More reading prompts that will pull you out of that slump!

 

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As I type this it is half past nine on a Sunday morning, and I imagine that you, like me, are probably in the mood for something gentle and easily digestible. So, I thought I would provide you with another brief list of reading prompt ideas, suggestions that are designed to inspire you to seek out something a bit different. Or, maybe just remind you of that one book you meant to get around to reading but never did.

You can read my last reading prompt list here.

So, without further ado . . .

Read a book set on a farm

The first book that comes to mind is George Orwell's Animal Farm, which, as you could tell from the title, even if you know nothing else of the book, is set on a farm. What you might not know is that it is a satirical allegory of human society and politics. Yeah. If you fancy something a little lighter, or if you have children, maybe you could give E. B. White's Charlotte's Web a go. Though, on second thoughts, that book might just put you through the emotional wringer; maybe I was wrong to suggest it's "lighter". Well, as long as it's set on a farm it fits this category, so go find something that suits you!

Read a book you'd read on the beach

Well, this one is entirely up to you really. Maybe you love to settle down on a blanket and immerse yourself into some cosy crime novel. Or maybe, as you bathe in the sunshine, you need your book to be filled with sunshine and cocktails too. If you aren't able to get to a beach right now, maybe you'd like to read a travel book to inspire ideas about where you'd like to go next. I like Bill Bryson's writing and he has written some humorous and wonderful travel books.

Read a book that celebrates women

Or a woman. There are plenty of significant female figures from history. Whether you love science, art or literature you ought to be able to find a biography out there somewhere. Marie Curie, Rosa Parks, Emmeline Pankhurst, Mary Wollstonecraft, Florence Nightingale, Jane Austen, The Brontë sisters, Boudica are just some of the women throughout time that have influenced the course of history. Perhaps though you'd like a book such as Difficult Women by Helen Lewis, which focuses on women who changed history. Personally, I might recommend The Five by Hallie Rubenhold, which asks the question, why is it that Jack the Ripper has become an almost mythical legend figure and his victims all but forgotten? This book reminds the reader that they were real women, with real lives, and real struggles and hopes.

Read a book with food and/or drink on the cover

You may just head to the food section of your local bookshop and pull a cookery book from the shelves for this one. There are plenty of recipes out there for almost everyone's budget, ethics, and lifestyle! However, don't forget that there are plenty of other books with a foody theme, or where food features prominently. There's James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl for the kids. Or Chocolat by Joanne Harris for the grown ups. There are also non-fiction books that investigate how food is sourced and sold, such as Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation, or Food Politics by Marion Nestle. As long as there's something edible and/or drinkable on the cover, you choose.

Well, that's it for now. I don't want to overwhelm you on a Sunday morning. If you enjoyed this piece, you can buy me a coffee on ko-fi, where I regularly post updates on my blogging/writerly efforts. All support is gratefully received and very much appreciated - it keeps me writing! Thank you!

Some Amazing Reading Challenge Ideas to Get You Out of That Reading Slump!

 

Disclaimer: should you make any purchases through any of the links in this blog, Monsta Reader may earn a commission from the sellers, however that has no impact on the cost to you as consumer, nor does it influence the content of this blog.

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!

I hope you found something here you liked. If you did, consider following/supporting me over on ko-fi where I post updates on my blogging and writerly efforts. You can buy me a coffee or support in other ways. All support is gratefully received and very much appreciated! It keeps me writing!

Some reading challenge ideas

 

Reading challenges can be a great way of getting out of a reading rut, or just introducing something a little different to your TBR pile. Or, it can just be a little bit of fun . . .

A book published in the 1970's

I plucked this decade from thin air. There is no special reason as to why this decade need be the decade you use for this little challenge. In fact, if you want to expand on this little challenge, you could read a book published from every decade over the last century. That sounds like a fun little challenge, and perhaps a way to introduce new books to your shelves. It might also be fun to see how the art of writing has evolved. The great thing about this challenge is that you can pick any genre, any author. But, since I picked the 1970's, let me offer a few suggestions, such as, Carrie by Stephen King; Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut; Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson. There are plenty of other great titles to choose from this decade.

A book that features a wedding

Now, this one is a tad more specific, and might at first suggest a selection from the romance genre. And, though it does sometimes unfairly get looked down upon, it is a genre worth exploring. Whether it's Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, or Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, there are plenty of romance novels to choose from. However, weddings aren't always an indication of love and happiness. The unsuccessful wedding of Miss Havisham, in Dickens' Great Expectations has much to do with the shaping of her character and, in turn, the events of the novel. And, in The Princess Bride by William Goldman, the plot is very much driven by the main character's desire to stop a wedding.

A book that has inspired music

Apparently, Katy Perry's song, Firework, was inspired by a passage in Jack Kerouac's On The Road. And, Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights shares its title with Emily Brontë's novel for the very simple reason that it was inspired by the book. In fact, there are a number of songs, in various genres of music, that have been inspired by literary works. If nineties grunge is more your thing, Kurt Cobain was influenced by Patrick Süskind's Perfume when he was writing lyrics for the songs on Nirvana's album, In Utero. Whatever, your favoured genres of music are, there are probably a few songs in your library that are influenced by novels. Why not get your hands on one of those books, and read it while you listen to the music? 

A classic

Chances are that there is a classic title you've had recommended to you, or seen discussed online, that you haven't got around to reading. And, sometimes, the pretentious can make you feel as though you are obliged to read these books. Otherwise, how can you say you're a real bibliophile, right? Well, don't let them put you off. The classics are just stories, just books like the modern ones we read. They come with a certain amount of respect and cultural weight because, after all, they have endured, sometimes for a century and more. Personally, I am a fan of Dickens. But, I would also recommend Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, or Bram Stoker's Dracula (discussed in greater detail here). However, don't lert me tell you what to do. Go find a story you like the sound of, and find a classic for you.

A book you've been had recommended to you

If you're a book lover, and you have bookish friends, chances are, as mentioned above, you've had countless recommendations thrown your way. Reading a book is a very private thing a lot of the time, unless you to choose to read your book aloud to others. And, when we read a book that rocks our world, or one that we just really enjoy, we want to share it with anyone and everyone. Well, pick up one of those books you have been recommended. We follow enough algorithms and advertising in this world, we might be a little better off if we followed the recommendations of some of our living, breathing, loving fellow human beings a little more too.

A book published the year you were born

This one, a little like the first suggestion in this piece, is flexible in terms of genre. Only rule is that it be a book that was published the year you were born. For me, I might pick up Margaret Atwood's popular novel, The Handmaid's Tale. Or maybe The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler. What about you? What books were published the year you were born? Any of them look good?

(Extra points to you if you figured out the year I was born!)

Well, I hope you enjoyed this piece. If you did, perhaps you would consider following/supporting me on ko-fi. Ko-fi is a platform specifically for creatives, and is a great way to stay up-to-date with what they're up to. All support is very much appreciated!

Thank you, keep reading lots, and see you soon.

A few more reading challenges

 

The last post I published on reading challenges (here) proved to be quite popular, so, because I am so good to you, here are a few more challenge ideas. I do like the way in which challenge ideas can draw readers to those books that they might not otherwise have read, so I hope that this brings something new into your "to be read" pile. If not, I hope you at least enjoy this piece!

A book about, or heavily featuring, a car/cars

Under this challenge, I might recommend On The Road by Jack Kerouac, which, when I first read it as a teenager, captured me with its depiction of life on the open road of mid-twentieth-century America. Kerouac's tale of sex, drugs, and beat life, depicts perfectly the restlessness of post World War II America youth, with their lost innocence and desire for something more than the dream that was offered. Or, perhaps you would prefer Stephen King's Christine, which tells the story of a car apparently possessed by evil supernatural forces and the hold it has on its owner. Whatever book you choose for this challenge, you might end up in the fast lane!

A book about, or heavily featuring, drugs and/or alcohol

We all know James Bond, Ian Fleming's creation, liked a martini, and throughout the series of Bond novels you'll find spirits, cocktails, and beers aplenty! Or, perhaps you'd prefer Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, in which Huxley's dystopia makes use of the fictional drug, Soma, to keep society in check. I am a big fan of Huxley and would recommend his most famous work to anyone that hasn't read it. When it comes to the use of hard drugs, Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh, and Junkie by William S. Burroughs (drug use can be found throughout much of Burroughs' work), both in their own ways depict the users world in a raw and honest way. 

A book for self improvement

Now, with this one, we could go the route of the self-help book, and if you do so, you'll have plenty of choice. The last book I read that concerned itself with the problem of how to attain happiness was a book called Happiness By Design by Paul Dolan, a Professor of Behavioral Science. In this book, the author explored how purpose and pleasure are the main constituents of happiness, and how to get that balance just right. In the not too distant future, I plan to read, and discuss here, Peter Jones' How To Do Everything and be Happy. In this book, the author tries to take an approach to maximising happiness using practical methods, such as the use of diaries, lists, and scheduling. I will discuss this one, as I say, in a later post. However, self improvement doesn't mean a visit to the self help section, it could be that there is a non-fiction book you have been meaning to read that could lead to you developing a better understanding of politics, history, science, or art. Anything really. What self improvement means to you is really up to you!

A book that makes you cry

I suppose with this one, it need not be a book; it could be a poem, or a play. And they need not be tears of despair, but tears of joy. Still, we ought not to be afraid of those works that bring a tear to the eye, or maybe even a stream of tears. Those feelings are just as valid as happiness, and don't we read partly so that we can explore those feelings in a safe way? I know I do. In this category, I might recommend Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, a book that can be a hard read, but a book that deals with themes of loneliness and mental illness beautifully. I might also recommend One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest by Ken Kesey, which is one of those stories that, to me, blends hope and brutality. Whatever it is for you, I urge you not to shy away from those books that make you cry.

A book you never get tired of

Again, it needn't be a book. I could never get tired, I don't think, of reading and rereading The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe. It is such a beautiful, gothic, musical poem, and if you haven't read it, I wholly recommend it. Or, see if you can find James Earl Jones' reading of it on the internet! Oh, that voice! Or, I am rereading The One Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of a Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson, a book I fell for, as did many others, when I first read it. I will be discussing this book in an upcoming post too. This challenge is a comforting and cosy challenge, perfect for blankets and coffee along with that book you love. Or, if not coffee, something a little stronger perhaps.

Children's/YA books

On my shelves I have a book, a Winnie the Pooh book, that I had when I was a child, and I have as much respect for that book as I do for anything Tolstoy or Dickens ever wrote! It is beautiful. And, those books we love as children, it could be argued, can have a greater influence on us than those we embrace as adults. I also have Batman and Deadpool graphic novels standing on my shelves, those comics and superheroes I loved as a kid and a teenager . . . Well, I still love them. I'm sorry. I just do. As for YA fiction, I might suggest The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, a book that deals with themes as weighty as anything you might find in Ishiguro. Go on, immerse yourself in a kids book, or a book for teens. An opportunity to revisit childhood, or those tumultuous teenage years.

I hope you got some ideas from this little piece, and if you did enjoy it, perhaps you would consider following/supporting me over on ko-fi. Ko-fi is a platform specifically for creatives. If every reader donated just the minimum, it would make such a difference to me. But, if you can't, but you have a ko-fi page of your own, do consider following. Thank you.

Stay safe, read lots, and see you soon.