Tackling the Pile of Shame: A Reading Challenge

keithy23's profile picture keithy23 Host

19 participants (144 books)

01 Jan 202531 Dec 2025

Overview

Have you ever started a book, set it aside, and somehow never picked it back up? Maybe life got busy, the timing wasn’t right, or you just weren’t feeling it. We all have them—those books sitting in our “pile of shame*,” waiting for a second chance.

This year, I’m challenging myself (and anyone who wants to join!) to tackle those unfinished reads. The goal? To finally finish 10 books that I’ve softly DNF’d and give them the attention they deserve.

Whether you’ve got a handful of books you’ve paused on or an entire stack calling your name, this challenge is for anyone who wants to turn unfinished pages into completed stories. Let’s dust off those books and see where the journey takes us—because it’s never too late to finish what we started!

Are you ready to face your pile of shame? Let’s do this together!

*quoted by Emily Fox

Challenge Books

All books added

320 pages2018 13 editions

fiction romance lighthearted medium-paced

384 pages2019 16 editions

nonfiction philosophy psychology self help reflective fast-paced

493 pages2015 183 editions

fiction fantasy lgbtqia+ young adult adventurous dark tense medium-paced

113 pages2022 27 editions

nonfiction lgbtqia+ poetry emotional reflective sad medium-paced

248 pages2007 120 editions

fiction lgbtqia+ literary romance emotional reflective sad slow-paced

320 pages2023 33 editions

fiction magical realism mystery romance adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

411 pages2024 52 editions

fiction contemporary lgbtqia+ romance emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

360 pages1855 264 editions

fiction classics poetry inspiring reflective slow-paced

285 pages2021 1 edition

nonfiction art biography

252 pages1843 12 editions

user-added

fiction classics horror short stories dark mysterious tense slow-paced