Summer Reading Challenges for Adults Who Still Miss Getting Personal Pan Pizza Prizes

Remember when we were kids, and we used to get rewards for summer reading? Like, you know, personal pan pizzas? For a lot of us, if we reflect on where our obsession with books began, it probably started with those summer reading challenges. Well, good news: Pizza Hut’s Book It program is back! The bad news? Apparently, it’s still only for kids! But not to worry.

For all of our grown friends who still crave the joy of a reading challenge, here are a few summer reading challenges for adults to get you through the hot summer months. And some of them even offer prizes!

WNYC’s All Of It Summer Reading Challenge

What’s the Deal? WNYC’s public radio show “All Of It” is hosting a summer-long reading challenge. Read one book in each of the six following challenge categories: a book published in 2026, a book about US history or an American-set historical fiction book, a book set in or written by an author from one of the 48 participating countries in the World Cup, a classic, a work of genre fiction (sci-fi, fantasy, romance, horror, or mystery/thriller), and a book about or set in New York City.

All summer long, the host of “All of It,” Alison Stewart, will be participating in the reading challenge as well. Listeners can expect a lot of reading challenge content on the show, including lots of book recommendations from the host and special guests.

If you’re looking for more ways to have fun with this reading challenge, make sure you also subscribe to the Get Lit Newsletter, where you can also get book recommendations, see comments from other reading challenge participants, and even submit your own book recommendations to share with others.

How Long Does It Run? It started on May 26 and goes to the end of Labor Day Weekend. Make sure you sign up by July 4 to be eligible to participate.

How Do I Track My Reading? You can download this PDF form to keep track of the books you select for each category. You can also post your selections and tag allofitnyc on Instagram.

Is There A Prize? Yes! Everyone who completes the challenge and submits their completed list of books will receive a mystery prize. You’ll also be entered to win a grand prize.

National Book Foundation’s Summer Reading Adventure

What’s the Deal? The National Book Foundation wants readers to find new reading adventures this summer. In the spirit of adventure, they’re hosting a challenge that’s more about how you read than it is about what you read.

Join the adventure by completing any (or all) of the following reading challenges: listen to an audiobook, read outdoors, re-read an all-time favorite, watch a book-to-screen adaptation, enjoy an author event (in-person or online), borrow a book from a Little Free Library or from a friend, travel with your next read, find a National Book Award-honored title in the wild, read a new-to-you genre, ask for a reading recommendation, book club your next read, and/or attend or host your own reading party.

You can stay in the loop and stay on track with your reading adventures by subscribing to the National Book Foundation newsletter.

How Long Does It Run? From now until August 26, 2026.

How Do I Track My Reading? Fill out the form with however many “reading adventures” you decide to complete and send it in by the final date of the challenge.

Is There A Prize? Yes! If you finish any of the challenges, you’ll be entered to win prizes, such as e-readers, book subscriptions, ice cream, and more. If you complete all of the challenges, you’ll be entered to win the grand prize trip, which includes airfare, hotel, and two tickets to the 77th National Book Awards Ceremony in New York City on Wednesday, November 18, 2026. Plus, everyone who submits their form by August 26 will receive a Bookshop.org discount code and a free Libro.fm audiobook.

The 52 Book Club’s Beach Reads Challenge

What’s the Deal? Looking to gamify your summer reading? The 52 Book Club’s Beach Read Challenge is done on an actual board game. The board includes 24 prompts to help you get through 24 books over the summer. But the prompts come with an additional fun twist! Before you begin to play, you’ll fill out a genre card with six different genres. These can be any genres you want, but note that all 24 challenges must be completed using only these genres, so choose strategically. Otherwise, this could be a very difficult challenge (but, hey, maybe that’s what you want, and that’s okay too!).

Once you’ve picked your six genres, you’ll roll a six-sided die to move around the game board and land on different prompts. The goal is to complete every prompt on the board eventually, so when you finish one, you’ll skip over that space moving forward. When you land on a prompt, you’ll match the number on the die to the number on your genre card. That will be the genre you will be required to read to complete this prompt. For instance, if you roll a six and land on the prompt “features an island country,” you will have to read a book that features an island country. You’ll then look at your genre card. Whatever the sixth genre is, that’s the genre you’ll read to complete the prompt. So, for instance, if 6 on your card is historical fiction, you will have to read a historical fiction novel set in an island country.

Check out the website for a full list of rules, or check out The 52 Book Club’s YouTube channel for a video tutorial.

How Long Does It Run? The challenge was designed to be completed in June, July, and August, but you can feel free to challenge yourself at any time of year.

How Do I Track My Reading? You can download and print this really cool log book to keep track of all of your summer reading. This one includes space for ratings and reviews. Alternatively, you can buy The 52 Book Club Beach Reads Challenge journal on Amazon.

Is There A Prize? No, there is no official prize for this particular challenge, but feel free to buy yourself a pizza when you finish! And the best prize of all: you just read a lot of really cool books.

Summerween Read-a-Thon

What’s the Deal? Horror fans, the Summerween Read-a-Thon is back this summer to help you read creepy books all summer long. BookTuber gabbyreads hosts this fun read-a-thon every summer to encourage readers to read horror and thriller books.

This year, the Summerween book prompts are: read a book in the dark or at night, read a thriller or horror book, read an author you’ve never read before, read a book with pink on the cover, and read a book with fewer than 250 pages.

If you’re posting your Summerween challenge on Instagram, there are also Instagram-specific prompts: post your TBR, post books with pink spines, post a reel of your reading routine, post a pic of your current read, post a pic of any books with summer vibes, post a pic of a book in nature, and post a pic of your final read (or a stack of all the books you read).

How Long Does It Run? This is a quick one! It runs July 3rd, 9th.

How Do I Track My Reading? Check out the full list of prompts on the Summerween Instagram, and feel free to post your reading and tag Summerween!

Is There A Prize? No prizes, but there is always really fun merch every year! You can buy Summerween merch on Bonfire. This includes shirts, totes, coffee mugs, and hoodies. This year’s Summerween readathon merch features cute, blue-and-pink summer-carnival-style designs. You can also get stickers from Etsy here.

Seattle Public Library Summer Book Bingo

What’s the Deal? One of the best places to check for summer reading challenges for adults? Your local public library. For instance, every summer, the Seattle Public Library hosts a Summer Book Bingo challenge. The adult book bingo card includes 24 prompts (and one free space!) to encourage you to read across many genres, explore diverse voices, and learn more about a wide range of life experiences. And adults don’t have to have all the fun! There is a version for kids as well, so the whole family can play along.

Looking for a reading challenge at a public library closer to you? Lots of libraries have summer reading challenges for both kids and adults, so check with your local library to see if they’re running a similar one! If they aren’t yet, you could always request one next year. Don’t forget that your local library probably has lots of events all summer long to enhance your summer reading life, so make sure to take a peek at their calendar.

How Long Does It Run? From May through September 8, 2026.

How Do I Track My Reading? Grab a free Bingo card at your local library, or print a PDF here. You can drop off your completed card at any branch of The Seattle Public Library OR the King County Library System. If you don’t live close to a Seattle Public Library location, you can mail in your card or email it!

Is There A Prize? Yes! Complete a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line on your Bingo card to be entered into a drawing for a special Book Bingo prize. If you complete all 25 squares, you’ll be entered in a drawing for one of three grand prizes per library system.

What reading challenges are you looking forward to completing this summer? If you’re looking for a book challenge that goes on all year long, make sure you check out Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge. It’s not too late to join in on the fun!