#Febookary – Face You Reading Fears

Welcome to #Febookary, a time where you can challenge any fears you have about reading and maybe discover that the books you’ve been reluctant to read aren’t so bad after all. 🙂

(Look out for a post about this new challenge going out Saturday 1st February – a day later than planned sorry!)

What is #Febookary?

#Febookary is a one month long challenge (happening during the shortest month in the year – so if you really don’t like the challenge it won’t last too long 😉 ) where everyone is invited to face their reading fears by dong their best to to read a book they’d never usually touch.

#Febookary is a challenge both for people of any age (adults, teens and kids) who are reluctant readers, as well as a challenge for those enjoy reading including avid bookworms. 🙂 And there’s different ways to get involved whether you’re new to the book reading world or a long standing member.

Why I started #Febookary?

Many people find reading a challenge and for many adults and children, a bad experience when we are younger can put some people off reading for life. At 7 years old I had my own bad experience with a book (you can read about it here), and it made me reluctant, even fearful, to pick up a book for years. I managed to get over my own reading fears, eventually, by reading books that I enjoyed and by challenging myself to read them even though I was reluctant to try. I now read books everyday and blog about them.

Having faced my own reading problems and overcome them I now want to help others who feel that books are not for them, or who are reluctant to try reading. So I thought a challenge to push ourselves out of our comfort zones, to try reading, even if we’re nervous/don’t want to can help get all of us to realise that books are for everyone and that everyone is able to enjoy reading books.

Who can take part in #Febookary

Everybody! Whether you (or your children) are reluctant readers, bookworms at heart, or something in between, everyone can take part in #Febookary. Reading books may not be everyone’s favourite hobby, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t all enjoy a book every now and again. There’s different things you can do for #Febookary, depending on how much you enjoy reading already, but there are no hard rules and the main thing is to have fun during the month and enjoy getting involved and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.

How to get involved:

Reluctant Readers: If you (or your children) are normally nervous or just don’t like reading then this challenge is especially made for you and don’t worry, it’s actually really easy to get involved. Your challenge is to pick just one book and read it during the month of February. That’s it! Just pick one book to read and do your best to read it all within the month. Make sure the book you pick is one you will like. Don’t pick up a book you think you should be reading just because everyone else is or has, pick one that you think you will enjoy, no matter what it is.

There’s no rules about what sort of book to read, adults can read kids books, kids can read adult-aimed books (as long as they are child-friendly), the main idea is to get reading, and you’ll (hopefully) discover that books are not so bad You might even enjoy reading so much that you’ll get the reading bug and want to read more!

Already a reader?: If you already like to read books then you can still get involved in #Febookary. You probably have your favourite genres you like to read, well during the month of February why not get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself to read a genre you wouldn’t usually read. Even if you’ve tried a book in a genre you don’t like before, try another one by a different author. Or if you already read a lot of different genres, why not look at a different sub-genre. If you already read a very wide variety of books then how about indie books versus traditionally published? Or if you’re used to standalone novels why not try a series, and the same if you usually read series/trilogies, why not try a stnadalone. Or if you enjoy short books, why not try a large book (about/over 500 pages) and vice versa. Even try books aimed at different ages. If you haven’t tried children’s books of today, why not read a kids book, or ya. If you usuall read ya or children’s try a book aimed at adults, etc.

There are many ideas you can have and if you are still struggling then take a look at all the books you want to read on your tbr (to-be-read) pile and see if there’s one book you’ve been putting off reading. Is there a reason you’ve been putting it off, maybe now’s the time to challenge yourself to read it?

Tips to enjoy #Febookary

Get involved in the challenge by sharing what you are reading online, using the hashtag #febookary, and don’t forget to be supportive of others who are also taking part in the challenge. By getting involved with the hashtag you can meet others who might be reading the same book and you may even make some new friends.
Your speed of reading doesn’t matter. Some people naturally read fast, but many don’t (including me). It doesn’t matter how fast you read a book, or how many books you manage to get through in the month, what matters is that you enjoy the act of reading and maybe you’ll even find a new book you’ll want to read again 🙂
Don’t forget to think about different book formats too. Books can be read on digital devices (even your phone), as paperbacks and even heard as audiobooks – yes you can listen and it’s still considered reading! Some books are also picture based, like graphic novels which can be good for those who want a more visual experience to get them started.
Forget what age a book is aimed at. Adults are free to read children’s books (I do!) and if you have children who are especially reluctant or who have faced challenges when reading, then don’t look at the age a book is aimed at, but rather the contents inside. For example, some children at middle grade reading age (9-12), may struggle with books aimed at this age – I did. In which case get them interested in reading books by getting them to read something aimed at slightly younger kids. Many books aimed at younger ages are often easier to read and have additional pictures which help – this works with adults too (I often read younger children’s books as the stories are just so fun!)
If you find yourself really disliking the book you’ve picked to read, but have given it a good go, then don’t get disheartened and please don’t stop the challenge. Instead pick a different book by a different author or even a different genre. The challenge is to get out of your reading comfort zone, but we still want you to enjoy what you read.
Don’t think you’ll finish reading within the month. Don’t worry you can continue to read beyond February, or even start on the last day. What matters is that you get reading and enjoy it 🙂

Extra tips about which books to pick

When looking at genres remember the variety inside each, for example:

Crime/mystery novels range from the very gritty, phsychological and dark all the way to pleasant mysteries and even lighthearted ones with humour.
Romance novels can range from the erotic all the way to the very light-hearted and even romantic comedies.
Historical fiction novels cover a massive variety of different historical periods from quite modern all the way back to the ancient times.
Fantasy books range from the very high fantasy including creatures and worlds we’ve never heard of to urban fantasy that takes place in our regular world but with a few magical otherworldly bits thrown in thrown in.
Sci-fi books range from stories that take place on other planets or in space to ones set in the far future or near future and some just have mild elements and dystopian.
Don’t forget non-fiction books and the range of genres within them: Biographies, Science, Food, Animals. And other book types you may have overlooked such as Poetry, picture books, etc.

Don’t forget to get involved…

Don’t forget to get involved by using the hashtag #Febookary online. Tell everyone what you’re reading, what you think of it and don’t be afraid of chatting to others about how you feel. Remember to be supportive of everyone taking part. It doesn’t matter what book anyone is reading, how they feel about that book, how many books they are reading or how long they take to read. What matters is that they are giving it a go, facing their fears of reading and challenging themselves which isn’t always easy. Be supportive and let’s help show how friendly and wonderful the reading community is, and let’s also show the world that books really are for everyone and nobody needs to feel scared or reluctant to pick up a book.

Don’t forget to follow the hashtag #Febookary and me @TStrawberryPost on Twitter and Instragram too for more #Febookary news and suggestions on what to read 🙂