Let’s Talk Bookish: Reading Challenges

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme created by Rukky @Eternity Books and co-hosted by Aria @Book Nook Bits and Dini @dinipandareads! This meme has a discussion format, where participants get to talk about certain topics, share opinions, and spread the blogging love by visiting other posts. You can learn more about this meme here!

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LTB Topic of the Week
Reading Challenges: Do We Love Them or Hate Them

Prompts: What do you think of reading challenges—do they motivate you or do they feel restrictive and end up making reading feel like a chore? Are there any challenges you participate in yearly? What reading challenges are you joining in 2025?

Hello, reader!

It’s a new year and, today, a new bookish meme on the blog! I’ve seen so many Let’s Talk Bookish posts on various blogs and always enjoy reading the discussions, yet I’ve never jumped in on the fun. Why? …Honestly, I have no idea 😂 But now, I want in on the action! Now I’m here to talk all about reading challenges and my feelings about them. Come join me for my first foray into this gabby meme.

What do you think of reading challenges—do they motivate you or do they feel restrictive and end up making reading feel like a chore?

You know, that answer changes as the year goes on, haha. At the beginning of the year, I find reading challenges to be super motivating! They make me excited for the new year because I love going through the prompts of the challenge once I’ve finished a book and seeing where I can squeeze it in. I love watching the prompts slowly get checked off. It gives me a sense of accomplishment.

…For about three months. Then, after I’ve knocked out a lot of the easier prompts and my random reads start to not check off anymore boxes, I realize that I might have to find specific books for said prompts and my reader soul REVOLTS. I’m a mood reader at heart. I always have been and, anytime I try to pretend I’m not, it never ends well. Actually, it usually ends in a reading slump 😅 So when I start having to pick books that I might not be in the mood to read, my urge to finish my reading challenges quickly wanes. Anytime reading starts to feel like a chore, my brain wants out.

That being said, it doesn’t stop me from trying every year, haha!

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Are there any challenges you participate in yearly?

There are two reading challenges/readathons I participate in every year: the Trope-ical Readathon and the Magical Readathon: Orilium. These are my two favorite readathons and they both run twice a year. Those months are usually my best reading months, haha.

The Trope-ical Readathon focuses on reading books that have certain tropes. It was created by Jen @jenjenreviews and her partner. I love making my TBR for that one because I inevitably find a ton of recommendations for some of my favorite tropes. The Magical Readathon: Orilium is a feat of creativity that blows my mind. It was created by G @BookRoast and a lot of the art is completed by her partner. It’s all based around a magical school and it’s so wonderfully involved!

I also try to do the PopSugar Reading Challenge every year buuuut… that one is super hit or miss 😅I don’t even remember how I first came across this reading challenge, but it always sucks me in because there’s always at least a few prompts that pique my interest.

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What reading challenges are you joining in 2025?

I’m actually not participating in that many challenges this year, beyond the two readathons I mentioned. I am going to make an attempt at the PopSugar Reading Challenge again in 2025. I’ve already got a few books marked off, so I’m feeling good about it! I think I need to be a little more flexible in my interpretations of the prompts sometimes, as well. After all, this is meant to be fun, right?

I also made a post at the beginning of the year of 25 books I’d like to read in 2025. My personal 25 in 2025 challenge has books that are on my physical TBR, which I’m trying to read down this year, as well. So it’s kind of like two challenges in one! Wish me luck with that one because, again, as a mood reader, having a set TBR like this is gonna be hard for me. I think I can do it, though, because I’m eager to read all the books I picked.

The last challenge I’m doing is a part of my reading planner. I get my reading journal/planner for Little Inklings Design every year and, every year, the creator includes a reading challenge. This year, I’m dedicated to actually completing it! Again, I’ve already checked off quite a few prompts, so I’m feeling pretty optimistic. Wish me luck!

Do you participate in any reading challenges? Do you find them motivating or intimidating? Let me know in the comments! And let me know if you’ve participated in this week’s challenge!