The Nerd Daily’s 2026 Reading Challenge

Another I have been waiting for!

1. 2026 release: The Night We Met--Abby Jimenez
2. Five-word title: Two Can Keep a Secret--Karen M. McManus
3. Non-illustrated cover: 107 Days--Kamala Harris
4. SFF or mystery: Tress of the Emerald Sea--Brandon Sanderson
5. An author new to you: The Not-So-Secret Emails of Coco Pinchard--Robert Bryndza
6. Set in summer: The Silver Needle Murder--Laura Childs
7. An author you love: 311 Pelican Court--Debbie Macomber
8. Bookstore or library rec:
9. October 2026 release:
10. Reader's choice: Say You'll Remember Me--Abby Jimenez
11. Book with red spine: How to Walk Away--Katherine Center
12. Author surname starting with D: Color Me In--Natasha Diaz
13. Recommended by The Nerd Daily:
14. 2026 adaptation: The Bodyguard--Katherine Center
15. Picked at random: Killer Reunion--G.A. McKevett
16. Part of a trilogy:
17. Indie bookstore purchase: Five Quarters of the Orange--Joanne Harris
18. Standalone: The Accidental Bestseller--Wendy Wax
19. Protagonist starting with R: On the Hippie Trail--Rick Steves
20. Multiple perspectives: The Paradise Problem--Christina Lauren
21. 2026 debut author:
22. Explores love: Match Me If You Can--Susan Elizabeth Phillips
23. Judge a book by its cover: The Orange Blossom Special--Betsy Carter
24. In your TBR pile: First Job--Jane Sorenson
25. Gothic or romance: The Raven Boys--Maggie Stiefvater
26. Holiday setting: Star Spangled Murder--Leslie Meier
27. Between 380 and 440 pages: The Last Telegram--Liz Trenow
28. Double-barreled name: The Cracker Factory--Joyce Rebeta-Burditt
29. June 2026 release:
30. Won an award in 2024:
31. Features education: All Your Twisted Secrets--Diana Urban
32. Picked by someone else: Little Pieces of Hope--Todd Doughty & Josie Portillo
33. Indie author: Reclaiming Our Space--Feminista Jones
34. Mythology: Andersen's Fairy Tales--Hans Christian Andersen
35. Title starting with C: Camino Island--John Grisham
36. Questionable cover: The Italian Teacher--Tom Rachman
37. Guilty pleasure: John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs--Ian Leslie
38. Crime or cozy: Moss Hysteria--Kate Collins
39. Six-syllable title: One Italian Summer--Rebecca Serle
40. Gifted to you: Enola Holmes: The Case of the Left-Handed Lady--Nancy Springer
41. Limited Edition or Exclusive:
42. Supporting character starts with T: Made You Up--Francesca Zappia
43. Title with punctuation: The Honey-Don't List--Christina Lauren
44. #OwnVoices: Red at the Bone--Jacqueline Woodson
45. Topical or tropical: The Storm--Rachel Hawkins
46. Different cultures or country: The Librarian of Auschwitz--Antonio Iturbe
47. A 2025 release you missed: Great Big Beautiful Life--Emily Henry
48. Title without "the": Atmosphere--Taylor Jenkins Reid
49. Blue on cover: The Indigo Girl--Natasha Boyd
50. Explores loss: Hamnet--Maggie O'Farrell
51. Translated: Pachinko--Min Jin Lee
52. Quoted by an author you like: Sunshine Nails--Mai Nguyen

Linz The Bookworm 2026 Reading Challenge

 Another favorite that I have been waiting for.  This one always has interesting categories.

Level 1: Book of the Month Club

1 Read a book that is under 250 pages long: Red at the Bone--Jacqueline Woodson

2 Read a book that you got for free: Enola Holmes: The Case of the Left-Handed Lady--Nancy Springer

3 Read a book by Darcy Coates

4 Read a book with a dark cover: The Librarian of Auschwitz--Antonio Iturbe

5 Read the first book in a series that you've wanted to start: Gilded--Marissa Meyer

6 Read a book that was either given to you or recommended by someone who means a lot to you: Little Pieces of Hope--Todd Doughty & Josie Portillo

7 Read an author's debut novel:  Made You Up--Francesca Zappia

8 A book with a title that starts with the letter B: The Bodyguard--Katherine Center

9 Read an Urban Fantasy novel: Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister--Gregory Maguire

10 Read a book that takes place in a small town: Empire Falls--Richard Russo

11 A book that's been made into a movie or TV show: The Viscount Who Loved Me--Julia Quinn

12 Free Space - Pick any book: The Paradise Problem--Christina Lauren

Level 2: Casual Reader Club

13 A book in a series you've yet to finish (the most recent/next book): Moss Hysteria--Kate Collins

14 Read a book with exactly four words in the title: A Fall of Marigolds--Susan Meissner

15 Read a book by an author named Mary, Maria, Marie, or a variant: Just in Time--Marie Bostwick

16 Read a book with an animal on the cover: The Black Stallion--Walter Farley

17 Read a book involving a Cryptid (Bigfoot, Mothman, Chupacabra, etc.)

18 Read a book recommended by the Chicago Public Library website https://www.chipublib.org/

19 Read a genre you haven't read before 

20 Read a book by an author who's been really popular in the past 5 years: Great Big Beautiful Life--Emily Henry

21 Read a book that was published in 1996 (30 years ago)

22 A book with a pastel cover: Goldie Vance: The Hotel Whodunnit--Lilliam Rivera

23 Read a book with a title that follows the pattern A/The _____ of _____ and _____"

24 Free Space - Pick any book!: 44 Cranberry Point--Debbie Macomber

Level 3: Dedicated Reader Club

25 Read Book 1 of a Quartet: The Raven Boys--Maggie Stiefvater

26 Read Book 2 of a Quartet: The Dream Thieves--Maggie Stiefvater

27 Read Book 3 of a Quartet: Blue Lily, Lily Blue--Maggie Stiefvater

28 Read Book 4 of a Quartet: The Raven King--Maggie Stiefvater

29 A book by an author with a color in their name

30 A book you picked out because of the cover: The Orange Blossom Special--Betsy Carter

31 A book with "sound" or "silence" in the title: Sounds Like Love--Ashley Poston

32 A book that involves a robot or AI

33 Read a book by an author that's new to you: Color Me In--Natasha Diaz

34 A book with a weapon on the cover: The Odious Duke--Barbara Cartland

35 Read a book with the word "man" or "boy" in the title: An Offer From a Gentleman--Julia Quinn

36 Free Space - Pick any book!: The Goodbye Quilt--Susan Wiggs

Level 4: Speed Reader Club

37 A book on a banned book list

38 Read a book that was published through a crowdfunding campaign

39 read a book by an author that uses initials as part of their name: The Quilt--T. Davis Bunn

40 Read a book over 600 pages OR listen to an audiobook over 18 hours: The Wedding People--Alison Espach

41 Read a book with a title that includes an ampersand: Heart & Seoul--Jen Frederick

42 A book where the main character is a criminal: The Art Thief--Michael Finkel

43 Read a book that has a crown on the cover

44 Read a book about a historical woman (or group of women): The Indigo Girl--Natasha Boyd

45 Read a book by an author whose first name starts with the letter 'D.': All Your Twisted Secrets--Diana Urban

46 Read a book with a four-letter word in the title: How to Walk Away--Katherine Center 

47 Read a Space Opera: Atmosphere--Taylor Jenkins Reid

48 Free Space - Pick any book!: The Cracker Factory--Joyce Rebeta-Burditt

Level 5: Overachiever Club

49 Read a book by an author from a place you have been: Happily Ever Afters--Elise Bryant

50 read a book on this list https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/the-read-down/fiction-coming-soon/

51 A book with "angel" or "demon" in the title

52 Read a book with a sisterhood or brotherhood trope: The Reading Group--Elizabeth Noble

53 Read a book about unlikely allies: Carve the Mark--Veronica Roth

54 Read a book published when you were 9 years old: The Twits--Roald Dahl

55 Read a book that includes a character who is a photographer: Star Spangled Murder--Leslie Meier

56 Read a book involving a sacred object

57 A book published by one of the Independent Publishers Caucus: Brown Neon--Raquel Gutierrez https://www.indiepubs.org/member-presses

58 A book with numbers on the cover: 107 Days--Kamala Harris

59 The Great Beatles Category - read a book about The Beatles *or* a book with the same title as one of their songs: John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs--Ian Leslie  

60 Free Space - Pick any book!: Say You'll Remember Me--Abby Jimenez