12 Months of Reading More Than a Challenge

I love a good reading challenge, but more than that, I delight in watching readers and authors come together over the joy of a great read. That passion is the soul behind the 12 Months of Reading Challenge. 

In 2024, I started the challenge on a bit of a whim and simply floated it out quietly into the world. I didn’t make much of a to-do about it; it was more of a trial run, so to speak. At the end of that year, I decided it should be much more, and so I did a little brainstorming and here we are! 

Just the Facts, Ma’am 

The 12 Months of Reading Challenge gives readers a different category each month. I also share at least four recommendations of books that could be read for that category. Readers choose one of those books or another one of their choosing and read it. That’s it! 

How Big Is This Commitment? 

The Bare Minimum 

Some readers will pick out one or two categories, and that’s all they want from 12 MOR. And, that is so fine. The commitment can end right there. 

This Challenge also offers a community of lit lovers and more engaging challenges throughout the year for readers who want more fun. 

The Community 

I am primarily active on Facebook and Instagram and have a found a beautiful group of book lovers who frequently interact in the comments of my posts. 

Each week, I post a LAM Book Club graphic and encourage readers to share what they’re currently reading. People can usually find some great recommendations there if they’re between reads. Also, conversations pop up between readers as they discover shared favorites or preferences. 

That community grows during the other events I host throughout the year. 

More Challenges 

One of my goals as an author is to use my virtual platform to bring readers and authors together over the written word. 

I do that year-round through a variety of events and activities that I host on this website, my social media pages, my YouTube channel, my newsletter and on video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Skype. 

Here are a few of the activities I host throughout the year. (By the way, LAM stands for Logos & Mythos, which is the name of my publishing company.) 

• LAM Book Club: no set book; readers share what they’re reading and recommendations; weekly posts on social media and monthly virtual chats via Zoom on the first Thursday of each month [More about LAM Book Club] 
• 12 Days of Reading Challenge, December 26 through January 6: this low-key event presents readers with tips, questions, challenges, events and more each day to reflect on the good reads of the past year and prepare for more great reads in the year to come 
• LAM Authors of the Round Table Chats: readers are invited to chat live via Zoom with various authors throughout the year; I interview them in a casual, conversational manner and encourage readers to ask their own questions; the replays are available on YouTube 
• LAM Couples Reading Challenge: grab your partner and pick a book (or short story or other written medium); held in February, this challenge is the perfect opportunity for husbands and wives, boyfriends and girlfriends to get to know more about each other by diving into a story together 
• LAM Summer Reading Challenge: going strong since 2018, this challenge is a reader favorite; running for eight weeks during June and July, readers interact with one another and authors through social media posts and live Zoom chats and compete for prizes of autographed books, book swag prize packs and two grand prizes of gift cards to bookshop .org. [More about LAM Summer Reading] 
• LAM Family Reading Challenge: the family that reads together, stays together; encouraging literacy in all generations is important to me, so I host this event in the fall to infuse more fun into family reading; we play bookish games during live Zoom events, set our own challenges for the month and compete for prizes 

The best way to receive frequent reminders of all these opportunities, is to subscribe to my weekly newsletter. A subscription is free and comes with exclusive stories and other freebies as well as first looks at book titles and covers, release dates, behind-the-story details, book recommendations, in-person events and more. Sign up here: https://bit.ly/JoyERancatoreNewsletter.  

The 12 Months of Reading Completion Prize 

For this Challenge, a reader can commit to reading all 12 categories throughout the year—one book a month. For those readers, I have free downloadable graphics to share each month’s read with friends on social media, as well as a PDF for recording all twelve months. Emailing a completed PDF to me by midnight (CT) on January 2 claims the completion prize: a 12 Months of Reading calendar for the following year. 

A Word About Categories 

I am big on readers reading what they love. For that reason, my book club has no set book! And that is why when I set reading categories for 12 MOR and my other challenges, I make them as broad as possible. 

If a reader prefers nonfiction to fiction, they should still be able to participate. If they prefer short form writing or poetry or anything else, again, they should be able to mold the category to their preferences. 

I am also quite flexible on what fits each category. For example, I once had “A Fantastic Book” as a category. While that may immediately bring to mind dragons and faeries for some readers, a fantastic book could be anything someone reads and can’t stop talking about. 

One more example to think outside the category is “A Book with Snow in the Title or on the Cover.” For aesthetic’s sake, I try to keep categories short. While this one isn’t as short as I’d like, it still doesn’t capture all that could fit the bill. For instance, a book that is set in a snow-prone region (whether or not snow makes an appearance in the story) would be totally acceptable. 

And so, if a reader is uncertain of a category, they need only ask. At the end of the day, my top priority is encouraging readers to read more. 

How No-Pressure Are We Talking? 

I am not going to hound anyone who wants to participate in 12 Months of Reading. In fact, it’s really on each reader to let me know they’re participating. Tag me on social media with a downloaded graphic, interact in the comments of my posts or email me to share how it’s going. 

Or don’t! 

This Challenge is for readers. Like the books I write, once I’ve released these challenges into the world, the readers take over from there and make them what they need them to be. 

What’s In It For More Competitive Readers? 

The completion prize is a 12 Months of Reading calendar. This is not any old calendar, though. 

It includes three things for each month: 

1. That month’s reading category 
2. A spot to record the chosen title and author for the month 
3. A few literature-related dates 

I will also have a limited number of these calendars available for purchase from me each year. (More on that on the 12 Months of Reading webpage … link below.) 

Aside from the prize for readers who complete all twelve months, 12 Months of Reading is perfect for sharing with fellow book lovers, wherever they happen to be. Let me spin you a couple of tales … 

Two best friends who’ve swapped book recommendations since they both fell in love with Sweet Valley High back in the 1990s live across the country from one another. They both have access to the 12 Months of Reading page and graphics and can have an added friendly competition on social media. First to post their completed book each month gets bonus bragging rights! Or, maybe instead of competing, they take on the challenge together, choosing the same book to read and chat about however they keep in touch. 

A group of friends who love to read decide to form a casual book club, but they’re not sure how to pick each month’s read. Enter 12 Months of Reading! 

Recent empty-nesters, a husband and wife decide to fill their quieter evenings with reading out loud together. They use 12 Months of Reading to guide their choices. 

I look forward to hearing how you use this Challenge to boost your own reading or to share with friends. 

In Closing 

My heart’s desire for 12 Months of Reading is that it encourages timid readers, stokes the embers of readers’ passions that have grown cold in the busyness of society, brings readers and authors together to share the joy of stories and spreads a splash of fun throughout the year. 

To participate in 12 Months of Reading, download graphics and a PDF tracker, find links to each month’s book recommendation post and more in one spot, visit www.joyerancatore.com/12-months-of-reading.

Remember to #ShareTheRead! Tap the graphic below to download each month’s graphic to share on your social media. How many reader friends can you bring to the party?

Tap the graphic above to join LAM Book Club for an extra way to #ShareTheRead with fellow readers! No set book. Meet virtually once a month. Share what you’re reading or ask for recommendations.