You ever hit a reading slump? Well, in this piece we are going to go through some reading challenge ideas that might just get you out of that bookish malaise. Pop this page in your bookmarks and, when you're looking for something new, take some inspiration from the prompts below!
Read a book set during your teenage years
This one is all about nostalgia, and if you really want to immerse yourself in that time you might want to read a book where the protagonists are teenagers themselves. If you're a millenial, maybe you'll pick up The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, a novel that touches on many of the concerns of teenage life. If you're a member of Generation X, you might want to pick up About a Boy by Nick Hornby. Personally, I am a millenial that feels culturally more comfortable in the Gen X camp!
Read a book by an author with a name you like
This one is entirely up to you. Maybe you like the way their name rolls off your tongue when you say it aloud. Maybe you like the name because it's a name shared with a loved one. Maybe you couldn't say exactly why you like the name, you just do. If you were to ask me, I might pick up a book by Charles Bukowski; there's just something about that surname. Bukowski!
Read a book by an author you'd like to meet
Another one that's a personal choice. Which writer would you love to sit down with? Are there any books that you've read and thought, "Whoever wrote this gets me!" Or, maybe someone that you think you could converse with and walk away from that interaction slightly better off. They do say you should never meet your heroes, but maybe you'll be okay reading their books . . .
Read a book with a happy ending
Hard to gauge unless you already know what the ending is going to be. However, you might be okay if you immerse yourself between the pages of something in the Up-Lit genre. This genre may touch on some deep and profound topics, such as mental health, for example, but generally delivers an uplifting and life-affirming story. Well known authors that have written books in this genre include Matt Haig and Gail Honeyman. If you still haven't read Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, I very much recommend that you do.
Read a book set in a place that you love
Personally, I would pick a book set in the countryside for this category. Which means I might pick up Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee, a book that's on my shelves but that I haven't read yet. It might also mean picking up one of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple novels, one set in the fictional village of St. Mary Mead. I do like novels set in villages that are also set in the past for some reason. However, maybe your tastes are different. But, hey, the world is your oyster, and though you might not be able to go there physically, you can let the pages of a good book take you there!
Read a book by a black author
As a white boy bibliophile, I am aware that my bookshelves could do with a little more diversity. Not because I am trying to score woke points, but because if all I ever read is straight white voices then I am at risk of viewing the world mostly from that point of view. After all, one of the reasons I love to read is that it offers me the opportunity to see things from a point of view other than my own. My shelves are not exclusively made up of white voices, but they could be better.
Read a book set during your childhood
See the prompt suggesting you read a book set during your teen years. This is like that, just set during those years before the angst and insecurities. As I said, I am an old millenial but feel more in common with the Gen X's, so I might read Douglas Coupland's Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, a novel set during the years when I was a child, but one that is not about childhood.
Read a book by an Asian author
I include this prompt for much the same reason that I include the prompt to read books by black authors. I haven't yet read On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong, but it is firmly fixed on my list of books I intend to purchase in the near future. Perhaps you might also like the bestselling works of Haruki Murakami. And, Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong looks well worth a read.
Read a cook book
This one's a little different! One of the great things about books is that they have the power to inspire, and cook books can be as inspiring as anything else. They can be the impetus you need to change your habits to something a bit healthier, maybe they can provide you with ideas when you're on a budget, or maybe just give you the inspiration to try something new. Whatever kind of food you enjoy, or the kind of life you live, chances are that there is a book of recipes out there for you too!
Let me know if you're in a reading slump and if any of these suggestions inspired anything for you. If any of these suggestions did the opposite, let me know about that too. It's all good!
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