Reading Challenge 2020

This year, Toronto Public Library challenges you to read outside your comfort zone. Read or listen to 12 books in 12 categories from January to December 2020 to complete the 2020 Reading Challenge.

• Reading Challenge form
• How to participate
• The Challenge
• The Advanced Challenge
• What other participants are reading
• Join the Facebook group
• Reading Challenge programs at library branches
• Rules & FAQ

Reading Challenge form

Download the fillable, printable Reading Challenge form (PDF), view the categories below, or pick up a copy at any library branch.

Download the PDF Challenge Form

How to participate

1. Read widely. Try books you wouldn’t normally read, in any format you like, and interpret the categories as broadly as you’d like.
2. Track your reading. You can use the Borrowing History or Saved Lists features in Your Account, or any other method that works for you.
3. Connect with other readers. Join the discussion on Facebook, or come to a Reading Challenge event.
4. Win prizes. Share your booklist at the end of 2020 to be entered into a random draw for a prize pack.

The Challenge

Read or listen to 12 books in 12 categories in 12 months.

We'll be posting recommendations for each category over the course of the year in the order they're listed here:

Categories

• A book that is older than you
• A book about a real person
• A book originally written in a language other than your first language
• A book by an Indigenous author
• A book that made you laugh
• A book you picked because you liked the cover or the title*
• A book that celebrates books, reading or libraries
• A book about something that scares you
• A book under 200 pages long/ An audiobook under 5 hours long*
• A book you consider a classic
• A book you found helpful
• A book that you would like to live in

The Advanced Challenge

Up for more? Read or listen to 14 more books to complete the Advanced Challenge.

• A book told from multiple points of view
• A book written by someone who is more famous for something else
• A book of short stories or essays
• A book from an independent publisher or self-published author
• A book for young adults
• A dystopian or utopian book
• A book based on a fairy tale, myth or legend
• A book about current events
• A book about climate change
• A book about history
• An experimental or unusual book
• A book related to vision (because it's 2020, get it?)
• Two books on the same topic by different authors

*We have updated these categories to make them more accessible for people with visual impairments. We apologize for our initial lack of inclusion.

Join the Facebook group

Share reading recommendations with fellow readers.

Upcoming events

• Reading Challenge Online Book Discussion

  Tue Jul 07, 2020 5:00 pm - 5:45 pm

  Join us for a TPL Reading Challenge discussion all about books! Our hosts Christie and Jennifer will hold a live online event to talk about their progress in the Challenge, share favourites they've read this year in different...

• Cancelled: Reading Challenge Meetup

  7:00 pm - 8:00 pm on recurring dates listed below
  Location: Northern District

  *In our continued efforts to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Toronto Public Library is cancelling all in-branch programs through to August 31, 2020.* Meet and connect with other book lovers, discuss your fav...

  Upcoming Dates:

  • Wed Sep 02
  • Wed Oct 07

All Reading Challenge events