A Different Version

I've been reading the Bible every year for a long time now. I honestly can't remember when I finally sat down and made it a true habit. I tried a couple times in college, but we all know how busy college is. That worked about as well as writing a book around writing papers and essays.
That being said, sometime in the last twenty-two years, I made sure it became a priority. I discovered on the days when it I didn't get around to it, I often didn't have as much peace. But I also discovered another issue. As I was reading through, I tended to let my mind wander because I had read it so many times that it was familiar.

That's when I started mixing up which version I read each year. You see, even though it is the same stories and laws, each version is phrased slightly differently. I also like to read it chronologically every other year. A lot of times, I was reading that in the New International Version because I had purchased it for a ladies' class years before and it was the only one I had arranged that way. Then, on opposite years, I would use my regular Bible, which is English Standard Version, or last year I used the English Version for the Deaf, written more on a fifth-grade level to make it easier for people to understand.
This year, I wanted something different, so I put a chronological Bible on my Christmas list (in a different version than the one I'd been using). My parents came through and gifted me a neat one that's not only New King James but also a Study Bible, so it has maps and interesting pictures and facts scattered throughout. It's really pretty. Another perk? I grew up reading from the New King James, so going through the old stories this year is like settling in with an old friend. All the phrasing I learned as a child and young woman feels like home.
I love how each year as I read through, different parts of the verses stand out to me, catching my attention and making me look at the scriptures differently. It helps me grow closer to God as I learn a bit more about Him with each pass through. And it helps when I'm discussing scriptures with friends because I'm better able to answer questions or help them find a particular passage.
Do you read the Bible each year? What's your favorite way to do it? My most challenging one was the year I did the whole thing in three months. Totally doable, but intense!