YEAR-LONG READING CHALLENGES:
(Note: I do many of the same challenges each year, so you can see how I did on my 2025 Reading Challenges here.)
Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2026 hosted by My Reader's Block.
This year, I am setting my goal at Mt. Ararat, 48 books from my TBR "shelves." Even though I rarely buy books for myself, I seem to be losing the battle, and my TBR bookcase now has double rows on one shelf! This challenge has monthly review link-ups.
Note that the challenge allows e-books and audios to count, but I usually only count physical books. This year, I have decided to also count any audio books or e-books that I already own because I have a pretty big digital backlog, too! That's year, I hit 34, just counting physical books, so I can do this!
Since I am also on YouTube, I will also reference the Read What You Own challenge there, hosted by Criminolly and 3 co-hosts. My goal for that one is the Bronze level of 25 books, which I should easily be able to hit.
2026 Motif Reading Challenge hosted by Tanya and Kim at Chapter Adventure.
This is one of my favorite annual challenges, from a great blog with two hosts. The idea is simple: read a book to fit each month's motif. Their monthly themes are always fun! Here are the motifs for 2026:
2026 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗛𝗟𝗬 𝗠𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗙𝗦
JANUARY- Read Around the Clock - Read a book with a clock on the cover.
FEBRUARY- Secrets, Lies, & Schemes - Read a book in which the characters are telling lies, keeping secrets, or involved in schemes.
MARCH- Books on the Brain - Read a fiction or non-fiction book with a brain-function related theme. This could be memory, processing, mental health, dementia, dreaming, subconsciousness, thinking patterns, intelligence, brain injuries, etc.
APRIL- Alliteration Appreciation - Read a book with repeating sounds or letters in the title.
MAY- Debut Novels - Read an author’s first career published novel.
JUNE- Under the Neon Lights - Read a book with neon, electric, and fluorescent colors or typography on the cover.
JULY- Literary Road Trip - Read a book that takes place somewhere that is at least 5000 miles from where you currently live.
AUGUST- Celestial Covers - Read a book with celestial beings on the cover, or as part of the title (stars, comets, planets, galaxies, etc).
SEPTEMBER- Based in Truth - Read a book that is based on real-life events.
OCTOBER- Otherworldly - Read a book with otherworldly elements or entities in it. This can range from angels and demons to aliens, mythical creatures like elves and dragons, ghosts, magical characters, or any unexplained phenomena.
NOVEMBER- Indie Imprints - Read a book published by an independent publisher.
DECEMBER- Eats, Treats, & Sweets - Read a book with food, candy, or pastries on the cover, or as an integral part of the story.
And though I absolutely should not sign up for yet another monthly-theme reading challenge (or another challenge of any type), I just have to participate in my friend Laurie's new Monthly Themes Readalong on her YouTube channel, Books, Ink & Paper. Check it out!
Fantasy February -
Murderous March -
Academia April -
Macabre May -
The Classic Six Challenge hosted on Booktube by Suey's Book Banter.
My Booktube friend, Suey, brought her classics challenge back for second year. The rules are super simple: read six classics (published in 1976 or earlier) in 2026. She's got groups set up on Storygraph, and on Goodreads. I read 8 classics last year - one of my best classics years yet!
2025 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge hosted by Escape with Dollycas Into a Good Book.
(For Q, X, and Z, you can count any word in the title, not just the first word, and a word starting with Ex can count for X). There is a Storygraph group and a Facebook group, where you can post the books you read for the challenge. The Facebook group also has monthly mini challenges.
A -
B -
C -
D -
E -
F -
G -
H -
I -
J -
K -
L -
M -
N -
O -
P -
Q -
R -
S -
T -
U -
V -
W -
X
Y -
2026 Nonfiction Reader Challenge hosted by Book'd Out.
I signed up for the Nonfiction Nosher category, aiming to read at least 12 nonfiction books and hitting as many of the 12 categories as I can. Last year, I only read 9 nonfiction books all year, and it's already February as I sign up, with no nonfiction so far, but I have faith in me!
Categories:
History
Memoir/Biography
True Crime
Science
Health
Food
South East Asia
Humour (Humor)
Lost or found
Television
Subculture
Published in 2026
Diversity Book Bingo 2026, hosted by Ellenmade Book Club on YouTube.
This one is a bit more complex than my usual diversity challenges, but it sounds like fun, with the aim to read from different continents, by/about different kinds of people, and with lots of fun additional prompts on the Bingo card. I will track progress on the Bingo card, but here, I still plan to simply list all the diverse books I read:
Around the World Reading Challenge hosted by Tanya at Mom's Small Victories (great blog!)
This is a new version to replace her original Travel the World in Books Reading Challenge, which I signed up for back in 2014 and continued every year since! The new challenge has some fun new features (all optional), including a weekly newsletter, a custom reading journal, and a Facebook group. Last year, I read 26 books set outside the U.S., visiting 23 different countries through my reading. This year, I hope to visit some places I have never been before in my books! This one works well with the Diversity Bingo.
2025 Literary Escapes Challenge hosted by Escape with Dollycas Into a Good Book.
I love tracking where I read domestically, as well. In 2024, I read books set in 32
different states, and in 2025, books set in 27 states. I'm looking forward to reading in even more states
this year!
Alabama -
Alaska
Arizona -
Arkansas
California -
Colorado -
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia -
Florida -
Georgia -
Hawaii
Idaho -
Illinois -
Indiana -
Iowa
Kansas -
Kentucky
Louisiana -
Maine -
Maryland -
Massachusetts -
Michigan -
Minnesota -
Mississippi -
Missouri
Montana -
Nebraska -
Nevada -
New Hampshire
New Jersey -
New Mexico -
New York -
North Carolina -
North Dakota -
Ohio -
Oklahoma -
Oregon -
Pennsylvania -
Rhode Island
South Carolina -
South Dakota -
Tennessee
Texas -
Utah -
Vermont -
Virginia -
Washington -
West Virginia
Wisconsin -
Wyoming -
SEASONAL READING CHALLENGES, in chronological order:
NOTE: Even though -athon usually refers to a lot of something in a short period of time (telethon, dance-athon, Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon), many Booktubers call their reading challenges Readathons, even when they last for months. This was confusing to me at first, so I thought I'd explain it :)
Mardi Gras Readathon hosted Kat's Novel Adventures and Laurie of Books, Ink & Paper
I used to live in New Orleans, and we are BIG into celebrating Mardi Gras! In my video for Mardi Gras Readathon last year, I included recommendations of books set in Louisiana (though as you can see on the Bingo card, all kinds of books count for the readathon). In 2026, the readathon runs from January 17 - February 17, and includes reading sprints, a read-along book (Little French Bistro by Nina George), a group read Zoom meeting, and the bingo card/reading prompts.
Middle-Grade March hosted by Books & Jams, On the Middle Shelf, and Life Between Words.
March Mystery Madness created by: @lizziefayelovesbooks @TowelTroion YouTube
Spoonie Readathon hosted by Novelle Novels and Brews & Reviews, in May.
This one is right up my alley, focused on reading books by or about people with disabilities ("spoonies" in chronic illness parlance!). I can't wait to participate again this year! I'll post a link when the 2026 challenge is announced.
Big Book Summer Challenge (link to 2025; 2026 link will go up in May) hosted by Book By Book (me!).
My
own annual challenge that I host each summer, beginning the Friday of Memorial Day
weekend (May 22 this year) and running until Labor Day (September 7). The idea is simply to read bigger books (400 or more
pages)--just one or two or however many you want. And you have the whole
summer to do it! Plus, you can chat about books in our Goodreads or Storygraph groups.
Hope you'll join me for the laid-back fun this summer!
June on the Range hosted by Michel K. Vaughan (and a "posse" of co-hosts).
All about reading westerns in the month of June! I'll share the 2026 video link when it is posted.
I
participate in this one every fall! It runs through September and
October and is all about reading darker stuff in the fall, which I love.
That doesn't necessarily mean scary books, like horror (though those
certainly count!) but anything darker: mystery, suspense, thriller,
paranormal, dystopian, etc.). No sign-ups - it's now hosted through Instagram (at the link).
Shorty September, hosted on YouTube by Crustal @Fiberartsy, @TooManyHeathers & Karen @RovingReader
Nonfiction November, hosted by the blogs Based on a True Story and 3 other blogs (details and hosts at the link).
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