Hellooo!

You’ve made it in another long year. You’ve read some great books but just possibly some nefarious book blogger got you to get some more. Your shelves are looking overly full of new books. There may be some on the floor over there…or perhaps your e-reader has just an endless list of unread titles. Fear not I am as always here to help.

After a lot of people enjoyed last year’s challenge then I am going to give you some more little monthly prompts. Some familiar and some new to help get that TBR pile reduced! I care you see!

It has three simple rules

1 – It applies to your TBR pile as per 23.59 31/12/2022 no new books post this date can be used (but of course you can subsequently add more to your TBR piles I am not cruel)

2 - If you are a book blogger no ARCs! Sorry, but this is to cut down your own self-induced TBR.

3 – You can do one challenge a month (or more if you fancy my stretch goals) but you only have to do twelve in a year and while I am applying some very loose monthly themes. You could do this in a sprint or just when you feel like it ?

Ok let’s play

January – End to end temptation

1 – I give you permission to read the most recent book you have got on top of your TBR. For many this is one we only get to read eventually but for now I want you to pick up the newest book in Mount TBR and read it. Can you remember the last time you did that? It’s a good habit to get into and January is all about starting good habits

Stretch Goal – Read the oldest book in Mount TBR it has waited long enough

February - Short steps

2 - For the shortest month of the year I want you to read 28 short stories. This can be a TBR collection, anthology or even backlog of magazines that you have. Life is fast but use this challenge to appreciate the skill of the short story writer. Play your skills right you may get more than one book read this way.

Stretch Goal - Read four novellas one for each week of the month. If you have no novellas then read to the shortest book in Mount TBR you can find.

March - Fresh Starts

3 - This time for the beginning of spring you need to start a series you have never read before. Release this work from Mount TBR!

Stretch goal - by the end of the year read all the remaining books in the same series. If you chose Wheel of Time that’s on you not me. If a new book comes out in 2022 then you’re allowed to read it when it is published.

April - Open and Shut Case

4 - For the month named after the latin for ‘to open’ you need to read a standalone book with no sequel or links to any other book. Something new and something you can let go after reading it

Stretch goal - you need to finish the last book in a series that you’ve had in Mount TBR for ages. Closure is good for the soul

May - Crowning Glory?

5 - the UK has a lot of bank holidays including a coronation this month so suitably let’s pick a book about revolution or a change of those in power. Just a suggestion nothing meant at all as political commentary I am sure.

Stretch Goal - A tale with a member of a royal household in a leading role needs to be completed.

June - long reading days or longest nights

6. - Irrespective of your hemisphere you have time for reading either in the joys of summer or depths of winter. Your challenge here is to find the largest tale on Mount TBR and finish it. Let that monster get off your back

Stretch Goal - find the shortest novel in your pile and finish that off too

July - Holidays are coming!

7 - let’s go travelling find a book by the author who lives the furthest from you on the globe. I give you seven months to do the maths! Let’s explore the fiction of places very much not like our own.

Stretch goal - strike back by having a tale with an empire featuring heavily in it. Julius C would be proud of you

August - Holiday Treats

8 - reward time you get to choose the book in your TBR pile no Themes, clues of queries to ask. Just take one off the list!

Stretch Goal -I’d like you to read a translated work. If not in your TBR pile I’d like you to read a book with the theme of a character being on holiday

September - Seven Deadly Tempts

9 - read a book linked however you want to one of the seven deadly sins. Booktempting I stress is not one of them. Indulge yourselves

Stretch goal - can you read a book published by an author who has published more than seven books?

October - Spooky Season cometh

10 - read a book with a spooky or dark theme. Unsettle yourself prior to Halloween

Stretch goal - can you read a book connected to night-time in some way as northern nights are now longer.

November - Small Press Big Stories

11 - read a book that is published by a printing house that is not connected to the auk/US Big Five publishers. Embrace the indie scene who knows bloggers may be doing something at the same time!

Stretch Goal - for the month of remembrance can you find a book where peace is the end result?

December - Don’t forget to say thank you

12 - it’s been over a year treat yourself to a book someone else gifted you. If you liked it tell that person!

Stretch goal - find a wintry based tale to read.

And that’s this year’s challenges. That should clear some space and then I can help fill it for you because I really do care. Let me know your choices! Then I can start filling them up for you

Good luck!