2016 Reading Challenge

Happy New Year everyone! Hope the start of your year is going well.

I thought it would be fun to share this check list I found at Tim Challies website HERE. I've never done a reading challenge before, so I'm only committing to 'The Light Reader' though I will probably read more than 13 books this year.

The rules are flexible, so instead of just picking my 13 books from the light reader section, I'm going to choose a few books per-section. I've added mine in pink to the category. Feel free to use this list to challenge yourself this year as well.


The Light Reader

_ 1. A book about Christian living
_ 2. A biography
✔3. A classic novel - 'Ruth' by Elizabeth Gaskell
_ 4. A book someone tells you "changed my life"
_ 5. A commentary on a book of the Bible
✔6. A book about theology - 'Housewife Theologian' by Aimee Byrd
_ 7. A book with the word "gospel" in the title or subtitle
_ 8. A book your pastor recommends
_ 9. A book more than 100 years old
_ 10. A book for children
_ 11. A mystery or detective novel
✔12. A book published in 2016 - 'The Preacher's Lady' by Lori Copeland
_ 13. A book about a current issue

The Avid Reader

_ 14. A book written by a Puritan
✔15. A book recommended by a family member - 'The Immoral Life of Henrietta Lacks' by Rebecca Skloot
_ 16. A book by or about a missionary
_ 17. A novel that won the Pulitzer Prize
_ 18. A book written by an Anglican - 'Holiness' by J.C. Ryle
_ 19. A book with at least 400 pages
_ 20. A book by C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkien
_ 21. A book that has a fruit of the Spirit in the title - 'God's Love' by R.C. Sproul
_ 22. A book with a great cover
_ 23. A book on the current New York Times list of bestsellers
_ 24. A book about church history
_ 25. A graphic novel
_ 26. A book of poetry

The Committed Reader

_ 27. A book from a theological viewpoint you disagree with
_ 28. A book written by an author with initials in their name
_ 29. A book that won a ECPA Christian Book Award
_ 30. A book about worldview
_ 31. A play by William Shakespeare
_ 32. A humorous book
_ 33. A book based on a true story
_ 34. A book written by Jane Austen
_ 35. A book by or about Martin Luther
_ 36. A book with 100 pages or less
✔37. A book with a one-word title - 'Thrive' by Mark Hall
_ 38. A book about money or finance
✔39. A novel set in a country that is not your own - 'So Shines the Night' by Tracy L. Higley
_ 40. A book about music
_ 41. A memoir
_ 42. A book about joy or happiness
_ 43. A book by a female author
_ 44. A book whose title comes from a Bible verse
✔45. A book you have started but never finished - 'All the Lights We Cannot See' by Anthony Doerr
_ 46. A self-improvement book
_ 47. A book by David McCullough 
_ 48. A book you own but have never read
_ 49. A book about abortion
_ 50. A book targeted at the other gender
_ 51. A book by a speaker at a conference you have attended
_ 52. A book written by someone of a different ethnicity than you

The Obsessed Reader

_ 53. A book published by The Banner of Truth
_ 54. A book about the Reformation
_ 55. A book written by a first-time author
✔56. A biography of a world leader - 'A. Lincoln' by Ronald C. White
_ 57. A book used as a seminary textbook
_ 58. A book about food
_ 59. A book about productivity
_ 60. A book about or relationships or friendship
_ 61. A book about parenting
_ 62. A book about philosophy
_ 63. A book about art
_ 64. A book with magic
_ 65. A book about prayer
_ 66. A book about marriage
_ 67. A book about a hobby
_ 68. A book of comics
_ 69. A book about the Second World War
_ 70. A book about sports
_ 71. A book by or about a pastor’s wife
_ 72. A book about suffering
_ 73. A book by your favorite author
_ 74. A book you have read before
✔75. A book about homosexuality - 'The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert' by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield
_ 76. A Christian novel
_ 77. A book about psychology
_ 78. A book about the natural world
_ 79. A book by or about Charles Dickens
✔80. A novel longer than 400 pages - 'Five Brides' by Eva Marie Everson
_ 81. A historical book
_ 82. A book about the Bible
_ 83. A book about a country or city
_ 84. A book about astronomy
_ 85. A book with an ugly cover
_ 86. A book by or about a martyr
_ 87. A book by a woman conference speaker
_ 88. A book by or about the church fathers
_ 89. A book about language
_ 90. A book by or about a Russian
_ 91. A book about leadership
_ 92. A book about public speaking
_ 93. A book by Francis Schaeffer
_ 94. A book by a Presbyterian
_ 95. A book about science
_ 96. A book about revival
_ 97. A book about writing
_ 98. A book about evangelism
_ 99. A book about ancient history
_ 100. A book about preaching
_ 101. A book about the church
_ 102. A book about adoption
✔103. A photo essay book - 'Humans of New York' by Brandon Stanton
_ 104. A book written in the twentieth century

Extra Credit

_ 105. A book from a library
_ 106. A book about business
_ 107. A book by an author less than 30
_ 108. A book published by a UK-based publisher
_ 109. A book you borrow


*Also feel free to leave a comment with some books on your list for 2016. I would love to hear about what you are planning on reading this upcoming year. : )