Grand Forks Public_ is excited to introduce the Lit League Challenge, a new yearlong reading challenge just for adults. As a Lit League reader, you will get to explore new genres, become introduced to new-to-you authors, make reading a regular pastime, and win some great prizes along the way. Our ultimate goal with this program is to celebrate the magic of books.

In early November, the National Endowment for the Arts published a report showing a steady decline in reading from 2012-2022 among adults. The study found that in one year, only 48.5% of adults read one or more books for pleasure.

The findings of this study are disappointing because there are even more studies that document the wide-ranging and deeply impactful benefits of reading. Reading has been shown to increase memory function, foster empathy, reduce stress, enhance general knowledge, improve problem-solving skills, create connections, and more. Part of the library’s vision is to help people “discover dreams, grow ideas, and change lives,” and we believe reading is one activity that can do this. 

We want to celebrate books and the benefits of reading, so we have created Lit League to help encourage both voracious readers and those who might be trying to adopt reading as a regular practice for the first time.

Here’s how the Lit League Challenge will work:

• There will be a theme for each month, and your goal is to read one book that matches that theme. For example, the theme for January will be to read a book that was published in 2023. You could read Stephen King’s Holly, Jean Kwok’s The Leftover Woman, Maggie Smith’s You Could Make This Place Beautiful, or any other book of your choosing that had a 2023 release date. Each month we will share a list of reading suggestions, but you can read any book that fits the theme to complete that month’s challenge. And, of course, you can read the book in any format you prefer—print, digital, or audio.
• When you’re done reading, log in to Beanstack or create an account using your GFP_ library card to tell us the title and author of the book you read, as well as what you thought of the book in a 1-3 sentence review. Telling us what you enjoyed (or didn’t) about the books you read not only earns you entries for a prize but it also helps us learn more about our community’s reading interests so we can continue curating a collection that best serves you.
• For every month you complete the reading challenge, you will be automatically entered into a monthly drawing for a $15 gift card. And if you complete all 12 monthly challenges for the year, you will earn a completion prize Lit League tote bag and be entered into the year-end grand prize drawing.

That’s it—read 12 books in 12 months and tell us what you thought of them. We’re excited to have you on our team of Lit League readers. If you have any questions or come into any problems registering or choosing a book for one of the themes, stop into the library, give us a call, or email us at accessinfo@gflibrary.com. Happy reading!