Reading List

The purpose of a reading list is pretty self-explanatory. In its simplest (yet most fascinating, most magical) form, it is a list of the books you want to read, either for personal consumption or as mandated by your English teacher. (But its mostly the former so let’s focus on that.) The role of a reading list is very simple, yes. You may also see to-do list templates and examples.

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However, it plays such a big part especially in the lives of busy people who are dying to find a sweet, quiet nook to read in, and those who want to make sure they have a book to read after they finish the one they are reading at the moment. You may also like material list examples.

There are so many good books that you just can’t get through life without reading and keeping up with it all can be quite a handful. Plus, no reader ever wants to go through the ghastly experience of finishing a book only to blindly stumble through every day until they can have another book to light their paths. Sometimes deciding which one to read next is a difficulty as well and a reading list will help alleviate this struggle. You may also check out contact list examples.

Through a personalized, expansive reading list you can already choose the books you will read one after another. Plus, you can curate it in any way you want.

Do you want your reading list to be cross genre or do you want to purely tackle classics this month? Is your reading list a soundtrack for your present life struggle and, thus, contain books from Leo Tolstoy and Paulo Coelho, or is it a mixture of Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie? You might be interested in wedding guest list examples.

A reading list can be as reflective of its owner’s reading preference as much as it can simply be a mirror of the types of books he wants to read. This is the reason why people, not only book nerds, cannot live a good literary life without an extensive, well-thought-of reading list. You may also see inventory list examples.

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Tips in Making an Effective Reading List

Sometimes, life renders reading impossible. Yes, you have the time, but do you have the mental focus for it? Is your heart ready to be completely devoured by a good read? Are you distracted by other responsibilities and engagements? If your answer to at least one of these questions is a yes (or even halfway to it), then you are not fit to get lost in a book. And what’s the point of reading if not that? You may also see attendance list examples.

A reading list can help you jump to exactly where you left off when your reading has been cut off by life and all of its obnoxious little minions. Which means that creating a reading list is an integral aspect of every reader’s journey. You may also like management skills list and examples.

To make sure your list is effective and will successfully adhere to your reading needs, here are a few tips to go by:

1. First of all, don’t be too ambitious.

A lot of us are guilty of overstuffing our reading lists. Which means that we include titles too many to read. Yes, you are simply trying to make a professional goal for yourself by putting 30 books on your list but, let’s face it, that is a goal that is a little over impossible. Reading is easy especially because it’s fun. But reading amidst life? Although it is still as enjoyable, it can be a little more challenging than usual.

So instead of putting every book that Random House has ever published, try doing a few at a time. Perhaps ten books on a reading list isn’t so bad. By choosing a more realistic number, you are still creating a goal for yourself. In fact, you have a bigger chance of achieving it this way. Plus, you won’t be pressured by the thought of not having reached half of your list. Reading is not a competition nor is it a race. Take it slow. You may also check out packing list examples.

2. Have a time frame in mind.

So let’s say you have decided to include only ten books on your list. How long do you want to give yourself time to finish it? This is an important detail to finalize because you have to update your reading list. You don’t want to have the same set of books for five long years now, do you? So when you have decided on what to read, decide next on until when. You might be interested in birthday list examples.

3. Decide on a goal or categorize your reading list.

Reading is already engaging in itself. But reading with a specific goal in mind and, not to mention, achieving it in the end? There are no adjectives for that. So to make your reading journey much more productive and satisfying, create a specific goal you want to accomplish. You may also see vendor list examples.

For example, you can design your reading list to only include books written by women when they were 25. Or you can only read books with purple on their front cover. Or you can make an entire reading list centered on the books written by only one author. You may also like medication list examples.

This is also a useful trick that can help you unconsciously discover different types of books and their corresponding writing styles unique to every author.

In other words, it can help you leave your comfort zone. We often make the horrendous mistake of sticking to what we know and this also applies to the books we read. By setting a goal, which you can make as unique and as weird as your mind can grasp, you are actually paving a way for you to discover new worlds.

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4. Make your reading list mixing and not matching.

Too much of something is boring. So instead of focusing on one genre, one theme, and one author, why don’t you get a little of each?

If you’ve just finished a mystery novel, why don’t you take a break from the suspense by reading a light comedy. And if you’re done with that, go for a little philosophical-themed book and then finish it all of with a classic pick. This way, you won’t have to read books tackling similar topics successively. By going out of the ordinary once in a while, you can go back to your usual reads with a newer, fresher perspective. You may also see list templates and examples.

5. Leave blank spaces for adjustments.

Sometimes, we are not the same person we were when we create a reading list. Sometimes, our preference simply changes. To accommodate these changes (because it’s important that we do), it is best to leave a little space for them on your reading list. If these changes don’t come, good for you. If they do, congratulations. You’re prepared for them. You may also like how to prepare your email marketing list and profits.

6. Create a reading challenge.

One of the easiest “theme” you can choose for your reading list is to use it to embrace a reading challenge. This way, you can create a more definitive goal with specific elements that you can play with and decide on personally. You may also check out price list templates and examples.

Reading challenges also motivate you and keep you interested. In a busy world with so many distractions, this has proved itself useful in keeping a reader hooked.

7. An Extra Challenging Reading Challenge:

• Read a book published posthumously
• Read a book that narrates a real-life crime
• Read a comic written and illustrated by the same person
• Read a comic set in any of the BRIC countries
• Read a postcolonial novel
• Read a celebrity’s memoir
• Read a book whose protagonist is a female of more than 60 years old
• Read a book you hated in high school
• Read a book by an author you dislike
• Read a love story and negritude

2017 Reading Challenge

2015 Reading Challenge

A Reading Challenge for Beginners 

• The Spoiler. Read a book that has been turned into a movie you’ve already watched.
• The Successive. Read the next book in a series you have started reading.
• The Culprit. Read a book that revolves around larceny.
• The Enforcer. Read a Nordic noir.
• The Actual Protagonist. Read a book whose main character is based on a real person.
• The Concealed. Read a book who is authored by a woman hiding behind a man’s pseudonym.
• The Theatrical. Read a book that is also a musical.
• The Relevant. Read a book that discusses mental health in different forms.
• The Conjoined. Read a book that was written by two authors.
• The Stylistic Sound. Read a book that incorporates alliteration in its title.

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A Reading Challenge for the Open-Minded

• Read a book written by a transgender or transsexual author.
• Read a novel written in verse form.
• Read a novel involving an LGBTQ love story.
• Read a lascivious foreign novel that has been translated into English.
• Read a novel that discusses suicide.
• Read a genre you are unfamiliar with or you have only discovered because of this reading challenge.
• Read a book that discusses cults and religions.
• Read a book whose protagonist is biracial.
• Read a book inspired by Asian mythology.
• Read a book written by an indigenous author.

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The Recommended Reading Challenge

• Ask a teacher about a book he would want you to read.
• Read a book you have seen a stranger read.
• Read a book suggested by a friend.
• Ask a child to pick any novel he wants you to read in a bookstore.
• Read a book that was nominated for an award.
• Read a book a famous author recommended.
• Read a book a favorite author recommended.
• Read a book mentioned in a movie you have watched.
• Read a book hated by the main character in a movie you have watched.
• Read a book very much loved by the main character in a movie you have watched.
• Read a book about a famous classic love team.
• Read a book about fictional characters mentioned in a song.

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The Victorian Reading Challenge

• Read a book with a classic Romeo and Juliet feeling to it.
• Read a book published in 1837.
• Read a book published in 1901.
• Read a book published between 1837 and 1901.
• Read a nonfiction published in 1837.
• Read a nonfiction published in 1901.
• Read a nonfiction published between 1837 and 1901.
• Read a book that has been published between 1902 and 1999 with a Victorian setting.
• Read a book that has been published between 2000 and the present with a Victorian setting.
• Read either a fictional or non-fictional book about Queen Victoria.

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A Series of Reading Challenges

• Read a trilogy whose main character is a mother.
• Read a series with five books in it.
• Read a series with a small group (five people at most) as the protagonists.
• Read a series inspired by mythology.
• Read a duology.
• Read a duology whose second book is considered a big flop.
• Read a trilogy with a prequel.
• Read a trilogy with more than one prequels.
• Read a series that includes more than 5 books.
• Read a trilogy that is a product of two authors’ collaboration.

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Series Reading List

International Women’s Day Reading List

Most of you probably go through each day with no specific book in mind or no definite goal set. And that’s fine. Reading, after all, is not about better goals and timelines and lists. They are mainly about the pages and the person holding them. However, like so many aspects of our lives, our reading habits need some sort of organization. As exciting as discovering a new book is, knowing beforehand what to read is a different kind of intoxicating.

Holding a piece of paper listing down all the worlds you are going to discover and all the people you are soon to meet is exhilarating. It gives reading a whole new sense of direction with a navigation that will surely take you to the right places.