Jewish Genre Reading Challenge discussion

This is the spot for us to share our plans for the 2025 Jewish Genre Reading Challenge.

Below you’ll find templates for the Genre Challenges and This & That Challenge. Copy the template(s) for whichever challenge(s) you’re doing, and paste into a new post in this thread. That post will become your Challenge Plan spot for the rest of the year. When you find yourself needing inspiration, scroll through the challenge plans here to see what others are reading for a particular prompt or genre.

Some readers like to plan things out in advance, adding book titles or even a list of possibilities to each spot in the plan. Then they come back and update it once they’ve finished a book for that category. Others prefer just to update their challenge plan when they have completed a book. You may find you mix things up throughout the challenge.

**Let's keep this thread to just Challenge Plans. If you have any questions about challenge plans and the templates, please head over to the Questions thread and ask there. Thank you!**

Technical stuff:
To add live book title links or linked book covers to your plan: As you make your post, above the comment box on the right you will see a small link that says “add book/author”. Click the link and search for the book or author you wish to link. Once you find it, click “Add” and a link will be added to your comment. You can also choose to add an image of the book cover that links back to the book listing. This can be a great visual way to track books in your challenge plan!

Here's an example:
The Way Back


To mark books as read on your plan: As you finish a book you can either put a * or a √ next to it to show how many you've read so far. To get a checkmark on a PC hold the Alt key and type 251. On a Mac hold the Option key and type "V". You can also just copy and paste one of these checkmarks: √ ✔
You can also do strikethrough text to cross off book titles. Type <*s*>Book Title<*/s*> but remove the asterisks.

To find your way back here: On a browser (this doesn’t work in the Goodreads mobile app), once you're done posting, click on the date/time in the upper right hand corner of your post, then bookmark it to easily return to your plan.

Challenge Plan Templates:
Copy and paste the plan into your own post and use it to track your reading as you work on the challenge. (Unfortunately copy and pasting only works in a browser, on computer or phone, but not in the Goodreads app. If you're in the app you are welcome to write up your own challenge plan, these are just here for your convenience.)

Genre Challenge (If your goal is to read 4 or 6 books, delete the extra book spots)
*1. Genre:................ Title:
*2. Genre:................ Title:
3. Genre:................. Title:
4. Genre:................. Title:
5. Genre:................. Title:
6. Genre:.................. Title:
7. Genre:.................. Title:
8. Genre:.................. Title:

*Books 1 & 2 must be chosen from the following genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Crime, Thriller/Suspense, Horror, Western, Adventure, Action/Spy, Beach Read/"Chick Lit", Paranormal, Dystopian, and Military Fiction.

The remaining books can be from any genre but each book you read for the Genre Challenge must come from a different genre. Some ideas include (but are not limited to): Literary Fiction, Cookbooks, Art & Photography, Children's Literature, Humor, Magical Realism, Memoir, Essays, Self-Help, Travel, Historical Fiction*, Nonfiction History*
*It is suggested that Historical Fiction & Nonfiction History be set in times other than WWII/Holocaust

************************

This & That Challenge
You may choose to read books to fulfill one prompt from each pair (5 total, "This or That") or both prompts in each pair (10 total, "This and That").

Pair 1:
Read a book with a religious Jewish main character
Read a book with a secular/cultural/ethnically Jewish main character

Pair 2:
Read a book published in 2025
Read a book published before 1975

Pair 3:*
Read a book featuring a Jewish food you've never tasted
Read book featuring a main character from a place you've never been

Pair 4:
Read a book set in Israel
Read a book set in the Diaspora

Pair 5:
Read from a genre in which you've never before read a Jewish book
Read a Jewish book from your favorite genre, write a review, and send a note of appreciation to the author

*Note: Prompt pair 3 has changed since this post was first published. You may see some challenge plans that reflect the previous post (which was changed because the book options were too limiting). Participants are welcome to follow the original version or the new version, both will be considered valid for challenge completion.

Had a blast with last year’s challenge, even though I didn’t complete it. This year I’ll be doing the This or That Challenge. I’m going to aim to read five books to complete the prompts for this year! I read so many Jewish books last year and I’m looking forward for reading more as this year goes by.

Read 0/5

Pair 1:
Read a book with a religious Jewish main character
Read a book with a secular/cultural/ethnically Jewish main character

Pair 2:
Read a book published in 2025
Read a book published before 1975


Pair 3:
Read a book with a Sephardi or Mizrahi main character
Read a book with a Maghrebi, Beta Israel, Bene Israel, or Bukharan main character
or

Pair 4:
Read a book set in Israel
Read a book set in the Diaspora


Pair 5:
Read from a genre in which you've never before read a Jewish book
Read a Jewish book from your favorite genre, write a review, and send a note of appreciation to the author

I'm new to the group, and I'll try the Genre Challenge with 4 books.
✔1. Genre: Dystopian Title: The Last Jew
✔2. Genre: Mystery Title: Friday the Rabbi Slept Late
✔3. Genre: Thriller Title: The Butcher's Theater
✔4. Genre: Western Title: Stations West

I'm just going to fill out both challenge options as I go along and we'll see what I complete by the end of the year!

*1. Genre:................ Title:
*2. Genre:................ Title:
✔ 3. Genre: Magical Realism | Title: The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern
✔ 4. Genre: Children's Lit | Title: Shira and Esther's Double Dream Debut
✔ 5. Genre: Historical | Title: How to Find What You're Not Looking For
6. Genre:.................. Title:
7. Genre:.................. Title:
8. Genre:.................. Title:

Pair 1:
✔ Read a book with a religious Jewish main character: The Judgment of Yoyo Gold
Read a book with a secular/cultural/ethnically Jewish main character

Pair 2:
Read a book published in 2025: What Happens in Amsterdam
Read a book published before 1975: Saturday the Rabbi Went Hungry

Pair 3:
Read a book with a Sephardi or Mizrahi main character
Read a book with a Maghrebi, Beta Israel, Bene Israel, or Bukharan main character: Too Far from Home

Pair 4:
Read a book set in Israel
Read a book set in the Diaspora

Pair 5:
Read from a genre in which you've never before read a Jewish book
Read a Jewish book from your favorite genre, write a review, and send a note of appreciation to the author

1. Genre: Fantasy
Title: When the Angels Left the Old Country/ Sacha Lamb

2. Genre: Romance
Title: Magical Meet Cute/ Jean Meltzer

3. Genre: (Not really. It's Sholom Aleichem, he's his own perfect genre 😁)
Title: Tevye the Milkman/ Sholom Aleichem

4. Genre: (No)
Title: The Spinoza of Market Street/ Isaac Bashevis Singer

1. Genre: fantasy | Title: Night Owls
2. Genre: romance | Title: Time and Time Again
3. Genre: fiction | Title: Adventures of Mottel the Cantor's Son
4. Genre: fantasy | Title: Golemcrafters
5. Genre: mystery | Title: The Yiddish Policemen's Union
6. Genre: fantasy | Title: The Ghosts of Rose Hill

Excited for this year's challenge!

Genre Challenge 5/6
✔*1. Genre: Romance

✔*2. Genre: Mystery

✔3. Genre: Women's Fiction

✔4. Genre: Historical Fiction

✔5. Genre: Non-Fiction (Biography)

6. Genre:.................. Title:

This and That Challenge 9/10
Pair 1:
✔Read a book with a religious Jewish main character

✔Read a book with a secular/cultural/ethnically Jewish main character


Pair 2:
✔Read a book published in 2025

✔Read a book published before 1975


Pair 3:
✔Read a book featuring a Jewish food you've never tasted

✔Read book featuring a main character from a place you've never been


Pair 4:
✔Read a book set in Israel

✔Read a book set in the Diaspora


Pair 5:
✔Read from a genre in which you've never before read a Jewish book

Read a Jewish book from your favorite genre, write a review, and send a note of appreciation to the author

I read so many great books in 2024 so I am excited to start the Jewish Genre Challenge for 2025. I plan to read 8 books in the Romance Genre!

*1. Genre: Romance Title: Eight Crazy One Night Stands by Beth Gelman
*2. Genre: Romance Title: Light It Up by Evie Blum
3. Genre: Romance Title: Magical Meet Cute by Jean Melzer
4. Genre: Romance Title: Reachel Weiss's Group Chat by Lauren Appelbaum
5. Genre: Romance Title: Wake Me Most Wickedly by Felicia Grossman
6. Genre: Romance Title: The Dating Contract by Stacy Agdern
7. Genre: Romance Title: Marry Me By Midnight by Felicia Grossman
8. Genre: Romance Title: The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan

Genre Challenge
*1. Genre: Romance Title: Wake Me Most Wickedly by Felicia Grossman (read)

*2. Genre: Romance Title: Magical Meet Cute

3. Genre: Memoir Title: Kissing Girls on Shabbat (read)

4. Genre: YA Title: Night Owls A.R. Vishny

5. Genre: Fantsasy Title: A Natural History of Dragons (currently reading)

6. Genre:.................. Title:

7. Genre:.................. Title:

8. Genre:.................. Title:

I don't know if I'll stick with these choices, but here's my initial plan.

*1. Genre: Romance Title: Battle of the Bookstores
*2. Genre: Fantasy Title: Spinning Silver
3. Genre: Historical Fiction Title: The Anatomy of Exile
4. Genre: Mystery Title: Serpent’s Tooth
5. Genre: YA Title: Night Owls
6. Genre:.Action/Spy Title: The New Girl
7. Genre: Literary Fiction Title: Mazeltov
8. Genre: Middle Grade Title: A World Worth Saving

Genre Challenge (If your goal is to read 4 or 6 books, delete the extra book spots)
*1. Genre: Fantasy Title:.The Sanhedrin Chronicles.
*2. Genre: Romance Title:An Observant Wife
3. Genre:................. Title:Kissing Girls on Shabbat: A Memoir
4. Genre:................. Title:The Weight of Ink
5. Genre:................. Title:Four Rabbi Small Mysteries: Friday the Rabbi Slept Late, Saturday the Rabbi Went Hungry, Sunday the Rabbi Stayed Home, and Monday the Rabbi Took Off
6. Genre:.................. Title:
7. Genre:.................. Title:
8. Genre:................ Title:

*Books 1 & 2 must be chosen from the following genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Crime, Thriller/Suspense, Horror, Western, Adventure, Action/Spy, Beach Read/"Chick Lit", Paranormal, Dystopian, and Military Fiction.

The remaining books can be from any genre but each book you read for the Genre Challenge must come from a different genre. Some ideas include (but are not limited to): Literary Fiction, Cookbooks, Art & Photography, Children's Literature, Humor, Magical Realism, Memoir, Essays, Self-Help, Travel, Historical Fiction*, Nonfiction History*
*It is suggested that Historical Fiction & Nonfiction History be set in times other than WWII/Holocaust