The 52 Book Club’s 2022 Reading Challenge Guide

The 2022 Reading Challenge Guide

We are so excited to take a closer look at our 2022 Reading Challenge! In this post, we’re going to examine each of the fifty-two prompts on the 2022 challenge. If you’re stuck on a prompt or have a specific question about it, this is the place to check first!

Before reading the 2022 guide:

1. We recommend that you first check out our original 2022 challenge page. You can find a downloadable copy of the list there too!

2. Don’t forget to stop by our rules and list of FAQs to get better acquainted with how this challenge works!

3. Keep in mind that we always encourage participants to get creative with the prompts. You never have to take them exactly at face value. Think outside the box and have fun with it!

4. Prompts can be completed using any reading format: hardcover, paperback, audiobook, e-reader, braille, a live reading from the author — they all count! Each prompt is possible to complete using any form of reading.

We’ll be adding to this list throughout the year as we see new and creative ideas pop up — so feel free to check back or add your own ideas in the comments.

Post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

1. A second person narrative

Last year, we had a first-person narrative on our challenge. This year, our challenge is to find a second person narrative. These stories are a little harder to come by but have a very unique style of writing that will hopefully stretch us as readers!

What is a second person narrative? Second person narrative uses the pronoun “You” to address the readers. The narrator describes what “you” do, which makes the reader a character in the story. This is in contrast to the first person narratives (“I”) or third person (he/she) that are more commonly found in literature.

Examples: The Night Circus, You, Romeo and/or Juliet, Choose Your Own Adventure

Goodreads List: A second person narrative

2. Featuring a library or bookstore

What’s as good as visiting a library or a bookstore for ourselves? Reading about them, of course! This prompt is all about libraries and bookstores. Examples could include: a book where the main character is a librarian or sells books, a memoir by a librarian, a non-fiction book about the Library of Alexandria, a children’s story about the library, etc. Anything library or bookstore related works for this prompt!

Examples: The Library Book, Eight Perfect Murders, The Bookshop on the Corner, Pete the Cat Checks out the Library, Camino Island

Goodreads List: Featuring a library or bookstore

3. A title starting with the letter “E”

If you’ve been around The 52 Book Club for a couple of years, you may have noticed that we’re slowly working our way through the alphabet. This year one of our prompts is a title starting with the letter “E.” This works as either the book title or a series title!

Examples: East of Eden, Emma, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Elephants Can Remember, Embrace

Goodreads List: A Title Starting with the letter “E”

4. A title starting with the letter “F”

The second of our alphabet title prompts for this year is “a title starting with the letter ‘F.'” Again, this could be the book title or the title of a series!

Examples: The Firebrand, Flying Changes, The Fault in Our Stars, Fahrenheit 451, Frankenstein

Goodreads List: A title starting with the letter “F”

5. Chapters have titles

Books fitting under this prompt will have a title for each chapter (rather than just a number.) Many non-fiction books fit this description, but there are also numerous fiction options too.

Examples: A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, The Hobbit, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Philip & Elizabeth: Portrait of a Royal Marriage, The Secret Garden

Goodreads List: Chapters have titles

6. Household object on the cover

We like to think of this challenge a bit like a scavenger hunt, and that’s probably one of the best ways to describe this prompt. The goal? To find a book that has a household object on the cover.

What is a household object? A household item is something that you find in your home. Examples could include: chairs, refrigerator, bed, towels, spoon, umbrella, flower vase, lamp, etc. These are goods or products commonly found within homes, but what you choose may vary depending on the region of the world in which you live!

Examples: Magnolia Table, Murder She Barked, One of Us is Dead, Lost Love Song, The Clocks

Goodreads List: Household object on the cover

7. A non-fiction bestseller

We like to include a broad variety of prompts on our challenge, in order to push ourselves to try new genres and new authors.

What is a non-fiction bestseller? Books that are based on facts and true events, such as biographies and history are called non-fiction. Bestsellers are books that are top sellers! These are usually published on a bestseller list like The New York Times or Publishers Weekly.

Where do I find them? Google is your friend here! The Booklist Queen has also put together a fabulous list of all the non-fiction reads appearing on the New York Times Bestselling List in 2021. Your local bookstore or library may also have a section or display with recent bestsellers. As well, publishers websites often have a page listing bestsellers. Or, as always, check out the link below to our Goodreads list for this prompt. You’ll be able to see what our other 52 Book Club members have read and/or recommend!

Examples: Educated, Untamed, How To Be an Antiracist, From the Ashes

Goodreads List: A non-fiction bestseller.

8. Involving the art world

What is the art world? Wikipedia defines the art world as “everyone involved in producing, commissioning, presenting, preserving, promoting, chronicling, criticizing, buying and selling fine art. It is recognized that there are many art worlds, defined either by location or alternative definitions of fine art.”

Basically, this prompt is all about art! It could include a character who is an artist, or one who works in an art gallery. It could feature a famous painting stolen from the Louvre, or be a book with a famous painting on the cover. A memoir by an artist or a book featuring the history of a specific art form.

There are also different kinds of art: painting, sculpting, literature, theatre, cinema, architecture, etc. With so many options for interpreting this prompt, feel free to get creative!

Examples: The Last Mona Lisa, The Rembrandt Affair, Girl with a Pearl Earing, The Paris Apartment, Stealing Rembrandts: The Untold Stories of Notorious Art Heists

Goodreads List: Involving the art world

9. A book that sparks joy

“Sparks joy” is a popular saying based on the catchphrase of Marie Kondo. If something “sparks joy” it brings delight, is important to you, makes you feel a little thrill, or gives you a feeling of warmth. This will vary for each of us!

Some prompts are easy to plan in advance for, while others might be trickier. For this prompt, you might choose to pick a genre or an author that you are particularly fond of. You might choose to re-read an old favorite. Or, you might skip this prompt until later in the year and see if any of your previous reads fall into the category naturally.

Other creative ideas could include a book with joy in the title, Marie Kondo’s book, a self-help read, or a feel-good book that everyone else seems to be talking about lately.

Goodreads List: A Book That Sparks Joy

10. A book based on a real person

There are so many incredible and fascinating people throughout history. This prompt is for a book based on a real person. You could choose a fiction or non-fiction read about a person at any point in history, who lived anywhere on the globe! This could be a memoir, biography, or fictionalized account of a real person.

Examples of fictionalized stories based on real people: The Women of Chateau Lafayette, Her Hidden Genius, The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, The Perfect Nanny, Circling the Sun

Goodreads List: A book based on a real person

11. A book with less that 2022 Goodreads ratings

What is Goodreads? Goodreads is a popular site for bookworms. Not only can you find book recommendations, join challenges **wink wink** and connect with fellow readers, you can also leave book reviews!

This prompt is for a book that has less than two-thousand-and-twenty-two ratings on Goodreads. You can find this by going to Goodreads.com. Use the search bar to find a book that sounds interesting. Then check how many ratings it has. (You can find this below the title, beside the star rating. Note that ratings are different than reviews.)

Typically books with less than 2022 ratings will be ones that may be new releases or have been independently published. It might be a book local to your area or a lesser known read. The number of ratings will change all the time as more members review the book. For this category, it just has to have less than 2,022 ratings at the time you begin reading it.

Goodreads List: Books with less than 2,022 Goodreads ratings

12. Set on at least two continents

Have you picked up on our “two” theme for the year 2022? This prompt is a book that is set on at least two continents. This could be a book that has a dual-timeline or multiple points of view, or it could be a travel book, or a book about refugees. As always, you can choose either a fiction or non-fiction read for this prompt.

Examples: The Forgotten Garden, The Broker, Crossing the Waters, Voyager

Goodreads List: Set on at least two continents

13. Includes a club

What is a club? A club is a group of people who gather together to discuss or participate in a particular interest or activity. Examples of clubs include: book clubs, cooking clubs, photography club, chess club, etc. Any hobby or interest can potentially be a club! But there are also lots of other types of clubs: golf clubs, night clubs, club sandwich, a weapon, playing card suit of clubs, etc.

There are so many ways to interpret this prompt! Here are a few fun ideas to get you started:

• A book with the word “club” in the title
• A book that features any type of club within the story
• Set in a nightclub or a character who likes to go clubbing
• A book that you’re reading in a book club
• A popular book club pick
• A golf club on the cover or a character who golfs
• A playing card on the cover (suit of clubs)
• A Three Leaf Clover on the cover
• A weapon used by one of the characters / someone who gets “clubbed” on the head

Examples: The Thursday Murder Club, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Cookbook Club, 1st to Die, The Babysitters Club

Goodreads List: Includes a club

14. A character with superhuman ability

What is superhuman? The dictionary definition of superhuman is “having or showing exceptional power or skills.” These are abilities that exceed those normally found within humans. These could be acquired naturally, through study, or by aid of technology.

For this prompt, you could choose a superhero comic, a novel about a character with powers, a biography on an Olympian, a non-fiction book about modern geniuses, etc. The character with superhuman abilities could be the protagonist or an antagonist, a main character or a minor one.

Examples: Faster than Lightning: My Autobiography, Divergent, Red Queen

Goodreads List: A character with superhuman ability

15. A five-syllable title

What is a syllable? A syllable is a part of a word. This segment of speech is also sometimes called a “beat.” Some words may only have one syllable, while others have many. (Fun fact: Apparently “pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis” is the English word with the most syllables in it. 19 syllables in fact.)

Examples of five-syllable titles: Nine Perfect Strangers, Malibu Rising, One of Us is Next, The Stolen Lady, A Most Clever Girl

Goodreads List: A five-syllable title

16. A book you’ve seen someone read in a public place

For this prompt, pick a book that you’ve seen someone reading in public! It could be someone on public transit, in the library, at the park or beach, etc. Keep your eyes peeled! You never know what you might find.

And if you see someone reading in a public place, don’t forget to add the book to our Goodreads list (link below.) This will help others who may live in areas where this prompt isn’t easily completed!

Goodreads List: A book you’ve seen someone read in a public place

17. Picked based on its spine

Instead of picking a book by its cover, this prompt is all about picking a book by its spine! Stroll the library or your local bookstore and see what pops out at you. This could also be a great opportunity to finally finish a book from your own bookshelf, or to scope out what reads are on a friend’s bookshelf too.

This prompt is all about personal preference, so what sort of spines stand out to you? Is it a certain color or font type? Graphics or none? Thick books or skinny ones, the options are endless! And remember, just because we’re picking a book based on its spine, it doesn’t mean that we have to read a physical copy. Once you’ve picked your book, feel free to read or listen to it in any format!

Goodreads List: Picked based on its spine

18. Jane Austen inspired

Who is Jane Austen? Jane Austen is a famous English novelist from the 18th century. Her novels include Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility, Emma, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, and Northanger Abbey.

Many authors have been inspired by Jane Austen’s work. For this prompt, you could pick a spin-off or a modern retelling of one of Austen’s novels. It could be a memoir of someone who travelled around teaching about Jane Austen’s books or a non-fiction autobiography about Jane. You could also interpret this prompt as a book that inspired Jane Austen (check out this list of books Jane might have read), or read a book by an author who says Jane is one of their favorites. You could even read one of Austen’s own books. Mysteries, gothic, fantasy, romance, modern day or not, there are countless options for books inspired by one of the world’s most famous authors!

Examples: The Jane Austen Project, Austenland, Death Comes to Pemberley, The Other Bennet Sister, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Goodreads List: Jane Austen Inspired

19. A book that has an alternate title

When books are published internationally, sometimes the title gets changed. The content within the book is usually the same, it’s just published under a different title.

For example depending on where you live, you might know the popular read Beartown by Fredrik Backman as The Scandal. Or Louise Penny’s book, The Murder Stone as A Rule Against Murder. And did you know the original title for Outlander in the UK was Cross Stitch?

Also, for those also participating in our Agatha Christie Mystery Challenge many of her books have been published under different titles. This is a great way to double up on your challenges! (You can find a list here.)

Examples: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone), The Book of Negroes (Someone Knows My Name), Five Little Pigs (Murder in Retrospect), A Fatal Grace (Dead Cold), The Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle).

Goodreads List: Book that has an alternate title

20. Related to the word “gold”

This prompt is open to wide interpretation, so let’s get creative! The only criteria? It has to relate to the word gold! Here are a few suggestions to get the ideas flowing:

• Set during the goldrush
• The word “gold” in the title
• An author with a last name Gold, Goldberg, Goldsmith, Goldstein, Golding, etc.
• Gold on the cover: either a picture of gold, or color treatment on the cover / font, etc.
• Metaphorical: “Not all that glitters is gold” or someone “with a heart of gold”
• A heist or theft
• A character who is a “gold digger,” a character who hordes gold
• Non-fiction: memoir by a gold medalist, a book about mining, etc
• A story about a golden retriever

Examples: Rivers of Gold, The Gold in These Hills, Courage to Soar, The Golden Cage, Little Golden Book Collection

Goodreads List: Related to the word “gold”

21. Published by Simon & Schuster

Our 52 Book Club Challenges always include one of the “big” publishers, and this year, we’re featuring Simon & Schuster. This could also be books published under divisions or subsidiaries of Simon & Schuster. Books for this prompt could be published any year. You can visit their website here for ideas.

Examples: State of Terror, Cloud Cuckoo Land, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, The Last Thing He Told Me, Taste

Goodreads List: Published by Simon & Schuster

22. An unlikely detective

An unlikely or unconventional detective is a character who isn’t a trained professional. They may be accidentally mixed up in a mystery or crime and feel compelled to solve it. The character could be an elderly aunt who never leaves her armchair, or a young child who can’t help but get into trouble. Perhaps it’s a cozy mystery about a baker or a florist, or a mystery solved by the Queen of England herself! For non-fiction examples, this could be a true crime novel with the author or a podcaster trying to uncover the truth.

Examples: The Windsor Knot, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, The Maid, Arsenic and Adobo, At Bertram’s Hotel

Goodreads List: An unlikely detective

23. Author with an X, Y, or Z in their name

For this prompt choose an author who has one of the letters “X,” “Y,” or “Z” in their name. This could be in their first name, middle name, or last name. They might also use it as an initial. Their name doesn’t have to start with the letter, so long as it’s somewhere in their name!

For those who would like to make this prompt more challenging: To add difficulty to this specific prompt, try choosing an author whose first or last name begins with one of the letters X, Y, or Z. Another way to make this prompt more difficult is to find an author with two or three of the letters in their name. (Example: Malala Yousafzai has both a Y and a Z.)

Examples: Yaa Gyasi, Malala Yousafzai, Markus Zusak, Emily St. John, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kate Elizabeth Russell, Suzanne Redfearn, Lucy Foley, Louise Penny

Goodreads List: Author with an X, Y, or Z in their name

24. Addresses a specific topic

This prompt is for a book that addresses a specific topic. This could be a book about social justice, finances, a hobby, politics, parenting, relationships, self-help, mental health, etc. Almost all non-fiction books would fall under this category. For fiction, you could choose a book with a strong overall message or theme. You could pick a topic that you enjoy reading about, or branch out and try something new!

Examples: The Hate U Give, Deep Work, Animal Farm, Parenting: 12 Gospel Principals, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

Goodreads List: Addresses a specific topic

25. A wealthy character

According to the dictionary, wealthy means “having a great deal of money, resources, or assets; rich.” For this prompt, it is up to you to interpret just how wealthy your character is!

You may choose to read a book about a character who is extraordinarily wealthy beyond your wildest dreams. Or you could choose a character who is considered wealthy in comparison to those who live around them. This could be the main character within a book, or it could be a secondary character. Non-fiction options could include a celebrity memoir, or a biography about the world’s richest families, etc.

Examples: The Great Gatsby, The Inheritance Games, The Passing Bells, Find You First, The Mitford Girls

Goodreads List: A wealthy character

26. Has an “Author’s Note”

What is an author’s note? Author’s notes are usually found at the end of a book. They are written by the authors themselves and often share a little more detail about what was just read. Sometimes they’re called “A Note from the Author,” “A Note About This Story,” “A Letter from the author,” etc.

In an author’s note, the author may explain what parts were based on fact and what were purely author’s imagination. Sometimes, they may share additional interesting information, books that they read for research, or why they decided to write the book.

Some books may also include sections like: “A Conversation with the Author,” “Acknowledgements,” or “Discussion Questions.” These sections are usually different than an Author’s Note, as the author’s note is written by the author themselves.

Examples: The Girl in His Shadow, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, The Fortunate Ones, Sycamore Row, The Lines Between Us

Goodreads List: Includes an “Author’s Note”

27. Includes a map

Anyone else love books with maps? Fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, travel, true-crime — there are many possibilities for books with maps.

Remember that all of our prompts can be completed using any format of book. If you’re listening to an audiobook, you may not be able to “see” the map — but that’s okay too! As long as one version of the book has a map in it, you can pick any other format to complete the challenge with.

Examples: The Hobbit, Arctic Fury, Shiver, Into the Wild, Yours is the Night

Goodreads List: Includes a map

28. Award-winning from your country

It’s always so fascinating to see which books are award winners! For this prompt, chose an award winning book from your country.

And, as always, there are a few ways to interpret this prompt. You could choose a book originally published in your home country, but which won an award elsewhere. Or, you could research specific book awards given within your country and pick one of the past or current winners!

Goodreads List: Award-winning from your country

29. Over 500 pages long

Some of our challenge picks might only take a day to read. Others may take several weeks! No matter how fast we read, this challenge is all about having fun. For this prompt, pick a book that is over 500 pages long. Keep in mind that page count may vary slightly from one edition to another, and that’s okay!

Hint: If you’re not reading a physical copy, and you’re unsure how many pages your book has, you can find the page count by doing a quick online search. Amazon usually includes the page count under “product details.” Goodreads also includes the page count beside the book’s other publishing details.

Examples: Outlander, Daughters of War, Christy, The Lord of the Rings, Six Wives

Goodreads List: Over 500 Pages long

30. Audiobook is narrated by the author

Sometimes, the best narrators are the authors themselves. For this prompt, choose a book where the audiobook is narrated by the author.

Remember that although the audiobook is narrated by the author, you don’t necessarily have to listen to that version. You could choose to read the book in any format! For example: The audiobook version of “Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson is narrated by Stevenson himself. However, if you pick that book, you don’t have to listen to it on audio. You could decide to read a paperback version, on e-reader, translated into another language, etc.

Examples: Becoming, Greenlights, Courageously Expecting, Atomic Habits, The Library Book

Goodreads List: Audiobook is narrated by the author

31. Technology-themed

For this prompt, pick a book that has a strong technology theme. This could be a non-fiction read about a new hobby or skill, or about a subject like artificial intelligence, innovation, or even the moon race! You could choose a fictional story about robots or a book set in the future in a technologically-advanced age. You could also interpret this as a character who works within the tech industry (either fictional or a non-fiction memoir.) A lot of sci-fi novels or books set in space would also be a great fit for this prompt. There are countless ways to interpret it! Get creative and we can’t wait to see what you come up with.

Examples: The Perfect Wife, Snow Crash, Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography, Hidden Figures

Goodreads List: Technology themed

32. A book that intimidates you

Prompt thirty-two is all about books that intimidate us! This could take shape in many different forms. It could be intimidating because it’s over a thousand pages long. Or it could be intimidating because of the subject matter or the emotion that it may evoke. It could be an award winning novel that you just haven’t been able to get into, or perhaps, a book that you’ve been trying to finish for a long time but haven’t been able to.

This will look different for each of us but will hopefully prove to be an impactful and long-lasting read!

Goodreads List: A book that intimidates you

33. A bilingual character

Have you noticed our “two” theme running throughout the challenge for 2022? Here’s another one! A bilingual character.

What does bilingual mean? Bilingual is a person who speaks two languages fluently!

For this prompt, pick a book with any character who speaks multiple languages! The languages could be real or fantasy. The character could also be the main character or a secondary one. If you’re stuck, don’t forget to keep in mind setting and time period!

Examples: The Child of Auschwitz, The Golden Son, Papa’s Wife, Daughters of War, Dreaming in Hindi

Goodreads List: A bilingual character

34. An author’s photo on the back cover

For this prompt, pick a book that has the author’s photo on the back cover. This could be a full page photo on a hardcover novel, or a smaller photo beside an author’s bio. Color or black and white, any size or style of photo works!

As always, remember that you can choose any format of book for this prompt. Prefer audiobooks or e-books? That’s great too! It doesn’t matter how you read it, just as long as one of the versions has a photo on the back cover.

Examples: Royal, WIN, The Glass Castle, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Forever Young

Goodreads List: An author’s photo on the back cover

35. From the villain’s perspective

We don’t often get to hear from the villain’s point of view, but isn’t it fascinating when we do? For this prompt, choose a book told from the villain or antagonist’s perspective. This could be the entirety of the book, or it could be parts of the book. Non-fiction options could include a memoir by someone who wants to get their side of the story out, or a book about a historical villain. This could also be a re-telling of a popular fairytale.

Sometimes, we also don’t know that we’re reading a book from an antagonist’s point of view until we finish the story. This is also a great prompt to hold off on until halfway through the year, and see if any of the books we’ve read are a match!

Examples: Hook’s Tale, Six of Crows, Circe, Stepsister, Gone Girl

Goodreads List: From the villain’s perspective

36. Recommended by a favorite author

Chances are, if you’re hanging out here at The 52 Book Club, you love book recommendations as much as we do! So what could be better than a recommendation from a favorite author?

Where do I find their recommendations? First, try a quick web search. (For example: “What books does John Grisham recommend?”) You could also pick a book that’s been endorsed by one of your favorite authors. Some authors may also share new and recommended reads on their social media pages, so follow along with your favorites for ideas! And if you’re following them on Goodreads, we’d certainly consider any books they’ve rated 5 stars to be a recommendation!

Check out this list of 26 Famous Author’s Favorite Books or this list of 20 Popular Authors and their Favorite Books.

Goodreads List: Recommended by a favorite author

37. Set in a rural area

A book set in a rural area is one set in the countryside or in a sparsely populated area, rather than an urban area like a city or town. This could be a book set on a farm or on the outskirts of a small town. It also could be a non-fiction read about modern agriculture, or a memoir of someone who grew up in a rural area. This prompt could be set in any time period or country in the world. The setting could be a main focus of the story or not.

Examples: Hillbilly Elegy, The Rural Diaries, Charlotte’s Web, Anne of Green Gables, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Goodreads List: Set in a rural area

38. Don’t judge a book by its cover!

This is one of those prompts that everyone is going to interpret in a different way — and we can’t wait to see what you come up with. For this category, you could take this saying literally and choose a book with an ugly cover. You could also interpret this as a character who is complex or misjudged, or perhaps a title that is misleading. Sometimes, after reading a book, you may find that it wasn’t marketed as it should have been and might decide to use that as an option for this prompt. Get creative and have fun!

Goodreads List: Don’t judge a book by its cover!

39. A middle-grade novel

Middle grade novels are books that are aimed for young readers between the ages of 8-12. This is different than teen novels or YA. This could be a book you read in your middle grades and want to re-read. Or it could be a brand new release, or a subject that sounds interesting.

Examples: Wonder, Roll With It, A Wrinkle in Time, Holes, We are Family

Goodreads List: A middle-grade novel

40. A book with photographs inside

This prompt is for a book with photographs inside. Many non-fiction reads about history, true crime, memoirs or biographies will contain photographs, but there are lots of fictional stories to meet this prompt too. You could also choose a travel book, cook book, or a book about photography itself.

As mentioned before, members are encouraged to read or listen to books in any format they’d like. We want each prompt to include everyone! As long as one version of the book has photographs inside, that book will work for this prompt.

Examples: Little Princes, Evidence Not Seen, The Nazi Officer’s Wife, Elizabeth & Margaret, Whiskey in a Teacup

Goodreads List: Book with photographs inside

41. Involves a second chance

Another one of our “two” themed prompts for 2022, this one is a book that involves a second chance. (Another way to describe this could be a “new beginning.”) This could be part of the title or the plot. A character could be given a second chance at life or romance, or an individual pardoned for a crime. It could also be a second chance for you as a reader! Maybe you want to give a book, an author, or even a genre a second try!

Examples: The Midnight Library, The Bromance Book Club, We Are the Brennans, Love in the Time of Cholera

Goodreads List: Involves a second chance

42. An indie read

An independent or indie book is a term used to describe publishing a book without a traditional publisher. For this prompt, you could choose a book published by an independent publisher, or an indie author. You could also interpret that as a book purchased from an independent bookstore or bookseller. This could be a read in any genre and any format! It might also be the perfect time to read a friend or family member’s self-published work!

To see a list of independent publishers and browse their sites for suggestions, see here. Or check out this list of books recommended by Indie Booksellers.

Goodreads List: An indie read

43. Author who’s published in more than one genre

Some authors find their preferred genre and stick to it their entire lives, but others have written in multiple genres! This could include an author who writes equally in various genres, or an author who only has one work different from the others. The author may have published all of their books under the same name, or they may have chosen a pseudonym for some.

Examples: Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, Margaret Atwood, J.K Rowling (Robert Galbraith), A.A. Milne, Ian Fleming, Nora Roberts (J.D. Robb), Agatha Christie (Mary Westmacott)

Goodreads List: Author who’s published in more than one genre

44. An anthology

What is an anthology? An anthology is a collection of short stories, poems, or essays each written by various authors. Alternatively, it could also be a collection of selected writings by one author. The collection is usually tied together with a similar theme or subject matter. There are many types of anthologies which may include: short stories, poems, essays, plays, documents, excerpts, comics, songs, etc.

Examples: Black Enough, My True Love Gave to Me, Roald Dahl’s Book of Ghost Stories, Fresh Ink, The Magic of Motherhood

Goodreads List: An anthology

45. A book with illustrated people on the cover

What does illustrated mean? Illustration refers to drawing an image rather than using and editing a photograph. This is a really popular design choice with modern books. For this prompt, find a cover that has illustrated people on it. For more examples, check out this list of 41 illustrated book covers.

Remember that books often have various editions and/or may have different covers depending on where you live in the world. As long as one version of the books has a cover with illustrated people, that book will work (in any format of reading) for this prompt!

Examples: The Poet X, China Rich Girlfriend, The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, Royal Holiday, The Bride Test

Goodreads List: A book with illustrated people on the cover

46. A job title in the title

For this prompt, choose a book with a job title in the title. This could be a specific career (example: chef or doctor) or a management job title like “manager” or “executive.” It could be a recognizable profession or something that the character is simply known for like, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek.

To get creative with this prompt, the job title could also be found in the sub-title. For example: Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise

Examples: The Judge’s List, Maid, The Midwife, The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, The Ravenmaster

Goodreads List: A job title in the title

47. Read during the month of November

In the past, some challenge participants have finished as early as the beginning of March. But this year, we wanted to intentionally stretch the challenge out and have us all finish together in November or December. That’s why, this prompt is a little different but also just so much fun! **Cue singing: We’re all in this together! **

For this prompt, any book read during November 2022 counts! (Although we always encourage creativity, so I look forward to your work-arounds!) If you want to add an extra challenge, try picking a book set in the month of November.

Goodreads: List: **There is no Goodreads list for this prompt!**

48. Redo one of this year’s prompts, but with a different genre

This was one of our favourite prompts from 2021, but this year, we’re mixing it up a little bit. Last year we asked you to re-do one of the challenge prompts. This year, we’re also asking you to re-do one of the 2022 prompts BUT we’re asking you to do it with a different genre. You can choose to re-do any of the other 51 prompts on this 52 Book Club 2022 challenge.

For example: Let’s say that you picked a fantasy novel for the prompt “an indie read.” Now, you could choose to re-do the “indie read” prompt but with non-fiction or a romance instead.

Another example: For “an author who’s published in more than one genre” you may decide to read a book from both of the genres. One genre for the initial prompt #43, and another genre for this prompt #48.

Get creative and feel free to interpret the prompt in a new way, or think outside of the box.

Goodreads: List: **There is no Goodreads list for this prompt!**

49. Book title starts with the same letter as your first name

Every year, we collect submissions for prompt ideas from our fellow 52 Book Club members. In October, we then do a random draw from all of the suggestions and pick three winners to appear on the next year’s challenge. A book title starting with the same letter as your first name was one of this year’s winning prompts!

Question: But what if my name starts with the letters E or F? That was already a prompt on this year’s challenge!
Answer: That’s okay. If you have another great book idea, feel free to complete this twice. Or, get creative! Use a nickname, the second-letter in your name, or even the first letter as your last name instead.

Goodreads: List: **There is no Goodreads list for this prompt!**

50. A person of color as the main character

We strongly believe in the importance of diversity in our reads. Our second winning prompt for 2022 was “a person of color as the main character.” For this prompt, the character should be the main character within the story. As always, your choice could either fiction or non-fiction, any genre.

Examples: The Hate U Give, My Sister The Serial Killer, Yellow Wife, I Will Not Fear, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Goodreads List: A person of color as the main character

51. The word “game” in the title

Our final winning prompt for 2022 is a book with the word “game” in the title. This could include the sub-title as well.

Alternatively, you pick a book with a game in the title. (For example: a title with the word “chess,” “golf” or the title of a video game in it.) The original winning prompt had indicated that this suggestion was in honor of the 2022 Winter Olympics, so you could creatively choose a book featuring the Olympic Games.

Examples: The Lying Game, The Hunger Games, The Singles Game, The Hating Game, Game of Thrones

Goodreads List: The word “game” in the title

52. Published in 2022

And for our final prompt of 2022, a book published this year! You may be saving this prompt for a special book that you’re been eagerly awaiting, or you may decide to keep this prompt open and “wing it” with a newly published, popular read. It’s up to you!

Curious as to what’s coming out? Look at this We Are Bookish post with 24 Highly Anticipated Books for 2002, or this Buzzfeed post with 25 Top Books to Look Forward to.

Examples: The Surgeon’s Daughter, The Book Woman’s Daughter, The Diamond Eye, The Christie Affair, The Lies I Tell

Goodreads List: Published in 2022

Now that we’ve made our way through all of this year’s fifty-two prompts, don’t forget to comment below with any questions or ideas you may have! We can’t wait to dive into a round of books with you!

Happy reading, everyone!