Reading Challenges 2025 Introduction

I'm gong to be participating in several challenges again this year. 

The first challenge again comes from the Avid Readers of Christian Fiction Facebook Group I am in.

Tacle the TBR Pile is from Crystal Caudill's blog.

There is also the reading challenge from the Eating Our Words Facebook group. 

I'm joining in with The Posse again:

I'm again joining in with the Read Your Bookshelf Challenge from Chantel Reads All Day. For this year's challenge there are simple one-word prompts, so it should be a lot easier.

I'm also joining in with a "Book Club" with the Between the Pages group on Facebook. This challenge has a specific book to read and discuss each month. I already know I won't be able to particpate each month, but I'm going to try where I can.

One of the authors I follow, Malissa Chapin, is doing a challenge on her FB page, Malissa Chapin's Merry Band of Book Lovers. I completely failed her challenge last year, but I decided I could try again.

Here's the challenge from the Faith Filled Fiction FB group:

 

I'm also going to try to read a book set in each of the 50 states with the Literary Escapes Challenge. Last year was the second year I attempted it. Unfortunately, I didn't get all 50 states. I only got 28, which was worse than in 2023 when I got 33. I'm hoping to do better this year.

Last year I decided I would try her Alphabet Soup Challenge. I ended up getting all but four letters, and decided I'd join in again this year.

And seeing as I'm reading a bunch of books anyway, and reading many different authors, I figured I'd try the Alphabet Soup Author Edition this year. Just to see how many letters I can get with what I am already reading. 

I'm also going to try to read books set in as many European countries as possible with the 2025 European Reading Challenge from Rose City Reader. Last year I read books from three different European countries. I'm hoping to increase that number this year. 

Additionally, she has the TBR 25 in '25 challenge. I figure this won't be an additional burden as I plan to read from my TBR pile this year anyway.

Also, someone in my Avid Readers of Christian Fiction group again came up with a yearly book challenge. This year we again have 50 prompts:

Read a book…

1. With a title that starts with L

2. Featuring a woman in STEM

3. With an unreliable narrator 

4. Featuring a stepparent 

5. With a red cover

6. By a new to you author

7. That is a 2025 debut novel 

8. Featuring an unsolved mystery 

9. By an author who has the same first and last initial

10. That is a fairytale spin off or retelling 

11. That is considered a classic 

12. With a character you find relatable 

13. From a genre you don’t read often 

14. With an insect on the cover 

15. That is over 500 pages long

16. Set in the mountains 

17. Published in 2025

18. Written more than 20 years ago 

19. That includes a holiday you don’t celebrate 

20. Published by an Indie author

21. That contains illustrations 

22. Featuring a firefighter or other emergency responder

23. That has a second chance romance 

24. Recommend by a librarian 

25. With a green spine 

26. Set in a bakery or restaurant 

27. With four or more people on the cover

28. That has won an award

29. Written by a BIPOC author 

30. Set in a different country from you 

31. With a one word title 

32. That includes more than 2 POV

33. That is a dual or triple timeline 

34. Set before the 1800s

35. With a bird on the cover 

36. That takes place on or around a train

37. With a blue dress on the cover

38. A book with the word at, in, or is in the title 

39. Set in Eastern Europe 

40. Set during WWII

41. That makes you laugh 

42. That features a historical event you remember 

43. With an illustrated or typography cover

44. Set in a cold climate

45. With a hat on the cover

46. Written by a male author

47. Written in first person pov

48. With little to no romance

49. By an author with multiple award winning books

50. That features a pet other than a dog 

Finally, I am joining in again with a second yearly challenge from the Scripture Literature-You Are What You Read FB group. 

So, here it is:

1- You Can't Wait

2- Whodunit

3- Spin on a Classic

4- A Cardinal Sin

5- Bibliophile

6- Succumb to Peer Pressure

7- Rom Com

8- Considered Controversial

9- Written by an Apologist

10- Return to a Favorite

11- Think Piece

12- Passage of Time 

13- Good vs Evil

14- Fruit of the Spirit

15- A Book that Mentions a Book

16- Multi-Generational POV

17- Labor of Love

18- Far From Home

19- Child Narrator

20. Debut Novel

21. Small Town

22. Lighthouse

23. Animal on the Cover

24. Book you got for Free

25. An Epic Love Story

26. Amish

27. Features a Character from the Bible

28. Location Starts with "I"

29. A Spooky Read

30. Natural Disaster

31. Overcoming a Tragic Event

32. A Quest

33. Harmful Secrets

34. One Word Title

35. Feud

36. A Sea Voyage

37. A Wedding or a Funeral

38. Significant Historical Event

39. Female Antagonist

40. Thriller

41. With a Yellow Cover

42. Missionaries

43. Indie Author

44. Daddy Issues

45. On the Run

46. New Release

47. For a Good Cause

48. Showbiz

49. Favorite Time Period 

50. Fictional Land

51. Married Couple

52. Orphan

53. Choose your own Adventure  

My Goodreads goal is to read 110 books this year. Last year I had set it at 110 and I ended up reading 122. I think I will be able to meet my 110 book goal. 

Okay, so this looks like a lot again, even though I planned on doing less challenges this year. However, a couple of them fit the fact that I want to read from my TBR shelf. And recording books that fit into the alphabet is just that, recording books I am already reading. I won't force myself to read a bunch of books JUST to get the letters I'm missing. And of course, I try to combine challenges when possible. And with the yearly challenges, I read books for the other challenges and then see where they fit in the yearly challenge lists. Also, when I pick books for the monthly challenges, I will try to choose books that take place in different states or countries. Also, I'll probably prioritize the challenges I've been doing longer if I start struggling with keeping up.