2026 Reading Challenge Themes

 

January – Genre you don’t usually read
~~~
February – Title or Cover with: heart, love, or couple
~~~
March – Title or Author Name begins with the first letter of YOUR first or last name
~~~
April – Funny Book
~~~
May – Indie Author
~~~
June – Somewhere you want to visit
~~~
July – Patriotic theme, time period, or character profession
~~~
August – Classic title
~~~
September – Animal on the Cover
~~~
October – Unusual Occupation
~~~
November – Favorite Season is on the Cover
~~~
December – Read what you want!

Prize Shelf

 

Historical Fiction

The Lone Star Romance Collection – Enjoy two series of romances under one cover from authors Kimberley Comeaux and Cathy Marie Hake. First head to Springton, Texas, where two Texas belles—a pretty outcast and a shy nurse—find rattlesnakes easier to lasso than the hearts of the men they desire. Then join the Gregor brothers from Scotland—doctor, cobbler, lawman—as they settle in the Wild West, seeking wives to help them live out a legacy of faith that their father rooted in them. Watch as God’s love unfolds a grand design into each life.

Sarah’s Choice by Wanda Brunstetter – Widowed Sarah Turner has her hands full, raising three young children, tending the lock on the canal, baking bread, and washing clothes for boatmen. Although she’s not looking for love, she’s vowed not to lose her heart to a boatman. Yet she didn’t count on meeting Captain Elias Brooks. Will she follow her heart where it leads or accept the proposal of a handsome land-loving blacksmith?

Children of the Shadows by Erica Vetsch – Someone is preying upon the street children of Regency London. They seem to think no one will notice when urchins go missing—and even if they are noticed, who will care? Daniel needs to do something about the missing children. But with recent revelations about his past and an unexpected, somewhat unwelcome inheritance to deal with, this is a terrible time to dive back into the seedy underbelly of the crime world. Nevertheless, he’s still a Bow Street runner, and his partner Lady Juliette is sensitive to the plight of these wayward youngsters. They’re on the case, searching shadowed alleys and coal-drenched streets to find the missing.

Ladies of Intrigue by Michelle Griep –  3 Page-Turners Under One Cover from Reader Favorite Michelle Griep! Can truth and love prevail when no one is as they appear?

Finding Lady Enderly by Joanna Davidson Politano – Raina Bretton is a rag woman in London’s East End when a handsome stranger appears in a dank alley and offers her a glittering smile and a chance for adventure. Rothburne Abbey has a unique position for her, one that will take her away from her hardscrabble life and give her a chance to be a lady. Things she could only dream of might be coming true. But some dreams turn out to be nightmares.

Across the Shores Collection – Sometimes love finds you where you are, and other times it meets you across distant shores as four women discover in these four historical stories linked by a shared gold pendant.

Elinor by Shannon McNear – In 1587, Elinor White Dare sailed from England heavy with her first child but full of hopes. Her father, a renowned artist and experienced traveler, has convinced her and her bricklayer husband Ananias to make the journey to the New World. Land, they are promised, more goodly and beautiful than they can ever imagine. But nothing goes as planned from landing at the wrong location, to facing starvation, to the endless wait for help to arrive. And, beyond her comprehension, Elinor finds herself utterly alone. . . . The colony at Roanoke disappeared into the shadows of history. But, what if one survived to leave a lasting legacy?

The Hand-Me-Down Family & The Maverick Preacher (2 Historical Romance Book Combo) – The Hand-Me-Down Family -When mail-order bride Callie Gray arrives in Sweetgum, Texas, she gets the shock of her life. Her husband is dead, and his brother proposes she marry him, for the sake of his orphaned nephew and nieces. Jack Tyler warns her this is strictly a marriage of convenience. But Callie yearns for a true partnership. Now she must convince Jack what he needs is a lifetime of love, faith, and family—with Callie. The Maverick Preacher -Once one of Boston’s most righteous ministers, now Joshua Blue is a guilt-stricken man scouring the West to find the sister he drove away. The trail leads him to Denver, where beautiful boardinghouse owner Adelaide Clark and her young son might hold the key to unlocking past secrets. Adie fears Josh’s presence could tear her family apart. But his strong faith sparks Adie’s long-buried hope for a future with a God-sent partner…

In a Mother’s Arms & The Widow’s Secret (3 Historical Romance Book Combo) – Three touching tales of love, family, and faith.

A Rancher of Convenience by Regina Scott (Love Inspired Historical) – Sweet mail-order bride Nancy Bennett can’t believe it when her husband is exposed as a cattle rustler—and killed. And when the banker holding the ranch’s mortgage questions whether she can run the ranch on her own, the pregnant widow has nowhere to turn. Until steady foreman Hank Snowden proposes marriage…

 

Contemporary

After She Falls by Carmen Schober (Romance) – After an abusive relationship derails her plans, Adri Rivera struggles to regain her independence and achieve her dream of becoming an MMA fighter. She gets a second chance, but the man who offers it to her is Max Lyons, her former training partner, whom she left heartbroken years before. As she fights for her future, will she be able to confront her past?

Courageous – Randy Alcorn (General) – Four men, one calling: to serve and protect. As law enforcement officers, Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, and their partners willingly stand up to the worst the world can offer. Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge that none of them are truly prepared to tackle: fatherhood. While they consistently give their best on the job, good enough seems to be all they can muster as dads. But they’re quickly discovering that their standard is missing the mark. They know that God desires to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, but their children are beginning to drift farther and farther away from them. Will they be able to find a way to serve and protect those who are most dear to them? When tragedy hits home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Can a newfound urgency help these dads draw closer to God… and to their children? Bestselling author Randy Alcorn brings the heart-pounding drama of the screenplay by Alex and Stephen Kendrick to this inspiring novel that also includes subplots, characters, and backstory not seen in the movie.

Once Upon A Montana Summer by Lisa T. Bergren – Love is Never Best Played Out on TV… Adalyn Stalling’s clients convinced her to be a contestant on their reality TV show, The One. Milllions of viewers tune in each week to watch a group of bachelorettes try to win one bachelor’s heart, and then during the next season, watch bachelors do the same. Now America’s most famous “loser at love,” Adalyn is trying to pick up the pieces of her life. Given the media frenzy and the paparazzi that chase her, she’s finding it difficult. And just as she learns she may have picked up a stalker, her childhood friend, Chase Rollins, tracks her down at last. He informs her that her beloved grandfather is ailing and needs her help, in more ways than one.

Tacos for Two by Betsy St. Amant (romance) – Rory Perez, a food truck owner who can’t cook, is struggling to keep the business she inherited from her aunt out of the red – and an upcoming contest during Modest’s annual food truck festival seems the best way to do it. The prize money could finally give her a solid financial footing and keep her cousin with special needs paid up at her beloved assisted living home. Then maybe Rory will have enough time to meet the man she’s been talking to via an anonymous online dating site.

How the Light Gets In (Women’s Fiction/General) – When Ruth Neufeld’s husband and father-in-law are killed working for a relief organization overseas, she travels to Wisconsin with her young daughters and mother-in-law Mabel to bury her husband. She hopes the Mennonite community will be a quiet place to grieve and piece together next steps.

The Bull Rider’s Homecoming by Allie Pleiter (Romance only) – An injured rodeo rider returns home to recuperate—and rekindle an old flame—in this heartwarming Western romance.

Falling for Her Best Friend by Lisa Carter (Romance only) – A friends-only pact . . . until they say “I do.”

The Cowboy Bargain by Tina Radcliff (Romance only) – A little competition…Brings a change of heart.

 

Romantic Suspense/Thriller

The Cedarfield Purge by Mark Andrlik(thriller) – This thought-provoking and inspirational suspense thriller is a dramatic and engaging illustration of how authorities in contemporary society persecute persons and organizations of faith. It relates both the glories and the challenges of ministry in a small community, and demonstrates that God always prevails.

Deadly Shallows by Dani Pettrey – When his Coast Guard base is targeted by an elusive but deadly threat, CGIS agent Noah Rowley is rocked to his core. Desperate for answers, he must team up with medic Brooke Kesler, the only witness who could expose the man responsible. With targets on their backs, can Brooke and Noah find the killer before he strikes again?

Cold Case Double Cross by Jessica R. Patch – Convinced his brother was wrongly convicted of murder years ago, detective Cash Ryland’s determined to find the real killer—even if it puts him in the crosshairs. But he needs help from cold case investigator Mae Vogel, whom he mistreated in high school. Can they put their past aside to solve the murder…before the killer succeeds in silencing them for good?

K-9 National Park Defenders by Katy Lee and Sharee Stover – A Christmas skiing retreat turns treacherous when Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit officer Veronica Eastwood’s sister is kidnapped—and only rival officer Parker Walsh can help her in Katy Lee’s Yuletide Ransom.And in Sharee Stover’s explosiveHoliday Rescue Countdown, K-9 officers Dylan Jeong and Brandie Weller must race against the clock when they face a Christmas parade bomb threat…and a killer from Dylan’s past.

K-9 Ranch Protection by Darlene L. Turner – Police constable Izzy Tremblay knows her father’s death was no accident, so when she finally discovers a lead and is immediately attacked, her suspicions are confirmed. The ambush leaves her in the hospital with three hours of crucial memory missing, which she knows holds the key to finding her father’s murderer. For protection, she takes refuge with her ex-partner, Austin Murray, on his K-9 ranch while she races to uncover the truth. But with danger still lurking, can they stay alive long enough to take down a killer?

Cave of Secrets by Shannon Redmon (LIS) – What she uncovers may get her killed…

Everglades Escape by Kathleen Tailer (LIS) – Pursued by a drug ring, she depends on a stranger to survive.

Texas Buried Secrets by Virginia Vaughan (LIS – Larger Print) – An uncovered grave reveals a deadly secret . . .

Shielding the Tiny Target by Deena Alexander (LIS – Larger Print) – A little girl in peril and a killer in pursuit.

Fantasy/Steampunk/Sci-fi/YA

Tainted by Morgan L. Busse (MP3 – book 1) – What Happens When Your Soul Dies?

Awakened by Morgan L. Busse (MP3 – book 2) – The monster has awakened.

Flight of the Raven by Morgan L. Busse (CD set – Book 2) –  Selene Ravenwood, once the heir to House Ravenwood, is now an exile. On the run and free of her family’s destiny, Selene hopes to find the real reason her family was given the gift of dreamwalking. But first she must adapt to her new life as wife to Lord Damien Maris, the man she was originally assigned to kill.

Fawkes by Nadine Brandes – Guy Fawkes’s son must join his father’s plot to kill the king in this magical retelling of the Gunpowder Plot that will sweep you back in time to a divided England where plagues turn victims to stone

Chaos Grid by Lyndsey Lewellen – Cross the grid. Survive the storms. Let your destiny burn. When mankind’s attempts to control nature backfire, Texas descends into a wasteland. Storms rage and ravenous beasts roam the Outer Grid. The only safe havens rest inside the tech-obsessed domed cities. But when her parents are murdered inside the Plex City dome, seventeen-year-old Juniper Conway wants revenge.

 

Non-Fiction

Sweet Tea Secrets from the Deep Fried South by Jane Jenkins Herlong – Southern humorist Jane Jenkins Herlong brings joy and humor with her 50 unusual-but-true faith-filled stories of growing up in the South Carolina low country. Whether you love Southern ways of life or find their ways strange and amusing, you’ll be entertained and inspired with warm Southern-fried humor and tried-and-true tips for attaining the best version of yourself. Jane’s 50 stories address specific landmark events along with issues in a woman’s life, such as fitting into the covered-dish church culture, sacred sisterhood, sassy seasoned Southern women and why we are drawn to beauty pageant competition, and much more!

Stories from the Heart by Steve Demaree – Over fifty very short inspirational stories. Some may cause some readers to shed tears of joy. Others may put a smile on the reader’s face. Many are designed to make the reader think about what they have read.

Be the Difference Monthly Planner – Identify the issues that matter most to you, create a plan of action, and make the impact God wants you to make—locally, nationally, and globally—with this undated, guided twelve-month planner.