2026 TBR Cleanup Challenge: You Are What You Read

[SFFBC, Ancillary Mod]

It has been said: "You are what you eat." Here at SFFBC we say, you are what you read. This TBR Cleanup Challenge is designed to help you clean out your book pantry. Just match books on your To Be Read pile/list to one of our edible prompts.

PS: We love it when you come back and tell us how you paired your book and prompt in this thread.

1. Appetizer
2. Snack Food
3. Kids Menu
4. Latin Flare
5. Asian Menu
6. European Fare
7. Lean Cuisine
8. Bad Apple
9. In a Pickle
10. Recipe for Disaster
11. Food for Thought
12. Piece of Cake
13. “Dammit Doughnut”
14. Vegan
15. Spicy
16. Homemade
17. Comfort Food
18. Popcorn
19. Takeout
20. Dessert

Sign up for the challenge here on January 1st.
Other challenges in here.
Personal challenge threads here.
Find all the different ways to see what's on the group shelf in Current Events.
Challenge on TSG: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reading...

[Stephen]

Well, I’m going to participate and I think I’ve got my list of books figured out. The following are physical books I have on my shelves. (Major modifications to the list February 6, 2026.)

1. Appetizer - Phantastes: A Faerie Romance by George MacDonald - Victorian fantasy praised by C.S. Lewis and others. “Appetizer” because precursor?

2. Snack Food- A Judgment of Dragons by Phyllis Gotlieb. First winner of the Aurora award back in the 80s. Comprises 4 novellas, 2 of them previously published. Appears to be fairly light stuff.

3. Kids Menu - Mistress Masham's Repose by T.H. White. 1946 children’s book.

4. Latin Flare - The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Set in Mexico. The author is Mexican Canadian I understand.

5. Asian Menu - Vagabonds by Hao Jingfang - Asian author.

6. European Fare - The Valkyrie by Kate Heartfield - based on northern European legend

7. Lean Cuisine - The Watch Below by James White - seems to be one of the thinnest spines on the TBR shelf. It’s a good many decades since I read the novel. It will be interesting to see what I make of it.

8. Bad Apple - The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro. Significant themes as I recall include marriage and the state of fallen humanity, which link (in my mind) to the Garden of Eden and therefore to the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; a Bad Apple? A stretch maybe, but I want to reread this one.

✔️****9. In a Pickle - Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome. Three young Victorian British guys on holiday get into various scrapes.

10. Recipe for Disaster - Clearing the Plains: Disease, Politics of Starvation, and the Loss of Aboriginal Life by James Daschuk. Historical work on the Canadian west.

11. Food for Thought - The Thing Itself by Adam Roberts. “Philosophical” science fiction according to one review I saw.

✔️***12. Piece of Cake - Murder Is Easy by Agatha Christie

13. “Dammit Doughnut” - The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks -

14. Vegan - Animal Rights: A Very Short Introduction by David DeGrazia

15. Spicy - Crash by J.G. Ballard

16. Homemade - Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake. The title castle is home to most of the characters and the centre of the novel.

✔️****17. Comfort Food - The Tomb of Dragons by Katherine Addison. This trilogy is something of a comfort read for me. I haven’t read this third volume yet.

✔️***18. Popcorn - Crimson Snow: Winter Mysteries ed. Martin Edwards

19. Takeout - Gun Before Butter by Nicolas Freeling, Takeout in the sense of murder. Hopefully not too tenuous a connection to the prompt.

20. Dessert - Ice by Anna Kavan. An “Ice” may be a frozen dessert.

[CBRetriever]

Stephen wrote: "Well, I’m going to participate and I think I’ve got my list of books figured out. The following are physical books I have on my shelves. 17 are unread by me, and the other 3 are books I’ve been int..."

I'm going to steal your idea of a prequel for the appetizer - good idea

[Kaia]

Thanks for sharing your ideas, Stephen! I have to admit that when I looked at the prompts, I was coming up with a lot of blanks. Seeing how you've interpreted them helped me get my brain into the right place to start working on my choices.

[Meredith]

Stephen wrote: "Well, I’m going to participate and I think I’ve got my list of books figured out. The following are physical books I have on my shelves. 17 are unread by me, and the other 3 are books I’ve been int....

5. Asian Menu The Years of Rice and Salt. by Kim Stanley Robinson. Alternate history in which the black plague almost wiped out the European population.

That's a good pick, I enjoyed reading this one.


17. Comfort Food - The Tomb of Dragons by Katherine Addison. This trilogy is something of a comfort read for me. I haven’t read this third volume yet.

I'm totally stealing this (thank you!), I have #2 on my TBR. I love this series and I was so happy Addison kept writing in this universe she created.

[Tamara]

I only know I'm going to read the latest DCC for 13. “Dammit Doughnut” 😁 I love that it's a prompt!

[Becky]

Here's my list and justifications, since we all love to ogle what everyone else is having... For starters, I'm limiting my TBR only to my OWNED books, so I had to get a bit creative... shopping the pantry, if you will. ;)

1. Appetizer - The Kommandant's Girl by Pam Jenoff - doing a "first course" platter here. First book by this author, first book in a series, and the first book I'll have read from her.

2. Snack Food - Lysistrata by Aristophanes - a nice light short snack of a book (under 150 pages)

3. Kids Menu - A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle - Won the Newberry children’s book prize when it was released.

4. Latin Flare - The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough - because they'd have spoken Latin

5. Asian Menu - Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie - because it's set in China, by a Chinese author

6. European Fare - The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux - set in Paris, pretty straightforward

7. Lean Cuisine - A Firing Offense by George Pelecanos - Because those cheap TV dinners may be what you survive on after you're fired.

8. Bad Apple - A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick - Mail-order bride gone wrong... seems bad appley to me.

9. In a Pickle - War Trash by Ha Jin - a Chinese soldier held in a US POW camp during the Korean war seems like they'd be in a pickle to me.

10. Recipe for Disaster - Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes - one part dead boy, one part dead deer, several parts messed up community, stir well and bring to a boil. Yum.

11. Food for Thought - In the Shadow of the Towers: Speculative Fiction in a Post-9/11 World by Douglas Lain - the speculative aspect spoke to me on this one.

12. Piece of Cake - A Very Simple Crime by Grant Jerkins - Somehow I don't think it will be...?

13. “Dammit Doughnut” - The Damnation Game by Clive Barker - as much as I would LOVE to go full prompt inspiration and read a DCC book for this, I don't have any. DAMMIT. So damnation + game it is, even though I somehow suspect that it won't be quite the same vibe. lol

14. Vegan - Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson - This was by FAR the hardest one for me to choose. I ended up going with morality as the reason some people go vegan, and this book felt like it fit the bill for that.

15. Spicy - As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann - No, I don't consider salt to be spicy, this is "M/M histfic romance" spicy!

16. Homemade - Kids for Cash: Two Judges, Thousands of Children, and a $2.6 Million Kickback Scheme by William Ecenbarger - "homemade" here refers to this being a scandal local to where I live. Unfortunately.

17. Comfort Food - Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons - Second hardest for me to choose, and this one is simply because the title had comfort in it. I was running out of clever.

18. Popcorn - House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski - selected for the layout style within being "popcorny". Just go with me here.

19. Takeout - The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce - Harold "takes" a letter "out" of town to a friend. (This was another hard one, since Stephen already used murder! :P)

20. Dessert - Girls Like Us by Rachel Lloyd - The last course shall be the last physical book I acquired.

[Meredith]

Okay, here goes,

1. Appetizer - Magic Bites, it's #1 in a series and "magic bites" sounds like an awesome appetizer.
2. Snack Food - The Proper Thing and Other Stories, I was looking for a collection to be 'snacks,' and this even has a charcuterie board on the cover.
3. Kids Menu - Lessons in Magic and Disaster, the daughter (kid) teaches the mother magic in the story.
4. Latin Flare - The Hanging Tree, the magic system uses Latin, Lux!
5. Asian Menu - Interior Chinatown, author with Asian heritage and some parts are set in a Chinese restaurant.
6. European Fare - The Bird King, set on the Iberian peninsula.
7. Lean Cuisine - The Narrow Road Between Desires, it's a novella (lean) and the title also works.
8. Bad Apple - Indexing, there's an apple on the cover, and it's set in NYC, the Big Apple.
9. In a Pickle - Hounded, seems like he’s in a tough spot.
10. Recipe for Disaster - Heat Stroke, there's a pending weather-related disaster.
11. Food for Thought - Killingly, the story is based on an unsolved disappearance, what happened?
12. Piece of Cake - Peace Talks, I was pleased by the homophones (piece/peace). Plus with Dresden, I'm sure the peace talks will totally not be a piece of cake.
13. “Dammit Doughnut” - Cat Crimes Takes a Vacation, I haven't read DCC, but I know Doughnut is a cat so this seemed to be a good fit.
14. Vegan - The Warrior's Apprentice, Vorkosigan, V...gan, Vegan!
15. Spicy - A Tyranny of Queens, the main character is named Saffron, a spice.
16. Homemade - Don't Touch That!: A Sci-Fi & Fantasy Parenting Anthology, parenting and families relates to homes.
17. Comfort Food - The Grief of Stones, I love this series, total comfort read.
18. Popcorn - Slayers of Old, the description makes this sound like a super fun, popcorn read.
19. Takeout - Mistborn: The Final Empire, it's a heist story, which is like taking something out, and they also want to take out the ruler.
20. Dessert - The Shattering Peace, last in a series.

[Monica]

Placeholder

1. Appetizer
2. Snack Food
3. Kids Menu
4. Latin Flare
5. Asian Menu
6. European Fare
7. Lean Cuisine
8. Bad Apple
9. In a Pickle
10. Recipe for Disaster
11. Food for Thought
12. Piece of Cake
13. “Dammit Doughnut”
14. Vegan
15. Spicy
16. Homemade
17. Comfort Food
18. Popcorn
19. Takeout
20. Dessert

[CBRetriever]

there's another Donut the cat in Head On

[Bryan]

I really tried to shape these choices to books I was hoping to read in 2026.

COMPLETE - 1. Appetizer - As this is my planned first read of the new year, Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
2. Snack Food - I often refer to my love of litRPG as reading junk food, so it's only appropriate for my snack to be Wistful Ascending by J.C.M. Berne
3. Kids Menu - Kids = children, means this will be Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
4. Latin Flare - The MC's name of Gabriel de León leads me to Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff
5. Asian Menu - The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee because it's Fonda Lee, I'd read a user agreement if she wrote it
6. European Fare - As this book is set in Oxford, I will go with Babel by R.F. Kuang
7. Lean Cuisine - With less than 300 pages, my lean choice is Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
8. Bad Apple - With it's dark academia theme, I'll go with Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
9. In a Pickle - This is the perfect term for the plot of this book, Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding
10. Recipe for Disaster - Warring nations and religions make for a perfect disaster in Gunmetal Gods by Zamil Akhtar
11. Food for Thought - Time travel and a parallel universe will give my brain a workout with Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
12. Piece of Cake - Book 1 in a 6 book series seems proportion to a slice of cake, Life Reset by Shemer Kuznits
13. “Dammit Doughnut” - This had to be DCC 8, A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman
14. Vegan - This may be a stretch, but I did see the term "agriculture bots" in the description, so Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman
15. Spicy - What could be spicier than gunpowder? Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan
16. Homemade - Perfect place for an indie published book, Ironbound by Andrew Givler
17. Comfort Food - Nothing's more comforting that jumping back into Realm of the Elderlings with Fool's Errand by Robin Hobbs
18. Popcorn - With the popularity of a summer blockbuster, it will be The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
19. Takeout - The MC's father been taken out, so begins his search for answers in The Silverblood Promise by James Logan
20. Dessert - They say there is nothing sweeter than revenge, The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter

[Netanella]

This is a great annual challenge! I'm excited to pick the books this month!

2026 TBR Cleanup Challenge: You Are What You Read

1. Appetizer
2. Snack Food
3. Kids Menu
4. Latin Flare
5. Asian Menu
6. European Fare
7. Lean Cuisine
8. Bad Apple
9. In a Pickle
10. Recipe for Disaster
11. Food for Thought
12. Piece of Cake
13. “Dammit Doughnut”
14. Vegan
15. Spicy
16. Homemade
17. Comfort Food
18. Popcorn
19. Takeout
20. Dessert

[Anshika (ia)]

I'm in!

1. Appetizer
2. Snack Food
3. Kids Menu
4. Latin Flare
5. Asian Menu
6. European Fare
7. Lean Cuisine
8. Bad Apple
9. In a Pickle
10. Recipe for Disaster
11. Food for Thought
12. Piece of Cake
13. “Dammit Doughnut”
14. Vegan
15. Spicy
16. Homemade
17. Comfort Food
18. Popcorn
19. Takeout
20. Dessert

[Kristin]

Always in! Like Becky, I shopped the pantry.
Updated: 2026-01-30; Books finished: 3

1. Appetizer: Starling House, Alix E. Harrow - the first book I want to read in January
2. Snack Food: The River of Silver: Tales from the Daevabad Trilogy, S.A. Chakraborty - short stories in the world of the Daevabad trilogy
3. Kids Menu: Alien Secrets, Annette Curtis Klause - YA book reread.
4. Latin Flare: Silver Nitrate, Silvia Moreno-Garcia - author is Mexican by birth.
5. Asian Menu: Yellowface, R.F. Kuang - author is a scholar of Chinese studies and East Asian Languages and Literatures. Title also refers to asian whitewashing in art and film.
6. European Fare: The Shadow of the Wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafón - set in Barcelona
7. Lean Cuisine: The Once and Future King, T.H. White - originally written as five shorter stories, servings or portions if you will.
8. Bad Apple: The Ghost Brigades, John Scalzi - someone has gone rogue and the MC needs to figure out why.
9a. In a Pickle: The Salt Line, Holly Goddard Jones - apocalypse / disaster story
:: 9b. My nonfiction pick for this: I Survived Capitalism and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt: Everything I Wish I Never Had to Learn About Money, Madeline Pendleton - debt is a pickle. capitalism is a big pickle.
10. Recipe for Disaster: Let the Right One In, John Ajvide Lindqvist - not a good idea to let a vampire in
11. Food for Thought: Angelology, Danielle Trussoni - I think I finally want to read this.
12. Piece of Cake: The Difference Engine, William Gibson and Bruce Sterling - the only prompt I really had trouble with because I kept thinking of "piece of cake" ironically. Nothing sounds easy in this story.
13. “Dammit Doughnut”: King Rat, China Miéville - because Doughnut from DCC would hate this.
14. Vegan: The Quick, Lauren Owen - ha, this is tagged as vampire fiction.
15. Spicy: Dune, Frank Herbert - "spice melanage" / politics, religion, and intrigue.
16. Homemade: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows - potato peel pie is very much a homemade dish in this story (i enjoyed the movie)
17. Comfort Food: Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Heather Fawcett - Supposedly cozy
18. Popcorn: A Gentleman in Moscow, Amor Towles - I just keep picturing Ewan McGregor eating popcorn.
19. Takeout: The Book Thief, Markus Zusak - yes, I'll take that to go.
20. Dessert: Nights of Villjamur, Mark Charan Newton - ice age... ice cream

[Kaa]

It's been a little while since I attempted this challenge, but I love the categories this year!

✔1. Appetizer: A Mouthful of Dust - this is a novella and it's the first thing I'm planning to read in the new year, so it's my reading appetizer for the year (read 1/2/26)
2. Snack Food: Batgirl: A Celebration of 50 Years - lots of snack-sized selections from the history of Batgirl
3. Kids Menu: Love After the End: An Anthology of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction - my toddler picked this one out for me from my physical bookshelves
4. Latin Flare: Autobiografía del algodón / The Autobiography of Cotton
5. Asian Menu: The Breath of a Wok
6. European Fare: Sleeping Worlds Have No Memory
7. Lean Cuisine: Saga, Volume 10 - a skinny graphic novel
8. Bad Apple: Poison Ivy, Vol. 1: The Virtuous Cycle - Poison Ivy is a plant-themed villain
9. In a Pickle: Far Sector - I mostly picked this because pickles are green and this is a Green Lantern book, but I do also expect that Jo is going to end up in some tricky situations
10. Recipe for Disaster: Blackfish City - takes place in a world that has undergone climate disaster
11. Food for Thought: Special Topics in Being a Parent: A Queer and Tender Guide to Things I’ve Learned About Parenting, Mostly the Hard Way - I am hoping there will be a lot for me to think about in this book
12. Piece of Cake: Salmonweird: A Cornish Crime Comedy Caper - the cover features of piece of cake
13. “Dammit Doughnut”: Heavenly Tyrant - Donut's aspirational title, probably
14. Vegan: A Prayer for the Crown-Shy - the society in these books eats a plant-focused diet
15. Spicy: A Fire Born of Exile - fire, revenge, a love story... sounds spicy to me
16. Homemade: Blood Over Bright Haven - originally self-published
17. Comfort Food: The Healers' Home - the first book in the series is one of my favorite comfort reads
18. Popcorn: Jade War - these books remind me of kung-fu movies
19. Takeout: Automatic Noodle - four robots start a takeout noodle shop
20. Dessert: Platform Decay - new Murderbot is always a treat

[CBRetriever]

Got 'em

1. Appetizer = Sheine Lende by Darcie Little Badger
Reason = prequel to first book by author (A Snake Falls to Earth)
2. Snack Food = The Big Book of Classic Fantasy edited by Ann VanderMeer
Reason = lots to snack on and will segue into the Modern one for Takeout
3. Kids Menu = The Secrets Below by Camilla Sten
Reason = rated as suitable for 10-14 years old
4. Latin Flare = The Complete Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino
Reason = author was born in Cuba and grew up in Italy = Latin America and Italy was where Latin was originally spoken
5. Asian Menu = The Poppy War by R.F. KuangKuang, R.F.
Reason = set in 12th century China
6. European Fare = Best of British Science Fiction 2023 by Donna Scott
Reason = British = European
7. Lean Cuisine = These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart by Izzy Wasserstein
Reason = only 110 pages so it's thin = lean
8. Bad Apple = Mirror of our Sorrows by Pierre Lemaitre
Reason = Bad Apple = confidence trickster Désiré Migault who is one of the main characters
9. In a Pickle = Drumindor by Michael J. Sullivan
Reason = character named Pickles is in a pickle
10. Recipe for Disaster = Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse by John Joseph Adams
Reason = the Apocalypse is a disaster
11. Food for Thought = They Eat Horses, Don't They?: The Truth About the French by Piu Marie Eatwell
Reason = lots to think about here I hope
12. Piece of Cake = The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa
Reason = lots of episodes of eating cake and mentions of cake plates
13. “Dammit Doughnut” = Head On by John Scalzi
Reason = yet another cat named Donut
14. Vegan = Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
Reason = Crakers are completely vegetarian, and they can eat grass and leaves
15. Spicy = Jamaica Ginger and Other Concoctions by Nalo Hopkinson
Reason = Jamaican food is spicy
16. Homemade = The Song of All by Tina LeCount Myers
Reason = main character has chosen to live off the grid thus everything is homemade
17. Comfort Food = I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After Twenty Years Away by Bill Bryson
Reason = I'm sure I'll laugh at this even though I returned after only 5 years to some culture shock
18. Popcorn = Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein
Reason = it was made into a movie and people eat popcorn at movie theaters
19. Takeout = The Big Book of Modern Fantasy edited by Ann VanderMeer
Reason = will be my takeout book for a while
20. Dessert = Feisty Felines and Other Fantastical Familiars by Kevin J. Anderson
Reason = I love cats so this would be a pleasant dessert

[Meredith]

CBRetriever wrote: "there's another Donut the cat in Head On"

I forgot about that! Too bad I already read this one. I have a friend with a cat named Donut.

[Meredith]

Kristin wrote: "Always in! Like Becky, I'll be shopping the pantry as much as possible. Placeholder for now...."

I like that concept of shopping the pantry. For this challenge, I always aim to read books that I own (e-books included) as of Dec 31 of the year before (so, books I owned as of the end of 2025 for the 2026 challenge).

[CBRetriever]

I sometimes look on gutenberg.org for books that meet prompts as those are free

[Jay]

My TBR Cleanup list for 2026:

1. Appetizer - A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking | T. Kingfisher
(Popping some wizard tarts to start)

2. Snack Food - A Cat's Tale: A Journey Through Feline History | Paul Koudounaris
(Bowlful of fact-snacks with Baba the cat)

3. Kids Menu - Princess Rouran and the Dragon Chariot of 10,000 Sages: Princess Rouran Adventures Book 1 | Shawe Ruckus
(Oh, look, another hapless child toppled headfirst into a fantasy)

4. Latin Flare - Havana Storm | Clive Cussler; Dirk Cussler
(No idea when or how I ended up with this book, but I put it on TBR, and the blurb mentions the Caribbean, so…)

5. Asian Menu - The Cat Who Saved Books | Sōsuke Natsukawa | Louise Heal Kawai - translator
(Ingredients: heartwarming eastern heritage, a talking cat, and a moewvelous quest)

6. European Fare - The Book of Lost Things | John Connolly
(Horror-tinged fairytale retellings? That counts as European, right? I’ll know for sure when I read it)

7. Lean Cuisine - Pineapple Hurricane | Amy Vansant
(Cozy, lean, but not mean; just mystery)

8. Bad Apple - Snake-Eater | T. Kingfisher
(It’s just one debt… what can possibly go wrong?)

9. In a Pickle - A Tangle of Time | Josiah Bancroft
(This is a series, but I’m not sure about buying the first book unless I like this one, which I just happen to have; so I guess I’ll start here)

10. Recipe for Disaster - Black Leopard, Red Wolf | Marlon James
(Dark, gritty, grim, bloody, and very generously served at 600+ pages… is this good for me or will this give me indigestion? Only one way to find out…)

11. Food for Thought - The Gene: An Intimate History | Siddhartha Mukherjee (Has been on non-fic TBR for a while now; need to chew through this thoughtfully over green tea in a garden bistro)

12. Piece of Cake - The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant | Drew Hayes
(If the club bookshelf’s the cake, this is my third slice since joining)

13. “Dammit Doughnut” - Toto | A.J. Hackwith
(Another Oz glazed tale? With sprinkles? Seriously?)

14. Vegan - Protector of the Grove: An Apocalypse LitRPG | Nicholas Searcy
(LitRPG, foraged directly from the fantasy grove)

15. Spicy - The Jasad Heir | Sara Hashem
(Smells like someone upended the condiment cabinet into this; iced water on the side, please)

16. Homemade - The Snow Queen | Joan D. Vinge
(Heard it’s a classic, flavoured with nostalgia just like how mom used to bake them)

17. Comfort Food - The Bone Ships | RJ Barker
(Dragons are my comfort food)

18. Popcorn - The Invisible College | Jeff Wheeler
(Hand me six corn buckets, caramelised)

19. Takeout - Sphere | Michael Crichton
(That dino steak was good; what’s this dish about?)

20. Dessert - Satan's Diary | Nicholas Ponticello
(Lava cake, this irreverent yarn, belly laughs {burp}—and I’ll be done)

Can’t wait for the feasting.
Already got my bib on.

[Melanie, the neutral party]

Y'all are amazing and so creative. This thread brings me so much joy.

I'm not going to plan a full list ahead of time for this challenge, but I will use my already owned books that I read throughout the year.
**I am resisting the acquire books for the challenge before the year turns.**

[Banshee]

I love this challenge, because matching books with prompts is so much fun! I made sure to only use the narrowed TBR list from my spreadsheet which I fortunately have already prepared for 2026 (yes, I LOVE planning my reading, even when I end up reading something else afterwards). This time, I have more options for many of the prompts for more flexibility.

Progress: 4/20

✅ 1. Appetizer: Paladin's Grace
(The first book in a series.)

☐ 2. Snack Food: Old Babes in the Wood: Stories OR The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories OR River of Bones and Other Stories
(Short story collection.)

✅ 3. Kids Menu: Pinocchio
(A childrens classic.)

☐ 4. Latin Flare: The Last Guardian
(The author is from Puerto Rico.)

☐ 5. Asian Menu: The Wandering Earth OR The Apothecary Diaries (Light Novel): Volume 1
(Chinese author/Japanese author.)

☐ 6. European Flare: I Always Find You OR QualityLand OR Livets blod: En Ravnenes hvisken-fortælling OR Waran
(The author is from Sweden/Germany/Denmark/Ukraine.)

☐ 7. Lean Cuisine: Saturation Point OR Rose/House OR The Vital Abyss
(A novella.)

☐ 8. Bad Apple: Tidal Creatures
(There are obvious villains in the series.)

☐ 9. In a Pickle: Arm of the Sphinx
(The tower is the very definition of trouble.)

🔄 10. Recipe for Disaster: BioShock: Rapture
(The origin story of the experiment that could only have ended up in a disaster.)

☐ 11. Food for Thought: Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men
(A very important nonfiction book.)

☐ 12. Piece of Cake: Reaper Man
(One of the characters is Mrs Evadne Cake.)

☐ 13. "Dammit Doughnut": The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook
(The next book in Dungeon Crawler Carl series.)

☐ 14. Vegan: Tender Is the Flesh
(A novel that is commentary on meat-eating.)

✅ 15. Spicy: Ship Wrecked
(A romance novel with way too much spice for my personal taste.)

☐ 16. Homemade: Opowiadania bizarne OR Dożywocie OR Spalić wiedźmę
(A book from my home country, Poland.)

☐ 17. Comfort Food: Dzienniki gwiazdowe OR Brigands & Breadknives
(Childhood sentiment or cosy fantasy.)

☐ 18. Popcorn: The Book Thief
(The book has a movie adaptation, and cinema = popcorn.)

☐ 19. Takeout: The Kite Runner
(Loaned from the library.)

✅ 20. Desert: The Bone Shard War
(The last book in a series.)

[CJ]

I want to do this!

1. Appetizer - The Element of Fire by Martha Wells (her debut!)
2. Snack Food - Ursula K Le Guin's Book of Cats by Ursula K Le Guin
3. Kids Menu - Fledging by Octavia Butler
4. Latin Flare - The Possession of Alba Díaz by Isabel Cañas
5. Asian Menu - Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
6. European Fare - On the Calculation of Volume II by Solvej Balle
7. Lean Cuisine - Citrus Bravo by Christopher George Quick
8. Bad Apple - Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao
9. In a Pickle - The Disordered Cosmos by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
10. Recipe for Disaster - Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
☑️11. Food for Thought - The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa
12. Piece of Cake - Baker Thief by Claudie Arseneault
13. “Dammit Doughnut” - Touch Not the Cat by Mary Stewart (the title reminds me of Princess Doughnut)
14. Vegan - Grass by Sheri S Tepper
15. Spicy - The Brightness Between Us by Eliot Schrefer
16. Homemade - Always Coming Home by Ursula K Le Guin
17. Comfort Food - Casual by Koji Dae
18. Popcorn - The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
19. Takeout - The Extractionist by Kimberly Unger
20. Dessert - The End of Everything by Katie Mack

[CJ]

CBRetriever wrote: "I sometimes look on gutenberg.org for books that meet prompts as those are free"

Librivox also. They offer free audio recordings of books that are in the public domain. Very nice resource for classics!

[Midiain]

✔️ 1. Appetizer - The Left-Handed Booksellers of London 1st book in a series
2. Snack Food - The Long Past & Other Stories
Steampunk weird western with dinosaurs short stories sound like good snacks
✔️ 3. Kids Menu - Howl’s Moving Castle middle grade book
4. Latin Flare - A Memory Called Empire Partly inspired by the Aztecs and Nahuatl language
✔️ 5. Asian Menu - Black Water Sister Malaysian author, characters, and culture
✔️ 6. European Fare - Nicked Set in dark ages Italy
7. Lean Cuisine - Piranesi Fairly short book
8. Bad Apple - The Devils "unrepentant murderers, practitioners of ghastly magic, and outright monsters"
✔️ 9. In a Pickle - The Incandescent trying to protect a school full of kids from hungry demons
✔️ 10. Recipe for Disaster - Noor AO and DNA are on the run from multiple groups that want to kill them, so they decide to attack the megacorporation. What could possibly go wrong?
11. Food for Thought - The Tainted Cup Holmes and Watson style mystery with a "gloriously labyrinthine plot"
✔️ 12. Piece of Cake - Alien Earths: The New Science of Planet Hunting in the Cosmos Explanations simplified enough that even I can understand them
13. “Dammit Doughnut” - The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History, from the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us Princess Doughnut is a mammal who reigns over her minions
14. Vegan - A Botanical Daughter Vegans eat plants (but please don't eat intelligent plants)
15. Spicy - Burn Red Skies Dragons burn stuff with spicy fire?
16. Homemade - Stargazy Pie Stargazy pie is a traditional festival time dish that might be homemade except that it looks absolutely horrifying
✔️ 17. Comfort Food - Running Close to the Wind comfort re-read
✔️ 18. Popcorn - Brigands & Breadknives Light and funny book
19. Takeout - Service Model A robot takes out (murders) its master and takes itself out of bondage
✔️ 20. Dessert - Last Gasp The very last part of a meal is the dessert

[Kristin]

Meredith wrote: "Okay, here goes,

1. Appetizer - Magic Bites, it's #1 in a series and "magic bites" sounds like an awesome appetizer.
2. Snack Food - [book:The Proper Thing and Other Stories|20492..."

Love seeing Ilona Andrews on a list! I hope you enjoy it. Magic Bites is one of their first books, but the world gets so much better further in. I'm biased. I love all of their books.

[Kaa]

CJ, let me know if you want to BR Always Coming Home, I've been trying to read it for several years and I think having a buddy might help motivate me.

I'm also considering stealing either Blood Over Bright Haven or Heavenly Tyrant for Bad Apple, as I'm hoping to get to both of them next year.

[CJ]

Kaa wrote: "CJ, let me know if you want to BR Always Coming Home, I've been trying to read it for several years and I think having a buddy might help motivate me.

I'm also considering stealing either Blood Ov..."

I posted something in the BR thread! Let me know there when a good starting time would be for you. Yeah, it's a long one, lol.

[Brian]

Alright! I used half of my day off to figure out this list. I am also trying to knock out my unread owned books list of over 350. Here it goes!

1. Appetizer - Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin
A small novel that was well before A Song of Ice and Fire
2. Snack Food - The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
It's so sad when you finish the bag of chips because all the chips are gone, but mostly because I may have eaten a whole bag...
3. Kids Menu - Daughter of the Empire by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts
I have a daughter, she'll always be my little girl.
4. Latin Flare - Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck
I like tortillas! - FINISHED 2/8/26
5. Asian Menu - Jade City by Fonda Lee
It's been on my shelf for years now. Thanks for giving me some extra motivation to finally read it.
6. European Fare - Number9Dream by David Mitchell
I thought it would be fun to see how a British guy would write about a kid in Tokyo.
7. Lean Cuisine - The God is Not Willing by Stephen Erikson
This is lean compared to his usual 1000+ page books
8. Bad Apple - The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
The soul of The Big Apple has a dark side.
9. In a Pickle - Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
I'm pretty sure I'm on the nose with this one.
10. Recipe for Disaster - The Gunslinger by Stephen King
I've been reading a lot of other stories(ingredients) that are wrapped up in the multiverse to be able to fully enjoy the feast of The Dark Tower series. I'm sure it's got a happy ending...
11. Food for Thought - Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks
Maybe Jack, perhaps Diane. Have you considered Phlebus? There's something about it...
12. Piece of Cake - City of Thieves by David Benioff - FINISHED 2/14/26
The great quest for eggs to make cake!
13. “Dammit Doughnut” - Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff
Damn. That works.
14. Vegan - Grass by Sheri S. Tepper
I'm not the first to put this on the list. Since it's on the group bookshelf, I doubt I'll be the last.
15. Spicy - A Song for Arbonne by Guy Gavriel Kay
It's Guy Gavriel Kay....
16. Homemade - Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake
I'm told that Castle Gormenghast is kind of its own character in this series.
17. Comfort Food - To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini
It does sound nice.
18. Popcorn - Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett
It's supposed to be a super fun read. That's it. Popcorn = Fun.
19. Takeout - The City & the City by China Mieville
Cities have takeout. 2 cities means more takeout. Right?
20. Dessert - The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Tartts are yummy and debatably healthy.

I wasn't sure about the prompts, but it turned out to be really fun. Thanks.

[Ellen]

Trying to use mostly books I have purchased and not gotten to.


1. Appetizer - The House of Diamond- Ursula Vernon’s first novel
2. Snack Food - Shifting Shadows -short stories from Mercy Thompson's world - a favorite
✅ 3. Kids Menu - Lonely Castle in the Mirror - Middle schoolers struggling with school, family, friends and growing up
✅ 4. Latin Flare- Illegally Yours: A Memoir- author is from Ecuador
✅ 5. Asian Menu - Djinn City - set in Bangladesh
6. European Fare - The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. - set in France
7. Lean Cuisine - Purls and Potions- A lite cozy mystery
8. Bad Apple -The Sandman Omnibus Vol. 2- Author’s personal reputation has taken a dive. ( I already owned this book before this came out.)
9. In a Pickle - My Next Breath- Did he or didn’t he?
10. Recipe for Disaster - Apollo 13 -Houston , we had a problem.
11. Food for Thought - Those Who Wander: America's Lost Street Kids- from the blurb:what can be done to save the next generation of America’s vagabond youth
12. Piece of Cake- Light of the Jedi - Star Wars is usually a fun and entertaining read
✅ 13. “Dammit Doughnut” -The Dark Hours- has police officer characters. Police are rumored to like doughnuts.
14. Vegan -The Plastic Magician ; If like the other books in the series tasty but not meaty
15. Spicy -Before Midnight- A shirtless werewolf on the cover. Spicy enough for me (why did I buy this?)
16. Homemade - The Member of the Wedding - set in my home state
17. Comfort Food - Henry the Queen's Corgi - dogs are comforting
18. Popcorn - The Fall- Garth Nix books are always good to munch on
19. Takeout - The Bone Ships-I have the audio book so I will listen to it on the go
✅ 20. Dessert - Always Coming Home- Le Guin is always a sweet treat for me.

[Nicol]

I also use “the pantry” and my local library. I love seeing everyone’s interpretations of the prompts, even stole one or two :) Somehow missed Always Coming Home on my Le Guin list, but I have added it to my TBR!

1. Appetizer The Beginning Place
2. Snack Food Boneshaker
3. Kids Menu The Last Unicorn
4. Latin Flare Velvet Was the Night
5. Asian Menu The Vegetarian
6. European Fare Greenteeth
7. Lean Cuisine Saga, Volume 1
8. Bad Apple The Humans
9. In a Pickle Remarkably Bright Creatures
10. Recipe for Disaster Artemis
11. Food for Thought How to Kill a Witch: The Patriarchy's Guide to Silencing Women
12. Piece of Cake Audrey Lane Stirs the Pot
13. “Dammit Doughnut” The Dragon Keeper
14. Vegan Neither Man Nor Beast: Feminism and the Defense of Animals
15. Spicy Most Ardently
16. Homemade The Elements of Baking: Making any recipe gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free or vegan
17. Comfort Food Somewhere Beyond the Sea
18. Popcorn The Winter Long
19. Takeout Starter Villain
20. Dessert You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty

[Saar The Book owl]

I'm in! I'm mostly going to look what I've got in my physical books. If I can't find any, I'll look on my TBR - pile or 'steel' some titles here ;)

1. Appetizer
2. Snack Food
3. Kids Menu
4. Latin Flare
5. Asian Menu: I Am a Cat: written by a Japanese novelist and focusses on the upper - middle - class society of Japan in the Meiji era.
6. European Fare
7. Lean Cuisine
8. Bad Apple
9. In a Pickle
10. Recipe for Disaster
😺11. Food for Thought: Mickey7, finished 01/25: there are some interesting philosofical questions to think about.
12. Piece of Cake: The Little Board Game Café: some board games are easy and with other I like to eat cake while playing.
13. “Dammit Doughnut”: The Butcher's Masquerade: book 5 of DCC and still loving it.
14. Vegan: Eating Animals: I'll be reading the Dutch translation. The book focusses on our eating habits, animal wellfar and animal wellbeing.
15. Spicy
16. Homemade: Here be Dragons: a book from a Belgian writer based on a story of E.A. Poe and 'homemade', because I live in Belgium.
😺17. Comfort Food: Frankie, finished 01/03: Richard, a lonely man, tries to take his own life, but then comes the cat Frankie in his life, giving him comfort and a new vision on his life.
18. Popcorn
19. Takeout
20. Dessert:

😺= Finished.

[Edwin]

I too am in and here is my list, which is subject to modification.

3/20

1. Appetizer
–The Alloy of Law
–The first of four books in Era Two of Sanderson’s Mistborn series. This serves as the antipasti for the series.

2. Snack Food
–Secret History
–This is a little side snack, a novella set in Sanderson’s original world of Mistborn.

3. Kids Menu
–A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
–A classic coming of age story (it’s about a kid).

4. Latin Flare
–Bel Canto
–The setting is a fictionalized South American country.

5. Asian Menu
–Everything I Never Told You
–OK, it's about a mixed Chinese-American family.

6. European Fare
–Hamnet
–This is a story about William Shakespeare’s wife and son. Who lived in England. Which is in Europe.

7. Lean Cuisine
–Welcome to the Monkey House
–This is a collection of "lean" (short) stories by Kurt Vonnegut.

✔8. Bad Apple
–The Wisdom of Crowds
–Many, if not most, of Abercrombie’s characters are bad apples.

9. In a Pickle
–Countdown City
–The world is in a pickle, facing an impending “death by asteroid.”

10. Recipe for Disaster
–Eaters of the Dead
–Yeah, this sounds like a recipe for disaster to me too.

11. Food for Thought
–Infinity's Shore
–Brin always serves up plenty of food for thought in his books.

12. Piece of Cake
–The Trouble with Peace
–It's not really a “peace" of cake for most of the characters in this story.

13. “Dammit Doughnut”
–The Great Train Robbery
–“Dammit doughnut” is yelled at Princess Donut when things don’t go well, of which there are aplenty in this Ocean Eleven’s type heist set in Victorian England

✔14. Vegan
–The Elephant Whisperer
–Elephants eat only plant material. Yup, really, really big vegans.

15. Spicy
–The Sweetness of Water
–Themes of homosexuality and racism in post-Civil War Georgia are central to the story. Which sound pretty spicy to me.

✔16. Homemade
–Peace Like a River
–The story is set mostly in the Upper Midwest US, and Leif Enger is a Minnesotan. So yeah, this truly is homemade.

17. Comfort Food
–Star Mother
–What is more comforting than a mother?

18. Popcorn
–Slade House
–The book started as a short story published as a series of tweets, and then, like a kernel of popcorn, suddenly burst into something bigger.

19. Takeout
–World of Trouble
–There is an incoming asteroid about to TAKEOUT the Earth.

20. Dessert
–Heaven's Reach
–The final book in the Uplift Storm Trilogy, the dolce of the meal.

[Tamara]

Here is my list. I focused on my physical tbr, I hope I won't change it up much - I really need to read the books I already have xD


0/20

1. Appetizer - Gods of the Wyrdwood by R.J. Barker
➡ My first book by this author

2. Snack Food - The Price of Meat by K.J. Charles
➡ 73 pages short, great for a snack

3. Kids Menu - Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
➡ Has the "Young Adult" tag on GR

4. Latin Flare - One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
➡ Gabo is from Colombia :)

5. Asian Menu - Babel by R.F. Kuang
➡ R.F. Kuang was born in China!

6. European Fare - Krv vilenjaka by Andrzej Sapkowski
➡ Feels a bit boring by now, but - Polish author :D

7. Lean Cuisine - The Word for World Is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin
➡ One of the thinnest books on my physical shelf

8. Bad Apple - Štancovanje para by Terry Pratchett
➡ Moist von Lipwig is a con man conscripted to run Ankh-Morpork's Royal Mint

9. In a Pickle - Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames
➡ A band of retired mercenaries rescue their bandmate's daughter from a city under siege

10. Recipe for Disaster - Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
➡ Two magicians with completely opposite personalities working together in a high-stress environment sounds like a recipe for disaster

11. Food for Thought - Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky
➡ Children of Time was such a great thought experiment, so I expect something similar in the sequel

12. Piece of Cake - Noćna straža by Terry Pratchett
➡ I already read this in English, but I had to buy the Serbian language edition too. It's my favorite Watch book, so reading it is a piece of cake ^^

13. “Dammit Doughnut” - A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman
➡ The book series that coined the phrase :)

14. Vegan - A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock
➡ A book about an intelligent fungus

15. Spicy - Primal Red by Nicole Kimberling
➡ A "spicy" romance/mystery that's been resting on my TBR for far too long

16. Homemade - The Just City by Jo Walton
➡ A time-traveling goddess populates a city with people from all over the timeline, including Plato, Socrates, and some robots from the future. A homemade bubble of existence :)

17. Comfort Food - Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
➡ Paranormal mysteries are my comfort reads

18. Popcorn - Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
➡ Space opera adapted to the big screen

19. Takeout - Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
➡ A witch must take out a prince

20. Dessert - Copper Script by K.J. Charles
➡ Books by K.J. Charles are always a delight to read, so if I were to draw parallels with food I would definitely categorize her books as a "dessert"

[Kaia]

Ok, here is my first attempt. As in years past, I'll probably end up making substitutions based on my mood reading.

1. Appetizer: Atana and the Firebird / Vivian Zhou - first book in series

2. Snack Food: Even Greater Mistakes: Stories / Charlie Jane Anders - book of short stories

3. Kids Menu: A Spoonful of Time/ Flora Ahn - middle grade book

4. Latin Flare: The Murmur of Bees / Sofia Segovia - Mexican author and story set in Mexico

5. Asian Menu: China Mountain Zhang / Maureen McHugh - set in a future where China has taken over the world

6. European Fare: The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century / Ian Mortimer

7. Lean Cuisine: Nobody's Baby / Olivia Waite - slim novella (112 p.)

8. Bad Apple: Midnight Robber / Nalo Hopkinson - description says main character's father commits an unforgiveable crime

9. In a Pickle: The Expert System's Brother / Adrian Tchaikovsky - main character forced to wander a world he doesn't understand

10. Recipe for Disaster: The Good House/ Tananarive Due - horror that takes place at an old family home

11. Food for Thought: All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley's Sack, a Black Family Keepsake / Tiya Miles - thoughtful Historical fiction

12. Piece of Cake: The Keeper of Magical Things / Julie Leong - I think this will be an easy, cozy read

13. “Dammit Doughnut”: A Mouthful of Dust / Nghi Vo - there is a cat on the cover

14. Vegan: Garlic and the Vampire / Bree Paulsen - the main character is Garlic, and she lives in a village of vegetable folk

15. Spicy: Daggerbound / T Kingfisher - this series usually involves romance

16. Homemade: The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association / Caitlin Rozakis - the blurb mentions a PTA bake sale

17. Comfort Food: Platform Decay/ Martha Wells - Murderbot is a comfort read for me

18. Popcorn: eat salt gaze at the ocean : poems/ Junie Désil - popcorn usually has salt

19. Takeout: Warrior Girl Unearthed / Angeline Boulley - unearthed can mean taken out of the ground

20. Dessert: Pie in the Sky / Remy Lai - pie is a dessert

[DivaDiane]

Ok, I’m in. And I will try to choose only books from my owned shelf and that I am using in other various challenges (so as to increase the likelihood that I actually read them!).

Appetizer
2. Snack Food
3. Kids Menu
4. Latin Flare
5. Asian Menu
6. European Fare
7. Lean Cuisine
8. Bad Apple
9. In a Pickle
10. Recipe for Disaster
11. Food for Thought
12. Piece of Cake
13. “Dammit Doughnut”
14. Vegan
15. Spicy
16. Homemade
17. Comfort Food
18. Popcorn
19. Takeout
20. Dessert

[April]

Completed: 04/20, 📚 denotes current reads
1. ✔Appetizer; selections from More deadly than the male : masterpieces from the queens of horror- started of the year (and this feast) with several short stories from 19th century authors, thoroughly whetting my appetite! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐,
2. 📚Snack Food; The Turn of the Screw, ?of mice and men, xxxMore deadly than the male : masterpieces from the queens of horrorxxx
3. Kids Menu; The Sea of Monsters -a popular children's book series
4. 📚Latin Flare; the familiar -takes place in Spain
5. Asian Menu; the henna artist -henna
6. European Fare; ?The English patient, ?A Fable William Faulkner, ?the paris apartment
7. Lean Cuisine; Hollow City -because hollow is what might happen if something leans out too much from the inside out! lol
8. ✔Bad Apple; Mr. Mercedes
9. In a Pickle; Undead and Unemployed #2, (will probably use this since it was in my plan already, and the whole series is about this new vampire trying to navigate being a vampire and each new "pickle." But "The Bell Jar" would have been great, because pickles often come in a JAR.)
?survive the night,
?the bell jar, ?doomsday book
10. ✔Recipe for Disaster; The Thursday Murder Club ⭐⭐⭐
11. ✔Food for Thought; The Speed of Dark -this one is a thinker! It has you thinking about the ethics of messing with someone's brain, and how the brain works in general, (The godhead-complex - because thoughts are in our head, and complexes deal with mental/thought activity.
12. Piece of Cake; Six of Crows -because six of makes me think of like 6 pieces of pie or cake!
13. 📚“Dammit Doughnut”: ?Mr. Wrong Number #1 Painter, Lynn ?Faking it, ?somewhere beyond the sea, not quite dead yet Jackson, Holly
14. Vegan; ? the perks of being a wallflower -I forgot why I thought this. I remember it amused me, but... maybe the "flower" in wallflower is a plant, so it's vegan? lol
15. Spicy; apprentice to the villain ?The Wicked King ?*these violent delights,
16. Homemade; The Housemaid is Watching #3 -because Housemaid is almost Homemade (house and home are almost the same, and made and maid are homonyms)
17. Comfort Food; Roomies Christina Lauren 2017 True Love Experiment (#2) Happy Place people we meet on vacation -comfort author/comfort read Love Hypothesis
18. Popcorn; Infinite Jest -because it's a little silly and you read it in lots of small bites (or I do), You’d look Better as a Ghost by Joanna Wallace 2023, the night circus
19. Takeout; these violent delights - because takeout could mean take somebody out (knock em out), which is usually violent. Also, there is takeout Chinese and this story takes place in China (or about China) and i think, the author is Chinese as well (please correct me if i am wrong).
20. Dessert; ?City of-heavenly-fire ?Paradise Lost ?The Brothers of Baker Street

Drafts(view spoiler)[
1. Appetizer; (?icebreaker, the time machine, The Lottery, ?Brave New World (probably use The Time Machine since it will be one of the first reads of 2026, although "icebreaker" would have been perfect! :D (hide spoiler)]

[Fred]

Ok I'm in for my first challenge.

1. Appetizer / The Liminal Zone / Small bites of dread
2. Snack Food / Dungeon Crawler Carl / Been told its addictive as junk food
3. Kids Menu / A Wrinkle in Time / Revisiting childhood classics
4. Asian Menu / The Last Contract of Isako / Corporate warrior seeks revenge
5. Latin Flare / Trading in Danger / Moon grew up on the Mexican border, it's a stretch
6. European Fare / Storm Front / Because of the German city, it's a stretch too
7. Lean Cuisine / All Systems Red / Short with no filler
8. Bad Apple / The Poppy War / From hero to villain
9. In a Pickle / Caliban’s War / Caught between factions
10. Recipe for Disaster / Leviathan Wakes / Protomolecule catastrophe
11. Food for Thought / Hyperion / Makes me think
12. Piece of Cake / Project Hail Mary / Easy to devour
13. "Dammit Doughnut" / Old Man's War / Just when you thought you'd retire
14. Vegan / Piranesi / No reason, I just want to read it
15. Spicy / Fourth Wing / Caliente!
16. Homemade / Empire of Silence / Passion project debut, like my cooking this holiday season
17. Comfort Food / Before the Coffee Gets Cold Before the Coffee Gets Cold / Cozy Japanese cafe vibes
18. Popcorn / Red Rising / Grab the popcorn
19. Takeout / Jade City / Packed with flavor
20. Dessert / The Will of the Many / Highest rated, save for last

[Peter]

Oh wow, food + books. This reading challenge is my kind of flavour!

[Juliana]

I'm in! Not sure how well I'll do though.

Books reads: 7 / 10

1. Appetizer/ Prelude to Foundation / An prequel

2. Snack Food /

✔️ 3. Kids Menu / Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone / a kids book

4. Latin Flare

✔️5. Asian Menu / Spy x Family, Vol. 2 / manga

6. European Fare

7. Lean Cuisine

✔️8. Bad Apple Defiance of the Fall 15 / my first 2 stars for this series.

✔️ 9. In a Pickle The Hero of Ages / Vin and Elend are in trouble, literally running to try to save the world.

10. Recipe for Disaster

✔️ 11. Food for Thought / Elder Race / This book really gave me a lot of food for thought, about technology, language, stories... / read 01/01

12. Piece of Cake

13. “Dammit Doughnut” / This Inevitable Ruin / more of Doughnut!

14. Vegan

15. Spicy

✔️16. Homemade /The Spellshop / Homemade jam

17. Comfort Food

✔️18. Popcorn / Kingdom from Ashes/ Easy and light, perfect as a snack

19. Takeout

20. Dessert

[〰️Beth〰️]

You Are What You Read 2026
📚📚📚📚 FEED ME 📚📚📚📚


1. Appetizer Sabotaged: Nightingale, Volume 1 novella and first in series
2. Snack Food And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer novella
3. Kids Menu The Child Thief self explanatory, child in the title
4. Latin Flare You Dreamed of Empires set in Mexico, translated from Spanish
5. Asian Menu The Master Jeweler set in Shanghai in 1920's written by Chinese-American author
6. European Fare The Iron King set in France, translated from French
7. Lean Cuisine Dietland self explanatory
8. Bad Apple The Men in My Life MC is not the "perfect" person she portrays
9. In a Pickle The Strength of the Few MC accidentally replicated himself onto 3 different worlds.
10. Recipe for Disaster The Bromance Book Club a pro athlete joins a men's book club hoping the regency romance the group is reading will help save his marriage.
11. Food for Thought The Fifth Sacred Thing Fantasy where people in a dystopian world believe ecological balance and personal freedom is key to enlightend existence.
12. Piece of Cake Now Is Not the Time to Panic two teans meet one summer, create some artwork. What could go wrong, they are the overlooked kids in the small town.
✔13. “Dammit Doughnut” Ganked In Space A guy loses an VR championship, needs a job so he convinces two friends to take jobs ridding space stations of "pests" 1/9/26
14. Vegan Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss collecting dust on my kindle since 2013. Plant based
15. Spicy Crave Spicy romance
16. Homemade A Family Reunion Always good food at a reunion.
✔17. Comfort Food Celtic Justice Anna Albertini books are my comfort food 1/26/26
18. Popcorn Salt some add it, some do not
19. Takeout On the Road before delivery services you had to drive and get it yourself.
20. Dessert Cake Yum, a type of...

[WTEK]

2026 TBR Clean-up Challenge: You are What You Read

✔1. Appetizer - The Lies of Locke Lamora because I meant to read it last year - ⭐⭐⭐ felt a little flat and no real female characters
2. Snack Food - Your Utopia because I can snack on the short stories
3. Kids Menu -
4. Latin Flare -
5. Asian Menu - The Melancholy of Untold History because it’s based on east Asian mythology
6. European Fare -
7. Lean Cuisine - A Prayer for the Crown-Shy because it’s a novella
8. Bad Apple -
9. In a Pickle -
10. Recipe for Disaster -
11. Food for Thought -
12. Piece of Cake -
✔13. “Dammit Donut” - This Inevitable Ruin - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ seriously why haven't you started this series yet?!
14. Vegan -
15. Spicy -
16. Homemade -
17. Comfort Food - Brigands & Breadknives because it’s cozy
18. Popcorn -
19. Takeout -
20. Dessert -

[Jackie]

2026 TBR Clean-up Challenge: You are What You Read



1. Appetizer - Reign & Ruin by J.D. Evans
First in the Mages of the Wheel series, which I will definitely be continuing to read.
2. Snack Food
3. Kids Menu
4. Latin Flare
5. Asian Menu - The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong. The MC's description fits with Chinese, but the country is called Shinara and the people are referred to as Shin.
6. European Fare
7. Lean Cuisine
8. Bad Apple
9. In a Pickle
10. Recipe for Disaster
11. Food for Thought - For Whom the Belle Tolls by Laysea Lynn. A silly fiction that challenges the way we think about Heaven, Hell, and all the other realms of religious beliefs…like Valhalla & Tír na nÓg.
12. Piece of Cake
13. “Dammit Doughnut”
14. Vegan
15. Spicy - By the Horns by Ruby Dixon. Yup...it's super spicy!
16. Homemade
17. Comfort Food - Pride and Prejudice in Space by Alexis Lampley. What could be more comforting than a classic...with a twist?!
18. Popcorn
19. Takeout
20. Dessert - A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J. Penner. There are so many sweets described in this book, including 3 real dessert recipes at the end!

[Anisha Inkspill]

I'm in, doing this one and the Short Fiction Challenge
〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️

2026 TBR Cleanup Challenge: You Are What You Read

target: 20

shelf name: Anisha's SFF Bites

1. Appetizer ✔️ The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas 13th Jan 2026
2. Snack Food ✔️Making Space 21st Jan 2026
3. Kids Menu
4. Latin Flare
5. Asian Menu
6. European Fare
7. Lean Cuisine
8. Bad Apple
9. In a Pickle ✔️ Brave New World 23rd Jan 2026
10. Recipe for Disaster
11. Food for Thought
12. Piece of Cake
13. “Dammit Doughnut”
14. Vegan
15. Spicy
16. Homemade
17. Comfort Food
18. Popcorn
19. Takeout
20. Dessert

[CosmicStargazer]

✔1. Appetizer: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. Started 2026 with this one. It has wet my appetite for my year of reading.

2. Snack food: Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy. A Salt-y snack.

✔3. Kids menu:The Sandman, Vol. 2: The Doll's House by Neil Gaiman. Gonna play in the dollhouse and read my comic book. BRB.

4. Latin flare:Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Merquez. Takes place in Latin America. Translated from Spanish.

✔5. Asian menu: Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. Japanese coffee course. Drink while hot.

6. European fare: The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde. Oscar Wilde was Irish right?

✔7. Lean cuisine: Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson. It's a tiny little book. No calories from this cheese.

8.Bad apple: The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel. A real life bad apple.

✔9.In a pickle: Hungerstone by Kat Dunn. Soured relationship, fixed by new love, but is she a vampire?

10. Recipe for disaster: The Human Division by John Scalzi. Reading the “Old man's war” series, but stopped here because this book ventures into it's own series with 13+ more books. What am I getting myself into…

11. Food for thought: The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can't Stop Talking About by Mel Robbins. I hope to chew on this one and apply the tools in my people-pleasing life.

12. Piece of cake: The Long Earth by Stephen Baxter & Terry Pratchett. Sir Terry Pratchett+less then 400pages = sci-fi deliciousness. It'll be a piece of cake.

13. “Dammit doughnut”: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. I had to look up the reference, now I want the doughnut.

✔14. Vegan: Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Moss is vegan right?

15. Spicy: A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas. “A Court of Spicy Fairys”… book 3.

16. Homemade: Star Found by Therena Carlin. Written by one of my neighbours. Spicy and homemade, the best of both worlds.

17. Comfort food: Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie. My re-read trilogy from last year. Gonna tuck into some yummy sci-fi in front of the fireplace with a face mask on.

✔18. Popcorn:East of West, Vol. 2: We Are All One by Jonathan Hickman. Graphic novels… munch..munch… more graphic novels… munch.. munch…

19. Takeout: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchel. This books sounds wild. I hope I can follow along, and it won't “take" me "out”.

20. Dessert: The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. Finish with some fruit for dessert. This huge novel will be like reading a whole cake.

[Cassia Sanchez]

European fare: Bernard Cornwell The Saxon Chronicles

Food for thought: The Memory Candidate Black M.D

Spicy: Fear of flying. Erica Jung

[CBRetriever]

finished this book:

18. Popcorn = ✔️Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein
Reason = it was made into a movie and people eat popcorn at movie theaters

[CBRetriever]

finished this book

12. Piece of Cake = ✔️The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa
Reason = lots of episodes of eating cake and mentions of cake plates

[Aga]

In January I’ve read:

1. Appetizer - Made Things ✅ A novella to start off the year.
2. Snack Food - Dzień próby Doli ✅ - A tie-in short story within the series I’m reading.
5. Asian Menu - The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 1 ✅ Japanese manga set in ancient (?) China.
15. Spicy Saga, Volume 1 - Spicy art ✅
16. Homemade Przed wyruszeniem w drogę ✅ Polish fantasy novella (I’m a Polish woman living in Poland).

5/20

[Kaia]

Aga wrote: "In January I’ve read:

1. Appetizer - Made Things ✅ A novella to start off the year.
2. Snack Food - Dzień próby Doli ✅ - A tie-in short story within the series I’..."

Wow, Aga - you're already a quarter of the way there! 🎉