The HSL 2019 Reading Challenge

Scroll to the bottom of this post if you want to download a PDF copy for yourself.

New year, new books! For some people, the end of the year means holiday treats, celebrations, time with family and friends — and that’s all nice, but real book nerds know that winter break is really all about putting together your dream TBR list for the coming year.

If you, too, are looking for a way to organize your (endless) reading lists for 2019, consider our Reading Challenge Bingo — it’s flexible enough to work for you and your younger readers and a fun way to keep track of what you’re reading throughout the year. You can be as ambitious as you like: Complete the whole card by reading 25 books, or just complete a row or two. Your 3rd grader can tackle the challenges, your high schooler can fill out her own card, and you can take this challenge on yourself. Keep your scorecards on the fridge and plan celebrations when you hit major milestones or offer prizes for the first person to get three in a row or another accomplishment you choose. 

Ideally, this challenge will give you an excuse to check out a few books you wanted to read anyway and point you toward a few books that you might not have picked up otherwise. And since it involves reading, everybody wins!

What’s on this year’s challenge:

• A retelling of a classic you’ve never actually gotten around to reading

• A book set in a city you’ve always wanted to visit

• A book that’s becoming a movie in 2019

• A book by an author from your state 

• A book set in an alternate reality

• A book published in the 1970s

• A book with a non-human narrator

• A book published this year

• A book translated from another language

• A book inspired by Asian mythology or folklore

• A book inspired by Norse mythology or folklore

• A book recommended by your best friend

• A book you meant to read last year but never actually got around to reading

• A book you think your favorite fictional character would read

• A book that has been banned in your state

• A play

• A book with a character who has a hobby that you also practice

• A book that takes place on two continents

• A book nominated for an award in 2019

• A book that takes place in two different timelines

• A book set in space

• A book set in (or near) the place you grew up

• A book inspired by Native American mythology or folklore

• A book whose title begins with the letter J, K, Q, X, or Z

• A book with a homeschooled main character
  
  

You can download a copy of the Bingo card here. (Last year’s challenge is here. And Suzanne has some great tips for keeping up with what you're reading during the year here.) Happy reading in 2019!

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