Sign-ups are now open for the 2026 Nonfiction Reader Challenge. The Book'd Out blog is hosting the challenge again. The aim of the Nonfiction Reader Challenge is to encourage you to make nonfiction part of your reading experience during the year. As for myself, I am going to downgrade my participation level to Nonfiction Nibbler which requires me to read just six books. When I signed up for this year’s challenge I had no idea how difficult 2025 would be for me personally. I probably only read half of the books that I planned to read.
You can select, read and review a book from the categories listed below during the year for a total of up to 12 books; OR select, read and review any nonfiction book. A book may be in print, electronic or audio format.
Choose a goal:
Nonfiction Nipper: Read & review 3 books, from any 3 listed categories
Nonfiction Nibbler: Read & review 6 books, from any 6 listed categories
Nonfiction Nosher: Read & review 12 books, one for each category
Nonfiction Grazer: Read & review any nonfiction book. Set your own goal, or none at all, just share the nonfiction you read through the year.
Categories:
History
Memoir/Biography
True Crime
Science
Health
Food
South East Asia
Humour (Humor)
Lost or found
Television
Subculture
Published in 2026
You can choose your books as you go or create a list in advance. You may combine this challenge with others if you wish. Use your best good faith judgement as to whether a book fits the category or not.
Where a book is identified by more than one category, it may only count for one, not both.
You can read your chosen titles in any order, at any pace, just aim to complete the challenge by December 31st 2026
HOW TO JOIN
Create a blog post committing to your participation in this challenge. If you don’t have a blog you are still welcome to sign up. You can create a shelf for the challenge at Goodreads, LibraryThing or Storygraph, or post via Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky etc. Just add your name and a link to your shelf/account in the sign-up.
The challenge will run from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026. Participants may join at any time up until December 1, 2026.
Each time you read and review a book as part of this challenge, please identify the post by adding either a direct statement and/or the challenge image badge to the post. It’s also helpful if you indicate the category the book fulfills.
Use the hashtag #ReadNonFicChal on social media. You can tag the challenge host on Twitter: @bookdout or Bluesky @shelleyrae.bsky.social or Instagram/Threads: @shelleyrae _bookdout or any of my other social media linked in her sidebar.
Share your review with other challenge participants by including your name or blog name and the category with a direct link to your review in the monthly link.
Bloggers can grab the above badge to use in the challenge posts.
I hope you can join me in this special challenge.
