Participating in the 2026 Reading Challenge? Add interest to your reading life with a book lover’s scavenger hunt. Plot twist: instead of collecting items, you will collect book-related experiences. Complete the required number in each of the four categories below by December 11, 2026 for an extra entry in the year-end Grand Prize drawing! Submission form will be available on this page mid-year.
READING LIFE
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Share a book review. When you submit a title for each category, you can add a short book review (3-5 sentences) letting others know why they should—or shouldn’t—read it too.
Share a favorite quote from a book. Ditto above.
Read aloud to someone. Read a book or short story to someone too young to read independently, or a teacher, friend, or family member. There is no age limit on sharing a good story together!
Make a recipe (or dine at a restaurant) inspired by food described in a book, because (let’s be honest) some books just make you hungry.
Try a new activity or hobby inspired by something you read in a book.
Recommend a book to a friend or on the Facebook group.
Read a book that a friend recommended to you.
Re-read a favorite book, because the best books are worth reading again.
Watch a movie based on a book.
Give someone a book as a gift.
Read three poems by the same poet.
Start a commonplace book. Commonplace books date back to Middle Ages, and keeping one is still a popular practice today. It is a way for readers to collect inspiring quotes, passages, lists, notes, and other important information together in one notebook (or computer file, or anywhere else you want to keep it; President Ronald Regan kept his quotes on notecards that he organized by subject).
Start a reading notebook. If a commonplace book isn’t for you, consider keeping a simple log of all the books you read each year. The books we read over the course of a lifetime tell their own story—our story. And on a practical level, it’s handy to have record to consult when you can’t remember that one book or author you read two years ago.
ALL THE WAYS AND PLACES
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Read a book in bed. Bonus points if you know the ridiculous word for a person who reads in bed—no Googling! (Hint: it comes from a book on our curated reading list for “A Book About Books.”)
Read a great book in the great outdoors. Take a book camping, hunting, fishing, or on vacation.
Read a book in public. Take a book to your next dental appointment and read in the waiting room. Read in the library. Read while waiting in line. Keep a book handy and you’ll be surprised at how much reading you can do—and it’s more rewarding than phone scrolling.
Read in community. Participate in a book club at the library, your church, with a friend (or a handful of friends), or even your family. Reading together creates wonderful memories!
Listen to a book on audio.
Listen to a podcast episode about books. Don’t have a favorite bookish podcast? Here are a few staff recommendations if you need suggestions:
- The Literary Life Podcast
- What Should I Read Next? (Anne Bogel)
- The Close Reads Podcast
- The Well-Read Poem
- The Slightly Foxed Podcast
- The Play’s the Thing (all the Shakespeare plays)
- Withywindle Podcast (kids)
- Read-Aloud Revival (kids/families)
LITERARY PILGRIMS
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Feel free to share a photo of your literary pilgrimages with us via email or the Facebook group. Optional but welcome!
Attend a library book social. Details TBA.
Attend a library event.
Visit a book store.
Attend an author event (book signing, school visit, talk, webinar, etc.).
Visit another library.
Visit a museum or historical site relating to a famous author. Here’s a short list of literary landmarks in Wisconsin and Minnesota, but if you happen to be traveling further afield this year, you aren’t limited to these:
- The Caddie Woodlawn Park | Menomonie, WI
- Sterling North Society Home and Museum | Egerton, WI
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Replica House | Minneapolis, MN
- Laura Ingalls Wilder | Pepin, WI
- Maud Hart Lovelace Betsy and Tacy Houses | Mankato, MN
- Aldo Leopold Center | Baraboo, WI
- Sinclair Lewis Boyhood Home & Carriage House | Sauk Centre, MN
- Orson Welles Birthplace Marker | Kenosha, WI
Go to a library sale. Library sales are a great way to find gently used books, movies, CDs, puzzles, games and more. The Boyceville Public Library will be holding a book sale during Picklefest in 2026, but libraries across the state have book sales throughout the year. You can find many on Book Sale Finder.
Go to a live performance based on a book. Shakespeare is king, of course, but any play or musical based on a book will count. Tip: Boyceville High School will be performing “Mary Poppins” in the spring.
TECH-SAVVY READERS
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Not very tech-savvy? That’s okay, we are here to help you learn!
Sign up for a library card.
Update your Library Registration Card. Keep your information up-to-date and take advantage of some new options: allow specific friends and family members to pick up your holds, and set internet use and borrowing limits on your child’s account.
Put a book on hold via MORE online. Need a book that our library doesn’t have? No problem, you can place holds from your MORE account online. If you need help, read this (website) or call the library for assistance.
Join the Facebook group set up for the reading challenge and leave 3 posts/comments.
Listen to a book on audio. Audiobooks are great companions for commutes, road trips, or even a walk. If you haven’t downloaded the Libby app yet—a free digital library you can carry in your pocket—get started here.
Take a photo of your current reading stack and post it to the Facebook group or email it to the library.
Take a photo of your favorite book shelf and post it to the Facebook group or email it to the library.