I just heard about this challenge a few moments ago and signed up. The Blogging About Books blog is hosting this challenge once again in 2026 with 50 new prompts. I am signing up at Level 3 which requires me to read 21 to 30 books with covers that meet the prompts shown below. I think this will be a fun challenge.
Rules:
1. The challenge will run from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026.
2. Since this isn't a competition and we're just playing for fun, not prizes or even acclaim, books of any length count (as long as they fit one of the prompts). All genres and formats are allowed.
3. Don't overthink or stress out about the prompts. If a book fits-ish a prompt, that's totally fine, but a book should only be used once.
4. 50 prompts can be overwhelming, so let's break it down:
Level One: 1-10 books
Level Two: 11-20 books
Level Three: 21-30 books
Level Four: 31-40 books
Level Five: 41-50 books
You can sign up at any level you'd like and even change levels mid-challenge if you need to.
5. Reviews aren't required, but I always like to get suggestions for prompts and for good reads. Feel free to post links to your reviews throughout the year in the comments on the challenge post.
Here are the prompts...
Read a book with a cover that includes:
1. a scene you would like to step into for a day
2. the word "house" or "home" in the title
3. your favorite food or drink
4. a subtitle
5. a chalkboard
6. an animal that is often ridden by humans (horse, mule, camel, etc.)
7. a mythical creature (unicorn, dragon, centaur, etc.)
8. someone holding food or a drink in their hand(s)
9. a compound word in the title or author's name (the compound word needs to be made up of two real words, but the resulting word does not have to be a real word, like buttermore, Shellman, etc.)
10. someone in a uniform of some kind
11. the author's picture on the front cover
12. something a chef might use (apron, toque, spatula, pots and pans, etc.)
13. the name of a flower in the title or author's name
14. an adverb in the title
15. a car's headlights shining in the darkness
16. ice in some form ("ice" in the title, ice cubes, frozen pond/rink, glaciers, etc.)
17. a timepiece
18. a palindrome in the title or author's name
19. the name of a bird in the title
20. a title that does not include the words "and" or "the"
21. a bridge
22. a title word or author's name you don't know how to pronounce correctly
23. a mug or teacup
24. a bell of some kind (doorbell, jingle bells, cowbell, etc.)
25. something you might see in a house of worship (stained glass windows, scriptures, cross, menorah, priest, etc.)
26. something you associate with pirates (Jolly Roger, eyepatch, parrot, etc.)
27. someone with facial hair
28. an adjective that is often used to describe the weather (stormy, sunny, windy, cloudy, etc. in the title or author's name
29. a watercraft
30. something you might use for a home improvement project (tools, paint, nails, etc.)
31. someone reading
32. a word from the military alphabet in the title (https://militaryalphabet.net/)
33. at least one person using a medical or mobility device (wheelchair, cane, hearing aids, insulin pump, etc.)
34. an honorific in the title or author's name (Miss, Mrs., Doctor., Your Highness, etc.)
35. a telephone (rotary or cell) or a telephone booth
36. someone who is barefoot
37. an alliterative title (A Christmas Carol, Legacy of Lies, Forever Friends, etc.)
38. punctuation of some sort in the title
39. somewhere you could happily sit and read all day
40. an X, Y, or Z in the author's name
41. an umbrella
42. a computer
43. a title or cover art with the name of a road or street (Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah, The Dress Shop on King Street by Ashley Clark, etc.)
44. minimal cover art/design
45. someone with red hair
46. one of the weapons from the board game Clue (candlestick, dagger/knife, lead pipe, rope, revolver/pistol, wrench)
47. one or more balloons
48. a creepy old house or building
49. someone with painted fingernails or toenails
50. a noun in the author's name (Amanda Flower, Cherie Priest, Stephen King, etc.)
If you'd like a printable version of the prompts, here it is:
