We're approaching that time when we think back on how this year went and what we did, including our reading habits. But it's also a time to look forward! For us bibliophiles, it's the season to make reading goals for the year ahead. At NoveList, we know how reading challenges can help encourage and expand someone's reading.
To help support your bookish endeavors, I'm here to announce the 2025 NoveList Reading Challenge. For each month of the next calendar year, we've prepared a prompt to help you explore different types of books and add some variety to your year. You may try something you wouldn't have chosen and discover an unexpected favorite. We're all about trying new things!
You can also create a reading challenge for your library using our prompts. If you're a LibraryAware customer, you have access to fully editable versions of the tracker and challenge prompts. Use our challenge as-is or change it up to fit your community.
Use the 2025 NoveList Reading Challenge to engage your readers. Get started with this free downloadable flyer from LibraryAware.
Month-by-month prompts for the 2025 NoveList Reading Challenge
January: Mix things up with a genre blend.
February: Fall in love with an LGBTQIA+ romance.
March: Stay up to date with a book about current social issues.
April: Read a book with neurodivergent characters.
May: Enjoy a larger-than-life cinematic book.
June: Lighten up with a funny or whimsical graphic novel.
July: Enjoy a chilling summer with must-read horror.
August: Read a cli-fi, solarpunk, or hopepunk book.
September: Read a book set in the decade you were born.
October: Try an award-winning audiobook or graphic novel.
November: Tempt your tastebuds with a culinary read.
December: Go meta with books about books.
We all love a good program or display idea, so why not use the prompts to inspire you? Use March's prompt to host a program about a current social issue and pair it with books from your collection. For September, create displays highlighting books from a specific decade or a mix of periods.
Worried about picking books? We'll share suggestions on Facebook and LinkedIn each month, so you have a great place to start. Whether you use the challenge to enrich your reading life or encourage your community to read widely, we're here to help.
Yaika Sabat is Manager of Reader Services. She is reading The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim.
