Level Up Mini Challenge: Go Book Yourself

Personal picture (iPhone snap) at the Last Bookstore

 Here is a new Level Up mini-challenge for you today: books. As I experiment in various growth categories, I have decided to share some of these with you, have they been useful to me. The Go Book Yourself mini-challenge, which name is inspired from this site, is an experiment on the mental/spiritual area of level up.

First, if you don't like reading so much, you can adapt this challenge to other cultural items you like better: films, series, art exhibits...

I remember, in my early twenties, finding an old library card, before everything was digitized, listing all the books I had borrowed at the junior school's library. I had filled the whole A4 sized card in less than six months back then. This little find made me reconnect with books, as I had practically stopped reading in my teenage years. Also, much more recently, Kristina introduced my to the most gorgeous bookstore ever, the Last Bookstore - if you live or travel around the LA area you should definitely go have a look there.

This mini-challenge may be of use if you like reading (or one of the alternatives above) but feel like you have abandoned this activity lately, or if you are in lack of new ideas. The aim is to either help you read more books, or help you discover new reads.

• 1. Select a book that you read and liked at some point in the past


• 2. Go to the Interwebs and find recommendations for similar books (for example, the aforementioned Go Book Yourself, Goodreads, why not even Amazon's recommentations...)


• 3. Select 2-3 books which summary attracts you and have positive reader's reviews


• 4. This week, go get the first of them, either at a bookstore or library


• 5. Start reading it this week, and repeat with the other 2 books once you are done.


• 6. Ideas on when to read: While commuting (if using public transportation), over lunch break, in the evening, with a cup of tea, in bed just before sleeping, on week-ends at a park or coffee shop...

This is a very simple mini-challenge (as they should be), I hope it gives you a spark of inspiration to start a new book this week! If you like a particular genre and wish for me to give you a couple of ideas, please don't hesitate to drop a comment or e-mail! I also have a Goodreads profile, if it helps. That is only my humble taste though.