Welcome everyone to the online home of Twelve in 12!
What is it?
Starting January 1st, read a book every month for the next twelve months.
What counts?
Well... books. There are many things that come in a binding, but aren’t really what we had in mind for the challenge. These are the rules for adults. Obviously, if a seven year old would like to participate (we have had a five year old and an eight year old participating) then that's great. We don't expect them to read 200 page books.
What counts:
- Fiction or non-fiction works over 200 pages
- Collections of short stories, poems, or a combination of the two, bound together. For example: The Complete Works Of Emily Dickinson
- Plays. Ideally they should be over 200 pages, but under is okay since it's pretty hard to find a play over 200 pages.
What doesn’t count?
- Graphic novels, comic books, and magazines. Basically, anything with more pictures per page then words. I know that the Vogue fall edition is huge, but that’s not really a book.
- Instruction manuals, diet books, cookbooks, and for “dummies” books. Yes, they’re long, non-fiction works, generally novel length, but they’re not books that most people read cover to cover. Diet books almost always have an entire chapter devoted to recipes. No one reads the recipes all the way through.
- Audiobooks. You can’t read with your ears, and the challenge is about reading.
- Textbooks and other assigned reading. Our theory is that it shouldn’t count if you’re forced to read it.
- The Bible, and other religious texts, unless you haven’t read it before.
- Only books that you haven’t read within the last year count, and no reading the same book twelve times in a row.
- Spark notes, Cliff notes, and any analogs of them. Trust me, the real book is always better.
One book must be read a month. It’s okay if you don’t finish it before the month’s end, but the challenge is one book a month for 12 months, not 12 books in one month. There is no limit on the number of books per month though, so if you want to read 12 books every month, that’s fine with us!
Why bother?
Because reading levels for adults are really low in the US. In fact, many people don't even bother to read one book a year. This is a plan to try to remedy that.
How Do I Report What I've read?
What we would like people to do is write a very brief review of the book that they read (no spoilers please) in your own diary and put the link in a note here. That way, we have some way of knowing that people actually read the books.
The reviews will be able to help those of us who can't figure out what to read next (I have this problem A LOT) with choosing something good to read.
What if I can't do the whole challenge?
That's fine. That's why it's a challenge. We just ask that people try! Later, we'll have some helpful hints for finding time for reading even with a busy, busy schedule.
Wish to join?
Leave us a note on the Twelve in 12 for 2011 challenge page. We'll keep track of participants and add you as favorites. Make sure you add Twelve in 12 as a bookmark in your own diary as well. |
|
Loading...