#2024 Jax Stacks Reading Challenge

Are you ready for an all-new Jax Stacks Reading Challenge? With 16 fresh categories to choose from, it's the perfect way to tackle that growing TBR (to-be-read) list or to try something completely new. 

#Get started

You can pick up your 2024 Jax Stacks Reading Challenge bookmarks right now at your local Jacksonville Public Library. The challenge "officially" starts on January 1, 2024, but don’t worry if you get started late! Any book you read in 2024 that fits a challenge category counts. Don't think you can commit to 12 books? Pick your favorite category and just start reading. You might surprise yourself!

If you're looking for more structure (and a prize), here are some basic rules for you:

1. Choose the 12 categories that interest you most.
2. Read one book that fits each category, for a total of 12 books.
3. Track the books you're reading on the Jax Stacks bookmark.
4. Snap a picture of your completed list and send it to jplprograms@coj.net by December 31, 2024! 
5. Optional: Complete all 16 categories. You won't get any additional prizes but we'll be extra impressed. Seriously. Go, you! And bonus: You'll have read 16 books!

#Choose your categories

Each book only counts for one category, so choose wisely! Whether you try out a new format (like audiobooks), revisit old favorites or read a book in a genre you completely overlooked before, Jax Stacks Reading Challenge is one resolution you'll actually love sticking to!

1. A book by a 2024 Lit Chat author
   Lit Chat Interviews and Author Talks bring authors from far and near to talk with you about their books and writing process (as well as some delightful tangents)! Check out the events calendar to find all the authors coming this year and then, grab a book by one of them to read!
2. A book with an eye-catching cover
   Some covers just call to you from the shelf, whether they’re beautiful, trendy, weird, or all of the above. Pick one up and read it!
3. A book published the year you were born
   Celebrate your birthday with a book the same age as you and see which one of you has aged better.
4. A book you read as a child
   Revisit your childhood favorite or give a second chance to a book you didn’t like the first time around.
5. A book of poetry, essays, or short stories
   Short on time? Check out a collection of shorter works! Read one in a waiting room or during breakfast. Or you can binge them all in one sitting, we won’t judge! It might just be your new favorite format!
6. A book read by a Library Book Club in 2024
   Our Library Book Clubs read widely and bring together great folks for conversation and community. Check out our events calendar to see what’s coming up and pick out a book to read from the list. Then, go ahead and join us at a meeting to share your opinions!
7. A sci-fi or alternate history book set in Asia
   Take your reading to another continent, the future, and even another universe with this category!
8. A book with an LGBTQIA+ protagonist
   Representation matters! See yourself or a loved one reflected in the pages of a book! From romance to mystery to a classic coming-of-age tale, this category has a plethora of titles to offer.
9. A nonfiction graphic novel or comic
   A picture is worth a thousand words. From memoirs to humor writing to academic topics, learn something new with fabulous illustrations.
10. A Pulitzer Prize-winning book
    With categories including fiction, drama, history, biography, memoir, poetry, and nonfiction, you’re sure to find a book you’ll love somewhere in the 107 years' worth of prizes that have been awarded.
11. A book by a Jacksonville author
    Read local and check out a book by a Jacksonville author! You can support up-and-coming self-published authors in our Local Author Collection or one of the many nationally renowned authors who have called Jacksonville home. We're counting anyone who ever lived in Jacksonville (for a significant amount of time), whether they grew up here, moved here, or wrote a book here and then left.
12. A book in translation, written in the 21st century
    Whether it’s the latest Nordic noir, a popular new manga, or the hottest summer beach read, any book translated from one language to another counts!
13. A horror or dystopian novel
    Classic or modern; scary, funny, or dread-inducing – pick a book that leaves you a little bit spooked! It doesn’t have to be gory or oppressive to count; anything that’s a bit existentially terrifying is a good fit.
14. A cookbook
    Switch up the dinner routine, explore a new culture, or maybe find your new favorite recipe! Everybody has to eat – why not have fun with it? We have A LOT of cookbooks at the Library. Start exploring!
15. A book by a debut author over 50
    Creative inspiration comes at all ages! Check out an author who picked up the pen later in life!
16. A book based on mythology
    Check out some new twists on ancient tales.

Are you a StoryGraph user? Keep track of your progress and make recommendations for other readers on the Jax Stacks StoryGraph Challenge. 

You can also find the challenge on Goodreads.

#Find book recommendations

1. The Jax Stacks (Virtual) Book Club meets live on Zoom the first Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. Each meeting will focus on one or two different categories from the bookmark. Note: No specific book is required to be read for this book club. 
2. Sign up for our Jax Stacks Newsletter and receive an email from us every month! You can read any book that fits a category, not just the ones we send out, but if you need help finding something new, the mailing list is here for you!
3. Read the "Jax Stacks Staff Picks" posted on the Library's blog throughout the year to see what your librarians are reading!
4. Get The Book Hookup and get book recommendations from several popular categories delivered straight to your inbox.
5. Request a Personalized Booklist from one of the book recommendation experts (your librarians)! if you're struggling with one of the categories or just want to shake things up, fill out the form. You tell us what kind of books you like to read or what movies and TV shows you usually watch and we'll send you five or six books we think you'll love. How cool is that?

#Pick a prize

Did you know? All winners receive a 50% off coupon to the Friends of the Jacksonville Public Library Bookstore. That's a pretty sweet deal! You can also get your choice of a Jax Stacks-branded tote, mug, tumbler, or sunglasses (while supplies last). All of that plus, you get some major bragging rights!

#Get social

We love seeing folks sport their Jax Stacks swag out in the wild. Post a picture with your tote, mug, sunglasses and the book you're reading. Just be sure to use the hashtag #jaxstacks and tag @jaxlibrary on Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram so we're sure to see it! 

You might also consider joining our Library U Facebook Group.