The idea behind this reading challenge is simple: Use the ease of summer to tackle a Big Book (400+ pages) or two or ... however many you want! You set your own goals. And if it is the start of winter where you live, then it's your Big Book Winter Challenge. Everyone is welcome to participate.
You can hear more about how it started and what I'll be reading in my video, Big Book Summer Challenge 2025.
There
are a few changes this summer, to make the challenge even easier to
participate in. Plus, I am happy to announce my co-host of Big Book Summer 2025: Melinda at A Web of Stories.
Besides having a YouTube channel (at the link), Melinda was a longtime
book blogger ... and a longtime virtual friend of mine! I'm thrilled to
have her help this year, as participation in Big Book Summer continues to grow. You can see
Melinda's Big Book Summer kick-off video.
The Details:
Hey, it's summer, so we'll keep this low-key and easy!
- Anything 400 pages or more qualifies as a big book.
- The challenge runs from the Friday of Memorial Day weekend (May 23
this year) through Labor Day (September 1 this
year).
- Choose one or two or however many big books you want as your goal. Wait, did you get that? You only need to read 1 book with 400+ pages this summer to participate! (though you are welcome to read more, if you want).
- No sign-ups are necessary! All readers are welcome to participate.
- If you are a blogger or YouTuber and want to share your Big Book Summer plans, book reviews, or wrap-ups, you can add your link(s) to the links list below so others can find you. If you post a YouTube video for Big Book Summer, please tag Melinda and I.
- Join the 2025 Big Book Summer Goodreads group to enjoy Big Book discussions all summer long! We always have a lively group with lots of fun book chat. Or if you prefer, join the Big Book Summer Storygraph group.
- For chatting on other social media platforms, use #BigBookSummer
That's it! Go check out your shelves and your TBR list for chunksters and get started!
What kind of books "count"? All kinds! Middle-grade, YA, graphic novels, classics, all genres, all types--as long as they are at least 400 pages. Yes, e-books and audio books count, too--just check online for the number of pages in the print edition.
Looking for Big Book recs? See my list of Big Books on BookShop for
some great ideas from my own past reading or my Big Book Recommendations video from last summer.
Check out my own list of books to read for the challenge this summer and my Big Book Summer Kick-Off Video for more on what I plan to read this summer.
And you can pick up some fun Big Book Summer swag! Check out my shop on Printify for all kinds of Big Book Summer merch: mugs, insulated cups, t-shirts, sweatshirts, tote bags, notebooks, magnets, stickers, phone cases, and more! If there's something you want that's not in my store, just let me know, and I'll add it.
Help spread the word on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media with #BigBookSummer. You can follow me at:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzanljackson/
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@suzanljackson
Twitter: @suebookbybook
Facebook: the Facebook page for this blog
YouTube: SueJacksonDE
Challenge updates will be posted in all of those places.
Hope you'll join the Big Book Summer fun!
What Big Book(s) Are YOU Reading This Summer?
NOTE: As of September 1, 2025, this links list is at its maximum number of entries (50). If you want to share additional links, please leave a comment including your link. Thank you for participating in Big Book Summer!
I'm terribly glad you are doing this challenge, Sue! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Deb!
DeleteHi! Newbie here and so happy Deb @ ReaderBuzz mentioned your blog and this challenge! I'm all linked up and excited to be diving in! Happy Summer!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to Big Book Summer, Melissa! Glad you joined the fun! I'll check out your post today :)
DeleteLooks like I'll be joining in with My Friends by Fredrik Backman, which I'll start reading TONIGHT!
ReplyDeletePerfect!! Lots of people are reading that for Big Book Summer. It’s definitely on my list! Enjoy 😀📚
DeleteThank you for hosting again this year!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you enjoyed it again, Helen!
DeleteI just tried posting my last review and it said the link party was over.
ReplyDeleteSorry about that, Jane! I just checked, and apparently, Inlinkz only allows 50 entries per list, and we've reached that. Please just leave your link here in a comment, so I can check it out! (though I am a bit behind after all our travels).
DeleteSue, I finally watched your BookTube about Big Book Summer and finally figured out why I felt abandoned on this book blogging site. All summer long I was linking my blog posts here which generated no or next to no traffic from the site. Helen and Deb may or may not have visited but it didn't seem like anyone else did. Without your interactions as examples to other participants, it seemed that others weren't interested in being part of the community of book bloggers or talking about the Big Books we were reading. Or they didn't understand the value of doubling back and interacting with others. I kept linking up my posts in hopes that things would change if I visited enough others' sites, leaving comments everywhere I visited, but that didn't generate much traffic. I guessed I'd hear from you when you returned from your trip. When that didn't happen I chalked it up to it being a busy summer. No big deal. But when I saw your YouTube video I realized that I'd missed the boat and that other media types had overtaken the Challenge and us, old hanger-on-ers would need to change or we will find ourselves without a community in the future. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteI'm so very sorry to hear that you had a bad experience with Big Book Summer this year, Anne. I did visit a couple of your BBS reviews when I got back from our big 6-week trip, but I have to admit, I am STILL not caught up on all I missed while I was away - not the blogs or the videos. It was a BIG trip! ha ha So, I myself missed a big chunk of Big Book Summer. But I did visit ALL the blogs' initial posts and every review post until we left on the trip. It is disappointing to hear that the other bloggers participating didn't visit - there were about a dozen of us with blogs. If you're looking for community, I'd encourage you to join the Goodreads group next year - it is a VERY active community (and a large one) all summer long, with readers, bloggers, and YouTubers - it's open to everyone. And when you post that you finished a book, you can include a link to your review. There's also a Storygraph group now, if you prefer that platform, though it wasn't nearly as active. The group is a place for all participants to interact. You can also share your BBS reviews on social media - that's what I do :) Generally speaking, the world of traditional blogs is definitely shrinking, with more people moving to other platforms like Tumblr or Substack (or to YouTube). There are just fewer of us bloggers around! As you've probably noticed, my own blog is down to bare bones these days - mostly just my Monday posts and Big Book Summer. There just isn't enough time for me to maintain a full blog and my YT channel. I hope you'll still participate in BBS next year and that you'll have a better experience!
DeleteSue
I'll try out the Goodreads page next summer. I have noticed that bloggers don't make comments on others' pages as well as mine. Everyone wants to drive traffic toward their own pages but don't seem to see the connection that interacting with others can build up their readers. But as comments have been falling off, traffic numbers have been rising. Go figure.
DeleteI confess I don't like watching book reviews on YouTube. I guess I want to breeze through reviews and not listen to 10 or so minutes or someone's thoughts on a book. So I doubt I will ever go that direction.
Thanks for engaging with me in this discussion.
YouTube isn't the only alternative - I think many bloggers have moved to Substack instead.
Delete