Reading Glasses 2020 Challenge

Starts: Wednesday, 01 January 2020

Ends: Thursday, 31 December 2020

(This is the challenge for 2020. You can find the 2021 challenge here.)

Reading Glasses is a podcast about book culture and literary life, designed to help you read better. Because it's all about life as a reader, its annual challenge includes book prompts and reading-related activities.

Reading Glasses (@ReadingGPodcast; @readingglassespodcast) is hosted by Mallory O'Meara, the author of The Lady From the Black Lagoon, and Brea Grant, the author of Mary: The Adventures of Mary Shelley's Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Granddaughter.

The 2020 challenge was announced in episode 132 ("Best Books of 2019 and Announcement of Reading Glasses Challenge 2020!").

Challenge prompts

1. Read a book set in another country (72 books added)

2. Read a romance novel (32 books added)

3. Read a book written by a woman of color (90 books added)

4. Read a novel with a non-human protagonist (17 books added)

5. Read a book you have already read (29 books added)

bonus
6. Activity: Stop reading a book you aren't enjoying (29 books added)

The StoryGraph is set up to count books that are "read" within the challenge's time range, so it won't mark this as completed unless you've also marked the book as read on a date this year. Tricky for a DNF challenge!

Workarounds: If you happen to DNF a book that you end up reading later in the year (because it wasn't initially the right book at the right time), it'll work. Another workaround is to mark the book as read this year just so it'll show as "Prompt Complete."

I've also set this as a Bonus Prompt just in case, so you can still complete the challenge even if this prompt doesn't show as complete!

7. Activity: Review a book - on GoodReads, Amazon, or Your Library's Website [or on The StoryGraph!] (42 books added)

bonus
8. Activity: Donate a book (18 books added)

The StoryGraph is set up to count books that are "read" within the challenge's time range, so it won't mark this as completed unless you've also marked the book as read on a date this year.

Workarounds: If you happen to donate a book that you also read this year, it'll work. Another workaround is to mark the book as read this year just so it'll show as "Prompt Complete."

I've also set this as a Bonus Prompt just in case, so you can still complete the challenge even if this prompt doesn't show as complete!

9. Activity: Recommend a book on social media (23 books added)

10. Activity: Annotate a book or write/save/highlight quotes you like (30 books added)

More...