The POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2024 was a 50-prompt reading list that ran from January 1 through December 31, 2024. Completing all 50 was optional: readers could choose a smaller target, add books throughout the year, join late, or change their goal. Because 2024 has ended, this is now a guide to a completed, historical challenge—not an open sign-up for current participation.
The useful way to approach the list is as a menu rather than a requirement. Pick prompts that lead you toward books you genuinely want to read, use a tracker to prevent duplicate or forgotten assignments, and verify unusual categories before counting a book.
What was the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2024?
The 2024 challenge was the ninth edition identified in POPSUGAR’s printable materials. It offered 50 prompts divided into 45 regular categories and five advanced categories. The prompts ranged from broad reading experiences—such as a book from a genre you normally avoid—to highly specific puzzles involving the number 24.
Readers were not required to read 50 books. A participant could set a goal of five, 10, 24, or any other number and choose prompts accordingly. Some readers selected their entire list in January; others chose books as they encountered recommendations. Community discussions on Goodreads added recommendation threads, monthly progress conversations, and completion posts, but community participation was not a requirement of the challenge.
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The original POPSUGAR article is no longer the most dependable surviving reference because its former URL redirects to the wider POPSUGAR site. The official printable PDF and an archived Goodreads discussion reproducing the prompt list are the most useful records for the 2024 edition.
The 45 regular POPSUGAR Reading Challenge prompts
Here is the complete regular list. A book may satisfy more than one prompt, although many readers prefer to assign each book to only one category so that the challenge creates more variety.
- A book with the word “leap” in the title
- A bildungsroman or coming-of-age story
- A book about a 24-year-old
- A book about a writer
- A book about K-pop
- A book about pirates
- A book about women’s sports and/or by a woman athlete
- A book by a blind or visually impaired author
- A book by a deaf or hard-of-hearing author
- A book by a self-published author
- A book from a genre the reader typically avoids
- A book from an animal’s point of view
- A book originally published under a pen name
- A book recommended by a bookseller
- A book recommended by a librarian
- A book set 24 years before the reader was born
- A book set in a travel destination on the reader’s bucket list
- A book set in space
- A book set in the future
- A book set in the snow
- A book published in a year ending in “24”
- A book centered on video games
- A book featuring dragons
- A book taking place over 24 hours
- A book published 24 years ago
- A book that was turned into a musical
- A book in which someone dies in the first chapter
- A book with a 42-year-old main character
- A book with a neurodivergent main character
- A book with a one-word title the reader had to look up in a dictionary
- A book with a title that is a complete sentence
- A book with an enemies-to-lovers plot
- A book with an unreliable narrator
- A book with at least three points of view
- A book featuring magical realism
- A book written by an incarcerated or formerly incarcerated person
- A book written during NaNoWriMo
- A cozy fantasy book
- A fiction book by a trans or nonbinary author
- A horror book by a BIPOC author
- A memoir exploring queerness
- A nonfiction book about Indigenous people
- A second-chance romance
- An autobiography by a woman in rock ’n’ roll
- An LGBTQ+ romance novel
The five advanced prompts
The advanced section was designed for readers who wanted a more exacting scavenger hunt. These categories can require extra bibliographic research, so do not feel obligated to use them.
- A book in which a character sleeps for more than 24 hours
- A book with 24 letters in the title
- A collection containing at least 24 poems
- The 24th book by an author
- A book that starts with the letter “X”
How to complete the challenge without reading 50 books
1. Choose your actual target
Start with the number of books you can realistically finish, not the number of prompts on the page. A smaller goal is a valid way to take the challenge. For example, you might choose 12 prompts—one for each month—or select only categories that expose you to unfamiliar genres, authors, or perspectives.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Do not treat the list as a pass-or-fail test. The challenge was intentionally flexible, and changing your goal during the year was part of the format. If your original target becomes unrealistic, revise it instead of abandoning the reading entirely.
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2. Build a short list, not a rigid syllabus
For each chosen prompt, keep two or three possible titles. This prevents one unavailable library copy, unexpectedly long novel, or failed interpretation from stopping your progress. Mark each title as a possibility until you have checked the publication details or author information needed for that category.
3. Ask people with local book knowledge
Two prompts specifically ask for a recommendation from a bookseller and a librarian. The point is not merely to find any title online. Ask what book they would recommend for the prompt and record the person’s name, store or library, and date. That creates a clear note showing why the book qualifies.
This is also a useful strategy for the more subjective categories—cozy fantasy, magical realism, second-chance romance, and books from genres you usually avoid. A bookseller or librarian can explain the classification rather than forcing a title into a category because its marketing copy uses a broad label.
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A simple reading log should include:
- prompt number and exact prompt wording;
- book title and author;
- format—print, ebook, or audiobook;
- date started and date finished;
- the reason the book qualifies;
- source used to verify the detail, when necessary;
- rating, notes, and whether you would recommend it.
A dedicated reading journal or book-tracking journal is useful here because it keeps the prompt assignment, reading dates, notes, and progress in one place. A spreadsheet, notes app, or printable page works just as well if you prefer a digital system. The important part is recording the qualifying evidence while it is fresh.
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5. Keep a “proof” note for difficult prompts
Most categories are easy to explain after the fact. The unusual ones are not. Save a publisher page, author biography, interview, catalog record, or other reliable source for claims about NaNoWriMo, self-publication, a pen name, an author’s 24th book, or an author’s disability status. If the evidence is unclear, choose another title rather than relying on a search-result snippet or an assumption.
How to interpret the trickiest prompts
Prompts involving “24”
Several categories use 24 in different ways:
- Set 24 years before the reader was born: subtract 24 from your birth year. This is personal to each participant. If you were born in 1990, for example, the setting year would be 1966.
- Published 24 years ago: for the 2024 challenge, this generally points to a book first published in 2000. Use the original publication year, not the year of a later reprint, translation, anniversary edition, or film tie-in.
- Published in a year ending in “24”: a book first published in 1924, 2024, or another year ending in those digits can qualify, subject to the challenge’s timing and the edition being counted.
- A 24-year-old: the character’s age should be explicit or clearly established in the text or reliable synopsis.
- Over 24 hours of sleep: the character must sleep for more than 24 hours, not merely spend a day in bed or sleep through one night.
- 24 letters in the title: count letters rather than spaces and punctuation unless you have adopted a different rule and apply it consistently. Titles with subtitles, articles, accents, numerals, or alternate editions can produce different totals, so record exactly which title form you counted.
- At least 24 poems: an anthology, chapbook, or collection must contain 24 or more poems. Check the table of contents rather than estimating from page count.
- The author’s 24th book: decide whether you are counting novels only, all books, books written alone, or books published under every name. Bibliographies can differ, so use the author’s own bibliography or a reputable publisher or library record and note your counting method.
Identity and authorship prompts
The prompts about blind or visually impaired authors, deaf or hard-of-hearing authors, trans or nonbinary authors, BIPOC authors, Indigenous people, and queer experience should be handled with care. Do not infer an identity from a character, photograph, rumor, or stereotype. Use the author’s own public biography or a reliable profile, and avoid treating a medical or cultural identity as a puzzle to solve.
The same care applies to the prompt for a book by an incarcerated or formerly incarcerated person. Verify that the author, rather than a character or subject, fits the prompt. For the K-pop, women’s sports, Indigenous nonfiction, and rock ’n’ roll autobiography prompts, check that the subject or author relationship is central enough to the book to make the assignment meaningful.
Publication-history prompts
- Self-published author: look for evidence that the book was independently published by the author or through a self-publishing route, rather than merely issued by a small or independent press.
- Originally published under a pen name: verify the original publication history. A current edition may use a real name, a pseudonym, or both.
- Written during NaNoWriMo: the strongest evidence is an author statement, publisher biography, or interview. A book published in November is not automatically a NaNoWriMo book.
- Turned into a musical: distinguish a stage musical adapted from the book from a musical film or a play. A reliable production, publisher, or theater source should identify the adaptation.
- 24th book by an author: count according to a defensible bibliography, especially if the writer has published nonfiction, children’s books, novellas, collaborations, or books under multiple names.
Genre and narrative prompts
For an unreliable narrator, the narrator’s account should be materially untrustworthy or misleading—not simply limited or first-person. For at least three points of view, count distinct narrators or clearly separated viewpoint characters, not every minor perspective in a brief scene.
Magical realism generally places extraordinary or magical elements inside an otherwise recognizable everyday world, while cozy fantasy usually emphasizes a gentler, comfort-oriented fantasy experience. These categories overlap with other genres, so publisher descriptions and knowledgeable recommendations can help.
For “a book with a one-word title the reader had to look up in a dictionary,” the prompt is personal: the word should be unfamiliar to you, and you should actually look it up. Save the definition or a note about what you learned. A title that is a complete sentence should read as a grammatical sentence, normally including an implied or explicit subject and verb; a title that is merely a phrase does not necessarily qualify.
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A practical reading plan for a flexible challenge
| Goal | Suggested approach | Best prompt mix |
|---|---|---|
| 5 books | Choose the five categories that genuinely interest you. | One recommendation prompt, one unfamiliar genre, and three personal choices. |
| 12 books | Read roughly one book per month. | Mix accessible categories with a few that require research. |
| 24 books | Use the number as a midpoint rather than trying to double it. | Choose 20 regular prompts and four advanced prompts if desired. |
| 50 books | Plan ahead and maintain a backup title for difficult categories. | Reserve time early for the publication-history and identity-specific prompts. |
A balanced list might combine a short memoir, a graphic novel or novella if the category allows it, an audiobook for a busy month, a long-form novel for a vacation, and one or two books borrowed from a library. The challenge does not require every book to be newly purchased or read in hardcover.
Formats, libraries, and audiobooks
The prompt list is about the book, not about owning a particular physical edition. Depending on library and challenge rules, readers may use print books, ebooks, or audiobooks. For an audiobook, make sure the work itself satisfies the prompt; the narrator’s identity or performance does not automatically satisfy an author-based category.
Listening can make a difficult schedule more manageable during commuting, exercise, or household work. An audiobook version is particularly practical for a long novel or memoir, but retain the same title and qualification note in your tracker. Availability differs by country, library system, and format.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What not to assume
- POPSUGAR did not require every participant to complete all 50 prompts.
- A book suggested by another reader is not automatically an official POPSUGAR selection.
- A title can fit a prompt without being endorsed by POPSUGAR.
- A later edition’s publication date does not necessarily satisfy a prompt based on the original publication year.
- Search engines, retailer categories, and user-generated lists are starting points, not always proof.
- The 2024 challenge is not an active 2026 registration opportunity. Readers looking for a current annual challenge should use a current POPSUGAR announcement rather than treating this archived list as ongoing.
A printable tracker layout
Whether you print a page or create a spreadsheet, use one row per prompt with these columns:
Prompt | Title | Author | Format | Started | Finished | Why it qualifies | Verification note | RatingFor a paper reading journal, reserve an extra page for “prompt evidence.” Write down the publication year, setting year, character age, number of viewpoints, poem count, or author biography detail before moving the book to “complete.” At the end, add a summary of the number of prompts attempted, books completed, favorite discovery, most difficult category, and prompts you would carry into a future reading list.
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Where the community fit in
Goodreads discussion threads provided a social layer for the challenge: readers exchanged recommendations, posted monthly updates, and celebrated completion. That structure can be recreated anywhere—through a library book club, a group chat, a reading journal, or a monthly online discussion. A community is most useful when it shares alternatives and verification help rather than treating one interpretation as the only valid answer.
For a documentary-focused audience, the nonfiction prompts offer an especially natural route into the list: nonfiction about Indigenous people, a memoir exploring queerness, an autobiography by a woman in rock ’n’ roll, or a book about women’s sports can pair well with documentary viewing. A film adaptation can prompt a comparison between the book’s structure and the documentary or scripted production, but watching a film alone does not complete a reading prompt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2024 require 50 books?
No. The 50 prompts were optional. Readers could choose a smaller target, join after January, select books as they went, and change their goal during the year.
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No. The 2024 challenge ran from January 1 through December 31, 2024, so it is historical. Its prompt list can still be used as a personal reading project, but it is not a current 2026 sign-up.
Can one book count for more than one prompt?
The open-ended list does not require readers to use a unique book for every category. You can count one book in multiple ways, although assigning one prompt per book usually creates more variety.
What year counts as “published 24 years ago” for the 2024 challenge?
The straightforward calculation is 2000, using the book’s original publication year. Check whether you are looking at a reprint, translation, anniversary edition, or other later version.
How can I verify the difficult prompts?
Use the author’s own biography or bibliography, a publisher page, a library catalog, an author interview, or another reliable bibliographic source. Keep a note explaining why the book qualifies, especially for NaNoWriMo, self-publication, pen names, identity-based categories, and the author’s 24th book.
The Bottom Line
The best way to use the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2024 now is as a flexible 50-prompt reading menu. Choose a realistic number, ask librarians and booksellers for discoveries, track the evidence for unusual categories, and change the plan when your reading life changes. Finishing fewer than 50 prompts still means the challenge served its purpose: helping you find books you might not otherwise have read.
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