Adult Summer Reading Challenge 2025

The Adult Summer Reading Challenge 2025 is here!!! Like our annual reading challenge, Summer Reading Bingo has become a tradition around here. So, Jackie and I have decided to bring it back once again.

We hope that you enjoy this year’s challenge as much as we loved designing it! It’s always a challenge we work on years in advance in the hopes that it will inspire your reading and diversify the genres you dive into.

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2025 Adult Summer Reading Challenge

2025 Adult Summer Reading Challenge Bingo Prompts

Looking for book suggestions for each of the prompts? I’ve got you covered with the list below.

Some of the accompanying book lists are coming out in the months ahead, so check back for an update. Happy Reading!

Reading Challenge Rules

The 2025 adult summer reading challenge runs from May 1, 2025 to September 1, 2025.

I realize that reading 24 books between Memorial Day and Labor Day is a little bit of a stretch, so Summer Reading Bingo starts on May 1. If you are crafty, your book choices might be able to fill more than one box, but no more than 2!

If you are playing the 2025 reading challenge too, you will notice that the March, April, and May prompts are each part of this challenge. You can use the same book on both boards.

How to Play

In order to play along with the 2025 adult summer reading challenge, you will need to screenshot the template over on Instagram or download it right from this page (right-click to save the image). In summer bingo, you can fill multiple prompts with the same book!

When you complete a book, upload your board to stories by adding text or an image of the book you read over the prompt. Feel free to tag @beyondthebookends as you fill in the books along the way. We are looking forward to sharing everyone’s boards all fall long!

If you subscribe to the Beyond the Bookends newsletter, each quarter a free magazine is published featuring reading challenge picks and new release highlights. Many of the prompts on this bingo board are in the magazine as well!

Summer Reading Challenge 2025 Prizes

What are the prizes you might be asking? Well if you get a standard bingo (1 line, any direction), you will be entered to win $25 to Bookshop.org. If you fill the entire board, you are eligible to win the jackpot prize – a one year Membership to the Beyond he Bookends Book Club and a $50 giftcard to Bookshop.org.

The contest is open to USA participants only. The contest ends at 11:59 pm on September 2nd. The winner will be chosen by an online giveaway picker and notified via direct message. The giveaway is not affiliated with Instagram or Bookshop.org.

You can also track your challenge on Storygraph! – Storygraph Summer 2025 Reading Challenge

Helpful Tips

From April 21 – 28, our Instagram community will be voting on book suggestions to create an ideal board of both popular picks and sleeper picks. Feel free to join the voting!
The results from voting will be saved in highlights for reference throughout the reading challenge time frame.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best reading challenge for summer?

The Beyond the Bookends 2025 adult summer reading challenge! Played over 4 months, this 24-prompt challenge is a fun, engaging challenge that will jumpstart your summer reading.

Do I need to play the reading challenge on Instagram?

No! Feel free to email us at hello@beyondthebookends.com to show us your progress. Or, you can email us and tell us which books you chose for the prompts. We cannot wait to see which books you read.

Do I need to use the books you recommend for the challenge?

You don’t need to use one of the suggestions to complete the board. Feel free to read any book that works for the prompt. But let me know on those pages what you are reading that I didn’t highlight! I am always looking to add more books to the book lists.

Epilogue

Are you inspired to participate in the 2025 Summer Reading Challenge for Adults? I hope so! It’s our favorite challenge of the whole year. Let me know below which of these prompts is your favorite, and feel free to suggest prompts for future reading challenges!