26 in 2026

reading challenge

26 in 2026

Welcome to my reading challenge of 26 books in 2026 This is where I’m keeping everything in one place, from the list of books to the finished reviews. If you’ve already read these books, I’d love for you to follow along without spoilers.

Come pull up a chair and see which stories become new favorites along the way.

Reading Journey

Current Status

↻ In Progress

Started

January 2026

finished

NOT YET!

Where I’m Starting

I’ll be honest. I am terrible at reading challenges. Most years I don’t even bother because somewhere along the way they stop being fun and start feeling like another thing on my to-do list. This year, though, I’m trying to get myself back into a better reading rhythm, so I decided to give a couple of challenges a chance. This one just happens to be the first.

The goal is simple: read 26 books during 2026. That part isn’t really the challenge for me. I’ll usually read that many books by the end of February. The challenge is sticking to this list of 26 books. Some were recommended by readers, some are new releases I’ve been excited about, a few are old favorites I haven’t revisited in years, and others have been collecting dust on my TBR for far too long. These are simply the 26 stories I hope to experience this year, and I’m inviting you to follow along with me as I read them.

WHat Made the list

There is absolutely no sensible theme holding these 26 books together, which is probably what makes the list feel the most like me. There are books everyone seems to have read except me sitting beside new releases I’ve been waiting for. A few are old favorites I want to see through different eyes, and some have been hanging around my TBR for so long that reading them is starting to feel overdue.

That mix is part of what I’m looking forward to. I could go from fantasy to romance to mystery without warning, revisit something I loved years ago, or finally discover why everyone has been telling me to read a certain book forever. I don’t expect to love all 26. I may even wonder why I put a few of them on the list in the first place.

That’s half the fun.

I’ll be adding my thoughts and reviews as I make my way through the list, so this page will change along with my reading year. Some books may become new favorites. Others may earn a very enthusiastic well, I read it. Either way, they’re getting their turn.