TBR Challenge 2026 > Likes and Comments

I took a little break last year, but we're back with another TBR Challenge, so sweep the dust off your old tomes stacked at the back of your shelves and get reading!

It's a bit different this year because I've decided to split the Challenge tasks into 2 parts.
Here are the tasks for 2026’s TBR Challenge:

Part 1: Gaining Momentum
1. Read a book written by an author whose first or last name starts with the letter “A”
2. Read a book with a protagonist who has moved to a new town or school or job
3. Read a book with the number “three” or higher in the title
4. Read a book with no more than 3 colours on the cover
5. Read a book with a character that has superpowers or a magical ability

Part 2: Objects in Motion
6. Read a book with a character who is in a position of power
7. Read a book that belongs to the dystopian genre
8. Read a book with a protagonist who takes part in a sport that requires running
9. Read a book about a rebellion or uprising
10. Read a book with a protagonist who is in a society or group/gang

You can read any book, comic, manga, graphic novel, audiobook, etc etc etc. It can be any age demographic (MG, YA, new adult, adult) and it can be any page left.

The only criteria is the books read have to already be on your TBR shelf!

There's no time limit on this so feel free to start when you like and take as long as you want. Just have fun with it😊

Also, if you're interested in the slightly different format for the TBR Challenge tasks this year, I always use the TBR Challenge to reflect on the year that's just passed and I base the tasks on past events, but I thought it would be interesting this year to model the tasks on a goal and a desire to keep moving.

Thew 2 parts are symbolic: in Part 1 we're gearing up for the new year and all the challenges that'll lie ahead, and then we're like a force to be reckoned with and nothing can stop us in Part 2 which is based on Newton's first law: objects in motion stay in motion unless acted upon by an external or unbalanced force.

So here's to a whole new year and may it be full to the brim with wonderful moments and a good read or two!!

Glad to have you back!! Sounds good, Kadi! I need some motivation to clear out my towering TBR pile

I have about a thousand books on my TBR, and I rarely read any of them when I start a new book, lol.

I'll probably join this challenge for sure! Happy New Year everyone🎉🎀📚

Happy new year! I won't be joining this as I have my own reading goals for 2026, actually read the books on my kindle and read the books I bought/was gifted that I haven't read yet physical copies, hopefully some of which can be donated if I don't plan to re read them so I have shelf space.

@Georgann thanks! Glad to be back😊 You won’t believe that I actually made a whole winter themed reading challenge a few months ago and then just never posted it on the group🤦🏻‍♀️ I might post it in February instead

@Audrey I totally relate, I don’t have many physical books in my TBR but on goodreads I have almost 2000 books on my TBR shelf!!

@Aurora aww it’ll be a shame not to have you take part but I get it. Hey if any of your books fit a task for this challenge then it’s like you’re taking part anyway! But I totally get it anyway sometimes you just need to clear all the books out. I have 2 books on my currently reading shelf which have been there for AGES and I’m hoping to finish them before the new year so literally today😂 that’s not likely!

@Bookworm4life @Patricia yesss it’s a great way to kick off the new year!👏🏻

I'm in! Great idea, thanks Kadi! :) Got my first 5 lined up and shelved: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Awesome Capn! You’re so organised wow also what an honour to have a shelf for it! That’s so cool👏🏻
I’m going to start scouring my TBR shelf for my 10 books, hopefully before the fireworks start lol

Ooo exciting I will have to take part happy New Year everybody!

EdenB15 wrote: "Ooo exciting I will have to take part happy New Year everybody!"

Yes hopefully it’ll be fun! Glad to have you along😊

This sounds great! I have so many books in my TBR.

Melissa wrote: "This sounds great! I have so many books in my TBR."

Same Melissa! Would be good to take a few off the TBR shelf in 2026!

Here are my book choices so far:

Part 1: Gaining Momentum
1. Read a book written by an author whose first or last name starts with the letter “A” - Tunnel Vision
2. Read a book with a protagonist who has moved to a new town or school or job - The Secret Hour
3. Read a book with the number “three” or higher in the title - ??
4. Read a book with no more than 3 colours on the cover - Allegedly
5. Read a book with a character that has superpowers or a magical ability - Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism

Part 2: Objects in Motion
6. Read a book with a character who is in a position of power - The Abduction
7. Read a book that belongs to the dystopian genre - The Limit
8. Read a book with a protagonist who takes part in a sport that requires running - Bittersweet
9. Read a book about a rebellion or uprising - The Merchant of Death - reading this one now!
10. Read a book with a protagonist who is in a society or group/gang - Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow

Here are also my book choices for this challenge:

Part 1: Gaining Momentum
1. Read a book written by an author whose first or last name starts with the letter “A”
- Empty Smiles
2. Read a book with a protagonist who has moved to a new town or school or job
- Finally Seen
3. Read a book with the number “three” or higher in the title
- Best. Night. Ever.: A Story Told from Seven Points of View
4. Read a book with no more than 3 colours on the cover
- Bat and the Waiting Game (I hope this book fits on the prompt.)
5. Read a book with a character that has superpowers or a magical ability.
- Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares (I forgot if the main character has a magic but the genres of this book has magic.)

Part 2: Objects in Motion
6. Read a book with a character who is in a position of power
- From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess
7. Read a book that belongs to the dystopian genre
-The Lost Hero
8. Read a book with a protagonist who takes part in a sport that requires running
-Ghost
9. Read a book about a rebellion or uprising
- Tear This Down (I'm not sure if this book fit in the prompt but I guess it was part of uprising.)
10. Read a book with a protagonist who is in a society or group/gang
- The Sherlock Society

Oooh so exciting! My new years resolution is to read more of my physical books (I have over 600) and to incorporate reading more into my daily life. So I hope this challenge can help. I definitely need to catch up. Happy New Year everyone!

My Books for 2026

Part 1: Gaining Momentum
1. Read a book written by an author whose first or last name starts with the letter “A”

2. Read a book with a protagonist who has moved to a new town or school or job

3. Read a book with the number “three” or higher in the title
4. Read a book with no more than 3 colours on the cover

5. Read a book with a character that has superpowers or a magical ability


Part 2: Objects in Motion
6. Read a book with a character who is in a position of power

7. Read a book that belongs to the dystopian genre
8. Read a book with a protagonist who takes part in a sport that requires running

9. Read a book about a rebellion or uprising

10. Read a book with a protagonist who is in a society or group/gang

Patricia wrote: "Here are also my book choices for this challenge:

Part 1: Gaining Momentum
1. Read a book written by an author whose first or last name starts with the letter “A”
- [book:I Lived on Butterfly Hill..."

Ooh interesting choices! I think your book for task 4 has too many colours to fit that one. But the book for task 9 looks like it fits great!

Ilsen wrote: "Oooh so exciting! My new years resolution is to read more of my physical books (I have over 600) and to incorporate reading more into my daily life. So I hope this challenge can help. I definitely ..."

That’s a good resolution and wow that’s an impressive amount of physical books! Hopefully the challenge helps cull that a little👏🏻

Kadi wrote: "Patricia wrote: "Here are also my book choices for this challenge:

Part 1: Gaining Momentum
1. Read a book written by an author whose first or last name starts with the letter “A”
- [book:I Lived ..."

Thank for pointing that out, Kadi! I was having a hard time choosing a book from that prompt. I'll change it now! Thank you so much:)

No worries Patricia!😊

Anyone picked up their first book for the challenge yet? I’ve started mine and it’s not the best😬 I like the concept of it but it’s sooooo slooow😩 but I’m determined to get through it. I want to finish the z TBR challenge this year!

Yeah, I have! was a good MG read called The Power of the Rellard by Carolyn F Logan. It's on OpenLibrary, and I used it for task #5 :)

Oh, wait - I've read 2 of the first five. The Magicians of Madh by Aditi Krishnakumar satisfied the first one (author letter A). It was pretty good - I ordered another book from the same author. :)

@Capn oh wow you’re so fast! Also I’m glad you enjoyed them both. I’m going to take the challenge as a a success because of that😂👏🏻

I’m thinking maybe I should pick up another book from my list and then circle back round to The Merchant of Death because it’s not boring it’s just really slow and I don’t want it to cause a book slump for the entire year! (That has happened to me before!)

Alright, I finished the first 5 books (The Power of the Rellard (Logan); Magicians of Madh (Krishnakumar); Cora Ravenwing (Wilson); From Lupita's Hill (Forsman); Seven-League Ballet Shoes (Wood)). I have two new favourites (the first and last listed!), and I enjoyed all of them. Really appreciating this TBR challenge! <3

Now to fill the next 5..!

Kadi wrote: ""Hi Kadi, I took time off too - to finish and Publish our first book. Yay!
I am looking forward to complying with your challenge. Fun! Debby

Sounds like a fun challenge. I'm new to this group, but will certainly be thinking about this list. By the way, my new book has a main character that has moved to a new town! Anyhow, nice to be here!

@Capn you’re such a powerhouse you’ve finished 5 books for the challenge already! Also I’m glad you found some new faves! I’m about 20% away from finishing my first one and it’s looking like a solid 5 stars I’m enjoying it👏🏻

@Debby @N congratulations on publishing books! That’s awesome guys🎉 I hope you enjoy reading for this challenge if you get a chance to pick some books for it

I have all mine picked but I'm going to wait to start later in the year.

Course Georgann, it’s going to be my year long project so you can start at any time. Share your picks if you like!
I’m still trying to figure out a book for task 3 with a number higher than 3 in the title. Surprisingly I have a few options but I can’t decide between them yet

I’ll be publishing my first middle-grade book in April, it’s a wilderness adventure story about a 10 year old girl and a 10 year old boy, looking for the girls missing father. Is this middle-grade group a good place for me to find some people I can give copies of my book when it’s ready?