This year, challenge yourself to read a book that fits into each of the 25 categories!
- With a color in the name
- Recommended by a friend
- That you should have read in school
- On the NY Times Bestseller List
- From an author you have already read
- About health, fitness, or self-help
- Published this year
- With a female protagonist
- With a one-word title
- Set in the 1900s
- About nature, science, or technology
- With Chapter Titles
- That’s a Young Adult novel
- That’s a mystery, thriller, or suspense novel
- Featuring the LGBTQ+ community
- That’s a guilty pleasure
- Of poetry
- Based on a real person
- That’s Science Fiction, Fantasy, or a Graphic Novel
- Of short stories or essays
- That’s a True Crime
- That involves travel
- By an author from a country or a culture not your own
- More than 10 years old
- BONUS: By an author featured on our Behind the Books podcast
Table of Contents
What is a Reading Challenge?
It is not a contest, but a way to discover books outside your normal reading habits. Participants can look for items that match the prompts and can choose any format (print, eBook, or audio) and do the prompts in any order you wish. With 24 prompts, that averages out to 2 books a month and the bonus is to read a book by an author featured on our podcast, Behind the Books. Visit for our social media to see regular posts about the challenge – let us know what you are reading, how you discovered the book and how you feel about reading outside their normal genre. We also have a GoodReads group you may join to share your titles and book reviews.
Reader’s Advisory Resources
Personalized Picks
Looking for something new to read? Check out our personalized book selection service! Our librarians will recommend titles in print and available through our online services hoopla and eLibraryNJ!
Behind the Books Podcast
Want a list of the authors we have interviewed for our podcast? Go to our Authors Interviewed flyer.