Despite the fact that we had a snow-induced 2-hour delay this morning, the truth is: spring arrives in only two weeks. And you know what that means, don’t you?

Have you fallen behind on your To-Be-Read list? Do you have five books that you’ve started but haven’t finished? Have you been meaning to get around to that great book your friend recommended but just haven’t done it yet? Do you love to read and to find out what everyone else is reading? Then this challenge is for you!

Because I am so clever and full of creativity, I have given the spring reading challenge a name. So to all you lovers of books, reading enthusiasts, Barnes & Noble frequenters, I present:

Yes, it’s the Spring Reading Thing 2007. I told you I was full of creativity.

Want to join in? I hope you do! Here’s the scoop:

Who: The Spring Reading Thing is open to anyone and everyone!

What: The Spring Reading Thing provides an opportunity for all of us to set goals when it comes to our personal (or family) reading. Everyone who wants to join the challenge will make a list of books they’d like to read (or books they need to finally finish!) this spring. We’ll share our goals with each other, and then share our experience and results when the challenge is over.

When: Not surprisingly, the challenge takes place during the spring. Specifically, it will run from March 21st through June 21st, 2007.

Where: Here, and on blogs all over the bloggy universe. I’ll put up a Mr. Linky on March 21st where you can submit a link to your own Spring Reading Thing blog post. All I ask is that you share your goals and list of books in your post, and that you include a link back to the post here that contains the Mr. Linky. We want to spread our love of books and reading far and wide, and make sure people have easy access to everyone’s lists!

Why: Because I love to read, and I know that so many of you do as well. But I think we all find ourselves saying things like, “Oh yeah, I’ve been meaning to read that novel” or “I really need to finish that parenting book I started two and half years ago”or “I should read some of the books I already have before I buy more”…but we don’t always follow through on those well-intentioned plans. The Spring Reading Thing is the perfect opportunity to incorporate a little focus, a little structure into our reading. And besides, it’s great fun to read everyone else’s lists and discover new authors, books, and book-loving bloggers!

How: The start of the Spring Reading Thing is only two weeks away, so start thinking about your goals now. Keep a list. Make a pile. Visit the library. Scour reviews on Amazon. Look under your bed (you mean you don’t have half-finished books under your bed?). Talk to friends. I’m sure it won’t take long for you to get an idea of what you want to read this spring. Work on your post and then come back here on March 21st, ready to submit your link!

Other odds and ends:

*There’s no pressure whatsoever. The Spring Reading Thing is about sharing our love of reading. So if you don’t get to every book on your list? No big deal. If you know this spring is going to be crazy for you and you think you can only list two or three books? That’s perfectly okay. This isn’t about who reads the most or the fastest. It’s about setting some goals and seeing where they take us. So just enjoy the process!

*What would a challenge be without a prize? I’ll be sending a $10 gift certificate to Amazon.com to one challenge participant (chosen at random). All you have to do to be eligible is post your Spring Reading Thing blog post (and put it on the Mr. Linky) by midnight (EST) on March 25th and then post a re-cap of your experience at the end of the challenge. I’m also planning on doing some surprise book giveaways during the challenge, so be watching for them!

*Need some ideas for books to read or curious about how others will be setting their goals? Visit the Fall Into Reading challenge post and check out some of the participants’ links from last fall.

*Will you help me spread the word? We’ve got two weeks before this thing gets underway, and I’d love it if you’d help me get the word out to all the other bloggers out there. Feel free to grab the graphic in my sidebar to use on your own blog, and let your readers know that the Spring Reading Thing is right around the corner!