A
Q. What is the point of this whole thing?
A. I started these twice-yearly challenges because I thought it would be fun to share my love of reading with other bloggers and to push myself to read some books I might not otherwise read, or to finish some books I had started and then abandoned & stashed under my bed. I thought there were probably others out there who would appreciate the accountability and encouragement that a challenge can provide. And along the way, I discovered there were lots of people who — whether they needed the extra push or not — loved to share what they planned or hoped to read during the upcoming months.
So that’s the point: sharing some reading goals with all the other participants and doing it in a way that works for you. If you want to push yourself, go for it! Or if you just want to share what you’re hoping to get around to reading before winter, that works too. The most important thing is to read this fall, to enjoy it, and to share that enjoyment with others.
Q. What if I don’t have much time to read and I only set a goal to read 2 books? Is that lame?
A. No, it’s not lame! Whether your list includes two books or thirty-two books doesn’t matter to me. Make the challenge work for you. Be reasonable. Maybe try to stretch yourself a little. But don’t stress about it. This is supposed to be fun.
Q. What if I get half-way through the challenge, realize it’s not working for me, and I want to change my list/goals? Does that mean I lose?
A. No! I don’t mind one bit if you change your list part-way through the challenge. The point of my challenges is to provide a fun and easy way for you to set some goals, work toward them, and enjoy reading. If your original list isn’t working for you, you’re likely to be miserable, which would completely defeat the point. Rework your list/goals and keep on reading.
Q. Do I have to review the books I read? I stink at writing reviews.
A. Absolutely not. Writing reviews of the books you read is entirely optional. To be honest, I usually don’t write reviews of the books I read during these challenges. Remember: Katrina’s reading challenges are low-to-no-pressure.
Q. What should I write in my post that has my list and goals? Is there any special format?
A. Nope. It’s entirely up to you. You might want to check out last year’s challenge page and visit some participants to see how they did it, if you’re not sure where to start.
Q. Do you have a graphic we can put in our sidebars?
I sure do. Feel free to grab the big one at the beginning of my post. Or use the code below to add the button to your sidebar.
<center><a href="http://callapidderdays.com/2011/08/fall-into-reading-2011-the-basics.html"><img src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m185/callapidderdays/FiR11Sidebar.jpg"></a></center>
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Next week, I’ll post some additional information about the challenge, so let me know if you have any questions, and I’ll be sure to answer them then! In the meantime, you might want to start digging books out from behind your nightstand, or sorting through your to-be-read pile!
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