Fun Reading Challenges and Bookish Games to Encourage Reluctant and Unmotivated Readers

Fun reading challenges for 2022 to ignite your love of reading and make reading a game! Get a complete list of reading challenge ideas here.

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I have been a fan of reading challenges since 2013 (right around the time I started this blog) but in 2020, I hit a huge reading slump and soon the reading challenges became overwhelming and more of a chore. If the reading challenge is too strict, then I rebel against it.

So I decided to start creating my own reading challenges to keep it more open and fun for me and be very intentional about the reading challenges I take on. See below for more ideas on how you can make reading fun for you too.

Fun Reading Challenges for 2022

Here are some fun reading challenges for 2022 to inspire you to read more and have more fun doing it!

Around the World Reading Challenge

I LOVE exploring other cultures and countries through books. The Travel the World in Books Reading Challenge is a challenge I started in 2014. I’ve read 78 books and visited 28 countries so far. I tend to read in Western Europe and Asia so I need to get my country count up!

But reading around the world to places you might want to go to and never get the chance to is a lot of fun. I enjoy immersing myself in different countries and cultures. It helps me see life and the world from a different perspective. There’s always something to learn, from good food, to cultural habits or customs or celebrations of holidays, there’s lots of fun to be had reading around the world!

Tips to take the fun to the next level:

• keep a world map of places you’ve read about to make it more fun:
  • scratch off world maps – scratch off the country when you’ve read a book set there – I totally didn’t know this was a thing before but now I want one!
  • coloring world maps – wall size – or free printable coloring map
  • make your own book map with Google maps
• find a recipe from the country you visited and cook it. Invite friends over or tell your family about the book
• buy a magnet or a postcard from the country you read about
• keep a reading travel journal about your reading travel adventures
• learn more about the country and plan a dream trip (whether or not you take it, it’s fun to dream it)!

Around the World Reading Challenge Book Ideas:

• See what I’ve read for this challenge: 78 books in 28 countries

• Download my free Read Around the World Book Bingo Boards when you subscribe to my weekly bookish newsletter where we discuss good books, book lists and what I’m reading.

Around the USA Reading Challenge

You can pretty much do the same thing for reading around your country, in this case I’m in the USA. And I like tracking where all my books are set so I can experience new places without costing too much money!

Tips to take the fun to the next level:

• scratch off map with beautiful nature photography of each state – scratch off a state when you read a book set there
• license plate game! put a state license plate magnet up when you read a book set there
• put up a state postcard or tape it into a travel journal with some notes about the book
• learn more about the country and plan a dream trip (whether or not you take it, it’s fun to dream it)!

Around the USA Reading Challenge Book Ideas:

I have not been doing well with tracking the setting of books in the USA but a few standouts I’ve enjoyed:

• Alaska – The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. It really makes you feel like you are in Alaska and gives you a glimpse of life there.
• Florida – Ladies Night by Mary Kay Andrews
• North Carolina – The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain.

ABC Reading Challenge

Read a book with a title starting with each letter of the alphabet. This is a great one to do with the kids too!

Book Bingo Reading Challenge

I love a good Book Bingo Reading Challenge. Many different reading challenge hosts have a book bingo board to accompany their challenges.

• Read Around the World – you can download free when you subscribe to my bookish newsletter
• Fall Reading Challenges – Wicked Good Reads and Fall into Reading both have book bingo boards
• Monthly Bookish Bingo with a new bingo board each month

Genre Reading Challenge

This genre tetris reading challenge from Creating & Co sounds like a really fun reading challenge to encourage you to read different kinds of genres and expand your reading comfort zone. This one is super fun especially for planner and sticker lovers like me!

How can I make reading fun for adults?

Not everyone thinks reading is fun. To make reading fun for adults or reluctant readers, I think it helps to be connected to something you already enjoy or something that inspires you. Here are some ideas to make reading fun for adults:

• make it a game and create a book bingo board with small reading goals you want to complete (exs. read 30 minutes, read outside, read in bed, read in a blanket fort with a flashlight, read at the beach, read a comic book, read a funny book, read something you wanted to read as a kid)
• celebrate finishing a certain number of books with a treat or reward you’ve been wanting (even if it’s just 1 book to start)
• list lovers will find reading challenges with premade prompts fun because part of the challenge is finding a book that fits the prompt (like Popsugar)
• people who like to travel should read about places they haven’t been to before (like the Travel the World in Books Challenge)
• people who love planning will love tracking their reading in their planner, reading planner or reading journals
• create a cozy, encouraging and uncluttered dedicated reading space. This can be a great motivator to make reading more fun. Check out my little reading spot in my room, just clearing out that space has made me want to read more
• read a book you weren’t allowed to read as a kid
• reread a childhood favorite
• read books all about a favorite character (Sherlock Holmes for me!)
• get a Kindle so you can read anytime, anywhere the mood strikes. I love my Kindle and here’s all the reasons why.
• read all the books written by a favorite author, you already know you like them!
• read a book with your best friend
• start a family book club so you can read when/and with your kids. Your child’s enthusiasm and wonder can be so fun and life giving! Ideas: Agatha Christie, books to screen, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, around the world, Ordinary People Change the World series by Brad Meltzer for younger kids
• attend book signings to hear what inspires authors to create their stories
• focus on reading a topic you already enjoy (true crime, travel, gardening, food, romance, escaping to an island, etc)
• grab a funny audiobook from the library (libby app) or Audible free trial to make cleaning and reading more fun
• grab more reading challenge ideas here and free reading challenge trackers too!

I can’t stress this enough:

READ WHAT YOU WANT TO

Regardless of what others tell you you should be reading! I always tell my son who is a reluctant reader, I’d rather you read anything you want (in his case advanced lego building books, dinosaur books, historical nonfiction and comic books) than not read at all.

I hope this helped you find some fun reading challenges to help ignite your love for reading again and find the joy in it! And maybe you got some good book recommendations too! Let me know in the comments what you are reading or if there is a fun reading challenge you’ll be starting too.