Summer Reading Challenges

Summer is a great time for those of us who like to try a challenge or two.

Big books. A lot of people like to take on a big book for summer. 

And fortunately for all of us who enjoy big books, Sue Jackson of Book by Book hosts a Big Book Summer Reading Challenge. 

Here's a little about the challenge.

The idea behind this reading challenge is simple: Use the ease of summer to tackle a Big Book (400+ pages) or two or ... however many you want! You set your own goals. And if it is the start of winter where you live, then it's your Big Book Winter Challenge. Everyone is welcome to participate. 

The Details:
Hey, it's summer, so we'll keep this low-key and easy!

• Anything 400 pages or more qualifies as a big book.
• The challenge runs from the Friday of Memorial Day weekend (May 23 this year) through Labor Day (September 1 this year).
  
• Choose one or two or however many big books you want as your goal. Wait, did you get that?  You only need to read 1 book with 400+ pages this summer to participate! (though you are welcome to read more, if you want).
• No sign-ups are necessary! All readers are welcome to participate.

What kind of books "count"? All kinds! Middle-grade, YA, graphic novels, classics, all genres, all types--as long as they are at least 400 pages. Yes, e-books and audio books count, too--just check online for the number of pages in the print edition. 

My potential reads:

• Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry - 964 pages
• The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang - 545 pages 
• Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty - 505 pages
• Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945 by Tony Judt - 955 pages
• Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - 474 pages
• Pigeon Post by Arthur Ransome - 548 pages
• Dangerous Liaisons by Pierre Choderlos de Lacios - 400 pages
• There is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America by Brian Goldstone - 420 pages                    

• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens - 590 pages

 

 

But maybe you are not a person who enjoys reading big books. Maybe you like to read in quantity over the summer. In that case...

When Cathy of 746 books announced last year that she would not host 20 Books of Summer this year after ten successful years, Emma of Words and Peace and Annabel of AnnaBookBel both volunteered to take it on. 

• The #20BooksofSummer2025 challenge runs from Sunday June 1st to Sunday August 31st
• The first rule of 20 Books is that there are no real rules, other than signing up for 10, 15, or 20 books and trying to read from your TBR.
• Pick your list in advance, or nominate a bookcase to read from, or pick at whim from your TBR.
• If you do pick a list, you can change it at any time – swap books in/out.
• Don’t get panicked at not reaching your target.
• Just enjoy a summer of great reading and make a bit of space on your shelves!

They’ll have monthly summary posts where you can add progress reports and recommendations. The final one at the at the beginning of September will stay open for a while to catch all the last reviews.

Emma designed some new logos, and for the first time they’ve done one specially for our Antipodean friends for whom it is winter rather than summer. Resize them to fit your needs. Emma has also made a book bingo card to match your reads for more fun, too.

If you’re planning to join in please do add your blog / planning post link to the Mr Linky here.

Here are my (planned, but subject to change) 20 Books of Summer:

*James by Percival Everett.     *The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. 

*Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson.  *Bake Happy by Judith Fertig.      *Sanditon by Jane Austen. 

*The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang.    *Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty.     

*Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945 by Tony Judt.    *Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat.

*Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor.    *Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngosi Adichie.

*Raising Hare: A Memoir by Chloe Dalton.    *Aflame: Learning from Silence by Pico Iyer.

*Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry.     *The Light Eaters by Zoë Schlanger.

*A Bakery in Paris by Aimee K. Runyan.     *The Love Haters by Katherine Center.

*There is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America by Brian Goldstone.   

*Dangerous Liaisons by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos.     *Pigeon Post by Arthur Ransome.

Do you have any special plans for your summer reading?

Do you like to plan things out or are you more of a person who likes to read at whim?

Last year's post about summer reading:

Summer Reads: Seventeen Summer-Filled Books You Might Consider for Your Summer Reading This Year

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each Tuesday That Artsy Reader Girl assigns a topic and then post her top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join her and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.