2025 Reading Challenges….Accepted

Posted January 2, 2025 by Lillian in Challenges / 5 Comments

Happy Thursday y’all! Today is my favorite day of the year (blogging wise)….reading challenge day 🙌 Last year, I did ok with my challenge goals, but I also took a step back from the number I was participating in. This year, I’m going to challenge myself a little more. While I’ve found that I’m not reading as many books as I used to, I’m technically reading more page wise. With that in mind, I’m aiming for 100 books total for the year, which I hope I can do. And I’m planning on 6 challenges this year, one is new to me, one I’m adding back after taking last year off, and one I failed miserably at last year and am hoping to do better this year. Read on for my challenge goals and links to join me.

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The 2025 Audiobook Challenge is hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer & That’s What I’m Talking About. In 2022, I found my love of audiobooks again. In 2023, I sailed through 44 audiobooks, and in 2024, I met my goal of an audiobook a week. I cannot wait to dive in this year. This challenge is all about listening whether you are new to audiobooks or an audiophile. If you are interested in joining me on this one, it started January 1, 2025 and runs through December 31, 2025. You can sign up here.

The Details

  • Runs January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025. You can join at any time.
  • The goal is to find a new love for audios or to outdo yourself by listening to more audios in 2025 than you did in 2024.
  • Books must be in audio format (CD, MP3, etc.)
  • All genres count.
  • Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
  • You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads, Facebook, etc. I recommend creating a shelf on Goodreads titled 2025 Audiobook Challenge. You can keep track and link the shelf.
  • Grab the button and do a quick post about the challenge to help spread the word. You can post on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, BlueSky, Threads, Mastodon, your blog etc. about the challenge.
  • Updates plus a giveaway will be posted twice during the year. The first update will be July 5, 2025, and the last update will take place on December 27, 2025. You’ll have one week to link up and share your progress and enter giveaway

My Goal

This will be my 8th year participating in this challenge. Last year, I read 50 audiobooks 🙌 This year I plan to read at least one audiobook a week. With this in mind, my goal for 2024 is Marathoner (50+ audiobooks). Not only do I feel like this is doable, it is a great motivator to keep me reading. You can track my progress below or follow my shelf on Goodreads.

2025 Audiobook Challenge: 5/50

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The 2025 Beat the Backlist Reading Challenge was started by Austine Decker in 2017 and is now hosted on its own site, Beat the Backlist. I participated back in 2022, but took the last couple of years off. This challenge is all about reading your backlist, anything published before the current year counts. If you are interested in joining me on this one, it started January 1, 2025 and runs through December 31, 2025. You can check out the challenge here.

The Details

  • The challenge runs from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025
  • The book must be published in the previous year or earlier
  • You must start and finish the book in 2025 for it to count
  • Any format, any genre. Re-reads count, you don’t have to own the book, and you can join at any time. Track your BTB reading separately or pair it with another reading challenge!
  • Using the optional reading prompts? It’s one book per prompt!

My Goal

Because I want half of my reads this year to be from my TBR, I’m going to set my goal at 50 books. I think I can do this, especially since it includes books released in 2024. I’m also going to make it a little more challenging for myself by doing some of the optional prompts. My goal for that is to do at least half of them. You can see the prompts here and track my progress below or follow my shelf on Goodreads.

2025 Beat the Backlist: 6/50

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The 2025 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge is hosted by Susan @ Bloggin’ Bout Books. This is a brand new challenge for me. If you’ve been around the blog for any length of time, you know I’m a cover snob 😂 For this challenge, you are to read books with a cover that matches one of the 50 prompts. If you are interested in joining me on this one, it started January 1, 2025 and runs through December 31, 2025. You can check out the challenge here.

The Details

  • The challenge will run from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025.
  • Books of any length count (as long as they fit one of the prompts). All genres and formats are allowed. 
  • Don’t overthink or stress out about the prompts. If a book fits-ish a prompt, that’s totally fine, but a book should only be used once (unless you’re going rogue and just doing things your own way). I’m all about being flexible and laidback!
  • Reviews aren’t required, but I always like to get suggestions for prompts and for good reads. I will publish a challenge post at the beginning of each month with a form for review links. If you post one, I promise to come give it some love.
  • See prompt list here

My Goal

Since I’m going to tie this one into the Beat the Backlist challenge, but the prompts are based on covers, I’m going to start with a low goal. I’m aiming for Level Three (21-30 books). Depending on how I’m doing, I may increase this mid-year. You can track my progress below or follow my shelf on Goodreads.

2025 Cover Lovers: 0/25

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The 2025 Fantasy/Sci-Fi Reading Challenge is hosted by Rachel @ Fantasy and Sci-Fi Fanatics. This is technically my second year participating in this challenge, but I don’t want to claim that I tried last year 😅 I’m really hoping to do better this year. I’m a sci-fi/fantasy lover. In fact, a majority of my reading falls in one or both of those genres. For this challenge, there is a prompt for each month to read a specific trope/setting in those genres. I’m hoping to expand my reading a little by dipping into each one. This one started on January 1, 2025 and ends December 31, 2025. If you are interested, you can sign up here.

The Details

  • Each book needs to be either a fantasy or sci-fi book. If you’re not sure whether a book fits or not, check out these fantasy genres or look at these sci-fi categories. Usually if the book takes place in another world or has elements not found in ours, it will fall into one of these two categories.
  • You may pick either a fantasy or sci-fi book unless the challenge specifically states one or the other.
  • You may reread a book for the category.
  • Books may count for only one category.
  • You may join the reading challenge at any time.

My Goal

My goal for this challenge is fairly simple. I plan to read a book each month that fits the theme/category for that month (see pic above for each month’s category). So 12 fantasy or sci-fi books are on my horizon. However, last year I tried picking as I went each month. This year I’m going to tell you which books I plan to read for each quarter. You can track my progress below or follow my shelf on Goodreads.

2025 SFF Reading Challenge: 1/12

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Here is what I plan to read during the 1st quarter of 2025:

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The 2025 New Release Reading Challenge has a new home this year at The Chocolate Lady’s Book Review Blog. While I didn’t participate last year, I’m looking forward to coming back to it. It is all about reading those new releases, anything published during the new year counts. It started January 1, 2025 and ends December 31, 2025. If you want to join me, you can sign up here.

The Details

  • Books included in the link party have to be only those released in 2025, and reviewed before the end of the year.
  • Books can count towards more than one challenge, meme, book-tag, or book-list, as long as the ones you use for the 2025 New Release Reading Challenge qualify to the other rules.
  • The minimum length for a book to qualify is 100 pages, it can be in any format though, physical, e-book, ARC or audiobook.
  • The New Release Challenge is open on January 1st, and run through December 31st 2025. 
  • You don’t have to be a book blogger to participate, you can link to your review on Goodreads or Booklikes or anywhere that you post a review of a newly released book – so don’t be shy!
  • If you want to spread the love, please use #2025NewReleaseChallenge on any and all social media sites where you promote your reviews.

My Goal

I have never had a problem meeting my goals for this challenge. I’m a new release junkie 😂 This year my goal is New Release Pro (31-60 books). You can track my progress below or follow my shelf on Goodreads.

2025 New Release Challenge: 4/31

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The 2025 NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge is hosted by Socrates Book Reviews. This will be my 8th year participating in this challenge. Sadly, I have yet to complete my goal. This challenge is for all reviewers out there that may be behind (like me) on reading those arcs or just want to improve their NetGalley percentage. This one started January 1, 2025 and ends December 31, 2025. If you are interested, you can sign up here.

The Details

  • The challenge runs from January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025. There is no deadline to sign up.
  • Everyone is welcome to participate – you do not need to have a blog.
  • Any genre, release date, length, etc. counts – it just needs to be a book from NetGalley or Edelweiss.
  • Books can count for more than one challenge that you are participating in.
  • The first day of each month I will post a monthly “link-up” for you to link your reviews. If you forget one month, no worries, just catch up the next month.

My Goal

Every year my goal is the same: I want to get my NetGalley percentage above 80%. However, this is a lofty goal. To make it more doable and let me actually reach that elusive 80% one day, I’m going to set some smaller goals for this year. My goal is to raise my NetGalley percentage by 5 points by mid-year. To do this, I currently need to read a minimum of 27 books AND any books I receive between now and June. With that in mind, my goal for 2025 is Silver (25 books). We will see how I’m doing mid-year, and I will most likely increase my goal. Wish me luck! You can track my progress below or follow my shelf on Goodreads.

#NGEW2025: 2/27

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Your Turn! Are you participating in any challenges? Do you host a challenge? Share below

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5 responses to “2025 Reading Challenges….Accepted

  1. Wow… lots of goals. And welcome to the New Release Challenge. It will probably end up being much the same as the NetGalley/Edelweiss one, if you think about it. That said, you might buy a newly released book as well. Wishing you a wonderful year of reading!

  2. That’s lots of challenges! No COYER? I focus on some specific goals because I get tired of tracking stuff. I’m still doing COYER and Library Love but also the Read-along and Thrifty Thursday stuff I do for myself as well as others can join. I am doing the Audiobook Challenge again this year. I track it anyway so I might as well.
    Anne – Books of My Heart recently posted…🎧 The Rebel by T.J. London @TJLondonauthor @TaraLangellaVO @patrickzelleraf @AudioSorceress #AdamGold #CharlieAlbers #TaraLangella #PatrickZeller #MarnyeYoung #JohnHartley #NicholasBoulton #SeanCrisden #DrywMcArthur #AaronShedlock #ShilohJames #CurtisMichaelHolland #ChrisTester #LoveAudiobooks

    • I knew I missed a challenge making my list. I meant to add Library Love again this year. I decided not to include goals for COYER since I’m hosting, but of course I’ll be participating as well 🙂

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