
I’m always in the mood for a good reading challenge. The Oshkosh Public Library, my local library in Wisconsin, recently hosted an adult winter reading challenge that I participated in. It was super exciting to participate because I was able to visit inside the library for the first time in February! When I moved to Wisconsin, I was able to pick up books via curbside or borrow books online through services like OverDrive and Hoopla. Anyway, back to the challenge. This challenge worked a little differently than other reading challenges I participated in. Instead of following a list of prompts to fill with books, I had to read 1,000 minutes between January 4th, 2021, and February 28th, 2021. Once you hit certain time marks of reading, you received different stamps.
Here are the books I read for this challenge:
- Holes by Louis Sacher
- When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole
- My Life as a Background Slytherin by Amy McGovern
- Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
- The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
- The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner & Organizer by Carley Roney
- Fangirl, Vol. 1 Manga by Rainbow Rowell
- The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
- Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks
- The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
- Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson
- Jade City by Fonda Lee
At the end of the challenge, I read for 29 hours and 4 minutes, over an entire day! It was interesting to track how many minutes I’ve read rather than the number of pages. Tracking how much time I spent reading was more work than I expected it to be. It felt like more pressure to read based on timing rather than the books themselves. I don’t think I’ll be tracking my reading based on the number of hours I read again, but it was fun to participate. I’m I hope the Oshkosh Public Library hosts reading challenges for adults in the future.

Wow!!! What a great idea. I’m trying to find my love of reading again so I’m excited that you shared a list of books I can look into