So, I haven’t done a reading challenge since 2023, and I’ve been really wanting to get back to it. Plus, I really want to work on having a reading community that likes the same genres that I do. So, if you love horror and thriller books, please join my 2026 reading challenge!
Hopefully, this is a challenge that you can have fun with!
2026 reading challenge
It’s my goal to make the 2026 reading challenge fun for all of us! I would absolutely love for you guys to join me in this fun challenge. Hopefully from here on out I’ll be able to continue it more each year and have it where you guys can help me come up with the prompts!
Quarter 1 challenge
Snowed in – Since January and February are more “winter” months I wanted to be able to include winter prompts for the 2026 reading challenge.
Snowed in can fit in with any genre that you like for the most part. All you need to aim for is having characters that are snowed in somewhere.
Cabin in the woods – Cabin in the woods is another simple one and can be pretty much with any genre. They character just need to be either vacationing or living in a cabin in the woods.
Something new – Something new would be a genre you don’t typically read!
Couples who kill – love is in the air… or not. Couples who kill is the perfect prompt for Valentine’s Day! Pick out a book where a couple kills together or at least one of them does.
Red/Pink cover – While we’re on the subject of Valentine’s Day make sure to pick out a book with a red or pink cover.
Spring cleaning – For spring cleaning pick a book that’s been on you’re TBR for a while. This is the perfect chance for you to play catch up some.
Stormy reads – With spring starting comes rain! What a perfect time to catch up with reading on a rainy day with a book that’s dealing with stormy weather too.
Green Cover – For March and St. Patrick’s Day pick out a book with a green cover!
Quarter 2 challenge
New beginnings – This is fun prompt for the 2026 reading challenge. I dare you to find a book where the character goes through hell and then comes through it all with a new beginning awaiting them.
April showers bloody hours – Like before this is the time where we get a lot of rain. Well, I guess it depends on where you are in the world. But spring is here and we’re getting a lot of rain typically. To me this is the perfect opportunity to find a book that kind of revolves around ominous weather.
Spring Cleaning – I know I included spring cleaning twice in the 2026 reading challenge. But I feel like just about every reader has a big TBR.
Mother Mayhem – With Mother’s Day being in May, we all like to think the best of our mother’s, don’t we? But not all of us have great moms. If you’re in the right headspace for a book like this, then check out some books where the mom can be a little crazy.
Road trip gone wrong – This one kind of explains itself. Pick a book where someone or even a family goes on vacation, and everything goes wrong.
Heatwave horror – This prompt is all about horror books or apocalyptic books that revolves around heat, drought, or survival.
Burning secrets – Secrets can’t stay in forever. Choose a book where one of the characters has a small or maybe even a big secret they are hiding.
Summer of Screams – This is another that is kind of open. This can revolve around camp horror or any type of vacation horror!
Quarter 3 challenge
Beach read – I can’t be the only one who likes to read while on the beach! This one goes for the books that take place around the beach!
Vacation disaster – There are loads of vacation thrillers and horror books out there. This is where you can find a book where things end up in disaster. It doesn’t have to be a horror or thriller book if that’s not your thing.
Cabin in the woods – Cabin in the woods type of book fit so well in the winter months and the summer months! Hopefully you find something good for this one.
End of summer, end of sanity – this is a prompt where you will need to find the main character that unravels.
Back to school…. or back to hell – This is one for the back to schoolbooks! Starting school again can be scary and all of our emotions from when went through it can be fully captured in books like this. If you need some dark academia recommendations, you can find them here.
Harvest of horrors – This one needs to take place around a farm, forest, or autumn rituals. Think children of the corn!
Small town big secrets – It’s always the small town that you should be afraid of. They seem to get away with so much more and are able to keep things on the down low. There are a ton of small-town big secrets books!
The ending of innocence – This one belongs to the coming-of-age stories
Quarter 4 challenge
The haunted pages – The Haunted Pages is one for the ghost stories!
The witching hour – This one would obviously revolve around witches! There are so many books about witches out there so I know you guys are bound to find one.
The monster within – This can be literal or figurative. What I mean by that is that they could be a serial killer (or something close to that) or they can turn into a literal monster.
The masks we wear – This one deals with characters hiding a secret, living a double life, or a morally gray character.
Family gathering gone wrong – What better way to start off the holiday season than a book where something goes wrong. This can be something within the family or outside the family.
The winter Chill – This one is for the atmospheric books that revolves around snow or cold isolation.
Deadly gifts – Let’s start or end the holidays with a book that deals with deadly gifts. This can be a physical gift, or this can be some sort of power that they receive.
Naughty or nice list – This one revolves around characters who are morally gray.
Conclusion to 2026 reading challenge
I really hope that you join me with the 2026 reading challenge! If you do, make sure to join my newsletter and the Facebook group. The Facebook group is where we’ll talk about the books we read and through the newsletter, I will send recommendations!