The UARF Book It! Challenge

Written By Elyse Ball
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Every year when August rolls around, I feel a compulsion to read more. Maybe, it’s a result of the combined high temperatures, humidity and pollen count driving me to spend more hours inside. Maybe, it’s all of those grade school and college summer reading lists. But every year, when the calendar flips over to August, I think about reading and, even more specifically, I think about how reading 5 books ought to earn me a free personal pan pizza. 

That’s right, for those of us who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, Pizza Hut’s iconic Book It! program links reading lots of books and eating lots of pizza in our minds. (For those who aren’t familiar, Book It! rewarded grade school students with free personal pan pizzas for reaching reading goals, which typically included reading 5 books in a set amount of time.)  
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In honor of this classic and innovative initiative to get kids to read more, I decided UARF should issue its own Book It! Challenge this summer. It’s simple: 

• Read something you’ve always wanted to read (fiction or non-fiction, 500-pages or 50-page, Ph.D.-reading level or YA literature – there’s seriously no judgment here) 
  
• Post what you’ve read on social media and tag @UAkronUARF or email us what you read 
  
• Get entered in a drawing to win a gift certificate for pizza 
  
  

Lest you think UARF will be all about dry treatises on business or personal productivity, I’m sharing the 5 most impactful books I’ve read so far this year: 
 
1. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
In this book, a brilliant chemist navigates personal and professional challenges as a high achieving woman in the 1960s. It’s funny, sometime sad, and reminds me of the 2017 movie version of Wonder Woman. Every time I think about this book, I question what limitations are real and what we could achieve if we assumed that limits didn’t exist. 
 
2. Influence by Robert Cialdini
Okay, this probably qualifies as a treatise on business, but it’s still a lot of fun to read if you have any interest in psychology. Outlining six universal principles of persuasion, this is a perfect read for anyone looking to up their advertising or sales game, or just influence where their family goes on vacation next year. 
 

3. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
An absolute game changer in the world of mysteries and a reminder that the greatest-of-all-time, like Agatha Christie, aren’t afraid to take risks and radically innovate. 


4. Principles by Ray Dalio
With a central message on the significance of radical transparency, open-mindedness, and a commitment to continuous learning, this is considered a must-read for any entrepreneur. I’ll admit it was a mistake for me to pick this one as a beach read, but I’m still glad I read it. 

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​5. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
It’s really amazing that I made it this far in life without reading this science fiction comedy classic. And if you think you couldn’t possibly learn anything of value from a book this silly, read it again as an adult. It’s the perfect tale to remind us to embrace uncertainty, maintain a sense of humor and constantly consider the meaning of life (which is, of course, 42 J). 


I hope that sharing my summer reading list might make others a little more comfortable sharing what they’ve been reading. Books aren’t just about gaining knowledge, they’re about gaining perspective, feeling emotions, or finding a way to unwind at the end of a stressful week. 
 
What have you been reading? What do you plan to read next? Will you join the UARF Book It! Challenge?

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