How Reading Challenges Kick You Out of Your Literary Comfort Zones and Why You Should Try These Suggestions
I used to be the kind of reader who would wander into a bookstore with the best intentions and somehow always leave with another fantasy novel featuring a sad girl with supernatural problems and a love interest with mysterious dark eyes. Not that there's anything wrong with that! Comfort reads are called comfort reads for a reason, but my old choices began to feel stale, and I felt trapped in a literary cage of my own making.
Then I discovered reading challenges, and suddenly my bookshelf looked like it had been curated by someone far more interesting than me.
The Day I Realized I Needed Help
A few years ago, I perused my “books read” list in my reading journal and realized that approximately 80% of my reading fit into that aforementioned "sad girls with supernatural problems” genre. Now, I will defend my beloved magical girls with moody problems until my dying breath, but I had the sinking feeling that my reading diet was not omnivorous enough. A character brooding dramatically in the rain does not a good book make. (I guess!)
So, I tried out reading challenges and discovered they are basically literary peer pressure in the most delightful way possible. They're the friend who gently nudges you toward the memoir section when you're reaching for your seventh enemies-to-lovers fantasy, whispering, "But what if you tried something that might make you cry in a completely different way?"
Finding Your Reading Challenge Soulmate
Reading challenges are a bit like dating. You need to find one that matches your energy. Some people thrive on the ambitious "52 Books in 52 Weeks" approach (bless their focused, non-ADD afflicted hearts), while others prefer something more like "12 Books That Made Me Feel Something this Year" (which is what I’m looking for, honestly).
Here are some popular options and what I've learned about them:
The Goodreads Annual Reading Challenge is like that reliable friend who's always there for you. You set your own goal, which means you can't blame anyone but yourself when you're frantically trying to finish three novellas on December 30th. The community aspect is lovely. Enjoy the camaraderie of seeing that thousands of other people are also behind on their reading goals and stress-eating while contemplating whether graphic novels count as "real books" (they do, obviously).
The Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge feels like something Jo March would have designed if she'd had access to Pinterest. It's got that "choose your own adventure" energy that appeals to my need for structure with a healthy dose of creative freedom. Plus, anything with "Mrs. Darcy" in the name automatically gets points for literary whimsy.
The PopSugar Reading Challenge is for people who like their prompts with a side of delightful oddity. "Read a dystopian novel with a happy ending"? That's the kind of challenge that makes you really think about what you're putting in your brain. It's like literary scavenger hunt, and I'm here for it.
The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge will guide you along the footsteps of literary it girl, Rory Gilmore. This challenge curates everything we ever spotted Rory reading in Gilmore Girls, so we can follow along with her and get in her headspace so we can finally figure out what she was thinking during the Logan debacle.
Then there are the beautifully specific challenges that make my bookish heart sing. The Around the World challenge sounds impossibly ambitious and utterly magical - reading a book set in every country feels like the kind of thing Rory Gilmore would tackle with color-coded spreadsheets and infinite enthusiasm. The Reading Women Challenge is delightfully straightforward: spend a year reading only female authors. Simple, powerful, and guaranteed to introduce you to voices you might have missed.
Here are few more suggestions to check out:
The Art of Creating Your Own Literary Adventure
Sometimes the existing challenges don't quite fit your particular brand of book-loving chaos, and that's when you get to play literary architect with your own custom challenge. This is where things get really fun.
I once created what I called "The Emotional Weather Challenge.” Every month, I'd pick books that matched my current emotional climate. January was for books that cozy and familiar, April was for something that bloomed slowly, and November was reserved for anything that made me want to wrap myself in a blanket and contemplate the beautiful melancholy of existence.
The key is making it personal enough that it feels meaningful but flexible enough that you won't abandon it in March when life gets complicated. Maybe it's "Books That Would Make Anne Shirley Proud" or "Stories That Feel Like Rainy Sunday Afternoons" - whatever speaks to your particular literary soul.
Some prompts I've loved: reading a book with a color in the title (surprisingly harder than it sounds), finding a cozy sci-fi novel (yes, they exist, and they're perfect), or tackling something with an unreliable narrator (which always makes me feel like I'm solving a delicious puzzle).
When Challenges Become Chores (And How to Fall Back in Love)
Here's the thing nobody tells you about reading challenges: sometimes they stop being fun. Sometimes you find yourself choosing books based solely on what fits a prompt rather than what makes your heart sing, and suddenly reading feels like homework instead of joy.
I learned this the hard way during my "Ambitious Year of Literary Classics" when I spent three weeks slogging through a novel that felt like eating cardboard just because it fit my "book published before 1900" category. That's when I realized that the spirit of the challenge matters more than perfect completion.
If you fall behind, adjust the goal. If the prompts start feeling restrictive, modify them. If the whole thing becomes a source of stress rather than discovery, give yourself permission to pivot. The point isn't to become a reading robot; it's to become a more adventurous reader.
The Community Magic
One of the most unexpected joys of reading challenges is the community that forms around them. There's something deeply comforting about seeing other people's progress, their book choices, their triumphant "I finally found a book that fits this impossible prompt!" posts.
Bookstagram and BookTok are full of people sharing their challenge journeys, and it's like having access to the world's most enthusiastic book club. Someone in the comments will always have the perfect recommendation for that oddly specific prompt you've been stuck on for weeks.
The Real Magic
The truth is, reading challenges work because they trick us into being braver readers. They give us permission to pick up that book we've been curious about but never quite brave enough to try. They push us out of our comfortable little reading bubbles and into the vast, wonderful world of stories we didn't even know we needed.
Last year, a challenge prompt led me to a memoir about beekeeping that made me cry in the best possible way. The year before, I discovered a science fiction novel that felt like poetry and changed how I think about time. These weren't books I would have naturally gravitated toward, but they became some of my most treasured reads.
The goal isn't to become a different kind of reader, it's to become a fuller version of the reader you already are. To add new colors to your literary palette without abandoning the shades you already love.
So whether you choose an existing challenge or create your own beautiful, chaotic reading adventure, remember this: the best reading challenge is the one that makes you excited to turn pages, not the one that looks the most impressive on your Instagram stories.
Your comfort zone will always be there when you need it. But just beyond its borders are books waiting to surprise you, and reading challenges are simply the gentle push you need to go find them.
What's your relationship with reading challenges? Are you a structured goal-setter or a "vibe, mood read, and hope for the best" kind of reader? Are you doing a reading challenge? Did I miss a great one? Let me know in the comments or shoot me an email!