Get Your Beach Read On With These 7 Summer Reading Challenges

If your phone’s autocomplete turns “summer…” into “summer beach reads”, then you’re in the right place. You’re among friends, family, and fellow book nerds who know that summer is the ideal season for getting some good reading done. 

Summer Fridays means our work lives are less demanding, more daylight hours gives us more time to be outside, and beach vacations mean uninterrupted chunks of the day to read.

Read More Books and Reward Yourself

Reading well -- and being well-read -- is a challenge. You're ready for it. But it takes a lot of hard work -- a lot of time -- before you see the results you want. Stay motivated and reward yourself with IRLA Reading challenge medals. Get a series of five medals that mark your milestones for reading more books and different book. As you set more goals and make progress in your reading challenges, your IRLAs give you the motivation to do more and more.

That leads us to the all-important summer reading question: what should you read? For some, it’s an easy-to-read thriller or flavor of the month type book.

For other readers, it’s the chance to catch up on their To Read list and do some good pondering.

No matter what kind of reader you are, we’re here with a bit of fun to make your summer reading even better: 7 summer reading challenges! 

We’ve written about how to solve the challenges of reading on the beach before (pro tip: splurge for the biggest towel possible). 

The next summer reading challenge for you: making the most of your reading!

We designed these summer reading challenges to motivate and inspire you to go past the light reads and tackle something significant. 

By embarking on these challenges, you'll not only escape the mundane, but you can also unlock the IRLA Reading Pack, a collection of challenge medals that celebrate your achievements. These reading-related challenges include reading a nonfiction book, at least 1 chapter a day for a week, a book cover-to-cover in one day, a Pulitzer Prize-winning book, and a book a month for a year.

So, grab your sunglasses, an extra-large beach towel, and let's dive into these thrilling reading challenges!

1. Start a Traveling Book Club

Grab your friends, a stack of your favorite books, and embark on a literary adventure alongside your real-life vacation.

This summer reading challenge is about picking a book club that travels with you. Instead of the headaches of organizing a normal book club that fits with everyone’s hectic schedules, plan a book club during your shared vacation. 

This way, people have time both to read (on the plane, on the beach, in the afternoons) and you can dedicate one meal later in the trip to talk about the book.

(Of course, you’re also welcome to turn this one into a Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, where each member selects a book, reads it, and then passes it on to the next person. If you ask us, though, this version is more of a year-round reading challenge.)

2. Series Spectacle

Lose yourself in an enthralling series and get lost in its captivating narrative. 

Whether it's the magical world of Harry Potter or the epic fantasy of A Song of Ice and Fire, spending your summer engrossed in a series will keep you glued to the pages and eagerly anticipating the next installment. 

3. Beach Book Binge

Head to the beach armed with a gripping novel that will keep you hooked from the first wave to the last. 

Immerse yourself in the sun, sand, and the world of your chosen book for an unforgettable beach read. Lose yourself in a thrilling mystery, an epic romance, or a heartwarming coming-of-age tale. 

And because it’s a summer reading challenge, we’ll let you off the hook after reading a single book. 

When you’re ready for a next level reading challenge, try reading a book a day for a month!

4. One Author's Oeuvre

Pick an author whose works you’ve always been curious about and embark on a literary journey through their bibliography. 

Depending on your pick, your summer vacation might not be enough to soak up each of their works. 

And just like a good vacation has a way of staying with you for a lifetime, a concentrated dose of a classic author could be a memorable way to mark this summer.

5. A Summer-Long Reading Challenge

Challenge yourself to a reading goal for the summer. 

It could be a specific number of books, pages, or even a certain genre – or grab our IRLA Reading Pack and see how many of the challenges you can accomplish! 

Set the bar high and embark on a thrilling reading adventure to accomplish your target. Popular targets include books per week, pages per day, and consecutive days with a chapter read.

Keep track of your progress and revel in the satisfaction of conquering your reading goal. If you’re following along with our IRLA Reading Pack, you’ll also want to grab this handsome IRLA Display Kit!

6. A Pulitzer Pursuit

Don’t give into the easy-breezy beach reads and instead go for something a bit more stimulating with some award-winning literature by focusing on Pulitzer Prize-winning novels. 

Explore the rich tapestry of storytelling, diverse perspectives, and profound themes that have earned these books the prestigious Pulitzer Prize. Expand your literary horizons and discover new favorites among these masterpieces.

(And if all else fails, these dense books make for a great paperweight to keep your shirts and towels from flopping around in the breezes!)

7. Read And Travel The Same Places

If you're planning a summer vacation, choose books set in the locations you'll be visiting. 

Immerse yourself in the local culture, history, and atmosphere through the pages of these novels. They say reading is transporting, but why not combine the joy of reading as you explore that place at the same time? 

To get you started, consider these three picks: read the Descendants while you’re in Hawai’i, One Hundred Years of Solitude if you’re jetting off to Cartagena, Colombia, and Swamplandia if you’re heading down to the Florida swamps.