Written by Megan Ryan

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As we approach the end of the year, your social media feeds might be full of fellow readers sharing whether they met their reading goals for 2025. It seems common to set a goal to read a certain number of books, but that approach can lead to comparison and discouragement. There’s no reason to turn reading into something to feel bad about!

After one year of tracking how many books I read (out of curiosity more than a goal), I decided I wanted to set myself a different type of reading challenge. So for 2024, I decided to read two nonfiction books per month. Since I am a heavy fiction reader, this was a stretch, but I was only competing against myself. And I found some fascinating titles that I wouldn’t have discovered in my normal mode.

My mom gave me my 2025 reading challenge idea, which was to read a book from each decade going backwards. I didn’t pick out a goal year to reach because I didn’t want any pressure to skip reading the many new releases I also enjoyed this year. So I haven’t been too strict, but it has pushed me to read some titles I wouldn’t have otherwise.

If you are also looking for a reading challenge that’s more personal or more fun than counting the total number of books you would read anyway, here are some other ideas.

1. A–Z

For an alphabetical challenge, see if you can read a book whose title starts with each letter of the alphabet during the year. (Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone series might make this too easy!)

2. Around the world

For some international flavor, you could look for books set in as many different countries as possible. Or search out authors from as many different nations as you can. You could also try to check off every state in the US.

3. Fictional character challenge

If you have a favorite fictional bookworm (like Rory Gilmore, Matilda, or Jo March), read as many of the books they read (or are mentioned in their TV show/book) as you can. My sister got me The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge that lists the books talked about in Gilmore Girls, and I will see how many of those I can read in 2026.

4. Colorful

While you may try not to judge a book by its cover, that art could also be part of your challenge criteria. You could read books that primarily have one color on the cover or that feature at least some of the color. Maybe you pick one for the entire year, or maybe you search out a different color each month.

5. Different genres

If you have certain genres or topics that you don’t often stray from, then a great challenge for you might be to explore some different ones. Perhaps you pick a certain number of “out of the box” choices, or maybe each month or season you challenge yourself to read books from a specific genre.

6. Numbers

How many books with numbers in the titles can you tally? It might add an extra level of challenge to try to read them in numerical order. (Again, choosing a series that follows this pattern, like Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels or Women’s Murder Club by James Patterson, might be too easy!)

7. New authors

Choosing to focus on debut authors could be an interesting challenge and a way to support newer writers. Or you could prioritize choosing authors you personally haven’t read before, even if they are well established.

8. Local authors/books

You could give local or regional authors your support by seeing how many books you can find that are written by authors who live near you. Or you could look for titles set in your area. Your local library could be a great resource for finding these authors or books.

9. PEN connections

To invest in people you’re connected to in the industry, you could read as many books as you can that were written or edited by someone in the Christian PEN. You can find some titles listed in threads in the PEN Loop if you’re a Silver or Gold member, or you can follow your colleagues on social media or get their newsletters and watch for their book launch announcements.

10. Award winners

A final idea is to see how many award-winning books you can read in 2026. You could count only winners of a specific award or see how many books you can read that won any award at all.

There are many secular book awards as well as Christian book awards like the Christy Awards, Selah Awards, Christian Book Awards, and Christian Indie Awards. You can also read winners of the Editors Choice Awards to support the CEA and Christian editors.

Conclusion

There are numerous ways to challenge yourself or just track your reading for 2026 if it’s something you want to do. I encourage you to not make a reading challenge a chore. You don’t have to only read things that fit your goal, and the only one who needs to approve of your goal is you. So find an idea that sparks your interest and have fun with it.

Please let me know if you have chosen a 2026 reading challenge in the comments!

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