This year, challenge yourself to read a book that fits into each of the 25 categories!
- With an animal in the title
- That was translated
- That’s a memoir
- That focuses on mental health
- That’s 150 pages or less
- That has the name of a place in the title
- Written by two authors
- About business or finance
- Everyone is talking about
- About history
- That you own but have not read yet
- You know nothing about but like the cover
- That’s a cozy mystery
- That won an award in the last 5 years
- About nature
- That is a play
- With a title that has the word ‘And’ in it
- That is a debut novel
- With a flower in the title
- That has a number in the title
- That takes place in New England
- That was published in the 1980s
- That was published in the 2010s
- That was published the year you were born
- BONUS: By an author featured on our Behind the Books podcast
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!