reading challenge

2026 Reading Challenge

| C.E. Flores

Every year I tell myself I’m not going to make “rules” around reading… and every year I do it anyway. The truth is, I’ve really enjoyed my past reading challenges, not because I finished every category (I didn’t), but because they nudged me toward books I wouldn’t have picked up otherwise. The 2026 Reading Challenge is just that: a personal little nudge. No pressure, no leaderboard, just a loose plan to keep reading fun, curious, and slightly adventurous.

Here’s my list of books for the 2026 reading challenge.

📚 2026 Reading Challenge (12 Categories)

  1. About Black History (carry over from 2025)
    Fiction or nonfiction centered on Black history, culture, or lived experience.
  2. Set in Your Favorite Season (carry over from 2025)
    Choose a book where the season matters—weather, mood, or symbolism.
  3. An Animal Protagonist (carry over from 2025)
    The animal must have a POV or be central to the story, not just a sidekick.
  4. Book on My Shelf (carry over from 2024)
    Something you already own and have been meaning to read (no buying allowed).
  5. Hardcover Book (carry over from 2024)
    Any genre, as long as it’s a physical hardcover.
  6. Set Outside the U.S.
    Bonus points if it’s a country you’ve lived in or want to visit.
  7. Retelling or Reimagining Myth/Folklore
    Myths, legends, fairy tales, or folklore—classic or obscure.
  8. Published Before 2000
    A reminder that older books still have teeth.
  9. A Short Read
    Novella, essays, poetry, or under ~200 pages.
  10. A Book That Centers on Food or Cooking
    Fiction or nonfiction—meals, kitchens, or culinary history count.
  11. A Comfort Read
    A reread or something cozy that soothes rather than challenges.
  12. A Wild Card Pick
    A book chosen by a friend, a prompt, or pure impulse.

Looking back, my favorite part of past challenges wasn’t checking things off. Rather, it was realizing how much joy I got from the process. I also noticed a few categories that didn’t quite happen, and instead of calling that a failure, I’m carrying them forward into 2026. Some books just need more time. This challenge isn’t about finishing everything “right”; it’s about continuing a habit I already love and giving myself permission to wander through books at my own pace. If I finish every category, great. If I don’t, I’ll still end the year with more stories than I started with, and that feels like a win too.

2025 Reading Challenge

| C.E. Flores

I really enjoyed my reading challenge last year. I think it made a difference that I didn’t try and pick a certain category for each month, but had options to choose from. So yep, I’m going to do a reading challenge this year.

I’m starting with two categories that I did not complete in prior challenges, a book on my shelf already, and a hardcover book. I think those will be easy to incorporate in the reads for the year.

I found this 2025 reading challenge list and since it seems like it covers a broad spectrum (and has 16 categories), I’m going to use it myself.

What are you reading?

Reading Roundup 2022

| C.E. Flores

January

February

March

Immigrant Secrets: The Search for my Grandparents by John Mancini

April

May

The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman

June

July

The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss by Mary-Frances O’Connor

August

Conscious Breathing: The Art of Meditation by Larry Snyder, MD

September

The INFJ Writer: Cracking the Creative Genius of the World’s Rarest Type by Lauren Sapala

October

The Upside of Down: The Sky Above and The Mud Below by Joel Bernard

November

December

Reading Roundup 2021

| C.E. Flores

January

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman was a good mystery read with a not-quite believable ending.

February

I read How to Write a Book That Doesn’t Suck and Will Actually Sell: Your No B.S. Guide to Learning How to Write a Nonfiction Book by Michael Rogan for further research on refining my writing.

March

Travels with Grace by Erma Note highlights the cultural delights of Mexico City.

Travels with Grace by Erma Note

April

An interesting paranormal romance, Saving Cassie by L.A. Remenicky was a little outside my usual picks, but that’s the point of the challenge right?

May

I chose Job by Ben Avery and illustrated by Jeff Slemons, as my graphic novel for the year.

June

Middle-aged female nomad on the loose in Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World by Rita Golden Gelman. You’ll not want to miss her adventures!

Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World by Rita Golden Gelman

July

Immigrant Secrets: The Search for my Grandparents by John Mancini was a lovely tale of one man’s family history quest that mixed speculative fiction with fact.

August

I belong to an online book club and This is How it Always Is by Laurie Frankel was the selection of the month. What a discussion we had about this book about a transgender child coming of age. A thought-provoking story!

This is How it Always Is by Laurie Frankel

September

A random free book download led to an amazing new thriller series with Probably Dead by Ed Church.

Probably Dead by Ed Church

October

November

I read several books this year about health issues, but the one that stood out the most was The Seven Graces of Ageless Aging: How to Die Young as Late in Life as Possible by Jason Elias.

The Seven Graces of Ageless Aging: How to Die Young as Late in Life as Possible by Jason Elias

December

Todd by Adam J. Nicolai was my survivalist/science-fiction pick for the year.

Todd by Adam J. Nicolai

Reading Challenge 2024

| C.E. Flores

I had planned to take 2023 off from doing a reading challenge and then I signed up and successfully completed Bookshop’s Fall Reading Challenge. I had so much fun with that I decided to try and complete the reading challenges I FAILED in 2020, 2021, and 2022 this year. 

So, in addition to the Writing Challenge I’m setting up for myself, here are my reading goals for 2024.

In 2020, the one category I did not complete was to read a book that I had bought and was on my shelf but had not read yet. I have a few of those to choose from.

In 2021, I didn’t read a fantasy/fairy tale. Can’t wait to find one for this category!

In December 2022, I still needed to read a book by a favorite author, a paperback book, a classic, and a hardcover book. Oh BOY!

So that leaves six months open. Here’s what I propose to read in addition to those mentioned above. 

  • Mystery/Thriller
  • Environmental/Nature Writing
  • Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopian Fiction
  • Self-Help/Personal Development
  • Poetry Collection
  • Culinary/Food-Related Book

As you can see, I’m not making this an impossible task for myself, but rather something to look forward to each time I choose a book. 

Got any suggestions for me? What are you reading?

Reading Challenge 2022

| C.E. Flores

I’m just not sure how much travel will be happening in my world in 2022. First, finances are a bit tight. And then, no one is quite sure what’s going on with the Covid pandemic. Is it safe? Is it not?

Regardless, I’m going to enjoy my year and to that end set up yet another reading challenge for myself. Looking over the categories, what would you suggest?

Saving Cassie by by L.A. Remenicky

| C.E. Flores

April’s 2021 Reading Challenge was a paranormal romance. While I expect those Vampire/Mortal romances would fall into this category, I went with Saving Cassie by by L.A. Remenicky. There are no vampires, shapeshifters, or witches in this small-town romance. On the other hand, there are demons, ghosts, and a seer or two. 

Cassie Holt returns to Fairfield Corners, where everyone, except the new Deputy, knows her. Strange things are happening in the house she grew up in and inherited from her grandmother. Her best friend, the Chief of Police, lives next door with his family, but even he is unable to protect her from supernatural death threats. All of the current problems stem from a cult leader that killed Cassie’s parents when she was just six years old. Even though that man is dead, a demon has been unleashed and is stalking her. A romance blossoms between Cassie and the new Deputy, but will he be strong enough to save the woman that he loves?

I appreciated that this book was a romance, rather than just a paranormal book. It kept the gore to a minimum. Without the supernatural element, the book follows the girl returning to her hometown and falls in love plot. There were a few lurid sex scenes and some tense paranormal interactions. Overall, it was a light and easy read.

I would have liked more descriptions of the town, grandma’s house, and the bookstore. The action moved along quickly, perhaps a little too quickly in parts. Some sections seemed a bit rushed. But, for a small town romance with a twist, you can’t go wrong with Saving Cassie by by L.A. Remenicky.

Reading Challenge 2021

| C.E. Flores

I enjoyed the 2020 Reading Challenge so much, that I plan on doing another reading challenge this year too. The focus for this challenge will mostly be on different genres. Since 2021 promises to be another socially distanced year, why not travel through the pages of books?

I hope you are inspired to complete the challenge with me!

Reading Roundup 2020

| C.E. Flores

If you recall, at the beginning of the year, I set myself a reading challenge. In case you missed it, I thought I’d recap the books I chose for this challenge that I wrote reviews for. 2020 was kind of a wild year, so I didn’t get nearly as many books from this list read as I would have liked. But, that’s ok. I have a whole new year in which to read, while socially distancing during 2021. So without further ado…

January

The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester chronicles the lives of the two men instrumental in compiling the Oxford English Dictionary.

February

In honor of Women in Horror Month, I read Frankenstein: or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, which is nothing like the movies based on it.

March

In March, I read Queen of America by Luis Alberto Urrea, the sequel to The Hummingbird’s Daughter. Both books were based on the life of Teresita Urrea, the Saint of Cabora, the girl who inspired a revolution.

April

I chose a book that was written by an author with my middle name rather than one with my initials or last name. A Love to Mend Her Broken Heart: A Historical Western Romance Novel by Etta Foster was not my usual genre, but that’s the point of a challenge, right? To experience something new?

I also read a collection of short stories with an author who shared my last name. Ordinance 53 by Sarah Flores was quite imaginative.

May

Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore wasn’t published in the decade I was born but has leapt through the decades I have been alive.

June

I read many books suggested by others, but the link I’ll leave here is for Civilianized: A Young Veteran’s Memoir by Michael Anthony.

July

I’ve been following the author Lisa Sell on social media for some time. She has funny posts about writing and cats. I finally got around to reading her mystery novel Hidden.

August

September

Rose: Future Heart by Jazalyn was a quick read with poems focusing on universal themes.

October

How to Avoid 101 Book Publishing Blunders, Bloopers & Boo-Boos: how to successful publish a book by Judith Briles was an informative book about publishing. I don’t actually think there were 101 blunders in the book, though.

November

I always wanted to visit Spain and The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon was an excellent romantic mystery set in Barcelona in the 1940s.

December

For December, I read Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller, a memoir about her childhood in Africa.

I enjoyed my reading challenge so much that I’m going to do it again next year! Be on the lookout for the 2021 reading challenge in the next few days.