This 2025 Reading Challenge involves 25 prompts to help keep you motivated with your reading goals for this year. If you’re looking for a way to mix up your reading habits, give this challenge a go!
Do you love the idea of reading but can never seem to finish a book? Are you an avid book worm re-reading the same 10 books over and over again? Maybe you fit somewhere in between? If you can relate to any of those, then this is the reading challenge for you!
How this reading challenge works
- Download the list of 25 prompts for books to read this year. You can also make your own checklist in a bullet journal or other fun notebook if you want.
- During 2025, read 25 books that fit the prompts on this list. Check them off the list as you go and keep track of the books you read. Feel free to get creative with matching books to prompts. 🙂
- Let me know what you’re reading in the comments section or tag me on instagram @oldfashionedinspiration!
It’s that easy! Reading 25 books in a year means reading one book every two weeks, which does involve some time management skills to find opportunities amidst work, school, and family responsibilities, but it’s so worth it. If you want to make it a little more fun and build in some accountability, try doing it with a friend. 🙂 However you tackle this challenge, hopefully it will help you make reading a regular part of your life and introduce you to some new favorite books this year!
The goal of this challenge is for you to explore new books and expand your reading taste, which admittedly requires a bit of effort. If you’re having trouble finding books to fit a prompt, here are a few ideas to help get you started. Think of these as a starting point, and feel free to get creative with matching books to prompts!
Book published in 2025: It’s always exciting to see what new books your favorite authors are working on. This year I’m looking forward to reading Candle Island by Lauren Wolk and How to Lose a Lord in Ten Days by Sophie Irwin.
Debut novel: I love it when you find out a book is the author’s debut work – then you can be excited for many more to come out! Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeymoon or The Awakening of Miss Prim by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera are some of my mom and my favorites.
Book set during the early 1900s: There are so many wonderful books written during this period! I’ve definitely mentioned it before, but A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith is such a lovely coming of age story set in New York at the turn of the century.
Book set in the UK: In All Creatures Great and Small, James Herriot tells stories from his work as a veterinarian in the English countryside. This was one of my favorites from last year and would highly recommend! Bonus there’s a great PBS series based on this book – watch it after you read it. 🙂
Classic you didn’t read in school: It’s impossible to read all the great books in school, so why not keep reading new ones to build up your repertoire? You don’t have to tackle something as challenging as Homer or Tolstoy! Try Charles Dickens, Louisa Alcott, and Mark Twain to enjoy some accessible but timeless literature.
Picture book: There are so many good ones to choose from! A few of my favorites include Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney, Bunny Cakes by Rosemary Wells, Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes, or Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.
Book about Easter: Finding a book specifically about Easter may be a challenge, so try reading one set in the spring or a devotional in preparation for Easter.
Book of poetry: Hopefully you enjoy poetry and can already think of lots of options for this prompt! Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein will have you laughing in minutes, but if you want more meditative poems, try Emily Dickinson.
Book published the year you were born: If this is too specific, try the decade you were born. 🙂
Book written from multiple perspectives: These can be so fun trying to figure out the story as the perspective keeps switching! A few of my favorite books that use this are Wonder by R. J. Polaccio, Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan, and A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner.
Book published posthumously: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, Persuasion by Jane Austen, or The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.
Book that makes you cry: Before you write this prompt off, just know the book doesn’t have to be sad overall for you to cry while reading it! It can even be a children’s book like Understood Betsy by Dorothy Fisher, The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart, or Orbiting Jupiter by Gary Schmidt,
Audiobook: These can bring so much life and imagination to a story, and they definitely influence how you remember a book. After listening to a Pride and Prejudice audiobook, I’ll always hear Rosamund Pike’s voice in my head while reading. 🙂
Short story: When you’re in a busy season and don’t have much time to read, these can be a great choice! If you’re looking for good stand alone stories, Father Brown mysteries are terrific and perfect for finishing in one sitting.
Recommended by a friend: Sharing books with a friend is a great way to expand your literary range and makes for fun conversations! Some books I’ve enjoyed because of friends include Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, The Boys in the Boat by Daniel Brown, and Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk.
Book you’d give as a gift: Of course, this very much depends on the person you’re giving the book to. However, there are some books that would make excellent gifts for almost anyone, like Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro or School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister.
Biography of someone who inspires you: This is a great chance to learn more about a person you’ve always been fascinated by. I’ve really enjoyed Gifted Hands by Ben Carson, Speaking for Myself by Sarah Sanders, and Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance.
Genre outside your comfort zone – For me, this would be sci-fi. 🙂 If this sounds like you, a few books I’ve been recommended for this genre are Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams or Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.
Book you’ve always wanted to read: I hope you have a long list of books you want to read! I’ve always wanted to read all the books written by L. M. Montgomery, so Kilmeny of the Orchard and A Tangled Web are definitely high on the list.
Book with an animal in the title: Have fun with this one! Here are a few ideas if you’re struggling – To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis, or Animal Farm by George Orwell.
Book related to health: Just had to include this one – learning about how our bodies work is so fascinating! Try Good Energy by Casey Means to learn more about nutrition or Spark by John Ratey for an overview of how exercise can promote physical and mental health.
Book with beautiful illustrations: Don’t you love it when a book has illustrations to go along? These may be harder to find though, so classic books or children’s books are often good places to look. Some of my favorite illustrations are from the Narnia or Little House on the Prairie series.
Book you’ve avoided reading but think you should: Maybe the book is just too long, on a topic you really don’t enjoy, or sounds too sad. Sometimes they will be just as bad as you thought, but other times you might be surprised!
Book that teaches you something new: Use this as a chance to investigate a topic you’d like to learn more about! It doesn’t have to be non-fiction, but if you’re looking for some ideas, I’ve learned a lot from books like The Common Rule by Justin Early or You are not Enough by Allie Beth Stuckey.
Favorite re-read: “Some books are so familiar that reading them is like being home again.” – L. M. Alcott. I don’t think anything more need be said. 🙂
Looking for more book recommendations?
Head over to the Book Nook for reading lists and book reviews!
Let me know what you’re reading in the comments section or tag me on instagram @oldfashionedinspiration!
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