“How did this become my life?” A very frustrated Amy asked herself twelve summers ago.
At the time, the primary emotion of my summer was resentment. I associated childhood summers with spaciousness, a bit of boredom, and reading. My adult summers felt the opposite — crowded, busy, and no leisurely reading. While there’s much I love about being an adult, I missed summer reading and decided something needed to change.
I also noticed that left to my own devices, I read the same kind of book over and over, always meaning to get to other types of books. So, thank you one and all for joining in — during this challenge we all become more well-rounded readers!
Thus was born the Summer Reading Challenge 11 years ago. Happy Anniversary to us! If this is your first time joining, welcome. If it’s your eleventh, welcome 😊.
The Summer Reading Challenge will start on June 1 and run for eleven weeks through August 14, 2026. To enter, read seven books from 25+ categories and leave a comment at the end of the challenge with the books you read. That’s all. No entrance fee, no hassle, just fun.
What’s different?
- Only four charities were nominated, so we won’t be reading every Friday for Good. We’ll read on the 2nd and 4thFridays of June and July. Hopefully next summer we can return to reading every Friday with more nominations! You can learn more about the four charities here.
- Three special categories tied to big 2026 moments — the USA’s 250th birthday 🇺🇸, my mom’s 90th birthday 🎂, and the World Cup ⚽
What’s the same?
- Many of the categories were submitted by you!
- Choosing a penalty book within the first week of the challenge. A penalty book is one you declare to yourself:I will read this or be penalized. My penalty book this year has been sitting on my shelf long enough — Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach. This is the year. (Or I’ll die, get it?! HA!)
- Like previous years, if you do not read your penalty book, you will subtract two books from your total
- The joy of reading!
What’s in it for you?
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All who comment on the summary blog post I’ll publish around August 14th will be entered to win one of several $10 Amazon gift cards. You’ll have a few days after August 14th to comment with the names of the books you read.
Drumroll . . . here are the categories!
- A book someone mentioned in last year’s summer reading challenge
- A book with cover that uses a color with a plant in the name. Turns out there are 20 colors with plant names!! Greens (moss, sage, fern, clover), Purples (lavender, violet, wisteria, thistle), Yellows (saffron, marigold, dandelion, goldenrod), Pinks and Reds (rose, blush, poppy, amaranth), and a mixed group (indigo, cornflower, eucalyptus, lichen)
- A book with a verb in the title.
- A book set where you’re going on vacation this summer/winter (or would like to vacation)
- A book recommended by a child in your life
- A book recommended by a bookseller or a librarian
- A book that is Science Fiction, Fantasy or a Western
- A book featuring nature such as a river, National Park, forest, or mountains
- A book that has your favorite color in the title
- A book with a great first line
- A book whose title is someone’s name
- A book that takes place in a place that you’ve been to
- A how-to book
- A book you stay up late to read
- A book about space (I was thinking outer space but “space” could be interpreted in other ways)!
- A book set on the opposite side of the world to where you are currently located
- A middle grade or YA novel
- A book told in epistolary style (letter or diary)
- A book featuring travel as a theme
- A graphic novel
- A cookbook, picture/coffee table book, or wordless book
- A mystery, classic, or play
- A book for professional development (loosely defined)
- An audiobook
- A book you want to discuss with others
- A book that’s outside of your normal reading
- Choose your own adventure: Make up your own category!
A few categories special to Summer 2026
- Since this summer is the 250th birthday of the USA, either a book about the birth of that nation or a book with 250 in the title.
- In honor of my mom’s 90th birthday in August, either a book with an elderly person (at least 80 years old) or the number 90 in the title.
- Because the world cup is in June, a book with soccer (football 😉) or the world cup in it
Bonus: choose a Penalty Book in the first week of the challenge as a way to kick yourself in the pants. If you don’t read your penalty book you will subtract two (2) books from your grand total.
Download the 2026 Summer Reading Challenge
Download the Summer Reading Challenge 2026, print it off, and track your progress. But most of all, have fun and read books you might not read in other times of the year!
My penalty book is Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach. (Actually I have three penalty books that I will read this summer!!!)
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In short: Read seven books from June 1 to August 14, 2026.
Feel free to share this and invite anyone you know to join. Are you in? What books are you looking forward to reading during the challenge? I can’t wait to see what you’re reading on Fridays :).
Happy Reading, Amy
Amy
