Welcome to the 2021 Scandinavian Reading Challenge!

This is the 4th year of a reading challenge that focuses on the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. There’s also opportunity to read books beyond the Scandinavian countries and explore Iceland and Finland as well.

There are 10 prompts along with 2 bonus prompts which you can use however you wish. For example, replace a category you don’t particularly like or complete them along with the rest. Choose to participate at whatever level suits you: a book a month, one book every other month, or even just a couple of books in the upcoming year. All levels of participation are welcome!

2021 Reading Prompts:

1. A Scandinavian book you’ve been meaning to read
2. An unplanned or impromptu Scandinavian read
3. A book by a new-to-you Scandinavian author
4. A Scandinavian book from a favorite genre
5. A prize-winning Scandinavian book
6. A book originally written in a language other than Norwegian, Swedish, or Danish that takes place in Scandinavia
7. A book set in a Nordic country you would like to visit or revisit
8. A Nordic book you chose for the cover
9. A Nordic book in a genre you don’t normally read
10. A buddy read or group read (in real life or virtually) of a Nordic book

Bonus 1: A prompt from a previous year’s challenge (2018, 2019, 2020)
Bonus 2: A book by a Nordic author you’ve enjoyed before

Here are some printable PDF forms you might find helpful:

• a form with the prompts to record your finished reads
• a worksheet to note reading ideas for each of the prompts

I will share my book choices for the prompts as the year progresses. If you’re not already a subscriber to my blog, subscribe now so you’ll receive my “What I’m Reading Lately” posts which will include reading ideas for the challenge. Also, follow me on Instagram at @AVikingInLA for reading ideas (among other things).

I hope you’ll join me for some Scandinavian/Nordic reading this year. Share your intention to participate in the comments below, in an email, in a blog post (don’t forget to share with me!), or on social media using the hashtag #ScandiReadingChallenge. I look forward to seeing your progress and book ideas along the way!

Happy reading!