At around this time each year, we bookworms launch ourselves with relish into a new year of reading challenges. If you’re participating, you may have a few books notched up already. This year, I’m throwing a little side challenge — to include a book by PG Wodehouse in your 2016 reading. If the challenge isn’t enough to tempt you, I’m also offering a book prize. Read on for details.
For those uninitiated in the concept, an annual reading challenge is usually a list of categories – your challenge being to read a book in each one. The underlying idea is to expand your literary diet beyond your favourite genre. There are multiple book challenges you can attempt, as a quick Internet search will reveal. Popular examples include:
- POPSUGAR 2016 Ultimate Reading Challenge
- Around the Year in 52 Books (Goodreads)
- Modern Mrs Darcy’s 2016 Reading Challenge
WordPress book blogger rakioddbooks has helpfully combined the first two challenges into a long list.
You’re unlikely to find Wodehouse specified on any reading challenge list. The popular examples listed here don’t specifically include comedy, romance, short story collections or school stories either. As a Wodehouse blogger with a terrible memory, I have a professional responsibility to read and re-read as much Wodehouse as possible (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it). So throughout 2016, I’ll be looking for cunning ways to include as much Wodehouse in my 2016 challenge reading as possible.
Why not join me, and include a dash of Wodehouse in your 2016 reading too?
Following last year’s Fatty O’Leary competition, I’ve developed a taste for prize-giving. This year I’m offering a £10 book voucher to whoever comes up with the most creative way to include a book by P.G. Wodehouse in their 2016 reading challenge.
How to enter
Simply post a comment to this piece, telling us:
- which P.G. Wodehouse book you read in 2016; and
- which reading challenge and category you included it under.
If you’ve written a review, please share that with us too.
You don’t have to be actively participating in a reading challenge to enter, as long as you have read (or re-read) the book in 2016, and can tell us which reading challenge and category you would categorise the book under.
The winner will be chosen by the usual committee (self and cat) and announced in December. First prize is a book voucher worth £10. I also have a mystery Wodehouse book prize, which I’ll be giving away during the year.
For more discussion about books
Join our Facebook book club, The Wood Hills Literary Society. As the name suggests, the group was started by Wodehouse fans, wanting to read, share and discuss books beyond Wodehouse (our name comes from Mrs Smethurst’s literary society in The Clicking of Cuthbert). We’ve incorporated some reading challenge categories in our monthly reading themes. New members are always welcome.
Happy reading!
HP
Plumtopia 
I’ve done one category that was easy to squeeze a Wodehouse book into ‘a book guaranteed to bring me joy’. Since it was time to reread Young Men In Spats, the match was perfect.
Another category is ‘a 20th century classic ‘ which will be a good one to check off with The Code of the Woosters, wouldn’t you say?
Other categories suited for Wodehouse are ‘a book set in Europe’, ‘a book that takes place in summer’, ‘ book with a Blue cover’
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I knew you would be well ahead with your 2016 reading — and Wodehouse — Stefan. Great ideas all, and good to have a competition entry so quickly.
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“Much Obliged Jeeves” – completed on 16/1/16. Starting on “Aunts aren’t gentlemen” now. In 2015 I read 16 PGW novels.
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Excellent stuff Neil. Happy reading! I wonder which reading challenge categories you could fit those under?
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Any excuse to read some Wodehouse is fine by me! I’m doing the ‘around the World in 80 books’ challenge, so I’ll need to find a Wodehouse set abroad. Hmm… shame I read and reviewed ‘Hot Water’ last year, that would have been perfect. Well, the thinking cap is on!
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What ho, Sarah! French Leave is also set in France. Quite a few are set wholly or partly in the US too. Happy travels!
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French Leave? Ooo, I haven’t got that one, I shall have to remedy the situation forthwith. Well – any excuse for a flutter at the ‘bookies’ 😉
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The description of the French buereaucracy in chapter two is really, really good.
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Old Nick is a great character. I really warmed to him.
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I loved French Leave. Hope you enjoy it.
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I simply cannot imagine a year when I will not be reading at least one PGW book.
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Quite right, Tommy.
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I’ve just started reading the Fatty O’Leary that you kindly sent me, Honoria. It’s great, and reminds me that I need to read more Wodehouse. Seeing as I like anything old-fashioned. I’m going for Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit.
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Thanks Susan. I am so glad you are enjoying it — more than I did by the sound of it. Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit sounds like an excellent choice.
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The reading “challenge” should be NOT to read the Wodehouse. I have already read 3 Wodehouse books this year:
A man of means (Review: https://spilledcolors.wordpress.com/2016/01/23/a-man-of-means-by-wodehouse-bovill/),
A few quick ones (https://spilledcolors.wordpress.com/2016/02/01/a-few-quick-ones-by-wodehouse/), and
the classic, Right Ho, Jeeves.
I am currently reading Wodehouse: A life in Letters.
Reading Category: To read, and re-read the author who has inspired me to leave my 6-figure salary in US to take up writing full-time.
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The reading “challenge” should be NOT to read the Wodehouse. I have already read 3 Wodehouse books this year:
A man of means (Review: https://spilledcolors.wordpress.com/2016/01/23/a-man-of-means-by-wodehouse-bovill/),
A few quick ones (https://spilledcolors.wordpress.com/2016/02/01/a-few-quick-ones-by-wodehouse/), and
the classic, Right Ho, Jeeves.
I am currently reading Wodehouse: A life in Letters.
Category: To read, and re-read the author who has inspired me to leave my 6-figure salary in US to take up writing full-time.
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Due to various life events, I’ve been in dire need of The Code of the Woosters for the last couple of months. It keeps floating into my head at times of great stress. Now that I’ve discovered this challenge, I have an even more compelling reason to pull it out of my “Wodehouse cabinet” and re-read it. It’ll be just like one of Jeeves’s morning pick-me-ups. Thank you!
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I can relate to that feeling so well. There is nothing quite like dipping into a bit of Wodehouse for relief from life’s slings and arrows.
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Indubitably! The lark is on the wing once more. And I am proud to say that I read The Code of the Woosters in four different forms over the course of several days, depending on where I was:
1. At our city apartment: A crumbling 40-year-old paperback, which I can’t bring myself to jettison, because I acquired it as a teenager, right after I discovered “Plum.”
2. At our vacation home: A first edition (sans dust jacket, which was the only way I could afford it), which I bought on my first trip to London 30 years ago.
3. In various waiting-rooms: An e-book version, which I read on my smartphone.
4. In the car: An audio version, narrated by Jonathan Cecil.
In short, I was never without Bertie and Jeeves at a time when I needed them the most.
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What a terrific story. Thanks so much — I love that you included the Jonathan Cecil audiobook in your adventure.
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