Once upon a time, reading challenges used to appear during summer vacations. Teachers, faced with the prospect of children spending two months attempting dangerous bicycle stunts or climbing dangerous places, encouraged them to read a few books. The objective was simple. Keep the children occupied, keep their parents sane, and prevent their brains from rusting entirely during the holidays. This ensured that when the school reopened, students could still identify a book. The reward for reading a book was generally stickers, or if you are particularly lucky, another book.

Somewhere along the way, the reading challenge escaped captivity and seeped into the adult world. Every January, readers emerge with ambitious declarations. Twelve books. Twenty books. Even 50 books. By March, they start calculating page counts. This is also the point at which a significant percentage of participants quietly vanish. They realise that reading 20 books requires reading 20 books. By June, the survivors strategically select novellas. By November, they move to children’s books while muttering, “A book is a book.”

Reading challenges have evolved into elaborate public declarations involving colour-coded spreadsheets, monthly targets, quarterly reviews, backup targets, stretch goals, and contingency plans in case life unexpectedly interrupts the reading schedule. The purpose of reading has moved from what is inside the book to the satisfaction of reaching the last page. Updating the journal and announcing the latest additions to the books-read-this-year tally on social media has become the main objectives. The book itself is a unit of measurement. Rereading passages, and thinking and discussing deep ideas threatens annual targets.

Certain books are read to be adopted as personality traits. One does not merely read classics. One becomes “a classics reader”. The distinction is important. Likewise, one does not simply enjoy philosophy, history, or science fiction. One joins a tribe, acquires a label, and updates the list accordingly. Books have always shaped people. The modern innovation is ensuring that everyone knows precisely which books are shaping you.

On social media, bookstagrammers lurk everywhere. Make the mistake of pausing on a post about books and the algorithm immediately concludes that literature is your entire personality. Within hours, your feed is flooded with people surrounded by towering stacks of books, coffee mugs, blankets, fairy lights, candles, and decorative plants. Each one arrives bearing urgent news.

“Ten books I recommend, no matter your genre.” “Five books with insane, unhinged concepts.” “Seven Indie fantasy, action, comedy books every intelligent person should read to cry, heal, grow, manifest abundance, and finally understand themselves.”

Every week, someone publishes a list of books that you have probably never heard of. In fairness, this is true. New writers are emerging with alarming frequency, and fresh titles arrive on bookstore shelves so rapidly that readers can fall behind during a long lunch break. A reasonable observer might wonder how previous generations survived without access to these lists.

The problem is no longer finding something to read. Readers spend so much time watching recommendations that they no longer have time to read. This is not considered a problem. Many now maintain what is known as a to-be-read pile. This is a monument consisting of books purchased with every intention of being read someday. The books remain hopeful.

The modern reading challenge is about transforming yet another enjoyable human activity into a measurable achievement. At year’s end, millions proudly announce that they have read 56 books, earned 14 badges, maintained a 365-day streak, followed 43 Bookstagram accounts, and successfully met all reading objectives. As for what they learned, remembered, or loved, those metrics are not necessary. Reading was once a conversation between a writer and a reader. Somewhere along the way, a committee of apps, trackers, challenges, badges, influencers, annual goals, and recommendation algorithms joined the discussion.

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Published - July 26, 2026 05:06 am IST