With 2018 on a roll and the beginning of February near, it is time to set this year’s reading goals. 

Never done a yearly reading challenge before? Well, here are some simple ground rules for starting one.

1. First off, make the reading challenge your own. Feel free to challenge yourself to any amount of books you feel comfortable reading. 

2. Ask some friends to make their own challenges and join in on the fun. Not only will this motivate you to read more, but now you will also have someone you can talk about books with.

3. Lastly, just have fun with it! Challenge yourself to read new books and get out of your comfort zone while also going back and reading some of your personal favorites. 

There are a few ways you can go about recording your progress during this challenge. My personal favorite is by using Goodreads.com. Goodreads not only has a yearly reading challenge but it also allows users to add friends and check up on what they’re reading. On Goodreads, you can record every book you read and when you read it. Users can even rate the books they read and write reviews. 

An alternative method to keeping a 2018 reading goal is by journaling. Keeping a list of all the books you’ve read and even rating them if you wish is just as effective as using Goodreads. 

Here are some of the many books coming out this year that you could add to your 2018 must reads.

Check out the full list of these books and many more on bookriot.com

In February, check out: “Force of Nature,” by Jane Harper, “The Belles,” by Dhonielle Clayton and “Some Hell,” by Patrick Nathan.

In March, check out:”Happiness,” by Aminatta Forna, “The Poet X,” by Elizabeth Acevedo and “Children of Blood and Bone,” by Tomi Adeyemi.

In April, check out: “How to be Safe,” by Tom McAllister, “West,” by Carys Davies and “Macbeth,” by Jo Nesbo.

In May, Check out: “The Pisces,” by Melissa Broder, “That Kind of Mother,” by Rumaan Alam and “I Felt a Funeral, in My Brain,” by Will Walton.

Some great places to purchase new books include local book stores, we have a Books-A-Million here in Ames, Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Digital readers also have great book libraries with many free and to-purchase items. And don’t forget to check out our public library here in Ames.

As a conclusion, consider making a 2018 reading challenge for yourself, whether that be to read five books or to read 100 books, give it a chance and have fun with it.

Happy Reading!