The 2026 Cozy Reading Challenge!

12 prompts to add variety and delight to your reading life

Welcome to Sleuth Hero Alien, where we celebrate cozy mystery, gentle fantasy, and charming sci-fi novels.

Dear Cozy Readers,

I’m so excited to share our second annual Cozy Reading Challenge with you!

This year, we’re leaning into Sleuth Hero Alien’s 2026 themes and turning them into four seasonal mini-challenges—with three prompts per season to add delight and variety to your cozy reading life!

Below, you’ll find everything you need to get started:

• How it works

• How to track your progress

• All twelve prompts

It was so much fun putting this challenge together. I hope you enjoy it with your full readerly heart.

—Emma

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How It Works

Inspired by our 2026 seasonal themes in Sleuth Hero Alien, this challenge offers four mini-challenges—one for each season.

Each mini-challenge has three prompts, and you’re welcome to follow them in order or hop around however you like. Read in the way that brings you the most joy.

For each prompt, read a book that fulfills the category.

Unless a prompt says otherwise, you can choose any genre—just keep it cozy. Cozies avoid graphic violence, horror, or disturbing on-page events (though they may gently allude to them). Think comfort, charm, warmth, and gentle adventure.

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How to Track Your Progress

You can download this printable PDF of all the prompts.

If you’re a StoryGraph user, you can join the challenge directly on StoryGraph.

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2026 Cozy Reading Challenge Prompts

Add variety and delight to your reading life.

❄️ WINTER — Cozy Classics

1. A Cozy Classic Published Before 1900

2. A Modern Cozy Retelling of a Classic Work

3. A Cozy Classic Published Between 1900-1995

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🌼 SPRING — Cozy Pets

4. A Cozy with an Animal Narrator

5. A Cozy Where the Cat or Dog is the Sleuth or Hero

6. A Cozy Featuring a Magical or Exotic Pet

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☀️ SUMMER — Cozy Cafés

7. A Cozy Featuring a Bookish Cafe

8. A Cozy Where a Baked Good Plays a Key Role in the Story

9. A Cozy Featuring a Magical Cafe

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🍁 FALL — Cozy Academia

10. A Cozy with a Student Protagonist of Any Age

11. A Gentle Book That Teaches You Something

12. A Cozy with a Teacher or Professor Protagonist

May you enjoy a delightful year of reading that warms your heart and your tea cup.

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You’re Invited…

If you’d like to enjoy an even cozier 2026, I have two special offerings for paid subscribers to support your reading experience:

• Monthly “Reading Challenge Companion” posts, where I’ll explore one prompt each month and give you inspiration and reading recommendations

• Seasonal “Cozy Literature Society” Zoom hangs, where we’ll gather at the end of each season to talk about the cozy books we’ve been reading and loving lately

I’m running a New Year discount on annual paid subscriptions until January 31, so it’s a lovely time to join us if you’ve been thinking about it.

Hi there! I’m Emma Veritas, your cozy reading enthusiast. I delight in escaping to small towns filled with endearing characters—and just a touch of mystery, dragons, or aliens. When I’m not sharing bookish musings here, you’ll find me reading at the beach, wandering the tiled alleys of my new hometown in Portugal, or sipping a delicious cup of hot chocolate.

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👉Don’t miss my other newsletter, Mystics Reading Society. Join us for weekly chapter-by-chapter read alongs of spiritual books. We start Mirrors in the Earth: Reflections on Self-Healing from the Living World by Asia Suler on January 11.