Toad with Books

You already bought the books. Might as well read them.

There’s a special kind of optimism involved in buying books. Every purchase comes with the unspoken assumption that Future You will somehow have more free time, better concentration, and fewer responsibilities than Present You.

Future You, unfortunately, is just Present You with more books.

If your bookshelves are overflowing with unread novels, abandoned series, and books you absolutely had to have three years ago, the Read Your Shelves Challenge is for you.

This free printable reading challenge includes 30 prompts designed to help you rediscover the books you already own, make a dent in your TBR (to-be-read) pile, and possibly save a little money along the way.

No bookstore trips required. Unless you lack self-control, in which case, welcome to the club.

What Is the Read Your Shelves Challenge?

The idea is simple: instead of buying more books, challenge yourself to read the ones you already have.

Your shelves are probably full of books you were genuinely excited about at some point. Maybe you bought them because of a glowing review, a gorgeous cover, or a recommendation from someone whose literary judgment you trusted.

Then you put them on a shelf.

And there they stayed.

The Read Your Shelves Challenge gives those forgotten books another chance.

There are 30 reading prompts, each encouraging you to choose something from your existing collection. You can complete them in any order, take as long as you want, and count physical books, ebooks, or audiobooks.

You don’t even have to finish all 30. This is a reading challenge, not a legally binding contract.

How to Shop Your Own Bookshelves

Before you start the challenge, spend a little time getting reacquainted with your collection.

1. Gather Your Unread Books

Take a look at your physical shelves, Kindle library, audiobook collection, and whatever other places you’ve been hiding books from yourself.

You don’t have to organize everything alphabetically or create an elaborate spreadsheet. Unless that’s your idea of a relaxing Saturday, in which case, carry on.

Just get an idea of what you already own.

2. Rediscover the Books You Forgot About

Pull out five books you haven’t thought about in a while.

Read their descriptions again. Flip through a few pages. Remember why you wanted them in the first place.

You might find something that sounds much more interesting now than it did when you bought it.

3. Match Your Books to the Challenge Prompts

Look through the 30 prompts and see which books fit.

A book can qualify for several prompts, so you have options. For an extra challenge, use a different book for every prompt.

If you’re just trying to get through your unread books without turning reading into another chore, make your own rules.

4. Give Yourself Permission to DNF

DNF means did not finish, and it’s not a moral failing.

If you start a book and realize you no longer enjoy that genre, dislike the writing, or simply don’t care what happens next, you can stop.

Life is too short to spend 400 pages being annoyed by fictional people.

Consider donating, selling, or passing along books you know you won’t read. Making room on your shelves counts as progress, too.

5. Track Your Progress

Use the free printable challenge to check off prompts and record the books you finish.

You can also use my Free Printable Bookshelf Reading Log to color in a book spine every time you finish something.

It’s a surprisingly satisfying way to watch your progress, especially if you’re motivated by coloring tiny rectangles.

The 30 Read Your Shelves Challenge Prompts

Ready to start rescuing those neglected books?

The challenge includes prompts like:

• A book you’ve owned for more than five years
• A book you bought because of its cover
• A book you forgot you owned
• A book you started but never finished
• The oldest unread book on your shelf
• A book you bought because everyone was talking about it
• A book from a series you never finished
• A book you’ve been saving for the right mood
• A book you almost donated but decided to keep
• The best book you finally read from your shelves

The full printable includes 30 prompts, with space to write the title of each book and a little shelf accountability report at the bottom.

Because if we’re going to confront our questionable book-buying decisions, we might as well document the experience.

Download the Free Read Your Shelves Challenge Printable

30 prompts. One very neglected TBR pile.

I’ve created a free printable reading challenge to help you work through the books you already own.

The printable includes:

• 30 reading prompts to help you choose your next book
• Space to record each title
• A progress tracker for your completed books
• A few end-of-challenge questions to reflect on your reading

Print it out, stick it in your reading journal, or hang it somewhere you’ll actually see it.

Prefer digital tracking? You can also save the printable to a note-taking app and fill it in there.

Want to Make It a No-Buy Reading Challenge?

If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, combine this challenge with a temporary book-buying ban.

And before you panic, it doesn’t have to last forever.

Try one of these approaches:

The One-Month Book Ban

For 30 days, read only books you already own. No new purchases. Library books are optional, depending on how strictly you want to follow the rules.

The Five-Book Rule

Finish five books from your existing collection before buying another one.

The One-In, Two-Out Rule

For every new book you buy, read or remove two books from your unread collection.

The No-Buy-Until-You-Finish Challenge

Pick a number of unread books you want to finish before purchasing anything new. Five, ten, or twenty. Whatever feels manageable.

The goal isn’t to make yourself miserable. It’s to become a little more intentional about what you buy and what you actually read.

And yes, books on sale still count as buying books. Unfortunately.

What If You Have Hundreds of Unread Books?

First, congratulations on your personal library.

Second, don’t try to read everything at once.

A large TBR can feel overwhelming, especially when you’ve spent years collecting books faster than you can read them.

Instead of focusing on the total number, choose a small stack of books that genuinely interest you right now.

Try keeping a next five books pile somewhere visible.

When you finish one, replace it with another from your collection.

You don’t have to read books in the order you bought them. You don’t have to finish every series. And you definitely don’t have to read something just because you spent $18 on it in 2019.

The money is already spent. You don’t owe the book your remaining free time.

More Free Reading Challenges and Printables

If you’re looking for more ways to make reading fun, check out these other resources from Toad With Books:

• Free Printable Bookshelf Reading Log: Track your finished books by filling in your own illustrated bookshelf.
• Classic Literature Reading Challenge: Give some of those classics you’ve been meaning to read a chance.

You can also explore the Printables section for more reading logs, worksheets, and bookish resources.

Your Bookshelves Are Waiting

Somewhere on your shelf is a book you once couldn’t wait to read.

Maybe it’s a thriller you bought after seeing a glowing review, a fantasy series you never started, or a classic you’ve been promising yourself you’ll get around to.

This is your excuse to finally pick it up.

And if you discover that half your unread books no longer interest you? That’s useful information, too.

Your reading life should be filled with books you actually want to read, not a growing collection of literary obligations.

So grab the printable, pick a book, and start reading.

Your shelves will thank you.

Your bank account might, too.