2022 Reading Challenge for Overwhelmed Book Readers

I guess you might have expected this from me.

1. DRY JANUARY

Do you ever realise we might be genuinely addicted to buying books, getting hyped, instant purchases, when we know we won’t read those books for weeks or months?

Do you ever buy books you’re not even sure if you’d even consider if not the ridiculously cheap price or the massive hype? Or the cover and illustrations? Or you just felt a bit meh and bought it to give yourself a short boost?

With my shelves overflowing and with me buying more than reading, I’ve decided to do a Dry January. Yes I can hear you laughing – but listen:

If it’s an addiction, bite your tongue for just one month. Don’t buy it. See if after a month it will be easier for you to be picky and put a book on the side and see if you genuinely still want it a couple of days or weeks later. Start learning to stop and think in January.

Which takes me to:

2. Wish-list It – Don’t Instant Buy It

Temptation are everywhere. Buddy reads a book and loves it. Publishers hype certain books so hard they come out of your ears – but we know it doesn’t mean necessarily that the book is actually that good. And – do we actually want it? Or does everyone else seem to want it making you think you do too, but then you look and majority of reviews are from people who received them for free and never mentioned them again? Are there any definitely genuine reviews out there yet? Or just pretty pictures on Instagram?

Or maybe it is a genuinely good book lots of your trusted buddies are hyping?

How about in January you just add it to your wish-list? It will be there when you come back to it in February! But… will you still want it, or will you realise that without the hype you’re not even that curious anymore?

This will hopefully have us stop and think before buying again and it might save us a lot of space and money in the future! Trust me – there will be a lot you won’t feel like getting anymore.

3. But my favourite is out in January!

That’s cool! You’ve already pre ordered? No problem. It’s nth in the series you love? Get it, you’ve been waiting for it. Favourite author you always get and read the second the book is in your hands? Grab it.

4. So which to not get?

The ones you know you won’t start reading right after buying them. The ones you’re buying purely for the cover. Or the illustrations. The ones hyped with pretty pics and first reviews. The ones with a lot of money behind them.

Why should they just lie on your shelves? So when cleaning up you can have a little mental breakdown as they all fall on your head? To look pretty? You already have more than enough. So you can snap a pic like others to feel cool for a second and then put it away for months? Come on. So the publisher will like you? How many did you get for the publisher to love you and they still don’t?

Do you want to find that book in a couple of months and realise you’re not even sure you want to read it anymore? We know books don’t sell for much so why waste the money and shelf space? Give yourself a moment to think.

5. That book will be there later – and maybe cheaper

How many times you bought a hardback and didn’t start reading it before cheaper paperback came out?

How many times you paid full price and a month later it was in ebook for 99p?

Books don’t disappear. You will be able to buy it later. And perhaps for a better price.

6. Instead – READ READ READ

Ending the year with more books read than bought will make you feel so much better than looking at that overflowing shelf again realising you’ve added another year worth of reading to your life, and you not only have no space for it, but you realise half of them you don’t feel like reading anymore. Maybe even having so much choice actually makes it more difficult to choose what to read next and you feel overwhelmed and don’t feel like picking anything.

7. Saved money

Leave those books you didn’t get in the end on the wishlist. Count how much money you haven’t spent and save it or spend it however you want. Maybe on special edition of that book you loved and will read over and over again.

8. But what to do if not buy books?!

READ

Read your favs. Read the ones you bought years ago. Clean up your shelves of the ones you won’t read again. Make space. Fill it with books you love. Read. Be happy and accomplished and not overwhelmed at the end of the year.

Join readalongs! Reading Groups! Have fun! Take a break! Don’t read for some time! Do whatever you want 😘 There will be no pressure at the end of the year.

9. But authors need my support! And indie bookshops! And publishers!

Do you really need to support every single shop, writer and publisher out there? What about you?

10. So – do it in January. See if you want to carry on in February. Let me know if you found this helpful! Let yourself fail once in a while. Keep me updated!

AND FINALLY

At the end of January, if you feel you have successfully completed the challenge – feel free to add this card to your list of accomplishments!

Wishing you all a beautiful 2022.

Night x