2026 Beat the Backlist Reading Challenge
Host: Austine Decker
Progress: 3/52 (6%)
1 January, 2026 — 31 December, 2026
In Progress
In this challenge, the goal is to beat the backlist by reading any book published prior to the current year. There’s an additional option to read with prompts, 24 or 52. I’m choosing 52 this year! Join the challenge and read the rules here!
the prompts
- 10, 10, 10s across the boardtitle has 10+ words/
- 2025 debutan author’s first book that released in 2025/
- a game of cat or mousecover features a cat or mouse, or the story is like a cat and mouse game/
- acronymsthere are a lot of acronyms in the story or the title includes one/
- all the colorsrainbow cover (has at least 4 rainbow colors)/
an apple a dayfeatures apples in the story, on the cover, or anywhere in between/The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins- anthology of shortscollection of short stories and/or poetry/
- are you feeling lucky?that character is facing some extreme luck (or lack thereof)/
award winnerthis book won an award of any kind/Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins- BFFsfeatures 2+ best friends as main or important side characters/
- blast from the pastbook featuring a historical setting/
- book and beveragethis book features or reminds you of your favorite drink/
- celebrity authorthe book is by a well-known figure/
- classics past or presentclassic novel or retelling of a classic/
- collector of fine goodsthe main character collects something/
- disaster strikes!book features a natural disaster/
- end of an eralast book in a series/
- faking itat least 1 character is pretending in some way/
- fave author reca book recommended by one of your favorite authors/
- food brings everyone togethera book about food or featuring food prominently/
- genre blendercombines 2+ genres together/
- I don’t think that’s a dog…a character has an unusual pet/
- I like ’em chonkymore than 542 pages/
- I reject your realitya speculative fiction book/
- international super spystory about a spy, espionage, a character going undercover, etc./
- it’s been a decadebeen on your TBR 10+ years/
- it’s getting hot in heretitle/subject involve something hot/
- it’s so shinytitle includes a type of metal/
let the games beginabout or featuring gaming, a specific game, or a competition/The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins- lights, camera, action!book-to-screen or about movies/TV shows/
- locked awaysomeone/something is under lock and key/
- love is in the aira book about or featuring a prominent subplot about love (in any form)/
- novella sweet spotbetween 150-200 pages/
- oh the places you will goplace name in title/
- opposites attractfeaturing any kind of opposites coming together/
- plant friendnature acts as a sort of character in the story/
- reading in parallelthe story features multiple timelines/
- recs in real liferecommended by a family member or close friend/
- sibling squabblesthe story is about siblings (who may or may not get along…)/
- spooky scary skeletonsthe book fits any part of the prompt (your pick!)/
- super duper!character has supernatural powers/
- temporarily contemporaryportal/time travel/
- the -ologistwritten by an expert in their field/
- the most beautiful coverthe art on this book cover stands above the rest to you/
- throwback to the good ol’ daysa favorite childhood read – could be yours, a friend’s, a family member’s, your choice!/
- timeless romancebook features a love spanning generations/
- title starts with Lbook title starts with the letter L/
- to the moonabout or featuring anything space related in the story or on the cover/
- truly uncannythere’s something not quite right about this character/place…/
- we’re going on an adventure, Charlie!a book about an adventure/journey/
- weird scienceabout or inspired by strange or unusual real world science/
- you can’t tell anyoneabout or featuring a secret society/group/