This week’s Let’s Talk Bookish prompt is all about reading challenges! Reading challenges are everywhere online. Every December, book social media accounts share their met or unmet reading challenges, and every January, they post their new reading challenges for the year.

As someone who has been in and out of the book community for many years, I have some thoughts on reading challenges. Let’s get into it!

The prompt: What do you think of reading challenges—do they motivate you, or do they feel restrictive and end up making reading feel like a chore? Are there any challenges you participate in yearly? What reading challenges are you joining in 2025?

Let’s Talk Bookish is a bookish meme where, each Friday, bloggers write posts discussing the topic of the week. It is currently by Aria @ Book Nook Bits and Dini @ DiniPandaReads.

What do you think of reading challenges—do they motivate you, or do they feel restrictive and end up making reading feel like a chore?

Reading challenges are definitely dependent on the reader. I don’t think that reading for fun should not feel like a job, so if making a goal makes you feel that way, it might not be the best idea. 

When I first started book blogging, I felt a huge pressure to read a certain number of books every year. I would set my reading goals way too high for where I was in life. I don’t know who I thought I was, but in 2021 (aka the year I became a first-year teacher), I thought I would read 100 books. I read 54. 

I remember feeling like a failure, even though 54 books is an INCREDIBLE amount for the average reader. That was the year I really reevaluated my reading goals and tried to make them more attainable. No matter how many books I read by the end of the year, I want to view it as a success. 

Since then, I have become more comfortable with teaching and can spend some more time reading books. I am also lucky enough to have coworkers (who have now become close friends) who also love reading, so it has been more exciting for me to read more books. 

Personally, I still like having some sort of goal in the back of my mind. As someone with many hobbies, it can sometimes be hard for me to decide what to do. Do I want to cozy game? Do I want to write? Do I want to crochet and binge-watch a new TV show? I like having a low-stakes goal in mind to motivate myself to read, but I also don’t get too upset if I don’t meet my goal. 

Are there any challenges you participate in yearly?

Back in college (and at the height of BookTube), I loved participating in read-a-thons, but in the last sixish years, my only challenge every year has been the Goodreads challenge. Three years ago, I decided to set my reading goal to 80 books every year. I have met that goal for the last two years, so I decided to keep the number exactly the same this year.

What reading challenges are you joining in 2025?

Even though I do the Goodreads challenge every year, I have been wanting to focus more on reducing my physical TBR and having a higher average book rating. Because of this, I created two new “challenges” for myself. 

The first challenge is to read 40% of my books from my Physical TBR. I use Kindle Unlimited and the library almost every month, so I didn’t want to make the number too high. However, I have over 200 unread books on my bookshelves, and I would love to make more progress in 2025. 

My second challenge is to DNF books that I am not enjoying to help increase my average ratings. This month, I have already read a one-star book that I am mad at myself for finishing. Three chapters in, I knew it wasn’t for me, but I was determined to finish it because it was a book club pick. This has already lowered my average January rating, and I had a FANTASTIC reading month. I have already informed my book club that I will NOT be putting myself through anything like that again, and I plan on being more ruthless this year.

I’m not sure if those “challenges” are exactly what this topic had in mind, but I think these will bring me a happier, more successful reading year. 

Aside from my personal challenges, I am also going to participate in BooksandLala’s Buzzword Reading Challenge. I have watched BooksandLala for years, and this challenge always seems like a great time. I have started using StoryGraph this year, so that is where I will be tracking my progress (here is the challenge if you are interested)! The prompts are flexible enough that I should be able to find a book I think I’ll enjoy every month.

I also thought about doing the cover challenge, but I am not prioritizing that one. 

In 2025, I would also love to participate in a readathon or two. A few of my friends and I have also talked about doing a book retreat where we complete a 24 hour-readathon over the weekend. These challenges seem so fun to me, but again, I am not going to pressure myself to participate if I am too busy.  

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I would love to hear your thoughts on reading challenges. Do you have any reading challenges that you love to join every year? Do you have any readathon recommendations for me? Let me know in the comments down below!

Until next time, xx