Want to read more in 2020? Atlanta bookstore kicks off reading challenge

Many New Year’s resolutions tend to focus on physical health — whether it’s sober January or a new gym membership.

But if you’re looking to exercise your mind in 2020, an Atlanta bookstore has a challenge for you.

Bookish, which opened last September in East Atlanta Village, is kicking off the new year with a reading challenge.

"It's the beginning of a new year–a new chance to read, explore, expand your horizons & your mind. In the spirit of adventure, and because we really do believe that every story matters, we present you with the Bookish 2020 Reading Challenge," a post of the store's site reads.

Readers looking to participate, should pick 12 titles, each from a different genre and get reading to win the “book nerd challenge.” Or, if you’re feeling advanced, select books from 20 of the 35 selected categories to be a “Book Nerd to the Max Power.”

In an Instagram post, the store said it will also craft cards to help readers track their progress.

The categories identified by the store include: fiction, nonfiction, memoir, biography, self help, poetry, African-American author, LGBTQ author, classics and more. You can see the full list here and even suggest a category to add.

Of course, many books can fit into multiple categories, so the folks at Bookish suggest planning strategically.

There will be prizes awarded to those who complete the challenge. According to the site, details on the prizes will be announced in the coming weeks. But in the meantime, get to reading.

Bookish is a fairly new addition to East Atlanta Village’s tight-knit network of local businesses. Kendra Gayle Lee opened the store along Glenwood Avenue last fall, after realizing there wasn’t a place in the neighborhood to buy books.

There had previously been a bookstore in the area, but the owners of Bound To Be Read Books closed the store for personal reasons in 2015 after more than a decade in the neighborhood. And now, even the community's library branch is closed for renovations.

Lee previously told the AJC that the neighborhood has been overwhelmingly supportive of the used bookstore since it opened its door.

In addition to selling books and locally made artisan goods, Bookish also hosts book clubs for kids and adults, author events and a podcast group.