2022 Extreme Reader Categories
1. A book about an historical figure, opens a new window
2. A book about or including a wedding, opens a new window
3. A book about starting over, opens a new window
4. A book cover that has your favorite color on it
5. A book cover that shows a person from behind, opens a new window
6. A book from a genre you don’t normally read
7. A book from ALA’s Challenged Books lists, opens a new window
8. A book from one of these two celebrity book clubs: Oprah’s Book Club or the Read with Jenna Book Club, opens a new window
9. A book of your own choosing
10. A book published in 2022 (Fiction) (Volume 1, opens a new window) (Volume 2, opens a new window) (Volume 3, opens a new window)
11. A book published in 2022 (Non-fiction) (booklists released quarterly for this category duo!)
12. A book published more than ten years ago, opens a new window
13. A book set in a restaurant, opens a new window
14. A book set in a school, opens a new window
15. A book set in the Caribbean, opens a new window
16. A book set on the East Coast of the United States, opens a new window
17. A book set outdoors, opens a new window
18. A book set somewhere you want to visit
19. A book that begins with a disappearance, opens a new window
20. A book that centers a refugee’s experience, opens a new window
21. A book that discusses body positivity, opens a new window
22. A book that focuses on mental health, opens a new window
23. A book that fulfills a category from a previous Extreme Reader challenge year, opens a new window
24. A book that involves time travel, opens a new window
25. A book that makes you think, “Just one more chapter!”
26. A book that takes place in a country that starts with the letter A, opens a new window
27. A book that takes place in a magical world, opens a new window
28. A book with a beverage in the title, opens a new window
29. A book with a cardinal direction (north, south, east, west) in the title, opens a new window
30. A book with a character who works in a library, opens a new window
31. A book with a day of the week in the title, opens a new window
32. A book with a five-star rating in the TPL catalog, opens a new window (access link for directions!)
33. A book with a heart, club, diamond, or spade shape on the cover, opens a new window
34. A book with a number from one through twelve in the title, opens a new window
35. A book with a protagonist who has a pet cat, opens a new window
36. A book with a protagonist who has your dream job
37. A book with a robot, cyborg, or artificial intelligence, opens a new window
38. A book with a snake on the cover, opens a new window
39. A book with a star on the cover, opens a new window
40. A book with a title structure of “The _____’s _____”, opens a new window
41. A book with best friends, opens a new window
42. A book with the name of a color in the title, opens a new window
43. A book written by an Asian American author, opens a new window
44. A book written by an author whose first or last names begins with T, P, or L, opens a new window
45. A book written by an author whose last name is six letters or more, opens a new window
46. A book written by one of your favorite authors
47. A book written by multiple authors, opens a new window
48. A book written by someone who is no longer living, opens a new window
49. A fantasy book inspired by the Middle East, Southeast, or South Asia, opens a new window
50. A horror or paranormal story, opens a new window
51. A Jane Austen novel, or a retelling or adaptation of one, opens a new window
52. A locked-room mystery, opens a new window
53. A philosophical literature or philosophy book, opens a new window
54. A southern gothic novel, opens a new window
55. A space opera, opens a new window
2021 Extreme Reader Categories
- A book about climate change, opens a new window
- A book about music or musicians, opens a new window
- A book about or involving social media use, opens a new window
- A book about or with art or museums, opens a new window
- A book about or written by a journalist, opens a new window
- A book about or written by a woman in STEM, opens a new window
- A book about social justice, opens a new window
- A book about the American Civil War, opens a new window
- A book in which a natural disaster takes place, opens a new window
- A book of your own choosing
- A book published in the year you were born
- A book set in a city that has hosted the Olympics, opens a new window
- A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent, opens a new window
- A book set in Ireland, opens a new window
- A book set on a mode of transportation, opens a new window
- A book that passes the Bechdel Test, opens a new window
- A book that takes place during the 1920s, opens a new window
- A book that takes place during the Middle Ages, opens a new window
- A book that takes place during winter, opens a new window
- A book where the characters save (or attempt to save) the world, opens a new window
- A book with a book on the cover, opens a new window
- A book with a character who is older than you
- A book with a glyph in the title, opens a new window
- A book with a heist in it, opens a new window
- A book with a map, opens a new window
- A book with a medical professional, opens a new window
- A book with a metallic cover, opens a new window
- A book with a person’s name in the title, opens a new window
- A book with a royal moniker in the title, opens a new window
- A book with a skull on the cover, opens a new window
- A book with a title featuring repeating words, opens a new window
- A book with an unlikely pair, opens a new window
- A book with crafting or related to the Do-It-Yourself “DIY” movement, opens a new window
- A book with military personnel, opens a new window
- A book with one of the four elements (Fire, Water, Earth, Air) in the title, opens a new window
- A book with only words on the cover, opens a new window
- A book with parents or parental figures in it, opens a new window
- A book written by a South American author, opens a new window
- A book written by an author that uses an initial(s) in their name , opens a new window
- A book written by an author you’ve never read before
- A book written in the first person, opens a new window
- A book you finished in one day
- A Goodreads Choice Awards winner (Adult Fiction list, opens a new window | Teen & Adult Non-fiction list, opens a new window)
- A legal thriller, opens a new window
- A magical realism book, opens a new window
- A play, opens a new window
- A prequel or a sequel to another book or series, opens a new window
- A Pulitzer Prize winning or finalist book from the non-fiction category, opens a new window
- An Afro Futurism book, opens a new window
- An alternate history book, opens a new window
- An anthology book, opens a new window
- An antiracist book, opens a new window
- Reread a favorite book
- Two books that share the same title, opens a new window (Title A)
- Two books that share the same title, opens a new window (Title B)
2020 Extreme Reader Categories
- A book about or set during World War II (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book about politics or politicians (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book based on a real person (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book commonly assigned to read in high school (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book from a LibraryReads list (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book of your own choosing
- A book over 500 pages (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book published when the author was under 35 years old (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book recommended by library staff or an independent bookseller (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book revolving around a puzzle or a game (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book set in outer space (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book set in the state or country where you were born
- A book suggested by a person younger than you
- A book that inspired a common phrase or idiom (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book that takes place during a single day (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book that takes place in a country outside of the United States (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book that takes place in multiple time periods (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book translated from its original language (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book under 200 pages (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with a bookstore in it (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with a brewery or winery in it (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with a character who has a superpower (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with a circus in it (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with a large cast of characters (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with a number in the title (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with a planet in the title (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with a punny title (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with an amateur detective (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with an anti-hero or anti-heroine (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with an image of a feather on the cover (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with an image of a sword on the cover (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with an LGBTQIA+ protagonist (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with drawings, diagrams, photos, or pictures in it (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with siblings in it (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with sports in it (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with the name of a month in the title (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with the word “Book” in the title (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with the word “Extreme” or “Reader” in the title (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with the word “Salty”, “Sweet”, “Spicy”, or “Bitter” in the title (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book written by a celebrity (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book written by a woman of color (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book written by an author with an alliterative name (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book written by an Indigenous author (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book written by an LGBTQIA+ author (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book you have purposefully avoided reading
- A book you meant to read in 2019
- A collection of essays (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A Michael L. Printz winner or honor book (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A non-fiction and fiction book about the same topic (non-fiction book) (printable list, opens a new window)
- A non-fiction and fiction book about the same topic (fiction book) (printable list, opens a new window)
- A true crime or crime fiction novel (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- An historical fiction novel (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- An “own voices” book (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- Read a book in a format you don’t normally read
- The first book in a series (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
2019 Extreme Reader Categories
- A book suggested by another Extreme Reader
- A book with a female protagonist, opens a new window
- A Hugo Award winner or nominee, opens a new window
- A beach read, opens a new window
- A book set in the South, opens a new window
- A western, opens a new window
- A collection of short stories, opens a new window
- A book set somewhere you’ve never been, opens a new window
- A book you own but have never read
- A book with food in it, opens a new window
- A book with royalty in it, opens a new window
- A graphic novel, opens a new window
- A book with a birthday in it, opens a new window
- A love story, opens a new window
- A dystopian novel, opens a new window
- A book about books, opens a new window
- A sad book, opens a new window
- A book set in Washington, opens a new window
- A book inspired by another literary work, opens a new window
- A book with X, Y, or Z in the title, opens a new window
- A book from a library display
- A book with a lifestyle different from your own
- A book with a character you intensely dislike
- A nonfiction book, opens a new window
- A book with garden in the title, opens a new window
- A book with a red cover, opens a new window
- A book with a mental illness, opens a new window
- A book by a Washington author, opens a new window
- An autobiography, opens a new window
- A book with a season in the title, opens a new window
- A book with a floral cover, opens a new window
- A book published posthumously, opens a new window
- A book with a one-word title, opens a new window
- A book you choose based entirely on its cover, opens a new window
- An epistolary book, opens a new window
- A book you love … read it again!
- A wildcard book
- A book on the Great American Read list, opens a new window
- A retelling or reimagining of a story, opens a new window
- A paperback book
- A book with an animal in the title, opens a new window
- A book with a city in the title, opens a new window
- A mystery or thriller, opens a new window
- Listen to an audiobook, opens a new window
- A book published this year
- A book made into a movie or TV show, opens a new window
- A book with a witch in it, opens a new window
- A book with multiple narrators, opens a new window
- A book of poetry, opens a new window
- A book that is a modern classic, opens a new window
- An author’s first book, opens a new window
- A literary novel, opens a new window
- A popular book you never got around to reading
- A book written by two authors, opens a new window
- A book you never finished
