Summer Reading Challenge 2026 @ Beyond the Bookends

This begins on May 1 and ends September 7 (Labor Day this year). 

1. Book Set at the Beach
2. Celebrity Book Club Pick
3. Family Inheritance Novels (June)
4. By a Summer Author*
5. Jane Austen Retellings or Jane Austen Books in Order
6. Novels about Immigration or Immigration Memoirs
7. Matchmaking Books
8. Books About Road Trips (May)
9. Pop Culture Nonfiction Books
10. Lake Books
11. Books Set in New York
12. Beach Mystery Books
13. Adult Versions of Favorite Childhood Books
14. YA Thriller Books
15. Ultimate Beach Reads 2026
16. Royal Historical Fiction
17. Books Set in Maine (July)
18. The Best Fiction Books about Wine
19. 2026 New Release Book
20. Reality TV Novels
21. Nonfiction & Fiction Books About Cults
22. Books Set in Tropical Locations (August)
23. Romance Books About Books
24. Books About Female Spies 
25. Free Space 

* (Hannah Orenstein Books, Emily Henry Books Ranked, Jenny Colgan Books Ranked, Ashley Poston Books Ranked, Annabel Monaghan Books, Taylor Jenkins Reid Books Ranked, Ali Hazelwood Books Ranked, Chanel Cleeton Books in Order, Carley Fortune Books, Jasmine Guillory Books in Order) 

P is for Phones

 

A book-cover scavenger hunt is this year's theme. Please see this post for general rules on how to participate. 

Today's item is:

Phones

My choice:

Landline--Rainbow Rowell

This might have seemed like an easy choice to make, since phones have been become part of everyday life this year. But somehow it didn't occur to me right away when I was trying to find something for this letter. But seeing this book (another I have at home that is TBR), gave me the idea.  Also, since I got a new phone recently. For this all kinds of phones are acceptable (since this one has an old corded one).

Now it's your turn. Provide a link in the comments (from Amazon, Goodreads or other sites) to a book with the item of the day. Just naming the book in the comments is also acceptable. Remember, you cannot use the same one in my post. Otherwise, just comment on the post. Good Luck!

O is for Oranges

 

A book-cover scavenger hunt is this year's theme. Please see this post for general rules on how to participate. 

Today's item is:

Oranges

My choice:

The Orange Blossom Special--Betsy Carter

The letters just keep getting tougher! This one came to me since this was a recent read. The images of the oranges stuck in my mind.

Now it's your turn. Provide a link in the comments (from Amazon, Goodreads or other sites) to a book with the item of the day. Just naming the book in the comments is also acceptable. Remember, you cannot use the same one in my post. Otherwise, just comment on the post. Good Luck!

N is for Nails

 

A book-cover scavenger hunt is this year's theme. Please see this post for general rules on how to participate. 

Today's item is:

Nails

My choice:

Sunshine Nails--Mai Nguyen

One of the letters that proved tricky! I mainly chose this because I have this book at home (not read yet). I know that the fingernails are not very dominant on the cover, but this was the best I could find. A nail salon is the setting.

Now it's your turn. Provide a link in the comments (from Amazon, Goodreads or other sites) to a book with the item of the day. Just naming the book in the comments is also acceptable. Remember, you cannot use the same one in my post. Otherwise, just comment on the post. Good Luck!

M is for Matches

 

A book-cover scavenger hunt is this year's theme. Please see this post for general rules on how to participate. 

Today's item is:

Matches

My choice:

Under the Same Stars--Libba Bray

I was having trouble deciding on a word for this one, until I remembered seeing something online about matches on covers. That gives a lot to choose from. I remembered reading this book last summer and how much I had enjoyed it.

Now it's your turn. Provide a link in the comments (from Amazon, Goodreads or other sites) to a book with the item of the day. Just naming the book in the comments is also acceptable. Remember, you cannot use the same one in my post. Otherwise, just comment on the post. Good Luck!

L is for Letters

 

A book-cover scavenger hunt is this year's theme. Please see this post for general rules on how to participate. 

Today's item:

Letters

Letters, in the sense of mail that is. A lost art.

 

My choice:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Flashing back to this book is how I chose this one. This was another tricky letter for this challenge. I also have read a great number of epistolary books. I could mostly find letters that were in envelopes on covers. I will accept this.

Now it's your turn. Provide a link in the comments (from Amazon, Goodreads or other sites) to a book with the item of the day. Just naming the book in the comments is also acceptable. Remember, you cannot use the same one in my post. Otherwise, just comment on the post. Good Luck!

K is for Knives

 

A book-cover scavenger hunt is this year's theme. Please see this post for general rules on how to participate. 

Today's item:

Knives

My choice:

Strawberry Shortcake Murder--Joanne Fluke

This is a rather tricky letter, but having read a great number of culinary mysteries made me decide on knife for this letter. This is one such series I have read. I am waiting to see if there is a new book coming. These book contains recipes. I've been tempted by some of them, but a lot of them involve baking, and I don't currently have a working one. And some of the challenges I'm doing this year have the prompt "knife on the cover."

Now it's your turn. Provide a link in the comments (from Amazon, Goodreads or other sites) to a book with the item of the day. Just naming the book in the comments is also acceptable. Remember, you cannot use the same one in my post. Otherwise, just comment on the post. Good Luck!