This post is part of the Reading Writers of Color challenge hosted by Lonely Cryptid Media’s staff writer and editor, Dan Michael Fielding.
I cannot tell you how excited I am for this year’s challenge! 2021 was an amazing year filled with reading and learning. I’m so pleased to have gotten to know many of you through your reading recommendations and comments. I hope you enjoy the reading prompt list for 2022!
If you’re new to the challenge, here’s the run down: for the year of 2022 we will commit to reading more books by authors of color. Each month is centered around a prompt intended to inspire your reading choices, stretch your imagination, and get you reading!
Don’t forget to check out our guide to staying accountable to the challenge and refresh your memory on how to write a book review for the challenge.

I constructed this year’s prompt list based on feedback from challenge participants. Folks wanted more works from Indigenous authors and queer authors. I’ve also tried to balance prompts based on an author’s identity or group categorization, and prompts based on the contents of the book. This should allow you to choose books in genres you already read and explore new genres along the way.
The list is as follows:
- January: Classical or foundational reading
- February: A genre which is new to you
- March: Social-justice oriented
- April: By a global south or migrant author
- May: Non-fiction
- June: By a queer, trans, or nonbinary author
- July: By a debut author
- August: By an Indigenous, Aboriginal, or Native author
- September: Speculative fiction
- October: By a disabled author
- November: A book which explores gender, sex, or sexuality
- December: A book by one of your favorite authors
Don’t worry if you can’t think of what to read for the prompts. Each month I will write a guide with some advice and recommended reading. You can use that space to brainstorm what to read, ask for recommendations, and share your picks.
If you like having an image to print out or to share on social media, feel free to share the call list below:

Which month are you most excited for? Are there any you’re anticipating having difficulty with? Let us know in the comments so we can celebrate or start brainstorming solutions.
Happy reading!
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This was a great challenge and I’m so happy that I participated every month. Looking forward to finding more interesting and enlightening reads in 2022.
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Thank you! Happy reading. ๐
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New Genre is a tough one!
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I’ve been doing reading challenges for years now and I am *so out* of genres to try! I have to resort to the nitpickiest subgenres like steamhopecottagecore.
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Steamhopecottagegore? ๐ I suppose I would have to settle for the genre/subgenre I read the least. Although, every now and then a new subgenre pops up. For this yearโs challenge I read โDavid Mogo, Godhunterโ, which I then happily called โgodpunkโ. There you goโฆ ๐
https://cathysreadingbonanza.wordpress.com/2021/04/25/nigerian-godpunk/
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Ah excellent, I’m set now. ๐
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Great! ๐
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Haha, whatever works!
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These look great! Looking forward to 2022!
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Argh, not doing great so far on the 2022 challenge–I missed the first posts on Habitica, and this month I just didn’t get to it. I’m hoping moving forward I’ll get better this year!
I have read some GREAT stuff so far though!
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That’s okay! It’s always alright to skip some months if necessary. You can pick it up again when you’re ready. ๐
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Looking forward to this 2022 challenge and excited to renew my commitment. ๐ I’m also looking forward to the new genre one because i have a horror novel i’ve been wanting read (and that’s a new genre for me!)
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Horror would be new to me, too! What’s the book, if I may ask?
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Looking forward to starting this challenge at the start of the year! I’m going to prioritize the current challenge, but also try to finish the challenges from 2021 that I missed because I joined so late.
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Welcome! Happy reading. ๐
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Ah, great! I loved this challenge last year and I followed it through the whole year. I’m not completely sure if I will read every book this year, because I already own far too many books and really shouldn’t buy many new ones. I will however join those, which I can finished with the books I have at hand.
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Maybe the challenge can help you read through some of your backlog? I know the feeling of having too many books and not enough time to read them… :’)
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I’m doing this for the first time and starting a bit late, but I’m committed to reading a book every month this year!
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Welcome to the challenge! Happy reading. ๐
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I just found this challenge, and I’m looking forward to trying it out. Two books I read last month would have been great for this month’s challenge, so I’ll have to find something else to try!
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Welcome to the challenge! What did you read last month? Maybe I can get some idea for what I should read. ๐
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I’ll join! I’m a bit late but I’ll start now!
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Thanks for joining! Happy reading. ๐
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