Whatever you had planned for 2019, cancel it, because you've got something better to do. The fifth annual POPSUGAR Reading Challenge is here, and it demands your undivided attention.
We're more excited than ever about this year's reading challenge, and we can't wait to show you our fresh batch of 50 book prompts. These include the standard 40 book challenge prompts plus 10 "advanced" prompts for those overachievers out there who are looking for even more ways to push their reading boundaries in 2019.
You're going to need some serious cosy nook time to get through this list of prompts, so we hope you've got the kettle on and a soft throw at the ready to dive into books set in space and at college, books about hobbies and about ghosts, and both hot-off-the-press novels and beloved favourites. You may even discover a new genre like "cli-fi" or "LitRPG," or finally get to that book that's been sitting on your TBR pile for months. Just remember: the point of the reading challenge is to get a few more books under your belt, try on some lesser-read genres for size, and — most importantly — to have fun!
First things first: We'd suggest joining this Goodreads group [1], which is made up of more than 14,000 readers who participate in the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge [2] every year. In addition to keeping you accountable, the group's impressively well-read and supportive members swap book ideas for the prompts and discuss their favourite (and least favourite) reads throughout the year. You'll also be able to track which books you've read and rate them on the site.
Download our printable list here [3], checking off the books as you go, and pin the handy graphic here for reference. Share your progress on Instagram with #popsugarreadingchallenge [4].
But don't stop there — click through for hand-picked suggestions from our editors for what to read for all 50 prompts that make up the 2019 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge!
2019 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge
A book becoming a movie in 2019
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah [6]
Here are more books becoming movies in 2019 [7].
A book that's published in 2019
Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark [8] (Out May 30)
Your favourite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid [9] (2017, A Book With a Character's Name)
"Diverse cast of characters, well-written, hooked me in, and I couldn't put it down. Evelyn Hugo is a prime example of a strong woman in a time that didn't allow for one." — Naina [10]
Here they are for reference: 2015 [11], 2016 [12], 2017 [13], 2018 [14].
A book that makes you nostalgic
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky [15]
A book written by a musician (fiction or nonfiction)
Hindsight: & All the Things I Can't See in Front of Me by Justin Timberlake [16]
A book you think should be turned into a movie
When Katie Met Cassidy by Camille Perri [17]
A book with at least 1 million ratings on Goodreads
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling [18] (5 million ratings on Goodreads [19])
A book with a plant in the title or on the cover
The Signature of All Things: A Novel by Elizabeth Gilbert [20]
A reread of a favourite book
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee [21]
A book about a hobby
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell [22]
A book with an item of clothing or accessory on the cover
The World According to Garp by John Irving [23]
A book inspired by mythology, legend, or folklore
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman [24]
A book published posthumously
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi [25]
A book you see someone reading on TV or in a movie
A Death in the Family by James Agee [26] (seen in A Bigger Splash)
A retelling of a classic
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith [27]
A book with a question in the title
Who Is Vera Kelly? by Rosalie Knecht [28]
A book set on a college or university campus
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour [29]
A book about someone with a superpower
The Power by Naomi Alderman [30]
A book told from multiple character POVs
All We Ever Wanted: A Novel by Emily Giffin [31]
A book set in space
The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams [32]
A book with a two-word title
There There: A Novel by Tommy Orange [33]
A book with “love” in the title
Love and Ruin: A Novel by Paula McLain [34]
A book by two female authors
The Wife Between Us: A Novel by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen [35]
A book with a title that contains “salty,” “sweet,” “bitter,” or “spicy”
Sweetbitter: A Novel by Stephanie Danler [36]
A book set in Scandinavia
A Man Called Ove: A Novel by Fredrik Backman [37]
A book that takes place in a single day
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan [38]
A debut novel
Among the Ten Thousand Things: A Novel by Julia Pierpont [39]
A book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature
The Golem and the Jinni: A Novel by Helene Wecker [40]
A book recommended by a celebrity you admire
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur [41] (Emma Watson [42])
A book featuring an amateur detective
The Hermit by Thomas Rydahl [43]
A book about a family
This Is Where I Leave You: A Novel by Jonathan Tropper [44]
A book written by an author from Asia, Africa, or South America
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah [45]
A book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in the title
The Pisces: A Novel by Melissa Broder [46]
A book with “pop,” “sugar,” or “challenge” in the title
Pop Goes the Weasel by M. J. Arlidge [47]
A book that includes a wedding
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan [48]
A book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter
The Mothers: A Novel by Brit Bennett [49]
A ghost story
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson [50]
A novel based on a true story
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent [51]
A book revolving around a puzzle or game
The Lying Game: A Novel by Ruth Ware [52]
A book you meant to read in 2018
Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover [53]
A “cli-fi” (climate fiction) book
Clade by James Bradley [54]
A “choose-your-own-adventure” book
Choose Your Own Disaster by Dana Schwartz [55]
An “own voices” book
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng [56]
Read a book during the season it is set in
Night Film by Marisha Pessl [57] (set in Autumn)
A LitRPG book
Ready Player One: A Novel by Ernest Cline [58]
A book with no chapters / unusual chapter headings / unconventionally numbered chapters
The Circle by Dave Eggers [59]
Two books that share the same title (1)
Security: A Novel by Gina Wohlsdorf [60]
Two books that share the same title (2)
Security: A Novel by Stephen Amidon [61]
A book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom (e.g., Big Brother from 1984)
1984 by George Orwell [62]
A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent
Anathem by Neal Stephenson [63]