Hey folks! This post is pretty much what it says on the tin: can you recommend me some reading challenges?
I’m a little bit picky: because I read based on whim, I don’t like anything with too many prompts that would constrain my reading to certain themes, so broad categories work best: prompts like “read a book you’ve owned for more than a year”, “read a book in translation”, “read a book from the library”, etc, rather than “read a book published in [year]” or “read a book with a character from your hometown”. That said, some such challenges work for me if they have a limited number of prompts or you can swap prompts around.
Monthly/yearly/one-off challenges all potentially work.
Challenges I’ve enjoyed in the past include @TheAromaOfBooks’ BookSpin, @Puddlejumper’s Haunted Shelf and Gotta Catch ‘Em All on Litsy, Runalong The Shelves’ TBR challenge, and my own ComicsBingo on Litsy/StoryGraph. You can assume I’m already in on those.
I’m interested in SF/F, classic mysteries, romance, danmei and other light novels, non-fiction, comics (including manga/manhwa/manhua), … there are few genres I actually avoid, though I’m not keen on memoirs/biographies, self-help or gory horror.
I don’t know if I’ll join anything new, but seeing other people’s posts about 2026 challenges makes me both curious and a bit overwhelmed… so I’m essentially asking people to filter it all a bit for me! Selfish, I know.
Which means, yes, please tell me about things you’ve sure I’ve seen already and maybe explain why you think it’d suit me. Please include links and maybe even explanations if it’s a bit complicated. And yep, feel free to boost your own challenges.
Thank you in advance!
(Obviously I may or may not join any or all of these challenges, depending on how the mood strikes me. Please don’t be offended if I don’t/can’t join your favourite challenge or participate in something you run, or if I don’t stick with it if I do join. It all depends on my energy levels and the fact that I am enthusiastically whim-driven in my reading. I try not to add anything that ends up feeling like a chore or like it stops me reading whatever I feel like.)
Obligatory shilling of my own challenges https://harpgriffinbooks.wordpress.com/2026/01/01/happy-new-year/ and this year they are much lighter and more scavenger-hunty than prior years, and of course, the FRC and MRC are small. But they also might be too specific still.
HarpGriffin recently posted…Review: Queer History A to Z: 100 Years of LGBTQ+ Activism by Robin Stevenson and Vivian Rosas
I admit, I’ve never had much luck trying them because my brain pings off the specificity almost instantly (sorry!), even though I’ve seen people find all kinds of ways to answer the prompts, with more or less integrity, ahaha. Maybe I’ll just choose a few prompts to start with, and see if I can get into it…
The Picture Prompt Bingo is fun, it’s very broad. Same with the Alphabet challenge. I’m doing both this year, and my challenge post will be up next week if you want to check them out.
I’ll keep an eye out, thanks!
I’m doing the Picture Prompt Bingo again this year too, and I set up a StoryGraph challenge page for it if you’d like to check that out: https://beta.thestorygraph.com/reading_challenges/7cb478aa-e544-488b-822b-017446b7f43a
I also do the Readathin challenges. They run 4 times a year (one every quarter) over the course of a month. Here’s the info for the last one, in November: https://readathin.carrd.co/ The next one will be in February.
Nicole @ BookWyrm Knits recently posted…Ancillary Sword Readalong ~ Week One
Ahh, a StoryGraph challenge makes things nice and easy — I’ll take a look, thanks!
I remember looking at Readathin last time and thinking it sounded good. And they have a list of challenges there too…
Any interest in Japanese literature? There’s a long-running challenge for that one. They’re on year 19!
Stephen @ ReadingFreely.com recently posted…Buy one, get one free: Jackson and Lincoln
Hmm, depends on the definition of “literature”. I read quite a bit of Japanese/Chinese/Korean stuff, but not everyone considers it literature, ahaha.
Every year, January is #vintagescifimonth. The host is no longer active, but the hashtag is.
And scifimonth is November, hosted by this blogegr: https://onemore.org/
In November, they schedule a couploe of buddyreads, plus there’s a scifi activity for every day. Very active – and addictive!!
You can see what I’m doing this year, it may give you ideas: https://wordsandpeace.com/2026/01/04/2026-reading-plans-and-challenges/
Emma @ Words And Peace recently posted…Sunday Post #154: back to normal life
Thanks for sharing! I’ll take a look.
I’m always on and off with Sci-Fi Month (and Wyrd and Wonder), but the organisers were really great last year when another participant was harassing me, so I’ll probably do my very best to participate this year.
The ones I do that are monthly are … ReadIndies hosted by Kaggsysbookishramblings in February, Read Ireland and Read Wales months (both in March), 20 Books of Summer (10, 15 or 20 books read July – August), Women in Translation (October), Novellas in November and Nonfiction November (which I help to host) and Dean Street Press December which I run. I link to each one in my planning posts through the year so if you follow me you’ll see them pop up as I go (or you can look at my State of the TBR posts for those months last year to see who hosts as it doesn’t tend to change).
Thanks, I’ll take a look!
I understand your trepidation about challenges that are too restrictive. I don’t know how you will feel about this one: on StoryGraph, Fiction from Every Country. No time limit. 199 countries listed. I’ve added two countries so far.
Olivia recently posted…Weekly Reading Update 1-17-2025
Hmm, maybe! Open-ended ones can be fun, and though I don’t usually structure my reading by where the author comes from, where the book is set, etc, that kind of thing can be fun for trying new things. Thanks for sharing!
I wasn’t planning to join any official challenges myself, but I’m thinking about joining Bob on Books 2026 Reading Challenge as it has five broad prompts which he design in response to reading challenges that may feel daunting: https://bobonbooks.com/2025/12/31/bob-on-books-2026-reading-challenge/
Jenna @ Falling Letters recently posted…9 Books I Loved and Didn’t Review in 2025 [Brief Reviews]
Ah, that does sound nice! I’ll take a look. Thanks!
I’m hosting two I think work with what you usually read, I hope you consider them!
The Speccy Fiction Challenge https://bookdout.wordpress.com/challenges/2026-speccy-fiction-challenge-host/
The Nonfiction Reader Challenge https://bookdout.wordpress.com/2026-nonfiction-reader-challenge-host/
Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out recently posted…It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #SundayPost #SundaySalon
Thanks, I’ll take a look!