Exploring Books by Month: A Fun Reading Challenge for 2026
2025 was a bit of a doozy. There were extraordinary highs and pretty stressful lows. One thing that was a mixed bag of emotions was my recent ADHD diagnosis, as a fully grown adult. The mixed bag of emotions included how absolutely great I feel now that I am on medication. I can actually focus on things. Remembering things and keeping track of where I put things is infinitely easier. The complicated feelings are more about how people reacted when I told them. Not a single person was surprised. They all said that it made sense. Which makes me wonder why it took me so long to realize I might have it and to ask a doctor about it.
But that’s basically what’s new with me. Just a mild identity crisis in my early 30’s.
What’s old with me, despite my crackling knees and growing need to be asleep before 10:00pm, is my desire to actually complete a reading challenge this year. Since I have dramatically failed the last few that I have attempted, I decided to just do my own. Make my own rules. Follow my own path.
Let’s look at the challenges…
1. Read a book set in winter.
Considering I live in the southern United States where schools close at even a vague rumor of snow, I want to read a book with lots of snow and wintery vibes.
2. Read a book about wolves.
January’s full moon is known as the Wolf Moon. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, this “came to be known as the Wolf Moon because wolves were more likely to be heard howling at this time.”
3. Read a book about St. Valentine.
The facts and the legends surrounding the lives of saints are incredibly fascinating and make for great historical fiction.
4. Read a book with a heart on the cover.
Just look this cover. It is so stinking cool. Anatomical heart, but make it fashion. How could I resist?
5. Read a book about or featuring pie.
March 14th is a day that will never fail to make me hungry. Yes, pi and pie are different. But they sound equally delicious.
6. Read a book set in spring.
Spring is not just about seasonal allergies. It is about growth and renewal, about hope and promise.
7. Read a book centered around a character with autism.
World Autism Awareness Day is on April 2nd. And although the main character in this book was diagnosed with Asperger’s, this syndrome was reclassified as being a part of Autism Spectrum Disorder a few years after the book’s publication.
8. Read a book about taxes.
Most people enjoy complaining about taxes. But think about how fun it will be to be able to provide historical sources and evidence to better complain about them to your friends.
9. Read a book about mental health.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. If I read or watch one more piece of media about a villain diagnosed with mental health issues while the protagonist has the most neurotypical brain that ever was, my eyes will get stuck from rolling them so hard.
10. Read a book about or set in the Star Wars Universe.
Considering we have a Star Wars marathon every May 4th, this is a great way to fully embrace every sci-fi lovers’ favorite holiday.
11. Read a book about queer history.
It should come as a shock to no one that queer people have existed throughout history. It actually shocks me how often that shocks people.
12. Read a book about or centered around a father.
Now, my father is great, and he deserves to be celebrated on Father’s Day. But not all father’s do, especially not ones that killed a bunch of people and then wrote a book about how nice they actually are.
13. Read a book about a lesser known historical event in American history.
It’s the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. And I love learning new things about its history.
14. Read a book set in summer.
I have realized that Fahrenheit 451 is the only book I’ve read by Ray Bradbury. This is a travesty that needs to be remedied.
15. Read a fiction book based on the culture, mythology, or legends of an indigenous people group.
August 9th is International Day of the World’s Indigenous People. This is the first book in a series inspired by the civilizations of the Pre-Colombian Americas.
16. Read a book with poppies in the title or on the cover.
One of the flowers for the month of August are poppies. Poppies are gorgeous flowers with deadly potential.
17. Read a book about a character with Alzheimer’s
September is World Alzheimer’s Month. This novel about a woman’s experience with the early onset version of the disease is pretty much guaranteed to make me cry, and I’m looking forward to it.
18. Read a book set in fall.
Sweaters, soup, pumpkins, and the color orange, these are a few of my favorite things.
19. Read a book about or featuring a vegetarian.
October 1st is World Vegetarian Day. Vegetarianism being used as a plot device in a way that is described as Kafka-esque makes this a book that I can’t wait to read.
20. Read a book that takes place on or around Halloween.
Agatha Christie, Hercule Poirot, and Halloween all in one. This is bound to be good.
21. Read a book about Native American history.
The Thanksgiving holiday would not exist without the contributions of the Wampanoag people. But besides their contributions to the First Thanksgiving, I don’t remember learning much about that tribe, or of many others. There is a rich history there, and it is one that I am looking forward to learning more about.
22. Read a book about or featuring a gift.
We think a lot about gratitude this time of year, about the things we have been given and about what we have to give. I’m looking forward to seeing how this children’s books makes me think further about it.
23. Read a book about or featuring Santa Claus.
Now you could read a traditional Christmas story. Or you could read a story that centers around Santa Claus secretly being a badass Viking protecting the meaning of Christmas.
24. Read a book about or featuring Krampus.
Krampus is often considering the darker, scarier version of Santa Claus. But just look at that face, he’s secretly a softie; I just know it.
This whole reading challenge was built around picking two books per month based on an element of the month itself. So some months focus more on their holidays or what they bring awareness too. While others are focused on random elements of the months such as the flowers associated with them or with the season each month is in.
I had a lot of fun making this challenge, so feel free to use it for yourself. If you do, let me know how it goes!