A Huge Round Up of 2025 Year Long Reading Challenges

Another year – more reading challenges! Below you’ll find a compilation of popular year-long 2025 reading challenges from blogs, YouTube and Instagram. This list will be updated with new challenges every Sunday through the end of January 2025, so check back often. Also check out our list of The Most Popular 2025 Reading Challenges on StoryGrpah.

2025 Reading Challenges

NEWLY ADDED! — updated 01/11/2025 – this is the last update.

• 25 books for 2025 (Blydyn Square Books). Read 25 books for 2025 using our list as a suggestion or just read ANY 25 books and you’ll be eligible to win an annual prize.
• Barnes & Noble 2025 Yearly Reading Challenge. Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks – and there is also a list of 2 books per week as choices to help you meet the goal. And there’s a theme for each week, so you can build your own challenge – either do your own thing, pick one of the books, or pick any book to follow the theme.
• Book Bingo Reading Challenge 2025. A fun bingo style reading challenge with a normal and hard mode.
• Cozy Reading Challenge. Add more inspiration and joy to your cozy reading life by reading books for one of these cozy genre reading prompts.
• Decolonize Your Bookshelf. Explore an incredible range of voices by reading a book for each of the prompts. #decolonizeyourbookshelf
• 2025 Feminist Reading Challenge. The aim is to encourage reading of books written by women, non-binary individuals and people of colour by reading a book for each of the 24 categories.
• Genre Bingo 2025. If you complete a row, column or diagonal, you have won! If you complete the whole bingo board, you have slayed! And You can change 2 prompts in case you can’t find any book you want to read in that genre.
• I Read Horror Year-Round Challenge. Read a horror book from the 12 prescribed categories, plus there’s an optional BINGO challenge…the Cryptid BINGO Challenge!
• Not the Bees: A Nicolas Cage Inspired Reading Challenge. Do what you will with the prompts! Follow them, or let the quote inspire something else. Just use #notthebees2025
• Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks. The goal is easy – Read 52 Books – Or if you aren’t up to 52 but want to join in, you can set your own goal. There’s no set reading lists so how you get there is up to you. However, there are a variety of challenges such as 2025 52 Books Bingo, 2025 Dragon Bookology – each month spel out the names of fictional dragons or read the story in which the dragon resides; and 2025 A to Z and Back Again – a few fun ways to play with words.
• Read For the Stars. The main challenge will focus on the zodiac signs – their characteristics, moons, vibes, mythologies, etc. Each sign has 5 prompts, 60 total. Each month there will also post a bonus mini challenge focused on Zodiac cusps, planets, stars, or space in general.
• Reading With Muffy. Our aim is to help you conquer you read more with these 12 unique book prompts designed to add diversity to your reading list.
• She Reads Romance Books Reading Challenge. The goal with this reading challenge is to read ONE romance book each month, for a total of 12 romance books for the year. Each month also has a specific romance category as well as a fun reading challenge.
• Studio Ghibli Reading Challenge. Read one (or more) book(s) per month that fit the description in the table of prompts (but don’t be afraid to bend the brief slightly if you’re struggling).
• 2025 TBR Challenge. Each month, choose a book for either of the 2 reading prompts (or do both) – but it has to be from your “to be read” pile.
• TBR 20 in ’25. Read books for these 20 different prompts all involving the number 5.
• TBR Challenge 2025. Your mission, should you choose to accept it: once a month pull a dormant book out of your TBR pile and read it. There are themes for each month, but they are optional.
• UK’s Biggest Cities Reading Challenge 2025. Read books for these writing prompts based on UK’s biggest cities.

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• 13 Moons Reading Challenge. Read 1 book or more for each of the 13 “moons” listed.
• 25 in 25 (Four Paws and a Book | YouTube). Read a book for each of the 25 reading prompts.
• The 52 Book Club Reading Challenge. The goal is to read 52 books from the 52 different prompts provided. Get as creative as you like with interpreting the prompts.

A

• Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge. Fill your bowls with one book for each letter of the alphabet.
• Alphabet Soup – Author Edition Reading Challenge. The challenge is to read one book that has an author whose first name or last name starts with every letter of the alphabet.
• The Audiobook Challenge. The goal is to find a new love for audios or to outdo yourself by listening to more audios this year.

B

• Beyond the Bookends 2025 Reading Challenge. Read a book for each category in the month.
• Backlog Board of Books. This challenge motivates us to read books we already own or that we have been putting off for a long time. There are 58 prompts (some repeated) to help you pick and read books you already have on your shelves. You can find the prompts at Storygraph.
• Beat the Backlist. Let’s tackle all the books you keep meaning to read and still haven’t.
• Book Bingo 2025. There are three main parts to this reading challenge: choose your bingo journey + join the Reader’s Nook + track your progress.
• Books in Translation. Read a book that’s been translated from any language into the language of your choosing. The challenge is not limited to translations to or from English.
• Book to Movie (and TV). Read books being made into movies for release this (with additional levels for adaptations in other years).
• Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge. Read Harder has 24 fun and serious tasks designed to help you break out of your reading bubble and expand your worldview through books.
• Bookemon. The aim is to research and collect “bookemon” characters, which you do through reading. Hurry because there are some extra tools that you can get in Dec. 2024!
• Books in the Freezer Horror Reading Challenge. Can you find a horror book for each of these 10 reading prompts (+3 bonuses)?
• Bookish Books Reading Challenge. Read books where the main themes is books (reading them, writing them, hoarding them, stealing them, eating them, burning them, decorating with them, organizing them, sniffing them, selling them, etc.).
• Booklist Queen’s Reading Challenge. Read a book a week with these 52 different categories to expand your reading selection.
• The Booknerd Backlist Reading Challenge. This is a laid-back way to read more of the books you already own. The reading prompts are 100% voluntary and can be completed in any order! They’re only here to help if you’re looking at a massive TBR and have no idea what to read
• Bookopoly. This was posted many moons ago, but it’s too good not to share here. Read a book for each category on the boardwalk but roll the die like you would in Monopoly to determine what to read. Skip 2 categories if you have a Get Out of Jail free card!
• Build Your Library Reading Challenge. The theme this year is “Reading Banned Books” There are prompts that offer you the chance to thoroughly explore the theme in fun and unique ways.
• Buzzword Cover Challenge. Read a book each month that has a COVER element related to the buzzword.
• Buzzword Reading Challenge. A year long challenge focused on book titles- each month has a designated word/word theme and you read a book that fits the theme.

C

• Calendar of Crime. Read 12 mystery books, each from of the categories in the month on the Calendar of Crime.
• Classics Reading Challenge. The idea is to explore the classics by reading one classic book each month chosen for the challenge theme.
• Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge. Read any book that is from the mystery/suspense/thriller/crime/true crime genres. Any sub-genres are welcome as long as they incorporate one of these genres.
• The Clock Reading Challenge. The goal is to read 12 books, each with a number from 1 to 12 in the title.
• Color Coded. Choose books where the color may either be named in the title or it may appear as the dominant color for the cover.
• COYER Out to Lunch. Clean Out Your Electronic books (eBooks and audiobooks) … and more. This will be a year long challenge, going back to the old days of strict rules when only free and nearly free books count.
• Comet Readings’ 2025 Reading Challenge. Tackle a new genre or theme each week by reading a book for each of the challenge prompts.
• Connect Five Daisy Chain Challenge. Each month, we will release a new board game themed chain challenge. The first prompt will be in relation to the game of the month. There are 5 prompts per month. New prompts will be released each month (follow on Storygraph to easily see the prompts as they release).
• Cover Lovers Reading Challenge. Each of the 50 prompts below include an element to look for on the covers of the books you read. A book should only be used once (unless you’re going rogue and just doing things your own way).
• Craving For Cozies. Read cozy mystery books.
• Crossing Continents. There’s 12 prompts with an additional bonus prompt all related to reading books based in each of the seven continents.
• Creativity Reading Challenge. This challenge is about reading books on creativity, art, crafts, writing, film making, photography and any other topic that helps you live a more creative life.
• Cruisin’ Thru The Cozies. Read only cozy mysteries of your choice or read through the different sub-genres of cozy mysteries.

D

• Decades Reading Challenge. Challenge yourself to reading books set in each decade from the 1800s through today!
• Diversity Reading Challenge. Read different types of books according to the monthly theme.

E

• Elevate Your Reading. A 12 month challenge with a prompt for every month. Plus optional – participate in a buddy read each month.
• Epistolary Reading Challenge. The challenge is to read books written in the form of letters, diaries, blogs, e-mails and such, either completely or partially written this way.
• The European Reading Challenge. Read books set in European countries or books by European authors. The books can be of any genre and you can participate at different levels, but each book must represent a different country – either written by an author from a different country or set in a different country.

F

• Fairytale Reading Challenge. Each month there is a fairytale prompt. You can read a retelling or the original fairytale.
• Fantasy Reading Challenge. Explore more fantasy and sci-fi books with the 2024 fantasy and sci-fi fanatics reading challenge!

G

• Go With the Flow. Follow the flow chart starting in January. Then the next book you pick to read next is affected by the book you last read.

H

• Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. Read historical fiction books from sub-genres like Historical Romance, Historical Mystery, Historical Fantasy, Young Adult, History/Non-Fiction using the BINGO provided.
• Humor Reading Challenge. Read books that you consider funny or humorous.
• ‘Hundred Years Hence’. Read a text that was published for the first time in 1925. Yes, a hundred years ago. There is also a prize for the one who reads the maximum number of books for the challenge.

K

• Key Word Reading Challenge. Read a book each month with one (or more) of the key words in the title.

L

• Libro.fm’s 2025 Audiobook Listening Challenge. 24 prompts to help you broaden your audiobook listening, discover new favorites.
• Library Love Challenge. The goal is to find your love of your local library and to read at least twelve (12) books from the library, but you can read more The challenge will be in three semesters. 
• 2025 Linz The Bookworm and Logophile Reading Challenge. The challenge is organized into 5 levels of 12 prompts. This is a choose-your-own-adventure challenge. Play however you like: pick your challenge level of choice and try to complete everything within those levels… or bounce around willy-nilly and read whatever you feel like.
• Literary Escapes. Read 1 book set in each of the 50 states + the District of Columbia.

M

• Medical Examiner’s Mystery Reading Challenge. Your goal as Medical Examiner is to issue as many Toe Tags as you can by reading murder mysteries and documenting the cause of death of the unfortunate victim(s)
• Meet Me at the Movies. We have taken the top movies in 15 genres, from the 4 movie eras and created this amazing reading challenge with 60 prompts. Find books related to inspiration taken from movies.
• Memoir Reading Challenge. Read a minimum of five memoirs from any of the categories listed. One book can only count for one category.
• Mental Health Reading Challenge. Read any book related to mental health – fiction or non-fiction.
• Motif Reading Challenge. Each month read one book that fits the motif (theme) for the month. ⁠
• Mount TBR. Knock out some of those books you OWN that have been waiting in the wings for weeks … months … even years.
• Mystery Marathon. The Mystillery Literary and Athletic Association (MLAA) welcomes you to the first running of the Mystery Marathon! Your goal is to to complete the marathon by reading 26.2* mysteries during the year. (No actual running is required.)

N

• The Nerd Daily’s 2025 Reading Challenge. 52 reading prompts for you to choose books for.
• New Release Challenge. Read books that have been released in the present year, and reviewed before the end of the year.
• Netgalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge. Are you feeling overwhelmed by the number of NetGalley/Edelweiss books sitting on your shelf to be read? Then this is the reading challenge for you!
• Nonfiction Reader Challenge. Read and review a book from the categories listed or select, read and review any nonfiction book.
• NoveList Reading Challenge. For each month of the next calendar year, there’s a prompt to help you explore different types of books and add some variety to your year.

O

• Out of Comfort Zone. Read books that you consider to be outside of your comfort zone.

P

• Pick Your Poison Challenge. Check out the printable – 26 topics with 4 categories in each – so “Pick Your Poison”! It could be anywhere from a Baker’s Dozen – 1 category from any of the 13 topics … all the way up to a Freaky Reader – complete all the topics.
• Picture Prompt Book Bingo. Match books that you’ve read to one of the pictures on the bingo card.
• PopSugar Reading Challenge. This year readers chose many of the book prompt ideas and your creativity did not disappoint.
• The Purrfect Reading Challenge. Read mysteries that have cats as main characters.

R

• a RAD Reading Challenge. Choose to read from any or all of the nine categories in the printable.
• Read Diversely 2025. Read selected diverse fiction each month. Discussion groups are open on Facebook and IG. Read them all, choose a couple months, read a different book in the same category; whatever you want. All readers, all voices welcome.
• Read It Again Sam. This one is all about re-reading … re-visiting old friends in books.
• Read for the Stars. The main challenge this year will focus on Astrology and the zodiac signs – their characteristics, moons, vibes, mythologies, etc. Each sign has 5 prompts, 60 total. (also on Storygraph)
• Read Good Challenge 2025. Reading prompts for every month of the year
• Read With Allison. There are 52 reading prompts on the printable so challenge yourself to find a book for each, or as many as you can get to this year.
• Read Your Bookshelf. Read a book from bookshelf by choosing one for each month’s prompt.
• Reading by the Numbers. Log all your books. No pre-set challenge levels. You decide your goal for the year and then just keep track of the books you read.
• Reading the Classics Challenge (In Search of Wonder | YouTube). Read a classic book for each of the monthly themes.
• Romance Reading Bingo. The challenge is to read a book and check the boxes!
• Romanceopoly. The ultimate year-long 2025 reading challenge for romance lovers!  Romanceopoly 2025, a whimsical map filled with four distinct towns, each bursting with its own seasonal charm.

S

• SFF Title Challenge | Come on Board the Title Hunt. Read an SFF Book which has one of the words from the board in the title.
• Shelf Reflection’s 2025 Reading Challenge. There are 2 parts to this reading challenge. Part 1 – Read a book for each of the 20 reading prompts. Part 2 – there 25 prompts that all have to do with the number 25. Do either part 1 or 2 or both.
• Shelf Reflection’s Reading Challenge for Kids 2025. 25 fun reading prompts for a kids reading challenge. There are a variety of trackers including a checklist, a bookshelf tracker they can color, and reading journal options.
• Six Shooter Mystery Challenge. Your goal is to shoot (read) six mysteries by the same target (author).
• Southern Literature Reading Challenge. Read books by Southern authors set largely in the South (US).

T

• TBR 25 in ’25. The goal is to read 24 books from your TBR shelves in 2024.
• Thrifty Thursday. Read a book which was free (at some point).
• Thoughtful Reading Challenge. Read a book each month for the challenge prompt.

U

• Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. Read at least one book for each of the 10 reading prompts.
• Uncorked Reading Challenge: Judge A Book By Its Cover. Find four bingo cards with unique prompts spanning three months (over the course of the year) paired with reading lists and specific titles.

V

• Vintage Scavenger Hunt. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, will be to find as many objects on the scavenger hunt list as possible on the covers of the mystery books you read. As always, you may play along in either the Golden or Silver Mystery Eras (or, for the more adventurous, both).
• Virtual Mount TBR Reading Challenge. This challenge is for all those folks with mile-long “wish-list” of TBRs who would like a chance to climb as well.

W

• What’s in a Name Reading Challenge. Read a book for each of the 6 categories listed.
• What An Animal Reading Challenge. Read books where animals play a major role in the book or the main character is (or turns into) an animal.

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Did we miss any challenges? Let us know in the comments and we’ll add it to the list. Here are My 2024 Reading Challenges, and I’m looking forward to trying some new ones in 2025.