Back for another year, my Musicals Reading Challenge! This will be the third year I’ve hosted this, and I love seeing what books people pick for the prompts. I haven’t done great on my 2025 challenge, but I’m hoping with less overall challenges next year it might go a little better! I host the challenge over on Storygraph, along with the new-for-2026 DHR Horror Reading Challenge (which you can also find details of at Divination Hollow Reviews), but if you’re not on Storygraph, I’ve listed the prompts below, so feel free to join in.
I tried something a bit different this year, picking musicals from different decades (from 1930s onwards) for the first group of prompts, then going for something a little more general.
Musicals Reading Challenge 2026
Read books fitting these 25 prompts between 1st January, 2026 and 31st December 2026.
Please feel free to link back to this page if you take part in this challenge, as I love seeing how people are getting on!
1930s: The Wizard of Oz – Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Set in a second world (not our world)
1940s: On the Town – New York, New York
Set in or about a major city
1950s: High Society – True Love
Second Chances
1960s: West Side Story – Tonight
Star-Crossed Lovers or Forbidden Love or Feuding Families
1970s: The Rocky Horror Show – Science Fiction/Double Feature
Sci-Fi
1980s: Annie – Let’s Go to the Movies
Hollywood/Movies
1990s: The Muppets Christmas Carol – One More Sleep ‘Til Christmas
Something seasonal
2000s: Moulin Rouge! – One Day I’ll Fly Away
An escape or an adventure (or both!)
2010s: The Greatest Showman – From Now On
Found Family
2020s: tick, tick…Boom! – 30/90
With a MC 30 or older
Kpop Demon Hunters – Takedown
Demons/demonic
A Chorus Line – Dance Ten, Looks Three
Shallowness and/or beauty standards
The King & I – Getting to Know You
Featuring a governess or teacher
Rocketman – Rocketman
Set in space
The Prom – Unruly Heart
YA LGBT+
The Lion King – He Lives in You
Parents/parenting
Kiss Me, Kate – Brush Up Your Shakespeare
Classic
Anything Goes – Friendship
Friendship!
Better Man – Let Me Entertain You
Features a festival/gig/concert
Funny Girl – I’m the Greatest Star
Featuring an entertainer
Enchanted – Happy Working Song
Set in a workplace
The Great Gatsby – Roaring On
Set in/about the 1920s
Shucked – Corn
Featuring/about food
Hadestown – Road to Hell
Hell/Underworld
BONUS: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend – I’m the Villain in My Own Story
Morally grey MC or villain’s POV
Did you come up with books for these prompts? Feel free to let me know in the comments, or head over to Storygraph if you’d like to join the challenge there!
Unwrapping Words 