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SURPRISE! We know how much you hate waiting for next year’s challenge. But wait no more! You asked, and we answered. It’s time for our EARLIEST ever release. The 2027 Challenge is here, and it is glorious.
This year’s challenge was put together by the lovely team of moderators at The 52 Book Club. (Plus a blueberry prompt contribution from my eleven-year-old.) I entrusted this 2027 challenge into their very capable hands, and they absolutely nailed it.
Our 2027 prompts are fairly straightforward, but if you have questions, don’t forget to check out the challenge guide at the bottom of this page!
This 2027 Challenge might look tricky at first, but we know you’re up for the extra challenge! With prompts like “Set in the 1500s of the Dewey Decimal System” or “Written exclusively in punctuation marks,” this is the perfect opportunity to expand your literary horizons.
This year’s prompts are:
1. Related to the word “hufgssiey”
2. A book that takes place in the inner ear
3. A book set on exoplanet Cayahuanca
4. An unillustrated picture book
5. Title has 0 syllables
6. Published in an alternate universe
7. Written in the 5th person
8. Has no opening sentence
9. More than 500 pages but fewer than 400
10. A book not yet written
11. Released on the 32nd of the month
12. The main character doesn’t exist
13. Any book by Alexander the Great
14. A book that literally never ends
15. Hybrid of 100+ genres
16. A toddler’s autobiography
17. Recommended by a mythological creature named Hank
18. Author’s photo: smiling with teeth
19. Audiobook read and listened to in a language you don’t understand
20. Makes you want to cry and eat a frozen blueberry
21. A biography about a fictional person
22. Printed with invisible ink
23. A scientific dissertation on a discovery not yet made
24. A book read upside down
25. Author hasn’t been born yet
26. Nothing on the front or back cover
27. Written exclusively in punctuation marks
28. Quoted dialogue from exactly 97 characters
29. Gifted to you by an imaginary friend
30. Finished on a day that doesn’t end in Y
31. A genre-ending read
32. Borrowed from the Library of Alexandria
33. Author’s first, middle, and last name are the same (Smith Smith Smith)
34. Includes no pages
35. Award-winning book from 2038
36. Four-word title: each word starts with X
37. Set in the 1500’s of the Dewey Decimal system
38. A book you start at 12/31/2027 at 11:55 pm
39. A 300-page book you read in under 3 minutes
40. A rhymeless word in the title
41. Written on a stone tablet
42. Knock, knock. Who’s there?
43. Written & illustrated by the family pet
44. Read and fully understand Finnegan’s Wake
45. Complete all the prompts again, but read the books backwards
46. Non-fiction about centaur’s mating habits
47. Scratch and sniff chapter titles
48. Spine is a colour not from the visible spectrum
49. Reverse personal development
50. An audiobook recorded in the 19th century
51. Set in the 2000s but written in a dead language
52. Your 2027th read in 2027!
Don’t forget to share any challenge reads on your socials and tag @the52bookclub or use #the52bookclub2027 — we love to see what you’re reading! As always, this challenge officially begins on January 2, so use the next few months to prep and plan.
Ways to make this challenge more difficult:
- Try completing these prompts inside out
- Randomly draw prompts from a sealed jar
- Complete the challenge twice: once on land, once underwater
- Only use books recommended by Jane Austen
In order to get the fullest possible experience, we encourage you to let these prompts speak for themselves and take this challenge quite literally. Avoid creative interpretations at all costs. After all, “Your challenge, our rules!”
Have questions about this challenge? Check out the challenge guide below for more details.
Happy reading, bookworms!
Challenge Guide: The April 2026 Mini
Happy April Fools, friends! Did we get you? Even just for a moment when you first saw the announcement?
Obviously, we’re not releasing the 2027 Challenge just yet… and certainly not with those prompts. But buried somewhere within this faux 2027 Challenge are three prompts for your April 1st Mini Challenge! So, now, let’s get to the real April challenge!
I’m new here! What are mini-challenges?
Mini-challenges are smaller, month-long reading challenges, typically comprised of three prompts and built around a specific theme. Mini-challenges are released sporadically throughout the year, and not every month has one. Match one book to each of the prompts and have fun reading!
How does this April Mini-Challenge work?
This month, we’ve buried three real (and only slightly ridiculous) prompts in our list of fake prompts. Match one book to each prompt for a total of three mini-challenge reads. (Need help with a prompt? We have a walkthrough below!)
The prompts are:
1) A rhymeless word in the title
2) Author’s photo: Smiling with teeth
3) Knock, knock. Who’s there?
You can see more details about our April Mini-Challenge on YouTube here:
Downloads & Printables:
Don’t forget to share any April reads on your socials and tag @the52bookclub or use #the52bookclub2026 — we love to see what you’re reading!
April Mini-Challenge Stickers:
April Mini-Challenge stickers are available now at PlanItWithStickers.com as a one-time purchase. This optional add-on includes two sticker sheets featuring this month’s mini and is perfect for those who enjoy journaling or using physical trackers to record their mini-challenge reads. You can find all the details at www.planitwithstickers.com!
Prompt Walkthrough:
1) A rhymeless word in the title
For this prompt, we’re looking for books that contain refractory rhymes in the title (a word that doesn’t rhyme with any other word). The word rhyme here is used in the strict sense of not having a perfect rhyme.)
Examples of rhymeless words in English: Orange, Wolf, Worlds, Silver, Secret, Month, Husband, Ninth, Penguin, Olive, Empty, Monster, Problem, Sanction, Angel, Warmth, Wounds, etc. You can find more rhymeless words on Wikipedia, here.
For this prompt, find a title that contains at least one rhymeless word in it. This may be either the main title or subtitle. The rhymeless word may be in any language.
While some of the above words may technically have “old English” perfect rhymes, we would consider them rhymeless if their rhyming words are not used within modern vocabulary. You can get as strict with this as you’d like. As always, if you think a book fits the prompt, it does.
Goodreads List: A rhymeless word in the title
2) Author’s photo: Smiling with teeth
Choose a book written by an author who is grinning widely in their author’s photo — we want to see their teeth! This toothy grin should appear on one of their official author’s photos. This may be found on the back cover, inside book flap, author’s page on Goodreads, Amazon, or other bookseller site, or on their personal webpage.
Authors often update their photos. As long as at least one of their photos shows off their teeth, you can read any book by that author, regardless of how current the photo is.
Goodreads List: Author’s photo: Smiling with teeth
3) Knock, knock. Who’s there?
Get creative with your interpretations with this prompt! Here are two examples of ways to interpret this prompt.
Option One: Treat this like a knock, knock joke, and your book title is the answer. The book title would describe a person. (Examples: The War Librarian, The Keeper of Lost Children, The Widow, The Whisper Man, The Girl in His Shadow, etc).
“Knock, Knock.”
“Who’s there?”
“The Invisible Man” (by HG. Wells).
Option Two: Use the phrases “knock, knock” or “who’s there?” to inspire your book choice. This could be a book with a door on the cover, a book in which a crime is solved by use of a doorbell camera, a scene in the book where the main character keeps hearing ghostly knocks, etc. It could involve a scene in which the main character calls out, “Who’s there?”
It could also relate to the book title and include the words “Knock” or “Who’s there” in the title or subtitle.
Goodreads List: Knock, knock. Who’s there?
Mini-challenge tips:
1) Do I have to complete this challenge in April?
No, feel free to complete this mini-challenge whenever you like. Some members prefer to focus on finishing the main 2026 challenge first, and then go back to complete all the minis afterward. Others enjoy the added challenge of completing mini-challenges in the month they’re released. Do whatever works for you!
2) Is this a part of the main 52 books in 52 weeks challenge?
Yes and no. Mini-challenges are related to our 52 books in 52 weeks challenge, but are also completely optional. Some members may decide to complete the full challenge and all the minis. Other members may choose to skip mini-challenges or to complete some of the minis but not all of them. Some challenge participants might only be joining in for the minis. It’s up to you how (or if) you’d like to participate.
3) Can I use the same books as my 52 book challenge?
It all depends on your personal reading goals! You can choose to read these books in addition to your regular 52 Book Club reads, or you can double up and combine them with prompts still left on your 2026 list. This challenge makes 61 prompts for the year so far. Your challenge, your rules!
Thank you so much for the giggles! Comment below and let us know which of these “2027 prompts” you loved the most? (Another shout-out to our lovely moderators for putting this one together for us all!)