Raise your hand if you loved reading as a kid!
I feel like this is a familiar story I hear from people in my age range. You loved reading when you were little, but fell out of the habit when you got older. I know I identify with this. I was a huge reader when I was a kid. I pinpoint college as the time when I stopped reading for fun. Now that I am out of school, I am actively working to pick that reading habit back up.
I have a mental tie between reading and summertime. The start of summer can feel very nostalgic. I associate summer with childhood. One thing that comes to mind when I think of summer is spending time reading. Since I wasn’t in school, I had more free time to pick up books from the library and read. I didn’t do it every year, but I have memories of joining my library’s summer reading program. I remember the librarian would give me a sheet to record how much time I spent reading, and I would get to track my progress to get prizes.
One of my goals for this summer is to start and complete a summer reading challenge. I want something to motivate me and keep me accountable for reading more.
Finding a Summer Reading Challenge For Adults
I started searching online to find a summer reading challenge for adults.
Through research, I was able to find a few challenges that look interesting.
Library Summer Reading Challenge
I also discovered that my local library has a Summer Reading Challenge for adults. My library is hosting a Summer Reading Challenge through a site called Beanstack. I was able to sign up and create an account that allows me to track my reading, complete activities, and earn badges. I am someone who is highly motivated by gamification, so I am very excited about this challenge.
If you are interested in finding ways to read more this summer, I suggest you also check to see if your local library has an Adult Summer Reading Program that you can participate in. If you don’t have a library card, I highly, highly recommend you get one! A library card is such a good way to get access to books, as well as a lot of other resources!
Free Library Resources
Type “[Your Library] Free Resources” into Google and you should be able to find at least one webpage of the resources you can access with a library card. One of which is likely a database of ebooks that you can access from your mobile device, which will help you check out books for your reading challenge.
Why You Should Join A Summer Reading Program As An Adult
You might be wondering why you would possibly want to sign yourself up for a reading challenge, especially if you enjoy the no-homework aspect of life after finishing school. But there are so many benefits to reading and there are several reasons you should consider looking into a summer reading program.
Photo by Mona Termos: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-quran-beside-lighted-candle-3074209/
Benefits of Joining a Summer Reading Program/Challenge As An Adult
Accountability
I know I have been guilty of saying I want to read more, but not following through with that. Taking part in a challenge or program can help keep you accountable for meeting your reading goal.
Finding a sense of community
If you are someone who likes connecting with others, you can look for a summer reading program through a local group or book club, that can allow you to meet new people and provide a sense of community.
Gamification
Gamification can be a beneficial element for achieving new goals. That is what I like so much about the summer reading program I found through my library. I know having a dashboard where I can log my reading and earn badges will be a motivating factor for me. Adding elements of gamification and dopamine is a good way to make achieving your goals more fun and exciting.
Nostalgia
As I said above, I have fond childhood memories of spending time reading during my summer vacations. And I remember taking part in my local library’s summer reading challenge and getting to go to the library periodically to update my progress. That element of nostalgia is largely why I want to participate in a summer reading challenge as an adult.
If you don’t want to go through your library, or if they don’t offer a reading program you are interested in, you can check out some of the adult summer reading challenges I found online.
Summer Reading Challenges For Adults
https://www.julesbuono.com/summer-reading-challenge-for-adults/
https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/1602-take-on-the-goodreads-summer-reading-challenge
If none of these interest you, try doing an online search for “Summer Reading Challenge For Adults” and “Summer Reading Program For Adults.” I also suggest searching different social media platforms (especially Pinterest), where people post so many creative resources.
How To Make Summer Reading Exciting
I am very excited to participate in this summer reading challenge. I am going to keep my summer reading fun and interesting by picking books I’m excited to read and reading in different locations, like the beach, the park, my backyard, and coffee shops!
Do you enjoy reading? I would love to hear from you down below. I would also love for you to also take part in a summer reading challenge.
Life by Julia 
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