The Bookworm Challenge discussion

It's that time again! We are asking for your suggestions for 2026 challenge prompts.

We love our old favorites, but do not hesitate to suggest something new and/or unusual. I am trimming the survey this year, so only suggestions included in this post will be seen in the survey. The only exception will be if we don't get enough suggestions. In that case, the moderators will choose extras from previous years' unused suggestions. But we have faith in the members of this group! :)

Please post your 2026 ideas for the following:

- Our 12 main challenges *
- Secondary challenge (currently the BINGO card) *
- Monthly specials*
- Non-point challenge (currently "foreign settings")

* this challenge earns points

If you have any thoughts about the groups as a whole, post it here as well and it can be discussed. Or, if you prefer, contact one of the moderators. This year's change to prize winners selection came about because of a request from Wanda. So, see... we do listen and respond!

Ideas post opens: November 12th
Ideas post closes: 11:59 PM CST, December 1st
voting opens: December 7th (you will receive a link to the survey in your messages)
voting closes: 11:59 PM CST, December 13th

Let me know if you have any questions.

I guess I'll get us started. :)

Here are some ideas to be used as in any way the group sees fit:

- Gilmore Girls Reading List (GR actually has a list with all of the books.)
- Color coded: Books with the same color on the cover or same color in the title
- Animals: Books with animals on the cover or an animal in the title
- Books adapted to a movie or TV show/miniseries
- Read a series: 5 books from the same book series
- TBR Backlog: Books that have been on your TBR for 2+ years
- One Word Title or Books with 5+ Words in the Title
- Banned Books
- Books set in different decades

I also enjoy are these current challenges and wouldn't mind having them again (especially since I didn't do some of them this year):

- Historical Fiction
- Mini Book Chain
- NonFiction
- Season or Weather in title
- Mystery / Thrillers

Hello everyone

I am new here. Very excited to be part of this group. Here are my suggestions for the challenges. Plz excuse me, if I have got things wrong.

Yearly:
1. Transport (Read 5 books set in various forms of transport)
2. Decades (Read 1 book each from 5 different decades)
3. War [Read 5 books (fiction or non-fiction) related to war]
5. Next in the series: Read the next book from 5 different series
6. Translations: Read 1 translated text each from 5 different languages
7. Books from the same publisher
8. Books from your shelves
9. Two-Word Titles
10. Recommended books
11. Books by authors of your own country

Bingo:
1. A date mentioned in the title
2. A flower mentioned in the title
3. A festival mentioned in the title
4. A book set in another world (fantasy, futuristic, space)
5. Mixed-Media novel
6. A book published in the Nineteenth Century
7. A disaster novel
8. A Star Trek novel
9. A book with a pronoun in its title
10. A book with a name in its title
11. Adventure fiction/non-fiction

Monthly:

1. Book with Illustrations
2. Book outside your comfort zone
3. Book by author using a pseudonym

Here are some suggestions, many of which may have already been mentioned.
- books by the same author
- mini chain (this one is my favourite!)
-historical fiction
-biography or memoir
-general nonfiction
-translated from 5 different languages
-published in 5 different decades ( or use for monthly challenge and all books must be from a different decade)
-finger crusher - over 500 pages
- any of the following in the title: colour, number, place name, person's name, plant, animal, occupation, family member, food, weather, day or month,
- anthology
- fantasy
- horror
-thriller/mystery
- book with a tv/movie adaptation
- published before 1900
- winner or nominee for Goodreads Awards
- book by a Nobel Prize winner
- single word titles
- book with a subtitle
- book with multiple authors
- poetry


Bonus Challenges:
I like the Bingo games. They are a good way to use some of the challenges that don't get picked. Also a good push to read a book out of your usual comfort zone.

As "non point" challenges, I have always enjoyed the alphabet challenge using either the book title or the author's name.

Hi! I have a few suggestions for the yearly challenge wich is the one I like most. I'm not a fan of the "chain" or the bingo but prefer bingo to chain.

-set in winter
-one from each continent
-where water plays a major role
-where libraries, bookshops or antiquaries are significant
-books of authors from your country
-re-reads
-poetry
-sci-fi/dystopia/time-travel
-classics
-historical fiction based on a true story
-

Some very good ideas!

I especially like five books translated from five different languages and authors from your own country but to make it a little more challenging for us in the United States, how about five books from your home state if you live in the US.

Always like mystery and scifi.
Non-fiction (because I should read something other than mystery and scifi)
Retellings
Would like to see finger crushers back in the yearly.

I like the Bingo game but willing to try something different.

For the nonpoint list, any we've done in the past would be good. For something different we could do different genres. I was surprised at how many different genres there are. I saw a list of 95.