I’ve previously mentioned that I don’t just have a TBR shelf, I have an entire TBR bookcase! For the past several years, I’ve slowly been trying to tackle myTBR, including this major effort in 2023. This also involves purging books that no longer spark joy.

It’s an ongoing work in progress with various levels of success.

I’ve also (re)committed to a book buying ban because (1) I have an amazing library right down the street, and (2) as mentioned above, I already own an entire bookcase of books that I haven’t read.

Since it’s a new year, I decided to do a new challenge. But I’m a mood reader (which is why my TBR is out of control). So instead of trying to do a large scale challenge, I created a more manageable one.

My 2025 Off My Shelf Reading Challenge only has 24 prompts. 24 books is only 2 books a month, which for me is doable. To make me more likely to complete it, I picked books for each prompt. See my complete list here.

If you want to reduce your TBR, feel free to join! Do as many or a few prompts as you want. If 24 books feels to overwhelming, you can always cut it in half or a third and double up on prompts. DNFs count! Because if you DNF a book, it’s off your shelf, which is the entire point. You can also find this challenge on StoryGraph.

I’ve included my picks below and as you can see, most of them fit more than one prompt.

As a bonus, I also created a bingo board for extra motivation. Because let’s be honest, every challenge is more fun when you can mark squares off a bingo board. Or here’s a PDF version.

1. Read a book that has been on your shelves for over 5 years.

Yes, over 5 years. Because if you’re like me, you definitely have some books that have been haunting your bookshelves far longer than that. Or read a book that has been on your TBR list for over 5 years. Library reads for the win!

My pick: The Lost Carousel of Provence by Juliet Blackwell

2. Read the newest book on your TBR.

This can be the most recent book you bought or the one you just added to your TBR list.

My pick: I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This (But I’m Going to Anyway) by Chelsea Devantez

3. Read the chunkster.

We all have those chunksters that we say will read one of these days. Go ahead and read the book on your TBR that has the most pages or read a book that has over 400 pages.

My pick: Don Quixote by Cervantes

4. Read the shortest book on your TBR.

Opposite of the chunkster, read the book with the least amount of pages.

My pick: The Seven Generations and The Seven Grandfather Teachings by James Vukelich Kaagegaabaw

5. Read the “I bought it because of the cover” book.

We all have that book that we bought just because the cover was pretty or because something about the cover spoke to you. We may not even know what the book is about.

My pick: The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins

6. Read a book outside your comfort zone.

We have genres that just aren’t are thing. Or we have books on our TBR that we think we should read but never do. For me, horror is a genre that’s outside my comfort zone and I rarely read but when one is gifted a book. . .

My pick: The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher

7. Read a book published in the last 2 years.

Any book published between 2022 and 2024.

My pick: Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

8. Read a book a friend gifted or recommended.

If you’re friends are like mine, they give you lots of recommendations. And many of them gift me books! I have a lot on my TBR waiting to be read.

My pick: The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

9. Read a non-fiction book.

There are so many great non-fiction books. At least 40% of my TBR bookshelf is non-fiction, and yet my 2024 reading stats only show 5% of my reads were non-fiction.

My pick: The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein

10. Read a book written by a BIPOC author.

Everyone has a story to tell. And reading the experiences of Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) authors brings to center stage the specific violence, cultural erasure, and discrimination experienced by Black and Indigenous people. It reinforces the fact that not all people of color have the same experience, particularly when it comes to legislation and systemic oppression.

My pick: My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor

11. Read a book by an author new to you.

We all have our favorite authors that we read. But there are new authors to find!

My pick: Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne

12. Read a banned book.

I love reading banned books. It’s such a great thrill of rebellion and there are so many great books that have been banned by various school boards and libraries. I have several on my TBR shelf.

Sadly, in 2023, the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom documented 1,247 demands to censor library books and resources. The number of titles targeted for censorship surged 65% in 2023 compared to 2022, reaching the highest levels ever documented by OIF in more than 20 years of tracking: 4,240 unique book titles were targeted for removal from schools and libraries. And it’s sometimes surprising what books get banned and challenge. See the 100 most frequent challenged books by decade on the ALA’s website. Or I also have a Bookshop Shelf of Banned Books.

My pick: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

13. Read a book of poetry.

Want to be even more of a rebel? Read a book of poetry.

My pick: Selected Poems of William Carlos Williams

14. Read a book published over 10 years ago.

I have books on my TBR that were published in the early 1900s. But any book published before 2015 fits this prompt.

My pick: The Book of Ile-Rien by Martha Wells

15. Read an anthology or book of essays.

Fiction or non-fiction, any book that is a collection of short stories or essays. 

My pick: Ward No. 6 and Other Stories by Anton Chekhov

16. Read a book with a map.

I love maps in books whether it be non-fiction or fiction.

My pick: The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent

17. Read an award winner.

There are so many book awards, including the Pulitzer, the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, the Booker Prize, the John Newberry Medal, the National Book Award, the Hugo Award, the Nebula Awards, the Caldecott Medal, and even the Goodreads awards. There are awards for nearly every genre and category.

My pick: Trust by Hernan Diaz

18. Read a book in a series.

This can be the first book in the series or the last. It can be one of a duology or trilogy. Doesn’t matter other than there’s at least one other book in the series.

My pick: The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

19. Read a book from your favorite genre or favorite author.

I’m doubling down on this one with a book from (one of) my favorite author (Robin Hobb, aka Megan Lindholm) in my favorite genre (fantasy).

My pick: The Inheritance and Other Stories by Robin Hobb

20. Read a book you started before.

Maybe you picked up this book and life happened. Or maybe you were just gelling with it and set it aside to read something else. Or maybe another book screamed at you to read it instead. Whatever the reason, give this one another try.

My pick: Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton

21. Read a book that was self-published or published by an indie press.

With technology as it is and the opportunities through that giant A-Z corporation that shall-not-be-named, self-publishing has become huge in the last few years. There are also a lot of smaller independent presses that typically specialize. Despite not having a big press and marketing money behind them, these books sometimes end up on your TBR.

My pick: Darts by Benjamin K. Hewett

22. Read a book written by a celebrity.

A book where the author is known for something other than writing.

My pick: The Memory Librarian by Janelle Monáe

23. Read a hardback book.

Any hardback book, any genre, anything at all as long as it has a hard cover and is on your TBR.

My pick: These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

24. Read a book that involves books.

Booknerds love books about books and I’m betting that you have at least 1 book on your TBR that involves books in some way. The setting could be a bookshop. It could be a book within a book. Maybe it’s about the top books ever written. It could even be about how to write a book.

My pick: The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

25. Bonus Book (or the Free Square)

After completing all the other prompts, simply read the book you want to read off your TBR.

That’s the challenge! Let me know in the comments below if you will join my challenge.

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