From Because Reading:

The Rules

• The 2018 Reading Assignment Challenge runs from January 1st to December 31st 2018. You may sign up anytime before October 1, 2018.

• You may only participate for the months AFTER you sign up (so if you sign up in February, January doesn’t count)

• Commit to reading 1, 2, 3, or 4 books a month and MAKE A LIST of the SPECIFIC books you will read in January – June. This is one of our changes… rather than committing for a year, you’re just picking the books for the first half of the year. You’ll make a new list and commit to a new number of books per month in June for July – December. So 2 books a month works for January – June, but only 1 for July – December? That’s fine!

• You may read any genre or any format (i.e., eBook, Audiobook, Paperback, Hardcover). But they must be published before January 1, 2018 and they must be at least 100 pages.

• Pick a level and make your list. REMEMBER: you’re committing to not just those books, but that number of books a month. You CANNOT read them all in one month.

• At the end of each month, cross off the book(s) you read. We will have a link-up each quarter for you to link your progress.

• Tweet your progress to #2018HW and keep an eye out for random tweets from us.

• There will also be a grand prize drawing in January 2019. The number of entries you get in the grand prize giveaway will depend on how you perform in the quarterly Report Cards and what percentage of books you read from your list.

The Levels

Reading Level 1:
12 books (1 book/month)

Reading Level 2:
24 books (2 books/month)

Reading Level 3:
36 books (3 books/month)

Reading Level 4:
48 books (4 books/month)

Note: This year DNFs count as having read the book – you will NOT need to replace books that you DNF.

The Quarterly Report Cards

You get a do-over. Every quarter.

Here’s what you’ll need to do every time you turn in your Quarterly Report Card:

• Report which books you read, during which months.

• Report which months, if any, you didn’t make it.

• Link to your review and/or reading progress on Goodreads showing you read the book(s).

• Your final grade for the quarter, based on this chart:

  • I made an A! Read all your books all three months of the quarter.

  • I made a B! Read all your books for two months of the quarter.

  • I made a C! Read all your books for one month of the quarter.

  • I made an F!Didn’t read all your books during any months of the quarter.

So what if you made an F for that quarter? Yeah, it stinks, but it’s a new quarter and you get a chance to start over with your spring semester list in January – June and your fall semester list in July – December. At the end of the year, when you enter the final giveaway you’ll get extra credit based on your grade for each quarter. To get the extra credit, though, you must have turned in your report card for that quarter.

We’ve come to realize that making a list for the whole year just doesn’t leave enough room for your mood to change, though. So the other do-over we all get is a second chance to make a reading list. You’re making two lists, the first one is due at the start of the challenge (January 1, or the first day you participate), with the books you’ll read in the Spring Semester (January – June). When July rolls around, you get to make a Fall Semester reading list with the books you’ll read July – December. This gives a lot more room for mood changes throughout the year.

And that’s it! This is a bit stricter than a lot of year-long challenges, but that’s because we want it to be a little harder and hopefully more satisfying when you rock it!

Time to Make Your Spring Semester 2018 Reading Assignment List!

Make the list of the books you WILL read for the challenge, picking your level. Remember you’re only picking the books for January -June. Also remember, you must read the number of books you say you will each month. If you have any questions now or at any point during the challenge, email Berls (berls@fantasyismorefun.com) or Michelle (limabean74@aol.com).

I'm going to attempt this challenge once again. I tried two years ago and failed miserably, but that's probably because I didn't pick books I was excited to get to... For January-June, I'm going to go with Reading Level 1 of 1 book per month. And here are my selections for the first half of the year:

• January - Arabian Nights
• February - Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
• March - Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning
• April - The Words We Live By by Linda Monk
• May - Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery
• June - A History of the Wife by Marilyn Yalom