25 reading challenge ideas to read more in 2026

The best reading challenge is the one you will actually keep. Start with a number you believe you can hit, then add a few prompts to keep it interesting. Here are 25 ideas, grouped so you can mix and match.

Count-based challenges

1. Read 12 books this year, one a month.
2. Read 24 books, a comfortable two a month.
3. Read 52 books, the classic book a week.
4. Read 10,000 pages instead of counting books, which rewards longer reads.
5. Read for 100 hours over the year, tracked by your reading timer.

Variety challenges

6. Read a book from a country you have never read from.
7. Read one book in translation.
8. Read a backlist book older than you are.
9. Read a debut novel from this year.
10. Read across five different genres.

Habit challenges

11. Read 20 minutes every day, no matter what.
12. Keep a reading streak going for 30 days.
13. Read before screens for one week.
14. Finish a book you previously did not finish.
15. Re-read a favorite and rate it again.

Community challenges

16. Do a buddy read with a friend, on a shared pace.
17. Read a book a friend loves and tells you to.
18. Join a seasonal readathon.
19. Read the book before you watch the adaptation.
20. Read a book club pick outside your usual taste.

Stretch challenges

21. Read a 600-page book you have been avoiding.
22. Read a classic you pretended to read in school.
23. Read poetry for a month.
24. Read one nonfiction book per quarter.
25. Read a whole series start to finish.

Track it without the spreadsheet

A challenge works better when progress is visible. In Endleaf you can set a yearly reading goal by books, pages, or minutes, see how far ahead or behind pace you are, and watch a progress ring fill as the year goes. When you finish, your year in books turns into a card you can share. It is free to set a reading challenge and track it.

Set up your reading challenge in Endleaf or read how tracking helps.