52 Prompts for Your 2024 Reading Challenge: Printable PDF

Tell your book besties!

A reading challenge, simply put, is a fun and engaging way to connect with your passion for books. It’s a set goal you give yourself to read a particular number of books within a specific timeframe, like a year.

The 2024 reading challenge, for instance, could involve reading 24 books by the end of the year. But it’s not just about quantity; a reading challenge can also encourage you to explore new genres, authors, or themes.

So, how does it work?

You set your reading goal, pick your books based on the ones you have in your current “to be read” (TBR) pile or that are being released in the upcoming year. Use the prompts below to help you choose which books will be on your reading list or to decide which one to read next.

There is no pressure. Read as many books as you like. If a book marks off more than one category on the list, great. If you want to read a different book for each suggestion, go for it. Tweak and change as you go so it works for you.

How Does it Work?

There are 52 prompts below. Each prompt will correspond to a book of your choice. It is like a scavenger hunt through the bookshelves.

Mix and match them however you wish. Decide if you will read a book for each prompt or if a book can satisfy more than one prompt at a time.

Any format of book works. Kindle. Audiobook. Hard copy. Whatever reading format you enjoy.

NOTE: If you end up with a “Did Not Finish” (DNF) book, the usual consensus is you can count it for the challenge if you read more than 100 pages.

2024 Reading Challenge

The following reading prompts (book list challenge) is available as a printable in the Catalogue in multiple formats.

A book that(s)

• a 2024 New Release
• you meant to read last year
• less than 250 pages
• more than 500 pages
• was gifted to you
• has a library or bookshop
• a funny memoir
• is about art
• a fantasy book
• has a movie or TV adaptation
• set during a historical time period
• has an obscured face on the cover
• recommended by a friend
• set in the woods or the mountains
• gives you cozy vibes
• set during winter (or has snow on the cover)
• has a king or queen
• cover is purple
• a legal thriller
• includes a skull on the cover
• set in a hotel or school
• set in a country you’ve never been to
• is written from the villain’s point of view
• a retelling of a fairy tale, myth, or classic novel
• gives you spooky vibes
• won a literary prize
• that is about an escape
• been on your TBR list for 5+ years
• by an author you love
• seasonal or holiday-themed
• set during summer (or has a beach on the cover)
• not your typical reading genre
• about secrets
• an author you‘ve never read
• has the name of a flower in the title
• has a multi-colored cover
• that has a male main character
• part of a series
• is a Goodreads Winner in 2023
• has 250,000+ Goodreads ratings
• has less than 10,000 Goodreads ratings
• has a 5-star rating
• is a full-cast audiobook
• a short story collection/anthology
• includes a tree on the cover
• is told from multiple points of view
• has been sitting at the bottom of your to-read list
• cover is ugly
• is a popular book you have never read
• has a one-word title
• a book everyone is talking about
• a favorite (reread)

Book List Challenge

If you choose to go for the whole big list as a challenge, there is a printable with checkboxes and a space to write the title that you read for the challenge.

Jump around the list. There is no reason to work through it from top to bottom unless that is how you prefer to accomplish your reading goals for the year.

The list may seem a little daunting at first. As you get going it will be less intimidating. The fun will kick in and you may end up reading more books than you planned.

Read 12 Books in a Year: Monthly Challenge

It might be that reading more than a book a month is just too much for your schedule. If that is the case, you can use the 12-month printable for your challenge instead. Each month has 3 suggestions for a book as well as a write-in slot for a prompt that you might want from the list that isn’t included in the 12-month options.

This is a great way to give yourself a bit of a challenge without it being overwhelming or feeling like it will be impossible to fit into your schedule.

52 Weeks of Reading

Can you finish a book in a week?

Your challenge could be to read a different book for each prompt. Finish all the prompts by the end of the year and you will have read at least 52 books. That’s impressive.

Printables for Reading Journals

The printables for each challenge format are in the Catalogue. You can print them and add them to your reading journal, stick them to the fridge, or keep them in your current book as a reminder and to use as a placeholder.

If you are part of a book club and want to use the challenge with your bookish besties, feel free to share with them as well.

Free Bookmarks

There is also a set of bookmarks in the Catalogue that you can print and use as a reminder for your challenge prompts or take it with you to the bookstore while you are browsing for your next title. That way you can mark off your chosen challenges while doing your book shopping.

NOTE: If you would like to check out other reading challenges you need to bookmark this page with a HUGE list of other prompts, printables, etc.

Read Along

Sign up for my weekly newsletter. Each week I will highlight one of the reading challenges (and include book suggestions that might help you find your next book), let you know about new blog posts (and printables), and keep you up-to-date on my reading challenge progress.

Have fun reading and challenging yourself.

Be sure to let me know what books you pick for the 2024 Reading Challenge.

Tell your book besties!