Remember when you were a kid and summers were all yours? Remember playing outside until the dusk crept in and your parents called your dirty, sun-kissed body in for bed? Remember grabbing a Mickey Mouse dipped ice cream from the trucks that drove by, singing the tune of childhood? Remember joining the summer reading challenge at the local library and going home with armloads of books, each one getting you closer to a prize?
I was daydreaming about that last aspect of childhood as I popped into the library to pick up my current book the other day. Of course, as an adult, I read for enjoyment; it’s a reward to steal time away from “productive” tasks and use it to get lost in a book. But, whether I love something on its own merit or not, an incentive always makes things a bit more fun. Because of that, I’ve created a Summer Reading Challenge for adult women like us. Take a gander, then print it out, check off your accomplishments, and reward yourself accordingly!
Rules:
- Every 50 pages that you read = 1 point
- Every book-on-tape that you complete = 5 points
- Every book club meeting that you attend = 1 point
- Ever book club meeting that you host = 2 points
- Every book-related speaking event you attend = 1 point
- Every book you read with your/a child = 0.5 points
- Every comment that you post on Shelf Pleasure = 0.5 points
- Every article that you submit to Shelf Pleasure = 2 points
- Every 10 points = a prize (see table below)