Books are a big part of my life all year ’round, but kicking off summer with a reading challenge has always been my favorite tradition. There’s something about that first day with the A/C on that makes me wild for a trip to the library…
That being said, it’s a lot easier for me to stay focused when there’s some sort of incentive attached, which is why I decided to participate in Middle Grade Carousel‘s first official #BookADayMay challenge!
Between #MGCarousel’s book bingo and binging on #IndieApril reads, I packed in a lot of pages during April. An accomplishment, considering I also managed to write 30,000 words for Camp NaNoWriMo (yay!). Oh, and I’ve been plugging away at #36daysoftype on Instagram. It’s been a wild month.
Don’t ask how I managed, but that’s a TRIPLE Bingo! I’m pretty excited about having read so much in one month. Honestly, most of them were pretty stellar, too. That’s a win-win in my book!
I enjoy a good challenge. A challenge gives me the tools I need to succeed. Special criteria or themes allow me to get creative. Time limits provide motivation. Being judged and receiving feedback drives me to make a good impression. If I want to get something done, the first thing I do is turn it into a challenge.
One of the things I challenge myself to do is read more. And, thanks to Goodreads groups and the bookish community on social media, I’ve found lots of fun ways to conquer my To-Read stack while engaging with other enthusiasts!
My reading this year has felt slow at best, but looking back over the last couple months I’m surprised by the total number of books I’ve finished. This is why we keep track of our progress, friends!
While I was really hoping to kick off 2019 with a bingo, I was a little late to realize any books on out shelf with griffons were on the L O N G side! Oops.
Indie books are an up and coming trend for creative types, allowing writers an alternate avenue to share their work. It’s a cool option for ambitious types who like to manage their own projects from start to finish, writers of niche genres that don’t get enough attention from big-name publishers, or those career-minded people who want to build a platform before taking their work to a traditional publisher.
But there are some disadvantages to this route, including the difficulty of getting great stories into the ready hands of the right people. Which is why I’m so excited about #Indiecember.
(check out the official rules and download your own board)
#Indiecember is a bingo-style reading challenge designed to help these hardworking authors find the right readers. If you’ve never tried reading an indie title before, I encourage you to check out some of my favorites and give them a whirl!
Question of the Day: What are some of your favorite independently published titles?
It’s been a great summer of reading. In total, I’ve plowed through about 30 books in the last 3 months! I owe a lot of my success to the various reading challenges that went up this summer, mainly from #MGBookVillage and #MGCarousel.
