15 June 2014

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.

10 comments:

  1. This is just the kick in the pants I needed Kali. I've only been reading "serious" books for work on my morning commute, but I really need to fill up my list again with "fun" books that I can't wait to read!

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    1. I'm so glad to hear it :) Let me know what you are reading once you've picked up a "fun" book!

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  2. Nice idea! I find it difficoult to read right now, but I have found I can read while nursing!!!

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    1. Good thinking! I hope you can read more now :)

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    2. I copied your picture from this post for my linkl ove which will be published on Sat (it's sourced, of course). Hope you don't mind. If you do, I'll take it off :)

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    3. Thanks for letting me know! As long as you specify the source of the picture, it's absolutely fine with me if you use it :)

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  3. Mmm I definitely am trying to finish the 5 Foot and Half shelf that is the Harvard Classics.

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    1. Haha good luck with that! I have quite a list of classics on my to-read as well ;)

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  4. Nice timing! Just a few days before reading this post I decided, yet again, that I need to read more books. I wish I was the kind of person who reads a lot of books, like those great classics we all know, but for some reason I don't do it. Now I'm gonna make myself read more, as I do enjoy it and it is something I want to do. Plus then I'll waste less time on the internet... Right now I'm reading Nausea by Sartre.

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    1. Sartre is a very good choice! There are a few of his books on my to-read list. It's crazy the amount of time we can waste browsing on the Internet, isn't it? I'm also trying to make myself browse less, but it's somtimes harder than others...

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