This year, I’m getting together with some friends to participate in Tim Challies’ 2016 Reading Challenge. It’s simple really; I love to read, but I find I always read the same stuff. Whether you’re a light reader or do nothing but read, this is a fantastic, organised way to enlarge your scope of reading across topics and genres. Within the challenge, you can choose to read 13, 26, 52, 104, or (with extra credit) 109 books over the course of the year. That challenge is appealing to me because Tim’s plan will encourage me to read different kinds of books than I might normally read.
How it Works*
The 2016 Reading Challenge is composed of 4 lists, which you move through progressively. You will need to determine a reading goal early in the year and set your pace accordingly.
- The Light Reader. This plan has 13 books which sets a pace of 1 book every 4 weeks.
- The Avid Reader. The Avid plan adds another 13 books which increases the pace to 1 book every 2 weeks.
- The Committed Reader. This plan adds a further 26 books, bringing the total to 52, or 1 book every week.
- The Obsessed Reader. The Obsessed plan doubles the total to 104 books which sets a demanding pace of 2 books every week.
Here’s the poster, so you can see the categories, start shopping for books to fit, and get reading!
Like many people, although I’m required to read for school/work/church, my strength is noticing details (which means that I read slowly). But I also love sharing what I’ve read, and so I’ll be doing two things to help me with that in 2016:
- I’ll be attempting to review the books I read right here, and be keeping a list of the books I’m planning on conquering on a Goodreads list.
- I’ll also be participating in a reading group once a fortnight with folks who are reading along with me. The first book on the list is J.I. Packer’s Knowing God, and if you’re in Brisbane and you’d like to join in, drop me an email or contact me through the site.
Finally, a word of warning. As with everything the 2016 Reading Challenge is designed to fit into your life. The additional reading that this challenge brings is in no way designed to replace the importance of encountering God through study of his word, or take precedence over family time or regular church attendance. It is another way to glorify God, and as such it isn’t designed to be a burden, and so set a pace that works for you, and enjoy it (and perhaps find a less productive activity to cut back on if you need more time – you know what that is for you).
Happy reading!
