Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use the same book for more than one prompt?
Quick answer: Of course! It’s your challenge, your rules. Do what works for you.
Long answer: It depends on your personal reading goals.
Members who regularly read more than fifty-two books a year, or who want to complete the challenge as originally designed, will match one book to each prompt. (52 prompts = 52 books.) This is perfect for members who already read a lot or for those who are looking for motivation to read more.
If you don’t think you’ll be able to read fifty-two books this year, you’re more than welcome to double up prompts. (This means matching one book to two or more prompts.) This is helpful for individuals who aren’t able to finish a book every week but still want the satisfaction of checking off all fifty-two prompts.
Choose what works best for your personal reading goals this year.
Remember — your challenge, your rules.
Do I have to complete the challenge in order?
No. Complete the prompts in any order you like.
Note: Completing the challenge in order will make it significantly more difficult. If you’ve participated in 52 Book Club challenges before and want to push yourself even harder this year, try this as an optional add-on challenge!
I feel bad that I’m not reading as much as others.
This club is comparison-free! Whether you read five books a year or five hundred, you’re welcome here.
How do I find books for each prompt?
Treat these prompts like clues in a scavenger hunt. You want to find books that match the prompt but that you’ll still love. To start, we’d recommend checking your bookshelves and TBR piles to see what books fit prompts on this year’s challenge. A quick online search should help generate ideas for prompts as well.
If you’re still stuck, we’ve got a few more tools to help out:
First, we’d recommend joining our Facebook Group. This is a large, international group of bookworms who are happy to provide recommendations. Use the “search” function within the group to see what others are reading for each prompt or post a comment, asking for recommendations.
We’d also recommend using our Goodreads lists. Our community has created a list full of books that match each prompt. Use these as inspiration for prompts you’re stuck on and see what other members are reading. Get as creative as you need to!
I’m joining late. Can I use books I’ve already read?
Definitely! Any book read within that specific calendar year counts. (Example: If you’re tackling the 2027 Challenge, any book read in 2027 counts.)
Do I have to read books I don’t like?
Ugh, no! There’s nothing worse than forcing yourself through a “bad” book. Try a little research and find books that fit the prompt but still sound interesting to you. (See question below.) The point of this challenge is to have FUN while reading! Many of the books you’re already reading and enjoying will fit prompts on our challenges.
That being said… one of the main goals of this challenge is to stretch our reading habits. Oftentimes, we get stuck in “book ruts,” and we need a little push to try something new. This challenge is purposefully diverse in its prompts to help all types of readers discover something new in their reading.
I’m really stuck on this prompt. What do I do?
You never have to take a prompt at face value. Feel free to interpret it as creatively as needed. Try to think outside the box. Remember, if you think a book fits the prompt, it does!
Example 1: Let’s say the prompt is “a book about sports.” You could interpret that as an autobiography of an athlete, an expose on Olympic doping, a fictional character who’s the quarterback on his high school team, a murder mystery that takes place on a golf course, or anything in between.
Example 2: The prompt is “a spy novel.” You absolutely hate espionage novels but you love fantasy. Try finding a book within that genre that has a character who acts as a spy.
Example 3: The prompt is “a senior.” You could choose a character who is a senior citizen, or a grandparent, a book about a senior in high school, or a character whose name is “John Sr.”
Don’t be afraid to get creative!
Can I read more than one book a week?
Of course! Some books may take a couple of days to finish; others may take a couple of weeks. Some participants finish the challenge in May, others in December. Read at your own pace!
TIP: If you’re an avid reader and want to make the challenge MORE difficult, limit yourself to only one challenge book a week, while reading other books in between.
I thought I saw this challenge on a different site?
These challenges were originally shared on the MommyMannegren website. As of 2020, we have rebranded as The 52 Book Club. All future challenges will be found here.
Where do I find the Facebook Group?
You can find the Facebook group by clicking here!
Where do I find the Goodreads Group?
You can find the Goodreads group by clicking here!
Where do I find the challenge on Storygraph?
You can find the 2027 Storygraph challenge here. All our past challenges are also on Storygraph. Make sure you’re joining the official challenge specifically hosted by “the52bookclub.”
Do children’s books count?
At The 52 Book Club, we affirm that all books are books. All sizes, formats, and types of reading are encouraged, welcome, and equal. You’re more than welcome to complete the challenge using children’s books if you want.
Do re-reads count?
Of course! We love re-reading good books. If you’ve read them this year and they fit a prompt, they count!
Do audiobooks count?
Always. At The 52 Book Club, we affirm that all books are books. All sizes, formats, and types of reading are encouraged, welcome, and equal.
What if I can only read a specific format of books?
We want this challenge to be accessible to all types of readers regardless of preferred or required format (audiobooks, e-books, paperback, hardcover, etc.) You’re welcome to complete this challenge using whatever format works best for you.
As long as at least one edition fits the prompt, you’re welcome to read that book using any edition, format, translation, etc.
For example, one of the prompts on our 2027 Challenge is “Read by a narrator in Audible’s Hall of Fame.” You do not need to listen to an audiobook. As long as at least one version of the audiobook fits the prompt, you’re welcome to read that book in paperback, hardcover, ebook, live reading from the author, etc.
When are mini-challenges released?
It’s a surprise! Mini-challenges are released randomly throughout the year. Some months have mini-challenges. Some don’t! They can be released at any time during the month, not just the first week.
The best way to ensure you don’t miss a mini-challenge is to sign up for e-mails. We’ll send an e-mail as soon as a new one is released. You can also double-check (and see all our past mini-challenges) by visiting the Mini-Challenge section of our website, here.
When is the new challenge released?
Challenges for the following year are usually released sometime in November. The exact date is always a surprise. We’ve released it as early as the first week in November and as late as the last. We recommend signing up for e-mails so you’re notified as soon as the new challenge drops.
When does the challenge start?
The challenge begins on January 1st of each year. It runs until December 31st of that same year.
Can I start before January 1st?
The challenge is released in November but doesn’t officially begin until January 1st.
While we encourage everyone to start together on January 1st, some participants do start early. This may be particularly helpful for those who aren’t sure if they can read fifty-two books in one year and want a jump start. Other participants might begin a really long read towards the end of December, knowing that they won’t actually finish it until January.
As always, it’s ultimately your decision when you start the challenge.
I’m an author. I’ve been contacted by The 52 Book Club about author promotion. Is this legitimate?
We are aware of a scam circulating within the author’s community, in which unknown individuals are impersonating The 52 Book Club and/or its team for profit. We are not contacting authors directly at this time. Any direct one-on-one contact from an individual claiming to be from “The 52 Book Club” is a scam. Please do not respond.
We will also never request fees for individual author promotion within the group.
While approaches vary, the scam usually involves promises of author promotion through author awards, reading pools, or curated placement on the 2026 or 2027 Challenges. This is not an authentic email, and we do not run author promotion events as described. We are sickened by this attempt to prey on authors and absolutely condemn these actions. We are not affiliated with these individuals in any way.
For more information, visit our “For Authors & Publishers” page here.