People can make anything into a competition—baking, eating, even wife carrying. So it makes sense that someone, somewhere, would make reading into a competition, too.

In most cases, the competition is simple. It could be setting an ambitious personal goal for how many books to read in a year. It could be going head-to-head with a friend to see who can complete more books. As fun as it can be to push yourself, be sure not to push too hard. There’s a fine line between challenging yourself and sucking all of the fun out of reading.

Perhaps competitive reading isn’t the healthiest pursuit. Anyone who reads is a winner because they’re getting the benefit of books. Reading for pure competition removes some of those benefits and makes the practice less meaningful.

Reading with friends and comparing titles can benefit you both. But comparing numbers can also make one person feel inferior or shameful. The point is to relax with reading, not to add another stressor to your life. If it gets to that point, make the needed adjustments to cut that out. Take a break from reading. Stop obsessively checking your reading progress. Avoid those friends who seem too competitive about books (or at least those conversations with those people).

There aren’t many actual reading competitions—contests where readers come together and fight head-to-head on an even playing field where winners and losers are awarded. However, there are a few interscholastic reading competitions for students to test their reading comprehension.

All that’s certain is that people love reading and being competitive. These two parts of our unique and troublesome personalities will eventually collide.