Book-Lovers, Brace Yourself: The 2019 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge Is Here!
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 cozy-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 favorites. 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, which is made up of more than 14,000 readers who participate in the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 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 favorite (and least favorite) 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, checking off the books as you go, and pin the handy graphic ahead for reference. Share your progress on Instagram with #popsugarreadingchallenge.
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!
I Want More! Get our Celebrity & Entertainment newsletter by tapping the button below. Instant Subscribe By signing up, I agree to the Terms & to receive emails from POPSUGAR. 2019 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 
1. A book becoming a movie in 2019 
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Here are more books becoming movies in 2019.
2. A book that's published in 2019 
Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark (Out May 28)
3. Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (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
Here they are for reference: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018.
4. A book that makes you nostalgic 
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
5. A book written by a musician (fiction or nonfiction) 
Hindsight: & All the Things I Can't See in Front of Me by Justin Timberlake
6. A book you think should be turned into a movie 
When Katie Met Cassidy by Camille Perri
7. A book with at least 1 million ratings on Goodreads 
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (5 million ratings on Goodreads)
8. A book with a plant in the title or on the cover 
The Signature of All Things: A Novel by Elizabeth Gilbert
9. A reread of a favorite book 
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
10. A book about a hobby 
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
11. A book with an item of clothing or accessory on the cover 
The World According to Garp by John Irving
12. A book inspired by mythology, legend, or folklore 
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
13. A book published posthumously 
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
14. A book you see someone reading on TV or in a movie 
A Death in the Family by James Agee (seen in A Bigger Splash)
15. A retelling of a classic 
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
16. A book with a question in the title 
Who Is Vera Kelly? by Rosalie Knecht
17. A book set on a college or university campus 
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
18. A book about someone with a superpower 
The Power by Naomi Alderman
19. A book told from multiple character POVs 
All We Ever Wanted: A Novel by Emily Giffin
20. A book set in space 
The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
21. A book with a two-word title 
There There: A Novel by Tommy Orange
22. A book with “love” in the title 
Love and Ruin: A Novel by Paula McLain
23. A book by two female authors 
The Wife Between Us: A Novel by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
24. A book with a title that contains “salty,” “sweet,” “bitter,” or “spicy” 
Sweetbitter: A Novel by Stephanie Danler
25. A book set in Scandinavia 
A Man Called Ove: A Novel by Fredrik Backman
26. A book that takes place in a single day 
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
27. A debut novel 
Among the Ten Thousand Things: A Novel by Julia Pierpont
28. A book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature 
The Golem and the Jinni: A Novel by Helene Wecker
29. A book recommended by a celebrity you admire 
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur (Emma Watson)
30. A book featuring an amateur detective 
The Hermit by Thomas Rydahl
31. A book about a family 
This Is Where I Leave You: A Novel by Jonathan Tropper
32. A book written by an author from Asia, Africa, or South America 
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
33. A book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in the title 
The Pisces: A Novel by Melissa Broder
34. A book with “pop,” “sugar,” or “challenge” in the title 
Pop Goes the Weasel by M. J. Arlidge
35. A book that includes a wedding 
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
36. A book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter 
The Mothers: A Novel by Brit Bennett
37. A ghost story 
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
38. A novel based on a true story 
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
39. A book revolving around a puzzle or game 
The Lying Game: A Novel by Ruth Ware
40. A book you meant to read in 2018 
Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
41. A “cli-fi” (climate fiction) book 
Clade by James Bradley
42. A “choose-your-own-adventure” book 
Choose Your Own Disaster by Dana Schwartz
43. An “own voices” book 
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
44. Read a book during the season it is set in 
Night Film by Marisha Pessl (set in the Fall)
45. A LitRPG book 
Ready Player One: A Novel by Ernest Cline
46. A book with no chapters / unusual chapter headings / unconventionally numbered chapters 
The Circle by Dave Eggers
47. Two books that share the same title (1) 
Security: A Novel by Gina Wohlsdorf
48. Two books that share the same title (2) 
Security: A Novel by Stephen Amidon
49. A book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom (e.g., Big Brother from 1984) 
1984 by George Orwell
50. A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent 
Anathem by Neal Stephenson