Having got the May day weekend out of the way, it’s time to announce this year’s 20 Books of Summer challenge. Yes, it’s back! I’ll be going it alone this year, but many thanks to Emma for co-hosting last year and letting me re-use her material, and of course, Cathy for starting it all off.
This is your first call to start planning…
- The #20BOS26 challenge runs from Monday June 1st to Monday August 31st
- The first rule of 20 Books is that there are no real rules, other than signing up for 10, 15 or 20 books and trying to read from your TBR. (If you think you’ll only manage 5, that’s fine too.)
- Pick your list in advance, or nominate a bookcase to read from, or pick just at whim from your TBR.
- If you do pick a list, you can change it at any time – swap books in/out.
- Don’t get panicked at not reaching your target, it’s not really a challenge as such.
- Just enjoy a summer of great reading and make a bit of space on your shelves!
- Don’t forget to add your posts to the monthly linkys. The final one will stay open till for a week into September to catch the last reviews.
I’ve made some new logos, for 20, 15 and 10 books, including a set for winter for those in the Southern hemisphere – do resize as needed (they’re 500 high jpgs, showing as smaller here). I’ve also rejigged Emma’s book bingo card below if you’d like to add another layer of challenge.
If you’re planning to join in please do add your blog / planning post link to the Mr Linky below the logos and bingo card now, which’ll help us keep track, and you can use the hashtag #20BOS26 on your socials (I’ve made it shorter this year)
If anyone would like a ‘5’ books logo, just let me know and I’ll add one in.
On the book bingo card, please interpret the prompts as freely as you wish to. It’s just a bit more fun! You can aim for a row, up, down or 4 square diagonal; corners; a block of 4 or 6, or other pattern. Make it yours.
The Mr Linky is below for signing-up. If you do a planning post, do add it to the Linky. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #20BOS26 on social media too. I’ll be checking X, Bluesky and Insta regularly.
Have fun!
Edited to add a squarer version of the logo.
Can’t wait! I have plans for this year… will share soon. Thank you for continuing to keep this event running, Annabel!
I’m intrigued!
Thank you for reminding us of this and for hosting, especially as a solo effort! Beautiful posters too! My reading has dropped off a cliff recently, so I’m almost wary of signing up for this, but I’ll hatch a plan anyway, I can never resist.
Go for 10 books perhaps, then when you read more, you’ll be delighted!
Great strategy!
Yay! My pile is halfway there already. Thanks for continuing with it Annabel x
PS Love the new logos!
Thank you! AI created the pix from my brief. I just added the text.
Excellent!
I’m going with Marina Sofia’s plan and reducing my target to ten books this year. I’d forgotten all about this ‘challenge’ until she very helpfully reminded us on her blog.
I should actually have more time than usual this summer, but I’m only going to choose ten books so that for once I might finish AND do all the reviews.
I *love* choosing my books, and am off to do so right now (ignoring huge piles of paperwork generated by our very recent house move, my mother’s death earlier this year, the sale of our property, the sale of her property, my commitments to our art gallery committee and goodness knows what else…..this is so much more fun!)
Sounds like choosing books will be therapeutic for you. Best wishes and thanks for participating.
I am seriously tempted this year, since you say that we can pick at random from our TBR – I am hopeless at sticking to lists. But does our TBR include books that might come in during the summer???????
That’s completely up to you! You make your own rules, so why not? 😀
Exciting! Just the other day I decided to go for that old favourite, “The 20 oldest books on my shelf” and wondered when it would be announced! I’ll make my list properly later in the month … Thank you for hosting again!
My pleasure Liz.
… and I’ve worked out what I will be doing and have just posted my list/pile!
Brilliant! Thank you.
I’m very tempted by the 10 if only to be able to use the logo, thank you so much for hosting, I’ll get thinking!
Give it a go Jane! You make your own rules essentially, so your 10 could be any 10 books…
Thanks for hosting this again, it’s one of my favourite challenges. Unlike a lot of people I love compiling a list and trying to stick to it. It encourages me to add books that I really want to read but just need a push to finally pull off the shelf. Plus I’ve learned over the years to include books I know I need to read during the period, e.g. ARCs, rather than trying to fit those in as well. I’ll be back with my planning post soon.
Lovely to have you on board Cathy. Thank you. I look forward to seeing your pile.
Here it is https://wp.me/p88ZiK-ddp
Almost my favourite part of this challenge is putting together my list!
I’ve taken the liberty of adding your link to the linky.
Very excited and thanks for hosting again this year Annabel. Now for the fun part – putting my list together 🙂
Fabulous!
yay! I am going to start putting together my list now!
Excellent news. Thanks for joining in.
I am interested as I’ve been doing this challenge for the past. Would you be able to provide a square image for the challenge?
I’ve done you a cropped version of the logo at the bottom of the post.
Glad to have you join in.
Thank you!
Good luck – great plans! Still thinking about whether to join in….
Well, this looks a challenge I could engage with: prescriptive ones are not for me. But the bingo looks more tricky: a challenge indeed! Especially working out how to fill in the bingo card ….
You can do rows up or down, corners, make any pattern…
Let’s see what’s easiest! I have one square filled in right now!
I’m glad you’re doing this again, AnnaBookBel. I usually read or listen to books with Summer in the title or set in summer. Not sure if I will do that again, or try something different. I will have to think about it before I post.
Thanks Carla. I look forward to seeing what you choose.
Looking forward to it!
I’m in! Thank you for histing this again. I’ll aim at the 20 Books challenge and we’ll see how it goes.
Fab!
Hi Annabel
Thanks for carrying on with this challenge and taking up the baton solely for 2026. I shall join in and am currently compiling a list of possible titles, probably aim to read ten but hopefully read more. I’m so pleased that you’re happy for this to be a relaxed challenge as I tend to make a list and then change it up a bit! The new logos are lovely and summery.
Janet – LoveBooksReadBooks
Thanks Janet – glad to have you on board!
I’m sure I’ll get to at least 10 this year… I hope! Thanks to you all!
Yay!
I’m in, and thank you for hosting. I really do like our winter version of the logo because it doesn’t feature snow! We do Winter here in the temperate parts of Oz, and it can be mighty cold, but the only snow is up in the alps and not in the cities where most of us live. (Thank goodness for that, I remember snow in London from my childhood!)
I’ve probably been too ambitious because some of my 20 are doorstoppers, and my eyes are giving me grief which has slowed down my reading A Lot, but nothing ventured, nothing gained, eh?
Exactly! This is the most relaxed challenge ever, so it doesn’t matter if you don’t reach your target – just to enjoy reading over the summer/winter. Thanks for your kind comment on the winter logo (it is a bit snowy in the background though!)
Ha! I interpreted that as mist. In Melbourne, (the most southerly mainland city) we do get cold, misty mornings, and sometimes (not so much these days) frost.
Fantastic, I’ve been waiting for this as I love this challenge. Thanks so much for hosting and keeping it going! I’ll be back with my sign up post later!
Fab – thanks Nicki
Hello, Annabel. I’m so thrilled to participate in this challenge. I’m aiming to read 10 books for now and see where it takes me.
Thankyou for hosting!! I always look forward to taking part in this challenge so can’t wait to begin this year!!
Beautiful new logos! I don’t think I’ll be taking part myself this year, but am enjoying seeing everybody’s lists.
I’m in for the 20 Book challenge. Thanks for hosting once again. ☺️
My pleasure Jodie. Good luck with it.
After seeing this challenge pop up on so many blogs in recent years, I’m finally joining in! I will put up a post about it later this week and will link back here in my post. I’m aiming for 10, but will keep going if I’m able to! It’s a good opportunity to clear a few books from my TBR and I think several can double up with the Classics Club challenge. Win/win! Thanks for hosting this.
Thanks for joining us Kelly. 😀
Thanks so much for hosting all by yourself this year Annabel.
I was waiting for the result of the Classics Spin to finalize my list. Here it is: https://wordsandpeace.com/2026/05/19/20-books-of-summer-2026/
I love me some summer reading!!!! Thanks for hosting again!!!!!
Hello Annabel, just realized today that it’s tiiiime ! (Mariah Carey summer version) Thank you so much for hosting my favorite book challenge!
My pleasure. I look forward to seeing what you’re reading.
Thanks for hosting again this year! I’m looking forward to it, and will post my list soon (I like to try and stick to my list as much as possible).
I have published a post to list my books and linked up above. The new logo is very nice. Thanks for hosting.
My pleasure. I’ll look forward to seeing how you’re getting on.
So these have to be books we own or can we borrow books from the library?
No restrictions on source – this is a make your own rules challenge apart from aiming for a certain number!
thank you for clarifying. I’d soon be posting my list.
I love this challenge as it really does help to reduce my TBR pile. I’m time poor again this year and have picked 20 short stories, but hey, every little helps!
Go for it Deborah!
I changed my mind and have decided to join!
You know you want to… 😀