Welcome to the ultimate books-about-books reading challenge, where you'll delve into the history of the book, explore the many facets of book culture—from printing and publishing to libraries and book clubs—and read works of fiction centered around books, libraries, and bookish characters from every major genre!

The challenge consists of 20 prompts, giving roughly equal weight to fiction and nonfiction. The first 10 are geared toward nonfiction, while prompts 13 and onward focus on fiction—though several of the early themes could work just as well for fiction, if that’s your preference! You'll find more details and book recommendations under each challenge prompt.

I’ve also taken this opportunity to start a book club for fellow bibliophiles here on TSG—Marginalia. Feel free to join, share the link with your bookish friends, and perhaps we can kick things off by picking one of the prompts below for a readalong ✨️