The new year is often a time for reflection, fresh starts, big dreams, new routines, and goal setting. While many people might have New Year's resolutions centering around health, relationships, finances, etc., I’m here to talk about what librarians love to talk about the most: reading.
One of the most common New Year’s resolutions related to reading is simply to read more. This often takes the form of reading a certain number of books throughout the year. Think Goodreads or StoryGraph reading challenges. My hot take? While reading more is a fantastic goal, putting a specific number on it often does more harm than good. But you do you!
What I like to focus on instead is the quality of my reading, which can mean a variety of things: Is what I’m reading fulfilling in some way? Am I reading for myself? Am I giving myself permission to stop reading when it doesn’t bring me joy? Have I been challenging myself to try reading new things?
This last point - reading new things - can be tough. I’m a huge genre fiction fan - there’s nothing I love more than oscillating between epic fantasy, sci-fi, romance, and horror. Nonfiction, mystery, or westerns? Not so much. To help push me to expand my reading, this year I’ll be trying out Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge.
Each year, bookish website Book Riot publishes their Read Harder reading challenge, designed to help people break out of their reading comfort zones and discover new authors and genres. The challenge consists of 24 open-ended prompts, such as “Read a nonfiction comic,” and participants choose books that match those descriptions. The best part? It’s your challenge, so you can double- or even triple-dip, choosing books that meet multiple prompts! The goal is to just have fun with it.
2026 marks the Read Harder Challenge's 12th year. Here are a few of the challenge prompts I’m most excited about:
6. Read a gothic novel published in the last ten years
What I plan to read: The Possession of Alba Díaz by Isabel Cañas
I’ve been a huge fan of Isabel Cañas ever since reading Vampires of El Norte. Not only does she have beautiful writing, Cañas is also a master at genre-blending, often incorporating elements of historical fiction, horror, and romance into her stories. The Possession of Alba Díaz continues this trend, creating a historical horror tale set in 1765 Zacatecas, Mexico. Alba, betrothed to the heir of a Mexican silver mine, finds herself turning instead to his cousin for comfort when a demonic presence awakens deep within the mines. It has all the makings of a great gothic story - isolation, claustrophobic settings, supernatural horror, and broad societal themes. I truly can’t wait to read it.
10. Read a book recently adapted for film, TV, or musical
What I plan to read: Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire is a cult classic vampire novel, one that I have tragically never read. The story follows Louis, told in his own words, as he recounts his life story of how he became a vampire. The show was first released on AMC and Netflix back in 2022, and instantly drew me in. The show has some key differences from the book, with a heavier emphasis on race and queerness in 20th century New Orleans, while still retaining core themes from the book such as love, loss, and what it means to be a vampire. Rice’s Interview with the Vampire is a series, but for the purposes of the Read Harder Challenge, I’ll just be trying the first book.
17. Read a book about a cult or cults
What I plan to read: Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell
I find cult stories fascinating. The psychology behind how and why so many people fall victim to cults is both intriguing and a little scary. For this prompt, rather than a deep dive into a specific cult, I've chosen to read Amanda Montell’s Cultish, which looks at the use of language as a form of power. What is it about the words cult leaders use that hold so much power over their followers? From notorious groups such as Heaven’s Gate to modern health practices (I also considered reading Fascist Yoga for this prompt.) and social media, Montell proves that the fanatical language of cults is all around us.
You can find the entire 2026 Read Harder Challenge here.
Stumped for ideas? DPL librarians would be happy to offer suggestions! Fill out a request for a Personalized Reading List, and one of our readers’ advisory experts will send you 5-10 recommendations.
Looking for other reading challenges? Our Winter of Reading program begins on January 2 and runs through the end of February. Fill out the bingo board to win a prize, develop new reading habits, and even get a head start by submitting that Personalized Reading List request. ;)
Happy New Year and happy reading!
