Scribd’s April reading challenge

Spring is here, and naturally we’re now spending all our time outside doing yard work. Which is the perfect opportunity to listen to a great audiobook or podcast. (Unless the task is mowing the lawn. Then it’s just a terribly tedious time all around.) If we’re lucky, we’ll finish sprucing up inside and out right quick so we can finally hang up that hammock and enjoy lying under a tree reading a book.

But the eternal dilemma: Which books should we be reading? Sure, we could all reread Harry Potter for the 50 millionth time. Or we could branch out of our comfort zone. That’s where our monthly reading challenge comes in.

Here’s how Feed Your Mind works:

Each month, we’re creating five different prompts to follow; you can challenge yourself to complete one, all five, or any number of them in between. These prompts are designed to motivate you to:

1. Read more

2. Explore new content types

3. Help you find works that are outside of your usual go-to genres

The challenges will be a mix of timely prompts and random, fun ideas.

If you’re up for the challenge, here are April’s prompts:

Earth Day is officially April 22. But with the effects of climate change becoming more and more apocalyptic by the year, every day really needs to be Earth Day. You can’t prevent climate disaster on your own, but you can read about all the ways we can come together and literally save the world. (Alternatively, you can read about the climate apocalypse. Whatever spurs you to prevent the worst possible future.)

Recommended lists:
Cli-Fi: Must-Read Climate Change Fiction
The Best Books About Climate Change
Protect the Planet This Earth Day

It’s time to deep clean your house and Kondo away all your clutter. Not sure where to start? Don’t worry, we’ve rounded up some expert advice on the art of decluttering. Already started scrubbing your floors and taking boxes of things you don’t need to Goodwill? We’ve got some audiobooks to keep you entertained while you complete your chores.

Recommended lists:
Fiction Audiobooks to Make Spring Cleaning Fun
The Most Effective Spring Cleaning Methods 

The biggest Islamic holiday, Ramadan, starts this month. And while only about 1% of the American population practices Islam, Muslims have been at the center of the country’s thoughts for the better part of two decades now. And a lot of the negative attention is founded on ignorance and hate. So this Ramadan, we’re challenging people to read or listen to a work from a Muslim creator to build a bridge of understanding.

Recommended list:
Muslim Authors We're Reading for Ramadan

The month kicked off with World Autism Awareness Day on April 2nd (after that most loathsome of holidays, April Fools’). Neurotypical people generally have a lot of preconceptions about those on the autistic spectrum, and many continue to falsely believe that vaccines cause autism (they don’t). Get inside the minds of characters and authors on the spectrum to find out what it’s like to be neuroatypical.

Recommended list:
Characters and Authors with Autism

A year of orders to stay at home as much as possible and the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines has definitely got us dreaming of vacations once more. While it’s still too early to actually jet off to new locales, we’re no longer afraid to dream and actually plan the first vacation we’ll take once the pandemic has subsided. Pick up a travel guide or read a story that’s set somewhere you’d like to go!