2021 had been a gentle but eventful year for the Sunnybook Farm server. On that first year, we grew to over seventy members; had our first movie nights, sprints, and hangouts; and talked about everything from the most sizzling romance backlist titles to the upcoming elections in the Philippines to Marie Lu’s NFT fiasco to relief efforts for Typhoon Odette.

Interested in joining our discussions? Learn more about the Sunnybook Farm community here.

As in the previous year, our community’s new Reading Challenge encourages folks to expand their horizons in literature and cultivate a healthy reading habit. As in the previous year, it celebrates the members of our community — but server members and non-server members alike are invited to try this challenge by reading stories that fit the six (6) prompts.

The challenge need not be limited to books: participants can go with essays, poetry, audiobooks, graphic literature, fan fiction, flash fiction, novellas, and so on. Unlike last year, however, there are now only 6 prompts because we want to emphasize savoring what we read instead of rushing to meet a quota.

The Prompts

1. Veni Sancti Spiritus: Read a story that will make you go “Holy Spirit Activate” (or whatever the equivalent is in your faith). Feel free to interpret this one any way you think is best.
2. Read Sphynx: Read anything from Sphynx Reads‘ favorites shelf on Goodreads.
3. Twenty… Too? Read a story with the word “to” or “too” or “two.”
4. The Sign You Wanted: Read anything that’s already in your to-read pile. Now you have no excuse for avoiding it.
5. Covid Marie: Read a pandemic baby, a story that was released between 2020 and 2022. And while you’re at it, why not make it a diverse read?
6. GRrrrr: Read anything that was nominated but did not win in the 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards. (Yes, we think ____ should have won, too.)

The Guidelines

• This Reading Challenge is open to everyone, and it runs until December 31, 2022. Sign up by leaving your reading list in the Comments section below; by posting your list in the Sunnybook Farm server; or by joining the challenge in Storygraph.
• Read only one (1) story for each prompt; or accomplish each prompt as many times and fill out as many templates as you like.
• Use the hashtag #SunnybookFarm when posting anything challenge-related, to make it easier for us to identify and support your posts.
• Link back or give credit to this post whenever necessary.
• Reading Challenge templates are available for Twitter (1600 x 900 px), Instagram posts (1080 x 1080 px), and Instagram stories (1080 x 1920 px).

This is only the second year we’ve held this Reading Challenge, so I am excited to hear from all of you in the coming months!