Take the Uncorked Reading Challenge 2022 with a book a month. Read around the world with The Uncorked Librarian.
Join the most chill 2022 Reading Challenge. Read a book a month with our 12 categories and participate in fun bonus challenges. We are even hosting a giveaway.
We hope that our Uncorked Reading Challenge 2022 will help you read outside of your comfort zone while also reiterating your favorite genres.
Explore new releases, classics, indies, LGBTQ+ titles, mysteries, and books that let you escape to that tropical island… or a creepy back alley where an apothecary once poisoned cheating and abusive men.
Cult lit? Bring it on! Book of the Month? SorryNotSorry, we love it!
Shanghai-set YA retellings gone grim, enchanted flowers in Ecuador, and finding love in Tuscan vineyards; we are here for it!
Because this is The Uncorked Librarian, we love to celebrate all things books, booze, and travel. We’d like to think our 2022 Reading Challenge is one of the most laid back and tipsy on the internet.
OK, and maybe we drop the occasional f’ bomb while buttoning up our cardigan and tipping our glasses to give you a stare as we debate if The Ten Thousand Doors Of January was a literary masterpiece or a total snooze.
With this 2022 Reading Challenge, read as much or as little as you like. We’ll send you bi-weekly book recommendations and book lists straight to your inbox.
If a theme isn’t for you, skip it, twist it, or participate in a bonus challenge. Of course, you can non-creepily lurk in our engaged Facebook group, Uncorked Readers, and share any new finds that month.
In Uncorked Readers, grab even more book recommendations and talk about what you are reading with people who love to travel – via plane or armchair.
We sometimes sneak in movies, podcasts, and TV shows. Not every 2022 Reading Challenge offers newsletters and a FB group… just sayin’!
So, grab a glass of bubbly, snuggle into that blanket, and get ready to travel around the world with a good book with one of the best reading challenges of 2022.
The 2023 Reading Challenge is here!
Uncorked Reading Challenge 2022
Our 2022 Reading Challenge is inspired by last year’s Uncorked Readers.
Every year, we survey the thousands of people on our mailing list as well as our FB Group, asking them to help pick categories for next year’s challenge.
New to 2022, we are adding bonus reading challenges meant to be shared in Uncorked Readers.
These are fun and light-themed challenges that don’t always have a specific book list and might be more personal or fun for you. Some of them are hard…
The most important part, of course, is to read responsibly and have fun!
P.S. Use the hashtag #UncorkedReading2022 and tag us @ theuncorkedlibrarian when talking about the challenge on social media for reshares.
Let’s get started with those reading challenge themes!
January – Time Travel Books
January’s Reading Challenge Theme: Time Travel Books
January Uncorked Readers Bonus Challenge: Books we love but critics don’t
Reading List: Best Books For Time Travel Lovers
February – Books About South Africa
February’s Reading Challenge Theme: Books set in or about South Africa
February Bonus Challenge: Books from your hometown, state, country, or where your ancestors are from
Reading Lists: Best Books About South Africa, Best Books In Every State, & Books Around The World
Bonus Fun: South African Movies To Watch
March – Wine Books Or Books Set On A Vineyard
March’s Reading Challenge Theme: Wine books/Books set on a vineyard
March Bonus Challenge: Books with your favorite color in the title
Reading Lists: Best Books About Wine & Books Set On Vineyards and Books With A Color In The Title
More Fun: Movies About Wine & Vineyards
April – Books Set In The Baltics (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia)
April’s Reading Challenge Theme: Baltic books
April Bonus Challenge: Books with your favorite foods
Reading List: Baltic Books To Love and Best Foodie Fiction Books
May – Books About Hiking
May’s Reading Challenge: Hiking books
May Bonus Challenge: Books by an author you think you don’t like but have never actually read
May’s Reading Lists: Best Books About Hiking & Backpacking
More fun: Backpacking & Hiking Movies
June – Books About Mexico
June’s Reading Challenge Theme: Books about or set in Mexico
June Bonus Challenge: Books by Indigenous authors
June’s Reading Lists: Best Books About & Set In Mexico and Indigenous Books
Extra Fun: Top Mexican Films To Teach You More & Take You There
July – Dark Academia Books (Books Set At A Boarding School or University)
July’s Reading Challenge: Dark academia books (usually set at a prestigious university or boarding school)
July Bonus Challenge: Books where you next want to travel
Reading Lists: Best Dark Academia Books, Books About The World, and Books Set On Islands
Extra Fun: Movies Across The Globe
August – Books About Australia
August’s Reading Challenge Theme: Books set in or about Australia
August Bonus Challenge: Books that have been sitting in your TBR (to be read) pile for ages
Reading List: Best Australian Books
Extra Fun: Australian Movies To Watch
September – Books About Road Trips
September’s Reading Challenge Theme – Road Trip Books
September Bonus Challenge: Books published in the decade or year you were born
September Reading Lists: Best Road Tripping Novels & Memoirs, Top Books From The ’90s, Best ’80s Books, 1970s Book List, and Books From The ’60s
More Fun: Best Road Tripping Movies
October – Haunted House Books
October’s Reading Challenge Theme: Books set somewhere haunted
October Bonus Challenge: Books from a nearby Free Little Library, library sale, or you received as a gift
Reading Lists: Favorite Haunted House Books
More Helpful Book Lists: Seriously Spooky Books, Ghost Books, and Books Set At Hotels
More Fun: Best Movies With Haunted Houses
November – Books About Thailand
November’s Reading Challenge: Books about or set in Thailand
November Bonus Challenge: Book about an inspiring career change that interests you
Reading Lists: Best Books About Thailand
December – Books About Ecuador
December’s Reading Challenge: Books set in or about Ecuador
December Bonus Challenge: Books set in an environment you’ve never experienced (i.e. jungle, desert, mountain, deserted island, volcanic area)
December’s Reading List: Books About Ecuador To Teach You More
Extra Fun: Movies About Ecuador To Watch
More Helpful Book Lists: Alien books (space), Hiking & Backpacking Books (mountains), Wine Books (vineyards), Ship Books, and Island Books
Find even more books to read for the 2022 Reading Challenge on our new books reading list.
2022 Reading Challenge Tracker
Sign up for our newsletter, and grab your free printable list and Reading Challenge tracker (PDF). This will also add you to our bi-weekly mailing list with book and movie recommendations.
We are told that our newsletters are the best part of joining TUL.
If you are already on our mailing list, there is no need to sign up again — we will send you all 2022 Reading Challenge materials.
Join The Uncorked Reading Challenge Today
Travel around the world with the Uncorked Reading Challenge. Get the best book and movie recs straight to your inbox. Sign Up Now.
Uncorked Reading Challenge Giveaway
At the end of our Uncorked Reading Challenge 2022, we will be hosting a (non-sponsored) giveaway in Uncorked Readers.
We will ask you to either show a picture of your completed reading tracker or a list of each book you read per theme.
We will accept either the designated monthly theme OR the bonus challenge theme each month.
Lastly, we will randomly select two United States-based winners to win a book cart (or something similar around $30 value/gift card if needed) and one free book (digital or print no more than $30 value) of your choosing.
Bonus Reading Challenge Graphics
Everyone loves a fun reading challenge graphic to track the books that they’ve read. Above, feel free to save, use, and post our Uncorked Reading Challenge templates.
If you are mixing and matching main and bonus challenge themes, the blank graphic is for you. Or, use our individual graphics – one for main themes and one for bonus challenge themes.
To edit these templates, we recommend using a free or Pro Canva.com account, Instagram stories, or Photoshop.
P.S. We posted even more shareable graphics in Uncorked Readers.
Are you ready to take the 2022 Uncorked Reading Challenge?
The Uncorked 2022 Reading Challenge is one of the biggest traditions of The Uncorked Librarian. We might be a little biased, but we think that we host the best Reading Challenge of 2022.
We hope you’ll join us in traveling around the world with a great book. Let us know in the comments if you are joining us and what theme you are most excited about.
Look Back At Past Reading Challenges:
Uncorked Reading Challenge 2021
Uncorked Reading 2020
If You Are Looking For More Helpful Book Lists, Head Here:
Most-Anticipated 2022 Book Releases
2021 Books We Were Stoked For
Best Books Of 2020
Karina
Saturday 16th of April 2022
I don't know why it never occurred to me to look for reading challenges. Maybe just because reading is just a thing I do. Anyway, it's mid-April. Can I read at least a book per theme through now to catch up and then join in more per month through the rest of the year?
Christine
Tuesday 19th of April 2022
Hey Karina, Yes - of course! You may join any time. We are pretty relaxed here at TUL and are happy to have you join us. We see a lot of people drop in mid-year.
Tarissa
Sunday 19th of December 2021
Hello! I just found this challenge, and I'm excited to join this year, as it will really stretch my reading capacity. It seems a bit daunting right now, but the wheels are turning in my head, trying to find titles to fit these themes.
I was wondering though... What if I miss a month, where I'm unable to read a book that fits the topics? *cringe* If there are blank spaces on my final tracker sheet, do I still get entered in the giveaways at the end of the year?
Tarissa
Monday 20th of December 2021
@Christine, thank you so much for the clarification. I will strive at this challenge until I fail (LOL!). That book cart prize is SO TEMPTING. =D
Christine
Sunday 19th of December 2021
Hey Tarissa, Welcome! I'm so happy that you'll be joining our 2022 reading challenge -- last year's challenge was so much fun. I, personally, got some great new recommendations from our FB group members that weren't on my radar.
To participate in the giveaway, we are asking that everyone complete either the bonus theme that month or the main category. Between the two -- and some are pretty open-ended -- we are hoping people can find 12 total books that they want to read for the year. We are pretty "chill" within those categories.
Happy reading!
traci lowrey
Tuesday 9th of November 2021
silly question do we sign up again if we did the challenge in 2021 or do we just automatically keep getting the emails? I have really enjoyed this challenge and look forward to a new year of reading with your prompts. I hope to try the mini challenges next year too
Christine
Wednesday 10th of November 2021
Hey Traci, No need to sign up again since you are already on our mailing list. I double-checked the email tied to this comment, and I am showing that you already receive emails and are active -- so you are all set. Also, thank you so much for staying with us. I'm looking forward to the new 2022 Reading Challenge too, and I'm hoping to have even more reader engagement and great book suggestions with the mini-challenges.