12 Reading Challenge Ideas for 2027 (That Aren't Just "Read More Books")

Published 25 September 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026

"Read 50 books this year" is a perfectly fine goal. It's also not a very interesting one — it doesn't change what you actually pick up, just how fast you get through it. A better reading challenge nudges you toward books you wouldn't otherwise have chosen. Here are twelve worth considering, one for each month if you'd like to structure it that way, or just a list to dip into whenever the mood strikes.

If you'd rather start with the numbers, jump to our guide on how many books to read in a year, or skip ahead to the how to choose one section below.

12 reading challenge ideas for 2027

1. Read a book from twelve different countries. One a month is an easy pace, and it's a genuinely reliable way to end up reading things you'd never have found browsing your usual shelf. Start by picking a country you know very little about, then look for a novel by an author who actually lives or grew up there.
2. Read a book published the year you were born. Slightly strange, oddly personal, and a good excuse to look up what was actually being written the year you showed up. Bestseller lists from that year are an easy place to start.
3. Read an entire author's backlist. Pick someone whose one book you loved, then go back and read everything else they've written, in order. You get to watch a writer develop, and it's a satisfyingly finite project.
4. Read one book over 600 pages. The kind you've been quietly avoiding because of the size alone. Just the one — you don't need to make a habit of it. Splitting it into a chapter or two a day makes it far less daunting than it looks on the shelf.
5. Give a school-assigned book a second chance. Whatever you were forced to read at sixteen and resented — try it again as an adult who chose it. Being made to read something and choosing to read it are genuinely different experiences.
6. Read something in translation. A huge amount of the world's best writing never gets read in English at all outside of translation — this is the whole point of seeking it out deliberately.
7. Let a friend pick one for you, no questions asked. Not you asking "any recommendations?" — let them decide and you commit to it, sight unseen. It works best when you choose a friend whose taste you respect but don't share exactly.
8. Read a debut novel. A writer's first book carries a different kind of energy than their tenth — worth noticing on its own terms.
9. Read nonfiction about something you know nothing about. Pick a subject you couldn't currently hold a two-minute conversation about, and fix that.
10. Read the book before watching the adaptation. Everyone means to do this and almost nobody actually manages it in the right order. Pick one adaptation you're already looking forward to, and read the book first.
11. Read something that's been banned or challenged somewhere. Worth knowing what, specifically, someone felt strongly enough about to try to keep off a shelf.
12. Re-read a childhood favorite as an adult. It will not be the same book. That's exactly why it's worth doing.

How to choose a reading challenge you'll actually finish

Twelve ideas is a lot, and you don't need to do them all. Most people do better with one or two. A few things help you pick:

• Choose one that changes what you read, not just how much. If a challenge could be completed without reading anything unfamiliar, it's probably just a book count in disguise.
• Pick something with a natural finish line. "Twelve countries" or "an author's backlist" has a clear end. "Read more diversely" doesn't, and open-ended goals tend to fade.
• Pair a theme with a number. A theme gives you direction, and a modest book count keeps you moving. For example: read 24 books this year, and make at least four of them from your list above.
• Be realistic about the time you have. If you're working out the number, our guide to how many books to read in a year does the maths from your daily reading time.

Want something more structured?

If a looser list isn't your style, a 12-genre reading challenge gives you one genre per month with a pick for each. And if you prefer to keep score on paper, there's a free printable 2027 reading tracker with a goal box, a monthly tally and a 40-book log.

Make it social

A challenge also makes an easy answer to "what do you want for Christmas?" — pick something off your own list and hand it over, or point whoever is asking at our guide to what to actually give a reader.

Most reading challenges are easier with company. Do the same challenge as a friend or a partner and compare notes each month. Or trade books: each of you picks one for the other. Having someone to talk to about what you've read is one of the most reliable ways to keep going when the novelty wears off — and there are ways to do that without spoiling the ending for whoever is further behind — and it gives you a reason to finish the book rather than leave it on the bedside table.

Actually tracking it is the part that usually falls apart

The honest reason most reading challenges quietly die by March isn't lack of interest — it's losing track of what's actually been read against what was planned. FolioStory's Reading Challenges let you set a genuine target (an annual book count, a monthly pace, a genre-variety goal) and watch it update automatically as you log books, with a proper "goal complete" moment when you actually hit it rather than a spreadsheet nobody's opened since January.

Quick answers

What's a good reading challenge for beginners? One book a month, with a simple theme. The 12-country and 12-genre challenges both work well because each month has a small, clear job.

Can I do more than one challenge at once? Yes, and it often works well. Count the same book towards two challenges if it fits, such as a debut novel that's also in translation.

What if I fall behind? Skip a month and carry on. A challenge you adjust is better than one you abandon, and nobody is keeping a record but you.

Picked one? The next decision is how you'll keep track of it, which matters more than the choice of challenge does — how to track a reading challenge weighs up paper, spreadsheets and apps, and covers the edge cases worth settling before January.