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Find Recommendations & Connect With Readers!
Visit our Goodreads Group for recommended books that fit each challenge prompt.
Seasons of Reading is a Year-Long Reading Challenge for Teens and Adults, hosted by Baker Free Library. Sign up at the library beginning January 2 to receive your list, and work your way through a new set of reading prompts each season.
Your task is simple: over the course of one calendar year, complete as many individual reading prompts as you can. There are 40 prompts in total, each designed to help you explore new titles, authors and genres. You’ll have three months to complete each season’s challenge, based on the following schedule:
Winter:
January 1 - March 31
Spring:
April 1 - June 30
Summer:
July 1 - September 30
Fall:
October 1 - December 31
At the end of each season, check in with a library staff member. Every reader who completes 8 or more prompts in that season’s challenge will receive a small prize. Any reading completed in 2025 can be applied toward any prompt, but only one prize can be earned per season. (This means you can read ahead if you’d like, but won’t be able to claim prizes ahead of time!) Readers who complete all four seasonal challenges by the end of 2025 will win an additional prize.
Who Can Participate?
This challenge is designed for Bow residents or Baker Free Library cardholders aged 12 and up. Simply sign up at the library to get started, on or after January 2.
What Do I Have To Do?
Read or listen to a book that fulfills each reading prompt, and write down the title in the space provided. Ten prompts are provided for each season; to earn a prize, you must complete 8 or more. You are welcome to choose which prompts you’d like to complete, in any order.
Can I Read In Any Format?
Yes, and we hope you do! Unless specifically called for in a prompt, graphic novels, eBooks, and audiobooks are all accepted, and both fiction and non-fiction titles are encouraged.
Can I Count The Same Book Twice?
No, and that’s really our only rule. Please choose a unique title for each prompt.
Can I Count Books I Read Before Signing Up?
Any books read on or after January 1, 2025 count toward the challenge, regardless of your start date.
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Library Meet-Ups
Connect with other readers and share recommendations at in-person gatherings at the library. At least once per season, we'll gather to swap suggestions and discuss which books we've read. Visit our online calendar to learn about the next meeting date, and register to reserve your space.
Next Meet-Up Date:
Wednesday, February 5 at 6:00pm
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Need Help Understanding a Prompt?
Read on for tips about some of our trickier reading challenges!
Read A Locked-Room Mystery
A locked-room mystery is a type of mystery or detective novel where a crime, usually a murder, takes place in a seemingly impossible situation, for example: in a room that appears to be completely sealed, with no way for the perpetrator to enter or leave. Key points about locked room mysteries include a confined space in which entry and exit seem impossible, and a limited pool of suspects, creating a "closed circle" mystery. Famous examples include Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie and The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley. Find more examples here!
Read An Award-Winning Book from 2024
Any award-winning book from 2024 can be counted for this challenge. Try any novel from Nobel Prize Winner Han Kang, the winner of a national or international prize like the Pulitzer or Women's Prize, or your favorite genre-specific award, including winners for history, poetry, journalism, mystery, science-fiction, and more. Find some examples here!