The 52 Books Challenge
by Ron Estrada
Having heard a few too many of my friends, both virtual and real, tell me that they never read any more, I decided to ask them, and you, if you can commit to 52 books in 2014. A book a week. Paper, e-book, or audio.
I have two reasons for doing this:
1. I’m a writer. It just stands to reason that I need more readers.
2. The “dumbing down” of our society has reached the point where more people can name the last 10 winners of American Idol than can name three article in our Bill of Rights. This is frightening, people, we are turning into a society of the over-entertained and over-informed ignorant. Our opinions were given to us by someone else. We’ve lost the ability to think and reason. And that’s because we no longer care to educate ourselves through the written word.
Thus the challenge. This here blog, of course, is a writer’s blog. It’s a safe assumption that most of you read. Some of you read over 100 books a year. But it still doesn’t release you from your duty. Here is my challenge to you:
1. Join in the 52 Books Challenge and invite facebook friends, breathing friends, and family to participate. Especially the younger folks among you. We know the stats. Kids who read will likely turn into adults who read.
2. Set your own reading goals. Writing mysteries? Set a goal to read 20 classic mysteries next year and 20 contemporary mysteries. Same with any other genre. Of course, we should read other genres, so set a goal for those as well. How about adding 5 books on writing craft to your goal? As a writer, reading is part of your career development plant. We should plan our reading as well as a physician plans his additional education.
Let me get this ball rolling. Here’s my plan:
1. Read a minimum of 52 books (about half will be audio).
2. Of these, 20 will be dystopians. 5 classics and 15 contemporary.
3. 5 books on writing craft, with at least 2 on character development.
4. 10 fiction titles will be classics (other than the dystopians).
5. 5 books will be non-fiction (other than writing craft). Mostly American history.
6. The remaining 12 will be contemporary fiction–suspense, mystery, thriller, literary, general
There. That looks like a good start. I may tweak it as I go, but now I’m not just floundering through my online library stacks. I have a plan. And it lines up with my current genre, dystopian fiction.
How about you? Will you join our 52 Books Challenge and invite others? And how about your reading plan? Please share!
