That’s right. Reading 50 books in a year apparently isn’t challenging enough. Or trying to read 5 books a month. I know, you’re all shaking your heads right now. That’s okay, because this challenge will actually help me reach those goals as well. I found this challenge on YouTube and apparently it was created last year but didn’t get a lot of hype. So, I’m going to see if I can hype it up. Let me tell you all about it.
What is 75 Booked
So, first off let me explain what 75 Booked is. This challenge was thought of when 75 Hard and 75 Soft were exploding across the internet. A BookTuber, Emily Paige Books is her account, thought that 75 Hard and Soft were too much. Then she thought, why not make a challenge for the book community. So, she came up with 75 Booked. It is a 75 day challenge to help you eliminate doom scrolling and read more. There are 5 rules to the challenge that you can adapt the way you want to, or for what works for you. The challenge is meant to be fun, but there are some rules that she encourages you to keep. Let’s break down each rule and I’ll tell you what I’m doing for that rule.
Rule 1
The first rule is to read for 2 45 minute sessions every day. Some of you might think, I don’t have that kind of time. How much time do you spend watching TV, movies, YouTube, or just doom scrolling reels on Instagram or TicToc? Trust me, you have the time. I would say the only ones who have a pass are stay at home moms, who are busy with their children and are lucky to have five minutes for a cup of coffee. There is no strictness saying that it has to be 2 separate sessions, like 75 Hard has, as part of their rule. And audio books count.
My Rule
I will be following this rule and I’ll set a time for each reading session as well. Now, know that there will be some days where this will be tricky due to work commitments. But, I am determined to find a way to make it work. Even if I just have to do both sessions back to back. When I can, I plan to do one session in the morning and one in the evening. I’ll have to adapt when I work till 11pm, because I do not have 45 minute breaks at work. And unfortunately I can’t audiobook because my airpods decided that they were done this life and died. Can’t charge them. I’ll think of something.
75 Booked Rule 2
Rule two of 75 Booked is simply to drink water during each 45 minute session. She says to drink 1 water bottle but also throws in that if you’re drinking a glass of water each session that counts too. I like the flexibility with this as she isn’t putting an amount, like fitness challenges do. However, she is still encouraging you to drink your water. This is a great rule for someone like me who simply forgets to drink water throughout the day. The trick will be remembering to drink water during these sessions because if the book is good, I will forget.
My Rule
As I stated, this one will actually be the hardest for me because I simply forget to drink. Watching a movie or TV – forget I have a drink. Eating a meal – forget I have a drink. It really is a problem and I have to put conscious effort into it. My husband gave me a good suggestion to set a timer to remind myself to drink. I might just employ that. But hey, I want to drink more water anyway. I will say that I will allow tea as an option as well, but no other drink. Just because coffee is made with water does not mean it’s water.
Rule 3
I really like this next rule. One of the 45 minute sessions must be out of bed. When I have a day off, I have to force myself to leave my bed. Something that I’m working on. Sometimes I’ll even take my laptop to my room and work from bed. Not the best idea. I have no motivation to really work and even writing a simple blog that I’ve planned out is hard. She does say that if you have a chair or walking pad in your room, you don’t have to leave your bedroom even. Just leave your bed. But, for those who like to read before bed, and get comfy in your bed, this is still an option for one session.
my rule
As I have said, I love this rule. I need more motivation to leave my bed. I don’t think this rule will be difficult because as the weather improves I want to read outside. In fact, I might do both reading sessions outside. And hopefully when I read outside I am also motivated to drink more often because I’m hot. Fingers crossed. But I do not see this rule being a problem. I can leave my bed and read somewhere else.
75 Booked Rule 4
No spending money on books. So, essentially you are on a 75 day book buying ban. Now, some of you are wondering why this rule? What if you don’t have a lot of books? She points out that so many times we buy the latest book that’s trending and our older books don’t get read. But, on top of that, she encourages us to support our local library and go there to get a book. I love the idea of supporting the local library. In fact, I actually tried to get a job at mine, but wasn’t able to because of rules they had to follow for the grant or something like that. But libraries always have so many options and get new books all the time. You literally have an endless supply of books.
My rule
This is where I have my first real adaptation to the rules. So, as you know I am in a book club. And each time we pick a book it is one that I do not own. And sometimes the library doesn’t have it either, or if they do it’s a really long wait. So, in this case, I will allow myself to buy the book. And honestly, I do have a shelf committed to book club books and I would like to see it filled. With that being said, I can only buy one book for my book club. Sometimes we select two books, and if I want to read both of them, one has to be through the library. Don’t worry, I will still be supporting my library with my other reads for my TBR picks.
Rule 5
And last but not least, document your reading journey. Now, this can simply be a journal where you say how many pages you read, what book you’re reading, and that you completed that day’s two sessions. Or you can go more detailed if you want. Make it your own. This rule is one I’ll be simplifying with just updating GoodReads and checking off that I did each session. I don’t need to go into more detail than that. For book club books maybe I’ll put in my favourite quotes that I read that session, but that is just because I always need a quote to share at book club and mine are always picked by others who share before me.
75 Booked Starts Now
I hummed and hawed about when to start this challenge and my husband pointed out that it really didn’t matter. 75 days isn’t perfectly broken into a certain amount of months, so I don’t have to start on the first of a month. Therefore, I will be starting today, May 18, 2026. And you can see how this will help me read more books. I’m basically forcing myself to read for an hour and a half everyday for 75 days. My husband was at first concerned that it meant I had a certain amount of time to read 75 books! I can’t imagine reading 75 books within a year, but that’s because I struggle to read 50. My favourite BookTuber can do that in her sleep. She’s currently reading book number 65 of the year. I’m not sure why she sets her goal at 100. At this rate she will make that goal by the end of June.
This Should be Fun
I am so excited to see how many books I’ll end up reading in 75 days. Do you all want weekly updates? I’m actually giddy. I think, to make the challenge more effective for me I will say I have to read the same book for the full 45 minutes. This will prevent me from putting down a book after reading 1 chapter and picking up a more enjoyable one. Let’s finish these books. And I need the help finishing Monte Cristo. Don’t get me wrong, I am enjoying it. But I am determined to finish my other books at the same time. The one exception to this rule is if I finish a book and need to pick up a new one. Who’s joining me? Let’s reach our reading goals this year. After all, anything can happen if we try.
