I've always been an avid reader. Someone who always has a book in their bag or a stack of "to read" books just waiting patiently to be opened and discovered. But, as I got older and had more responsibilities to attend to such as school, work, bills to pay, homework to complete, etc. the more the joy of reading for fun escaped me. So as one of my New Year's resolutions, I created this challenge for myself: 100 books in 365 days.

Yes, you read that right. 100 books seems like a lot when you factor in the amount of time spent devoted to other activities, such as working or studying. And you're right, it is. But as readers (which I assume you are, if you're reading this), we owe it to ourselves to carve out some time to devote to the thing we love most: words.

I've just started this challenge or reading resolution, if you will. And three books in, I've rediscovered why I love reading so much. Books are rarely ever the same to two different people. Through posting on Instagram and Facebook #theyearof100books, I've sparked conversations with people about their likes and dislikes about the book, if they thought the movie did the book any justice at all or made the books I was reading better. There are endless conversations to be had about a novel and no person ever has the exact same thought as the next.

I've been asked why I gave myself this challenge (besides the fact that I always love to have a full plate of things going on in my life), which prompted me to write this article. I hope to regain some of the magic that I've lost as an adult. As adults, we get so wrapped up in responsibility that something we enjoyed as children and teenagers is lost on us. Also, nobody ever became a worse person because they spent a lot of time reading. Through reading, you expand your vocabulary, learn about new concepts or places, allow yourself to escape from the monotony that everyday life can sometimes fall to, and most importantly, you get to do something you love. In this case, your only time restriction being 365 days.

And by the end of this year, I hope to update you all on what I've gained from reading 100 books in a year. Hopefully, you'll all stick around to read about it!

So if you love to read, I challenge you to 100 books in 365 days. Post about your books because people will actually engage in real conversations with you about them, which is also an art that we've lost in this age of technology. Find yourself excited to pick up a new book and dedicate some time to yourself this year!

Good luck and happy reading!