This is going up a bit later than I would have liked – between one thing and another, I didn’t get as caught up with the blog over Christmas as I would have liked! Right now, I’m considering stripping back a little during February, putting things like Monday Moods on pause to give myself some breathing space, but we’ll see how it goes. For now, here are the challenges I’m tackling this year and some of the books I currently have planned for them.
2023 Reading Challenges / 2024 Reading Challenges / 2025 Reading Challenges
Total Reading Goal 2026: 70 Books
Musicals Reading Challenge 2026
Hosted by me
This is the third year I’ve created this challenge now. I did complete it in 2024, but not last year, which was disappointing. So this year I’m going to really make an effort to make sure I end the year with this completely finished. There are 24 prompts plus a bonus prompt, and I did something different this year, where the first 10 prompts are musicals from specific decades.
1930s: The Wizard of Oz – Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Set in a second world (not our world)
The Gods Must Burn by T.R. Moore
I’m partway through reading this and absolutely loving it! Wizard of Oz is such an iconic musical, too, and with all the love for Wicked right now, it felt fitting to have this one first.
1940s: On the Town – New York, New York – Set in or about a major city
London: The Biography by Peter Ackroyd
I always try to have some prompts that can be used for both fiction and non-fiction, and this felt like a good choice, especially as it gives me the chance to show some love to an absolutely classic musical!
1950s: High Society – True Love – Second Chances
Magic Uncorked by Annabel Chase
High Society is one of my all time favourite musicals, so it had an instant place for the 1950s. And second chances is always a nice theme – it can mean so many different things!
The Divination Hollow Reviews Horror Challenge 2026
Hosted by me
This is hosted by me but created by the contributors at DHR. We put our heads together to come up with some prompts, and inline with the website, we made sure to include some diversity prompts here. 12 prompts in total, 6 focusing on diversity and 6 more general horror prompts. You can see the full list of prompts in the graphic below or check out the page over at Divination Hollow Reviews.
With a disabled protagonist
Duma Key by Stephen King
I need more horror with disabled protagonists on my shelves! I struggled to find a book for this, but after doing some reading about disability in horror (for something unrelated) this was mentioned as something that tackles disability quite well, apparently, so I thought I’d give it a go.
Written by a woman of colour
You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron
Bayron is one of my favourite authors, and I’m incredibly excited to read this! It’s been on my TBR for a long while, and I’m keen to see how it plays out.
Written by an author who isn’t cis, het and white
All the Hearts You Eat by Hailey Piper
I haven’t read a full length work from Piper, though from her short stories I know she’s an excellent author, and this has vampires so there are multiple reasons I’m excited for this one!
Twenty Genres in 2026
Hosed by serenitty
I really like challenges that allow you to jump across different genres, so when I spotted this I was very excited! It also gave me a good opportunity to either add books I’ve wanted to read for a while or transfer books from previous challenges that I haven’t got to yet.
True Crime (fiction or non fiction)
Bloody Valentine by John L. Williams
I would have liked to have read this sooner but I’m glad it’s the first on this challenge – it’s a miscarriage of justice I heard a lot about growing up, but as always with these things I’m sure there’s plenty I’m missing. There’s an excellent podcast series too (Shreds, BBC) which I highly recommend!
Non Fiction (any)
Bi: The Hidden Culture, History, and Science of Bisexuality by Julia Shaw
As soon as I saw this prompt, I knew the exact book I wanted to use for it! This is another that’s been on my shelf for a fair while, and which I’ve been keen to read. I’m excited to dive into it and learn more!
Historical (fiction or non fiction)
Spider, Spider by L. C. Winter
This one was harder – I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to use for it, but I’ve been eyeing this since it landed on my TBR, so it felt like a good option. I was deliberately looking for something more recent, too, and this one is releasing this year.
Grim Readers 2026 Horror Reading Challenge
Hosted by haydanireads
As with the SFF, Romance and Non-Fiction challenges I did last year, this is very much a chance for me to read more of a genre I felt I didn’t read much of last year. And I signed up for this prior to the DHR one, but as we’ll more than likely be doing the DHR challenge again next year, I think I’ll be set for horror going forward. But this still seems like a lot of fun!
January: Frozen in Fear – Horror set in winter, snow, or extreme cold
The Hill in the Dark Grove by Liam Higginson
This has just been released – I am absolutely drawn to books set in Wales, and this one is set during a particularly harsh winter, in Eryri (Snowdonia). I’m intrigued, especially as the blurb references Welsh folklore.
February: Love Gone Wrong – Doomed lovers, seductive monsters
Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
This really stood out to me – I love vampires anyway so I’m always excited for something to bite my teeth into, but it’s the setting of this (1840s Mexico) that really caught my eye. The backdrop is the US attacking Mexico in 1846, and I find different interpretations of vampires fascinating. It really feels like I’ll get a lot out of this one.
March: Cults & Conspiracies
House of Idyll by Delilah S. Dawson
I haven’t actually read any books from Dawson yet (though have read short stories here and there) and this one sounds really intriguing – rock stars, cults, and a magical oasis. I’ve heard Dawson’s name in horror for a while, and can’t wait for my first taste!
Netflix Movies & TV Shows
Hosted by nora_knight
Ah, now for the challenge I may never finish, but live in constant hope I will finish one day! Last year I ‘only’ had ten books left, and now I have eight, so really, really poor progress on my part!
spiracy – Changed how you think about something
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
This one I was hoping I could slip in on the non-fiction challenge last year somewhere, but never managed to. Hopefully this year I’ll be able to read this one.
Heartstopper – LGBTQIA+ Romance
All That Remains by Sheri Lewis Wohl
I do want to pick this one up – it’s been on my TBR for so long now, and I was very intrigued by it when it came out! As with all the books on this particular challenge…I’ll get there. Eventually.
The Umbrella Academy – Magic or Time Travel
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
This one is taunting me! I really want to read it, but it’s so long, but I really would like to dive in, especially as I thoroughly enjoyed the TV series. I think this is one I definitely need to try and include on another challenge, just to make sure I do finally read it!
Do you have any reading challenges planned for this year? How do you pick out which ones to do? And do you tend to do the same ones every year, or change it up year to year?
Unwrapping Words 