Reading Challenge 2024

It’s a couple of weeks into the new year and you may be pondering the resolutions you’ve already made, or trying to come up with some for 2024. If reading more is a resolution you’re mulling, the Mercer County Library System has a great way to get you motivated - the 2024 Reading Challenge!

A reading challenge is “a way to discover books outside your normal reading habits.” There are 24 prompts to give you ideas and 1 bonus prompt to read a book written by an author featured on the MCLS podcast, Behind the Books. The 2024 prompts are:

Read a book....

1...With an animal in the title

2...That was translated

3...That's a memoir

4...That focuses on mental health

5...That is 150 pages or less

6... That has the name of a place in the title

7...Written by two authors

8...About business or finance

9...Everyone is talking about

10...About history

11...That you own but have not read yet

12...You know nothing about but like the cover

13...A cozy mystery

14...Won an award in the last 5 years

15...Is about nature

16...Is a play

17...Title has the word And in it

18...Is a debut novel

19...With a flower in the title

20...That has a number in the title

21...That takes place in New England

22...Published in the 1980s

23...Published in the 2010s

24...Was published the year you were born

You’ll see social media posts about the challenge throughout the year – we’d love to hear your thoughts on the books you’ve discovered! There is also a Good Reads group to share your titles and reviews.

If you have the prompts but still aren’t sure where to start, library staff at all our branches are here to help! We provide readers’ advisory in person and through our Personalized Picks service. We also have online tools available to find titles for the Challenge and all your other reading needs. 

Some titles I’m already thinking of: The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery; Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker, An Immense World by Ed Yong…

- by Andrea at Hopewell