Book a Day in May has come to a close, and I’m happy to announce that it was a huge success! To celebrate, I’m going to share my reading list, highlight a few favorites, and tell you what’s next for me on the reading challenge radar.

My Month of Reading

Reading every day, as you might imagine, makes a big difference in a lot of little ways. Here are a few things I learned in May:

• Splitting my reading time between one very short book and about a third of a longer one was a great rhythm for getting through longer library books. I was able to avoid challenge-induced stress because I didn’t force myself to finish a book every single day.
• I usually judge a book by its cover, but for this challenge I tried a handful just for the sake of reading something different. The thrill of discovering something new keeps a reading challenge fresh and exciting, especially if you get on a chain of good-book, good-book, good-book, great-book!
• Daily reading makes my imagination happier. All that good story juice in my brain makes me more excited about my own writing projects. Seeing stories told well makes me feel more motivated to make sure my stories are just as amazing.
• Sharing about the challenge on Twitter kept me motivated. I took daily pictures of my progress and wasn’t allowed to post them until I’d at least started reading the book.

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My Book A Day List

(links will take you to Goodreads)

1. Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman
2. The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop 💛
3. The Fish in Room 11 by Heather Dyer
4. Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson
5. Wishes, Kisses, and Pigs by Betsy Hearne 💛
6. Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
7. The Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth
8. Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech 💛
9. Baker’s Magic by Diane Zahler 💛
10. The Great Cake Mystery by Alexander McCall Smith
11. Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look
12. Dessert First by Hallie Durand
13. The Wish by Gail Carson Levine
14. The Power of Poppy Pendle by Natasha Lowe
15. The League of Beastly Dreadfuls by Holly Grant 💛
16. The Time Warp Trio: Knights of the Kitchen Table by Jon Scieszka
17. Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath
18. Clementine, Friend of the Week by Sara Pennypacker
19. Dear America: So Far from Home by Barry Danenberg
20. Falcon’s Egg by Luli Gray
21. The Time Warp Trio: Your Mother was a Neanderthal by Jon Scieszka
22. The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling
23. The Classy Crooks Club by Alison Cherry 💛
24. Dear America: A Light in the Storm by Karen Hesse
25. Clementine and the Family Meeting by Sara Pennypacker
26. The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole by Michelle Cuevas
27. Love That Dog by Sharon Creech 💛
28. Deltora Quest: The Forests of Silence by Emily Rodda
29. Jeremy Bender vs. the Cupcake Cadets by Eric Luper 💛
30. Deltora Quest: The Lake of Tears by Emily Rodda 💛
31. The Time Warp Trio: The Not-So-Jolly Roger by Jon Scieszka

💛 = I REALLY liked it.

My Next Trick

I hate to break a good rhythm, so I’m jumping right into another challenge this June. Middle Grade Carousel is hosting a Summer Reading Bingo challenge, and I’m so excited to give it a shot. Anyone with me?

Question of the Day: What are your summer reading plans?