The Why:
2024 here we come! And can we just declare this year the Year of the Books?
I don't know about you, but I love the week between Christmas and New Year's Day. It is a time of planning and setting goals, but most importantly it is a time to dream and ponder upon the possibilities.
Last year, one of my book goals was to join an IRL book club. This was a huge step out of my comfort zone, let me tell ya. I walked all by myself into a local restaurant, book in hand with my heart pumping and neck breaking out in embarrassing red splotches while I whispered to myself "You can do this," and met up with a bunch of strangers. Grant you, they were book-y type strangers, but this did nothing to alleviate the awkwardness. Did I go back? You bet ya! Was it everything I hoped it would be? Not really.
The Pros:
The book discussions were fun and made bad books somehow better.
The locations were a wide variety of locally owned restaurants.
The people were adorable book nerds like me. (wink)
The Cons:
The book selections were meh.
I had to leave my house.
I had to fit the time and place into my schedule.
I had to leave my house. (It's worth mentioning again.)
It was a bit (okay, a lot) awkward.
In 2024 I'm going to do book club a bit differently! I want to connect with book people in the comfort of my fuzzy blue polka dot pjs as well as gush and gab about all the books without the rigidness of schedules and book selections.
If this sounds like your idea of a good time, then read on!
How the 24 in 2024 Book Challenge Works:
Download the 24 in 2024 Book Challenge. (Download is below.)
Hunt down a book that fulfills a prompt.
Read it.
Repeat until all the prompts are checked off.
Simple and fun. This can be done on your own for the simple joy of a challenge or you could do it with friends IRL. I have done book challenges on my own for years to increase my reading volume as well as for the gentle nudge to branch out beyond my preferred genres. This is a great way to dip your toes in the big ocean of book love.
Expanded Options:
24 in 2024 Book Challenge Blog
On the 24th of each month, I will post a blog reviewing my reads and updating my progress on the challenge. Please feel free to comment about your reads. I can't wait to hear from you!
Email Sign-Up
For a more personal touch, sign up for the 24 in 2024 book club under the Bookish Fun tab on my website. Each month (on the 24th, of course) I will send out a newsletter reviewing a book or two (hopefully good ones), asking questions about the Book of the Month, and announcing the next Book of the Month. When the next newsletter arrives, you can answer the questions as well as give your overall thoughts on the book. I will reply! We will be book emailpals. (I think I just made up a word! Eeek!)
If this is an option for you, January's pick is Alone by Megan E. Freeman. It is a middle grade book in verse with Hatchet and The Walking Dead (sans zombies) vibes.
(If the group gets too big for me to respond on a one-to-one basis, I will set up a Discord or come up with another plan. But right now, we are small and mighty so I should be able to respond to each member.)
Bookstagram
On the 24th of each month, let's have a Booksta Blast. Make a post pertaining to the 24 in 2024 Book Challenge. This will be a great way for us to meet each other and see what everyone else is reading. Here's a few ideas to get the creative juices flowing:
A Book Review or Rec
A Book Quote
A Monthly Wrap-Up
What's on Your TBR for Next Month
Your Current Read
How-To Fulfill a Prompt
Be sure to use the hashtag #24in2024bookchallenge so we can find you and cheer you on. You can also tag me @staceywritesandreads in your posts. I don't want to miss it!
Buddy Reads
If you're really feeling social (strictly in the book sense), join our quarterly buddy reads. For each quarter, I've selected a book for us to read together. Warning: I'm a middle grade junkie thus all my book picks reflect this self-diagnosed affliction.
Here's the list:
January: Alone by Megan E. Freeman (Book in verse)
April: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (Book set in my favorite city)
July: Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery (A classic)
October: The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Cristopher Paul Curtis (24 letters)
On the 24th of each quarter month, I will post a few light questions on Bookstagram for you to comment on. Follow me @staceywritesandreads so you don't miss out! Of course, I'll add some interesting literary side notes and book quotes just for funsies. If you're feeling up to the challenge, add to the conversation with your own post and questions. Use and follow the hashtag #24in2024buddyread so we can find you!
Follow Others
One of the main goals of the 24 in 2024 Book Challenge is to make bookish friends, so be sure to follow each other. Maybe you'll create your own buddy reads or better yet, discover your new book bestie!
That's it! I can't wait to meet you and read with you, book friends! It is my hope this is the start of something special! I envision DM groups on Booksta for deeper discussions, an End of Year Zoom Celebration, and 25 in 2025. But for now, let's start here!
Happy Reading!
Stacey Faubion
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