Wrapping Up Your Reading Challenge

We are nearing the end of the year, and you, like many other readers, might begin to feel the pressure of completing your reading challenge before the end of the year. This pressure can quickly make reading feel like just another task on an endless list of things to do.

If you’re experiencing a reading rut or having trouble completing your reading goal, read the tips and ideas below to reignite your spark for reading.

Tips for completing your reading challenge:

• If your goal feels impossible, consider changing it. A more achievable goal can help you regain your motivation. There is no shame in re-evaluating to get yourself back on track.
• Add shorter books to your TBR (to-be-read) shelf. This action helps you feel the positive feeling of accomplishment when you finish a book.
• Don't be afraid to DNF (did not finish) a book. Nothing makes you lose the desire to read like forcing yourself to read something you don't want to. This isn't school; you don't have to finish books here.
• Read what you want to read. If you want to read classical novels, go right ahead! If you want to read fantasy books, have fun with it. Read things that make you excited to read. It is okay to say Shakespeare and Tolstoy aren’t your jam and you’d rather read a fun graphic novel or a short romance instead. A book is a book, and every book counts.
• If finding time to read is difficult, try audiobooks. Audiobooks count as reading, too. You can listen to audiobooks while driving, cooking, exercising, crafting, or just about anything else. Audio can help you get through books faster when you’re short on downtime. All modes are valid. Audiobooks, paperbacks, hardcovers, digital… use what works for you.
• Always keep a book with you. Whether it's a physical book or you use a digital service, like Libby or hoopla (both services you have access to with your library card), if you have a book that you’re interested in and is easily accessible to you, you’ll be more likely to pick it up if you have a few spare minutes.

Ideas to aid in finding the joy of reading again when it’s difficult:

• Create your own “blind date with a book." Use wrapping paper or newspaper to cover the book (like you’re wrapping a present) and then choose your next pick at random from the pile you’ve created. This takes away from the struggle of indecision, along with making the experience feel special.
• Find book-loving friends to keep you encouraged. The Canton Public Library offers several book groups, where members discuss a new book each month. When you make reading a social activity, it increases motivation to read and adds accountability. This accountability can help fight against procrastination and turn reading into a consistent habit.
• If you’re not already, use a tracking tool. We recommend Goodreads or StoryGraph to track the books you're currently reading. These services also offer reading challenges for users to track the number of books they’ve read within a certain time frame.
• Use a fidget spinner or equivalent. This can help if you need something to drain nervous energy or maintain focus while reading.

Overall, remember to have fun when reading. Picking up a book should be relaxing, challenging and rewarding.

With access to so many great books for free from the library, the most important thing about reading is that you have fun and enjoy the experience now and throughout the year.