Too Many [Reading] Challenges

The Summer of the Reading Challenge

Brian Jacques' Redwall books generally include some naming of the season. For example, if the adventure begins at the start of summer, there's usually some sort of celebration bestowing the title of "Summer of the Late Rose", or something like, to the new-come season. Though it is the end of summer, I feel like I can justly term this season in retrospect: "The Summer of the Reading Challenge". I wanted to reflect on my experience of trying to complete four separate reading challenges in the space of three to four months.

Challenge 1: Wichita Public Library

I'm not including an image of this one because that would require getting up to find the paper. Suffice it to say, it wasn't impressive. For the adult portion of the "Summer Reading Program: Color Our World", one had to either complete five activities or read five books. The activities, if I remember, involved items that were creative, community-based, or books read that could fulfill various art-based parameters (reading through a book of art, I think, was one). Or you could just read five books of your choice. It seemed too easy - by the time I'd learned what the challenge was, I'd already completed it. 

The prize offering was anemic, but it matched the level of effort I put into the challenge. Participants who completed the challenge were entered into a drawing at the end of the just-over-two months of the program. I think there were three gift card prizes. I didn't favor my chances, but it would have been nice to at least have received an email that the drawings happened. Oh well. I wasn't highly invested, so I didn't lose out on anything.

Challenge 2: The Rabbit Room

Oh, this was a fun reading challenge and delight to find. Open to children and anyone who wants to participate, anyone who read 500 points worth of books by the end of August (about three months?) could win a free t-shirt, to be shipped to them. I even double checked with the group to make sure I didn't have to be a paying member or a child to win the prize, and received the confirmation that I could be in the offing to win. Hot dog! There's just something about free t-shirts that I can't resist.

If you're not sure what the Rabbit Room is, like me when I stumbled upon this challenge, it's a group based in Tennessee that, like the Inklings, gives creators a community of support. They're associated with books such as The Wingfeather Saga, and poets such as Malcolm Guite. They print their own books as well as those published by others, and many of these children's books were found on their summer reading list. 10 books were worth 50 points each, and the other tiers included books that were worth 30, 20, and 10 points each. 13 books that I read this summer were already on my to-read list, or a reread I wanted to get around to.

So, not only was I motivated to get to books that have been living on my to-read list for a while, but it was easy to fulfill the requirements since I could read OR listen to the audiobook version. Amazing! 500 points was pretty steep, but I was able to complete the program with a week to spare. This would have been a hard challenge for kids, I think, but it was fun, too, because the way you showed completed progress was by coloring a picture!

I'm still wondering if a free t-shirt is too good to be true, but I'm hopeful I might check the mail one of these days and find a surprise waiting for me. I hope to at least look into what their challenge is next year, even if I don't do it.

Challenge 3: Summer Reading Challenge 2.0

I decided the summer reading challenge I came up with last year was worth repeating, so I created a version based on the same format: 5 tiers of five challenges, with four or five gift cards or prizes of varying amounts available in a raffle at the end of summer party. Participants had three months to complete activities, and there were three alternatives people could do if they really didn't care for some of the activities. It was a little heavier on reading this time, but also on creative activities. I barely finished in time - memorizing a psalm was one of the last activities I wanted to do, and I almost didn't get it done.

It was fun for me, and the party was a good time, too. The only downside with the party is that there simply isn't enough time to talk about all the activities. I think people enjoy discussing what they did - especially if they composed something themselves - but that made it hard to move in a timely manner. We finished pretty late for an old-timer like me, but I had a nice time. A friend even sent us a thank-you note for holding the event. I hope to do this again next year, but I also need to remember to send out a survey for people to complete. This challenge was good, but I think I had more fun with the Rabbit Room challenge.

Challenge 4: Eighth Day Books

This challenge ran for three months, from June 22 through September 22 - so it's still going on now. Participants can earn "bingos" on a bingo card for reading books that fulfill the given requirement - for example, by reading a spiritual classic, or a book from the 21st century. The prizes are a social gathering with snacks and a special sale for participants, and a chance to win a mug or one of two gift certificates to the hosting store.

I started out fired up to cross off all 25 boxes! I had plans that would incorporate books I was reading for other challenges, so I didn't have a methodical way of working through the bingo card.

That was my downfall.

The deadline is a few weeks away, and I don't have a single bingo yet. I'm close in several places, but I find the bingo format limiting. I feel like my greed to succeed has pushed back other projects I should have worked on an exacerbated a relationship with books and reading that I had already started suspecting of unhealthy attachment. I had grand plans for which specific books I would read, but I've had to put down several because of my sensitivity to what I read.

It's been hard to accept that I probably can't get more than the one bingo, but I also think it's good for me. My current goal is to push myself to be content with that. I'm trying to focus harder on making sure I'm fulfilling the duties of my station in life, but most especially of being present to my husband during out time together.

Conclusion

This has been one of the best-read summers of my life. It has also been a time when I've grown an unhealthy attachment to books and reading, and that is a lesson I want to carry forward with me not only into next summer, but into the present. I'll keep reading, but work for a better balance of books with real life. Books will be my good friends, but my best friends will be the people in my life (as Bishop Kemme said in a recent kick-off event for the new book club year).