The PS Reading Challenge 2025 has 50 prompts built around transformation: 40 standard prompts and 10 advanced prompts. The advanced prompts are presented as an optional easy-to-hard choose-your-own-adventure path, not simply as 10 additional books every participant must read. Although 2025 has ended, the list remains useful as a flexible standalone reading challenge.
The PS Reading Challenge 2025 has 50 prompts built around transformation: 40 standard prompts and 10 advanced prompts. The advanced prompts are not simply another mandatory block in the official format; POPSUGAR presents them as an optional choose-your-own-adventure path divided into easy, medium, and hard levels. Because 2025 has ended, this is now a past-year challenge, but the prompt list remains useful as a standalone reading project.
PS Reading Challenge 2025 prompt list
Use the wording below as the master checklist. Some prompts are objective, while others—such as “healing fiction,” “happily single,” and “overlooked woman in history”—require a reasonable explanation of why your chosen book qualifies.
Standard prompts 1–10
- A book about a POC experiencing joy and not trauma.
- A book you want to read based on the last sentence.
- A book about space tourism.
- A book with two or more books on the cover or “book” in the title.
- A book with a snake on the cover or in the title.
- A book that fills your favorite prompt from the 2015 PS Reading Challenge.
- A book about a cult.
- A book under 250 pages.
- A book that features a character going through menopause.
- A book you got for free.
Standard prompts 11–20
- A book mentioned in another book.
- A book about a road trip.
- A book rated less than three stars on Goodreads.
- A book about a nontraditional education.
- A book that an AI chatbot recommends based on your favorite book.
- A book set in or around a body of water.
- A book about a run club.
- A book containing magical creatures that aren’t dragons.
- A highly anticipated read of 2025.
- A book that fills a 2024 prompt you would like to do over or try out.
Standard prompts 21–30
- A book where the main character is a politician.
- A book about soccer.
- A book that is considered healing fiction.
- A book with a happily single woman protagonist.
- A book where the main character is an immigrant or refugee.
- A book where an adult character changes careers.
- A book set at a luxury resort.
- A book that features an unlikely friendship.
- A book about a food truck.
- A book that reminds you of your childhood.
Standard prompts 31–40
- A book where music plays an integral part of the storyline.
- A book about an overlooked woman in history.
- A book featuring an activity on your bucket list.
- A book written by an author who is neurodivergent.
- A book centering LGBTQ+ characters that is not about coming out.
- A book with silver on the cover or in the title.
- Two books with the same title (1).
- Two books with the same title (2).
- A classic you have never read.
- A book about chosen family.
Advanced prompts: the optional 10-prompt trail
The advanced section is organized as a choose-your-own-adventure trail. POPSUGAR labels the levels easy, medium, and hard. The safest way to describe the challenge is therefore 40 standard prompts plus 10 optional advanced prompts, rather than claiming that every reader must complete 50 books.
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Easy
- A book by the oldest author in your TBR pile.
- A book with a title that starts with the letter Y.
- A book that includes a nonverbal character.
- A book you have always avoided reading.
Medium
- A book with a left-handed character.
- A book where nature is the antagonist.
- A book of interconnected short stories.
Hard
- A book that features a married couple who do not live together.
- A dystopian book with a happy ending.
- A book that features a character with chronic pain.
What the 2025 challenge is really asking you to do
The theme is transformation, and the prompts encourage it in several different ways. Some ask for stories about people changing—through migration, career changes, menopause, education, or chosen family. Others transform the act of choosing books: you may select a title from its final sentence, ask an AI chatbot for a recommendation, revisit an earlier challenge, or read something you have avoided.
The list also deliberately varies the kind of evidence needed. A snake on a cover, a book under 250 pages, or a title beginning with Y is easy to verify. “Healing fiction,” “happily single,” “overlooked,” and “integral” are interpretive categories. For those, write a brief note explaining your reasoning rather than treating the prompt as a rigid official definition.
How to complete the prompts without creating unnecessary rules
- Start with books you already have. Check your physical shelves, ebooks, library loans, free downloads, and unfinished TBR list. Personal prompts such as “a book you got for free” and “a book you have always avoided reading” are designed to depend on your own reading history.
- Mark the easy matches first. Page count, cover features, title letters, classics, and books already mentioned in another book can often be identified before you choose new titles.
- Keep a second list for subjective prompts. Note why a book fits “healing fiction,” why a woman in history has been overlooked, or how music functions in the storyline.
- Do not confuse a prompt with a required genre. A book about a road trip, food truck, run club, or luxury resort could be fiction or nonfiction unless the prompt itself specifies otherwise.
- Use the advanced prompts as stretch goals. You can work through easy, medium, and hard in order, or choose the level that suits your reading year. The official presentation is a path, not a reason to turn reading into a pass/fail exercise.
Important interpretation notes
| Prompt type | How to document it |
|---|---|
| Goodreads rating below three stars | Record the rating and the date you checked it. Ratings can change, and different editions or formats may display different information. |
| Author who is neurodivergent | Use a reliable public author biography or statement. Do not infer neurodivergence from a character, writing style, diagnosis stereotype, or online rumor. |
| POC experiencing joy and not trauma | Choose a book in which the person of color’s experience is meaningfully centered on joy rather than treating trauma as the defining element of the story. |
| Healing fiction | Explain why the book feels restorative, comforting, or emotionally healing to you. This is a reader-facing category, not a clinical classification. |
| Happily single woman protagonist | Look for a central woman character whose fulfillment is not dependent on finding a romantic partner. A book may still contain romance without making partnership the required resolution. |
| Overlooked woman in history | State which historical woman the book covers and why you consider her overlooked. Avoid implying that a woman is unknown to everyone simply because she is unfamiliar to you. |
| Nature as the antagonist | Nature should function as the principal opposing force—not merely appear as scenery or provide an incidental obstacle. |
| Two books with the same title | Use two distinct books and record both authors. If helpful, also record publication year or edition so you can tell them apart. |
How to handle the two same-title prompts
Prompts 37 and 38 are separate entries, but together they call for two books sharing a title. They do not need to be by the same author, in the same genre, or published in the same year. For example, you might pair two unrelated books with identical titles. Write down each author and enough publication information to prove that you read two different works rather than counting two editions of one book.
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Official tracking resources
POPSUGAR provided five printable resources for the challenge:
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- the PS Pocket Field Guide;
- journal pages;
- a tracker that uses book covers; and
- bookmarks.
The pocket field guide is intended to record the book read, start date, completion date, and rating for each prompt. The journal-page PDF also includes spaces for the prompt number, book selection, notes, start date, and completion date. Those free printables are enough to participate; no special purchase is required.
If you prefer a reusable notebook, an optional reading journal can combine the same fields with room for reviews and a long-term reading history. Treat it as a companion or alternative to the official printables—not as an official POPSUGAR product or a requirement.
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Whether you use the printable pages, a spreadsheet, or a physical book journal, track at least these fields:
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- prompt number;
- prompt wording or a short description;
- book title and author;
- format and source, such as owned, borrowed, library, ebook, or audiobook;
- date started;
- date completed;
- your rating; and
- the specific detail that makes the book qualify.
For the “free” prompt, note where you obtained the book. For the Goodreads prompt, save the rating and date checked. For author-identity prompts, retain the relevant public source. For the two same-title prompts, list both authors. This evidence makes your final checklist easier to audit and prevents a last-minute search through your reading history.
Finding books affordably
The prompts do not require a particular format or retailer. Before buying anything, search your own shelves and check library borrowing options. Depending on your location and the title, library ebooks, audiobooks, physical loans, used books, and subscription access may all help fill the list. Availability, licensing, and subscription terms vary by country and service, so verify them locally.
Book retailers and independent bookstores are most useful when you have narrowed a prompt to a title or theme. Because POPSUGAR does not prescribe a book for each prompt, any recommendation list should be treated as editorial guidance rather than an official reading order.
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Where readers discussed the challenge
POPSUGAR directed participants to the PS Book Club on Facebook and the Ultimate PS Reading Challenge group on Goodreads. These are discussion and participation destinations, not required parts of completion. They can be useful for comparing interpretations of subjective prompts, finding title ideas, and sharing progress.
Is this a 40-book or 50-book challenge?
Officially, the list contains 50 prompts: 40 standard and 10 advanced. However, POPSUGAR presents the advanced prompts as an optional easy-to-hard path. Therefore, a reader who completes the standard section has completed the core portion, while a reader who also takes on the advanced trail can attempt all 50 prompts. If you publish your own rules, label them clearly as your interpretation rather than an official requirement.
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Quick completion checklist
- Download or print the official tracker, field guide, journal pages, cover tracker, or bookmarks.
- Separate the 40 standard prompts from the 10 advanced prompts.
- Match existing books before adding new titles to your TBR.
- Reserve notes for subjective prompts.
- Use two distinct books for the same-title prompts.
- Check Goodreads ratings and author biographies when you select those prompts, and record when you checked them.
- Use the easy, medium, and hard advanced sections as optional stretch goals.
- Record the title, author, dates, format, rating, and qualifying detail for every finished prompt.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books do you need to read for the PS Reading Challenge 2025?
The official list contains 50 prompts: 40 standard prompts and 10 advanced prompts. POPSUGAR presents the advanced prompts as an optional choose-your-own-adventure path divided into easy, medium, and hard levels, so completing all 50 should not automatically be described as mandatory.
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Do you need to buy a special journal for the challenge?
No. POPSUGAR provided free printable resources, including a prompt tracker, pocket field guide, journal pages, a book-cover tracker, and bookmarks. A reading journal is an optional reusable alternative or companion.
How do the two same-title prompts work?
Use two different books with the same title and record both authors. Publication years, editions, or formats can also be noted to make the distinction clear.
How should you complete the Goodreads rating prompt?
Check the rating when you select the book and record the date, since Goodreads ratings can change. If different editions show different information, note which edition or listing you checked.
The Bottom Line
The PS Reading Challenge 2025 is best approached as a flexible 40-prompt core with a 10-prompt advanced adventure trail. Use the official free printables or your own reading journal, document the reasoning behind subjective matches, and do not treat the advanced section as universally mandatory.
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