January 1-December 31, 2011
I Heart Monster is hosting The It's Not What You Read But Where You Read It Challenge. She writes:
I'm challenging myself to a reading challenge. Wanna join me? It's not what I read that matters, it's where I read it. Not only does it challenge me to read, it challenges me to plan and to focus while I'm in somewhat unfamiliar surroundings.
Here's how it works:
- Choose on place from each category. It's up to you - you can do one of the suggested places, or you can pick one from your life that you think fits.
- Read in that category for at least one hour. Ten minutes six times counts and sixty minutes one time counts, you get the picture.
- Wait for March 30, June 30, September 30, and December 30 to see if you're the lucky finisher that was drawn for a prize.
What are the categories? Dude, you know I'll tell you.
Twist Your House
Read somewhere inside your house that you have never sat (or stood I suppose) and read before. It could be the bathroom (but I won't 'cause I think, ew gross), the bathtub, the corner, the closet, the guest bedroom, the dining room table - it just can't be somewhere that you've read before. Think outside the box.
Place of Commerce
Read somewhere that things are sold. Coffee shop? Sure. While you're waiting for your wife to try on clothes? Absolutely. At the fountain at the mall while you're scoping out guys? Uh, that's a stretch but give it a try.
Move
Read on the bus, on a train, on the light rail, on a plane, in a car, while you're walking, while you're on the treadmill at the gym. It doesn't have to be somewhere you haven't read before, just somewhere where you are moving through space.
Nature
This one could be hard for city folk, but there is a park somewhere, right? The requirement is that you are sitting/standing on something that isn't manmade. Man could have planted it, but not created it. Granite countertop? Um no. Granite boulder? Um yeah.
You Don't Call Home
Out of state? Sure. At your neighbor's house? Sure. Hotel? Yup. But it can't do double duty for any of the other categories.
Probably Shouldn't
Think work, church, grocery shopping. DO NOT READ WHILE DRIVING OR RIDING YOUR BIKE OR ROLLERBLADING/SKATING. BE SAFE. Be creative.
In Pairs
I don't care where you are as long as someone else in the room is reading their own book too. Before bed with the hubbie? Sure. In a hotel lobby? Absolutely. In a bookstore? Dude, you get the picture.
Seven hours of reading in a place that you probably wouldn't normally. That's the challenge. Think you can take that over the course of a year? The more people that finish the challenge by December 30th, the bigger the prize will be. There will also be quarterly prizes for those who have finished, so the earlier you finish, the bigger your chances of winning. And the first prize will be a $10 online bookstore gift card. Oh yeah, and we're open worldwide baby.
To join, go to The It's Not What You Read But Where You Read It Challenge.
