I love the experience of reading a good book—a book I pick up because it sounds intriguing, because I suspect it will be right up my alley. Those are reasons enough.
But I’ve learned that no reading experience is truly isolated. Every book I read is in conversation with every book I’ve read before. In fact, part of the delight of reading widely is constantly making unexpected connections between the books I’ve read. This is bound to happen organically, as I notice similar themes carrying through multiple reads, or coincidentally end up reading several books in quick succession that share something more unusual in common—like they all happen to be set in Michigan, or at MIT, or with characters who row competitively, or who are working through grief.
But as much as I love bookish serendipity, I’m also very much in favor of occasionally crafting an intentional reading plan with a specific desired experience or outcome in mind.
We’ve been talking a lot about personal reading projects around here lately: in MMD Book Club we’ve focused on “great books” and how to contemplate the “inputs” and “outputs” for your own personal reading project. On What Should I Read Next?, I talked with Amy about potential topics for her own personal curriculum (options: Fleetwood Mac, food science, Greek mythology, cults!), and how to think about putting together what she described as “a learning plan you design for yourself.” Will and I talked about his accidental personal curriculum, with the only-visible-in-hindsight theme being “the control of nature.”
Last week Callie shared her at once both terribly and enticingly strict Alpha-Book reading challenge, giving us the opportunity to explore the benefits of structure and flexibility to expand your reading life. And just yesterday our team member Donna shared the thing that really worked for her reading life this year: her Taylor Swift-themed reading project.
(On a perhaps smaller scale: this year I read The Power Broker and it was so incredibly long I felt like just reading that book was a project!)
These individually crafted, self-directed reading projects deliver fun, motivation, and purpose. They can be straightforward or off the beaten path. They can be as niche or nerdy as you want.
I’m tentatively planning my own project that resides on the more “niche” end of the spectrum. In 2026 I want to read German thrillers—not ones by German authors, necessarily, but thrillers in the German language.
I studied German in college and was close to fluent at one point, but my command of the language has suffered from lack of use. But then early last year we traveled to Germany to visit my kid studying abroad, and I was shocked to discover my language skills hadn’t suffered nearly as much as I expected. I could barely believe it when I realized I could have actual conversations with native Germans (who were, it must be said, extraordinarily patient and kind) and at least somewhat hold my own.
I came home from that trip newly inspired to strengthen my lapsed German. Partly because the task didn’t seem nearly as daunting after our trip, when I was using my German constantly, and partly because browsing European bookstores made me want to read All The Things … in German! (It didn’t hurt that Will lugged an enormous copy of my favorite novel, Maggie O’Farrell’s This Must Be the Place—er, Hier muss es sein—all the way from a Frankfurt bookstore to our Kentucky home.)
But where do the thrillers come in? Shortly after I began incubating my reading-in-German-again idea, I happened to read thriller writer Julie Clark for the first time. My entry point was The Ghostwriter, which I loved and included in our 2025 MMD Summer Reading Guide. When summer rolled around and I went on my annual backlist binge, I started exploring her older books … and somewhere along the way discovered that her work is extraordinarily popular in Germany. Lucky for me, this means translations are readily available—so I can have the satisfaction of reading in German, with the safety net of an English counterpart within arm’s reach to bolster my confidence as a reader. I’m not sure if I’ll read each chapter first in English and then in German, or only use the English edition as a backup, but I like to know I have options.
My ultimate goal is to tackle the Maggie O’Farrell, but considering where my language skills are right now, the Julie Clark thrillers feel much more accessible. I’m still in the dreaming-and-scheming stage—as in, I haven’t actually read one of these books in German yet—but I sure do like the idea for my early 2026 reading life.
Have you embarked on a reading project? Are you cooking one up for next year? I’d love to hear all about it in comments, and I’m sure our community of readers would appreciate you adding fuel to their fire as well.
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After being inspired by a WSIRN guest in 2019, I did 100 books for years 1920-2019! I almost abandoned it in April (2020) but then realized, what better time to do it? I exported my 1000+ book TBR and actually had about 60 books/years I wanted to read already. It was by far my most diverse year and my most satisfying year. So many books I’ve been meaning to get to! The hardest part was not getting pulled into shiny new releases! Aside from an elaborate spreadsheet, I filled out and colored a 100 books poster and have it framed in my craft room. Strangely, it was this huge undertaking and something that I felt really proud of accomplishing, yet hardly anyone in my life was even aware it happened! How do you bring up “I read 100 years of books”? Since then I’ve loosely tried other projects to read more backlist but nothing has stuck, so 2020 will probably remain my most memorable reading year (for many reasons!)
Wild! I was inspired to do something similar by the same guest (hi Tara!). But I am trying to read one per decade from the last 120 years. I thought i’d knock it out easily this year. LOL. nope. So I’m continuing it into 2026. Here’s hoping I get it done next year and if not… it’ll continue into 2027. : )
That episode was so good! (Thanks, Tara!) And I love hearing how it’s inspired you both in your reading life.
What episode was this? I’m having a hard time searching for it on Spotify. Please and thank you! 🙂
It’s Episode 168: A century of good books (in a single year) https://modernmrsdarcy.com/168-episode/
I was inspired by that same episode and have been trying to accomplish it for 3 years now. I keep getting distracted by the new and shiny. Perhaps 2026 is the year to buckle down and accomplish it finally! 🙂
Fabulous! This idea has inspired me to do the same, but I’m going to narrow my choices down to a niche genre that I really love: British detective fiction. I’ve been helped along by discovering a website with a list of classic detective novels and I’m going to start with The Moonstone (1868) but then skip to 1900-1909 and The Hound of the Baskervilles. I’m going to also avoid re-reading books although I was a huge Agatha Christie fan when I was younger so that might make things tricky in places.
What website is this? I am looking for new recommendations for British detective fiction that is on the older side.
Maybe not true detective fiction, but these older British mysteries are wonderful… Mary Stewart (Nine Coaches Waiting is a favorite), Josephine Tey (famous for Daughter of Time but I prefer Brat Farrar & The Franchise Affair), du Maurier’s My Cousin Rachel, & The Woman in White is the Best!
https://greatbritishbookclub.com/classic-british-mystery-novels/
It gave me some great suggestions!
Do you mean written by British authors or simply set in Britain? I have a series I have loved set in Britain (Scotland Yard inspector is the main character) but is written by American authors.
I love this idea! I’m a mystery fan and this sounds right up my alley 😊
I think it is fun how so many of us were inspired by this episode. My 60th birthday is coming up and I was thinking of doing a project where I read a book from each of the 6 decade (I was born in 1967 so not sure whether to start in the 60s or 70s.) I’m just not sure how to find the books. Any good resources for that? Maybe MMD could do an episode or blog post on that? I want the book to be written in and set in the decade.
I want to combine that with reading 6 books that represent my 60 years of reading. A Nancy Drew book will be the first, then progressing to Agatha Christie. I’ll probably stick to all murder mysteries as that was my first reading love and I’ve read a lot of series!
If you google “Goodreads top books for ####” it will bring up a page for each year with most popular books as rated by Goodreads readers (which are also reading in modern times so may not reflect what was most popular at the time the book was published). I looked thru this list and selected a book that looked interesting for that year. Finding books set in the year sounds tricky though!
Wow, what an accomplishment!
I, too, was inspired by Tara’s podcast, and in 2020, when I turned 70, I read one book from each year of my life – a total of 71 books. It was fun researching to find a book for each year, and I did tweak it a bit as I moved along in the year. I used James Mustich’s book 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die to find the majority of the books I chose because he listed the publication date of the book in his descriptions.
Wow! So cool
I’m not usually one to jump on a typo, but I will say that your goal to read these books *in 2016* made me smile – VERY niche!!!
hahaha! I’ll update that now; thank you, Tory!
lol — I hardly noticed b/c in my mind, that was nearly yesterday 🙂
It’s not exclusively a reading project, but it is largely a reading project. I have always been a nerd for English history, and I’ve loved reading British historian Dan Jones’s books about the medieval period (The Plantagenets, The Wars of the Roses, etc.) He also has a narrative podcast (This is History with several spin-offs for the same era performed by other historians) that goes through each of the Plantagenets from Henry II onward, which I’ve really been enjoying. His newest book, Henry V, came out this year, and I read that while listening to the podcast, along with The Time Traveler’s Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer. I also read Helen Castor’s The Eagle and the Hart about Richard II and Henry IV (Henry V’s dad who also usurped the crown from Richard II), and her book on Joan of Arc. THIS led me to also read the 1950s novel Katherine by Anya Seton which tells the (love) story of John of Gaunt (Henry IV’s father and son of Edward III) and Katherine Sywnford (his longtime mistress turned third wife).
Long story short, I’ve been deeply immersed in 14th Century England/France and the Hundred Years War.
That sounds so fun. I have several Dan Jones’ books I’ve been meaning to read. And I know so little about that time period that it would be a good stretch project
You may also be interested in the series of books by Margaret Frazer set during that time period. I’m just finishing the Sister Frievesse series. I highly recommend!
I love history too. We read Katherine by Anya Seton in my book group this year. It was my choice because I live about 20 minutes away from Kettlethorpe and the ruins of the Manor House there. Katherine is buried in Lincoln cathedral, about 30 minutes in another direction and I have been to see her grave there. It just brings it to life to get such a feel for her in the places that she lived.
I love that book SO much. Read it around age 13 and was obsessed. Fueled a medieval history interest for me too.
I’m stealing all of this! Thank you!
Nothing exciting, but I would like to see if I can do it… I’m going to try to *gasp* NOT get any library books for all of 2026. I have acquired so many books I’ve been excited about for one reason or another. It has made for a massive unread shelf, and book cart, and various book piles… So for 2026 I’m going to try to keep my “hold” habit in check and read what I already have. Because I’m not a complete masochist, I think I’m going allow myself 4-6 library books for the whole year. This way I can get some new releases from auto-read authors. I’m sure there will be a spreadsheet involved as well.
WHOA! Katie, I love my library and I also LOVE this project, which is blowing my mind in the best way. Would love to hear how this unfolds for you!
I’ve been thinking of doing the same! But maybe gentler like read 2 of my own books, then one from the library. I don’t think I could go a whole year without the library!
Oh I like your idea Kyla! My goal was my bookshelf but it’s been killing me to not hit the library–I’m stealing this!:)
I am not saying that there will be no library books in 2026, but my goal is to read at least 3 books that I already own before I read a library book or bring something new into my home or on my Kindle. I’m also going to read War and Peace this year with Footnotes and Tangents and am really looking forward to it!
Currently reading War and Peace with my book club!
Me too! I tried in 2025 but my edition of War and Peace was so far removed from the plan, that I gave up. This time I have one of the recommended editions.
Kristy, I am just finishing my year with Footnotes and Tangents War and Peace Slow Read. You are in for a unique reading experience. Simon does an amazing job with the podcast, resources etc. The weekly online chats are wonderful as well. I loved the whole “slow read” process so much I am joining F&T Wolf Crawl next year. Cheers to niche reading!
I’m just coming to the end of W&P with Footnotes & Tangents. An amazing way to spend a year.
I’ve tried this exact challenge myself, many times. It’s so difficult! One year, I “allowed” myself to check out one library book for every two I read from my own full-to-bursting bookshelves. That worked somewhat. Best of luck to you as you read through your accumulated treasures.
Several years ago after stumbling upon the Japanese word “tsundoku”, I was inspired to only read books from my shelves. It was enormously gratifying and rewarding to read books that had languished sometimes for decades. Dava Sobel’s Galileo’s Daughter and Donna Tartt’s The Little Friend had been patiently waiting their turn since their publication dates in 2000 and 2002 – both were excellent. Now if I buy a book it is with the express intent of reading it straightaway, while gifted books immediately jump to the front of the queue. I even keep my library holds to just 2-3. I find that choosing with more intention and cutting out the noise, has greatly reduced my stress of so many books, so little time.
This coming year I have decided to re-read my all time faves, starting with Bonfire of the Vanities and moving on to The Mayor of Casterbridge, my gateway to the classics as a teen.
This is such good encouragement! I have so many books in my house and yet I still buy new ones and borrow from the library. I need to quiet down my mind a bit and this is probably a good place to start.
I love how you say, “I need to quiet down my mind a bit…” This hits home for me. I hope you get some relief. Bibliotherapy always helps me!
I love reading other people’s reading goals–this is one of my favorite times of the year! This is a great goal, and one I could benefit from adopting myself. I have a large number of owned books and enjoy reading classics and backlist, but it’s hard to make time for those when I can grab a popular, shiny new release at the library or on Libby. I would love to focus on the books on my shelves, but it’s also so easy to get distracted when most of the online book world focuses on new releases.
I am doing this right now in 2025 and will continue in 2026. I have 96 books on my shelf right now so I’m hoping that I will finish up by the end of next year!
It’s my goal for 2026 to not buy any books. Realistically, I will probably buy one or two when I go to NYC in April. How can I not buy a book at the Strand? Anyhoo, my TBR pile is out of control and my goal is to read as many as possible next year. Good luck to all!
Last year I read A Circle of Quiet, the first of Madeleine L’Engle’s Crosswicks Journals. Previously, I’d only encountered A Wrinkle in Time, which I must admit, was not a favorite of mine. But reading A Circle of Quiet, I was intrigued to hear about L’Engle’s other work, including fiction for adults, that I didn’t know existed. I also loved her nonfiction style in the Crosswicks Journals, so this past year, I purposefully read a number of other Madeleine L’Engle fiction books (not part of the Wrinkle in Time series) as well as the rest of the Crosswicks Journals. I plan to read her biography, A Light So Lovely by Sarah Arthur, before the end of December. I loved how I was able to see themes I knew she was exploring in her nonfiction work, pop up in characters’ musings in her fiction work. Or ways I could see similarities in her own life and upbringing that came out in her fiction. I’m not sure if there are other authors that I could do this kind of a project with, but it was a fun one for 2025.
I love doing a deep dive into an author’s canon like that; I did the same thing with Madeline L’Engle several years ago. Another that was fun was a deep dive on Jane Eyre–I reread it, and then several retellings and a couple of biographies of Charlotte Bronte.
Thank you for sharing! I added these recs to my “Want to Read” list on Goodreads.
I am a Madeline l’engle completist. ( or as many as I can get my hands on). I have a whole shelf dedicated to just her books!
Mine is similar! I decided to learn French (no background or particular reason- just for fun!) and I’ve always wanted to read the complete In Search of Lost Time. I started on my birthday in September 2025 and hope to finish by my birthday in 2026. While I’m not at a place where I can read it in French, studying the language has helped tremendously with my pronunciation. And in a similar vein, I’ve really enjoyed some long books this year, so I want to complete a few highly recommended but very long books that I haven’t gravitated to in the past when my goal has been to complete a specific number of books. I haven’t decided if I’m going to set a page goal, or just identify the long books I want to complete.
That’s really impressive. How are you finding the French? Any tips? For example, where do you buy your books and do you keep reference books nearby and if so, which ones? Did you start with easier books and can you recommend a few? I have a similar story to Anne in which I was nearly fluent in French in my early 20s but then didn’t keep it up and am relearning it on my own in my 50s. My goal is to read some French literature in the original. This might be the year.
I have been using the Pimsleur app and Babbel- but if you already have some experience with the language you may be beyond those. I also found some easy French readers (I have a first grader and the content is similar to some of his assigned books so we laugh about how boring our “study” assignments are!). I also found a parallel text version of Swann’s Way (English on one page and French on the other) that has been fun to browse but way above my level. So far the most fun has been reading a chapter of Le Petit Prince in French, seeing what I can get from it, then reading the chapter in English. It’s funny how I can simultaneously understand more than I expected, but at the same time miss little words or concepts that make a huge difference to the story line or tone.
I’m taking French through the Alliance Francaise currently. Our teacher has encouraged us to immerse ourselves in the language by reading and watching in French. I was thinking about Le Petit Prince. I’m glad you like it. I think I’ll pick it up. Merci beaucoup!
A Romanian pastor visited our home church group recently to talk about all things Ukraine. His English was flawless, so I had to ask where he learned the language. His answer? English-speaking cartoons! The more he heard, the more he began to understand (and start using) the words. Through the frequent repetition, he learned not just vocabulary, but also pacing, inflection, and expression. Plus, the vocabulary was at a child’s level of comprehension.
I’ve since learned this is a common experience for European children!
On the podcast several years ago, a reader shared that she chose books from her TBR at random by generating a number (somehow) and then finding the corresponding book on her TBR. I’ve been intrigued with this idea. My TBR is on Goodreads and doesn’t have corresponding numbers. My idea would be to figure out how to do this and read 30-ish books at random. (I’m in three book clubs so many of my other choices are determined there.). Tips on how to do this other than typing and numbering 1000+ books would be welcome!
Do you use the “want to read” list in Goodreads? It has numbers! I do the random number thing, too! Helps me a lot when I can’t decide what to read next.
I saw your reply and went all out trying to find, or learn how to place, numbers. I assume it is a setting. Do you remember how you got your list numbered?
My Goodreads “Want to Read” list also has numbers! Automatically, I didn’t do anything to get them.
The desktop version of Goodreads numbers your want to read list, but the app does not show the numbers.
There are several free tools on the internet called Randomizers where you can enter (paste in) a list of any number of names and spin to get a random choice.
I’m going to use the Spin the Wheel app. The app let’s you create a wheel, in this case, of titles of books on my TBR. Once done, spin and read.
My TBR is on Goodreads and spans 34 pages if not on infinite scroll. I put 1 to 34 in random.org, and then I choose whatever jumps out at me from that much shorter list of books.
I went through cancer treatment this year (successfully!) but my reading life took a huge hit. I didn’t have the concentration. So this next year, I want to get back up to 104 books with half of those being considered classics. I’m excited to get back on track!
Hooray for successfully beating cancer! 🙂
This doesn’t feel nearly as ambitious as reading in German, but I’m going to try and re-read the full Elizabeth Strout catalog next year before her new book comes in May. I absolutely love her books, but think I read some of her earlier books too young – I think I would have a different appreciation for them now. So I’ll be starting at the beginning in January and hoping to wrap up by May!
I am going into my sixth year reading the books on Gilmore Girls. It started as a pandemic project to rewatch the show and read backlist books I missed earlier in my life, and it ended up changing my life. What I love to say is that, while I don’t like every book I read from the list (mostly classics and early 2000s popular titles), I always walk away feeling like I got something from my reading experience, and it wasn’t wasted time. This year alone, it helped me finish Jane Austen’s catalog and find a new favorite classic: Frankenstein.
This was my first thought! I’ve been slowly working my way through the Rory Gilmore Reading List, which I thank Jules for compiling or hosting or whatever you want to call it. I think I’m averaging 6-7 books per year depending on which ones I choose. I’ve read several classics that I should’ve read in high school, and have fallen in love with them. Jane Eyre, Anne of Green Gables, and The Count of Monte Cristo for example – why did I wait so long?
My goal for this year is to read 12 off the list. Its not really nerdy, but it is a lot of fun.
I too studied German in high school and college, and was fluent many years ago. I love the idea of refreshing language skills by reading in German (with an English backup!). Will consider this for my 2026 reading!
After a little bit of challenge burn out this year, I still wanted to find a way to tackle my daunting TBR and somewhat gamify my reading life as a motivation factor. With that in mind, I created a TBR Bracket. I took 64 of the unread books I have accumulated over the last several years, sorted them into four general themes and then had my husband seed them 1-16 based only on cover and a one sentence description. I will then take this book bracket and determine who is the ultimate champion of my TBR. While my primary motivation was to read the books I own and spend less time on the shiny and new, the unintentional side benefit is that my husband is extremely excited to see me complete the challenge and give him feedback on how well he knows my reading tastes.
This sounds epic. If you track it somehow (Instagram or a blog) please let me know
Oh my gosh, I LOVE this idea! I would also love to follow along if you’ll be sharing it online. Definitely banking this idea for my future self.
Great idea! I have done this in the past, with an 8-book bracket. I read 50 pages in the first round, then DNF’d half. In the second round I read to page 100, then DNF’d half again, and so on. I only ended up finishing the books I really liked (I think 3 of the 8). I would probably read fewer pages per round in a bigger bracket. I got the idea from a book reviewer in my local book club, who was sent about a book a week by authors and publishers.
I don’t know if it’s niche, but I love trying to keep up with The Morning News’ Tournament of Books every March!
In 2022 and 2023 I did my version of the project created by a British journalist to read something written by an author from every country in the world! It was a slog by the end but I am proud to say I did it
A book a year from the 20th century (inspired by the same podcast already mentioned). It’s not a timed challenge, I just do it as the mood strikes me. I started towards the end of 2022, and I’m 34 books in. It’s making me reach for some things I otherwise wouldn’t have. Some favorites include:
Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole
We, Yevgeny Zamyatin
Kindred, Octavia E. Butler
Once I finish this challenge I want to do one book from each country- I think that would be super fun! But that’s probably in 5 years or so.
If I MAKE MYSELF do something I will hate it and rebel, so this challenge has to be “if the mood strikes” not, “I’ll read X books”. It is adding joy to my reading life though, at a perfect pace for me.
I feel you on the rebellion. If I can’t incorporate mood reading into my challenges I turn into a 2 year old and just flat out refuse and read whatever I want.
I’m turning 40 in 2026! I’m hoping to do a re-read project made up of books I’ve loved in each of the four decades of my life. I haven’t figured it out entirely yet, but it will start with picture books I remember loving as a child, progress to The Boxcar Children, and so on through the years.
I was inspired by an episode of WSIRN but I sheepishly confess that I forgot both the guest’s name and the episode title!
My reading project for next year is “long reads”, aka books that are 15 hours or more on audio. I’ll read/ listen to at least one per month, with “Long Reads Lent” thrown in as an extra chunk of longer books focused time. I’ve made a list of qualifying books off my current TBR and already have over 20 potential titles on it.
Several years ago, our library sponsored William Kent Krueger as a visiting author. I was curious about how to pronounce the Ojibwe words scattered throughout his novels. His reply was to ask an Ojibwe. This year I finally got around to checking out YouTube sites for learning Ojibwe (my favorite is “Ojibwe Word of the Day”). Then I started checking out children’s library books containing Ojibwe words. I am far from fluent in the language at this point, but I am now able to read, pronounce, and understand the Ojibwe I’ve come across in novels (more than just Cork Corcoran novels). Such fun!
I have a couple of reading goals for 2026. I’m starting a “Read Around the USA” challenge, finding and reading one book set in each state, starting with Alabama (The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer) and continuing alphabetically through Wyoming. I also want to become a “completist” — reading every book published by favorite authors. I have do many favorites, though, so I’ll need to choose just one or two and keep going with this idea in future years. Lisa See…Louise Erdrich…Ruth Ozeki…Kate Morton… Madeline Miller… Ann Tyler… oh, my list of possibilities is long! I should note that I’m already a Barbara Kingsolver completist, as she’s my most favorite author.
I did this in 2020 – and posted about it on my Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bookstagrametc/! It’s kind of hard to see, I’m afraid, you have to scroll way back – I tried to hashtag it #50States50Books2020 and I posted one state per week alphabetically with the book I read and then some other options. Please do reach out if I can help you fill in a title for a particular state. I loved making my spreadsheet. I’m also a Barbara Kingsolver completist and love the other authors you mentioned – so we might be Book Twins!
You just motivated me to create a highlight – there is now a “50States50Books” highlight at the top of my profile – so you could click through to get book ideas and check out my captions for my descriptions/thoughts about each one! Enjoy your project – let me know if you’re posting about it somewhere, I’ll follow along!
I love this idea and was thinking of doing something similar. I like the idea of going alphabetically because that will cut down on deciding what I should read next. I designed a Booking Across the USA for families to do in 2026 too. It has a book suggestion, themed menu, conversation starters, etc. for each month on my blog.
Apparently, I like geographical challenges. I read my way around the U.S in 2022 (I think). I wanted to read diversly and have stories (fiction or bio/memoir) that I would not have expected for that particular state. I’ve also read my way through Canadian provinces/territories. Middle grade or above reading level was allowed for both projects.
My current (multi-year) reading project is reading around the world. For this I had to allow picture books. I’m including all U.N. countries, plus a couple of non-UN countries (such as Tanzania), some territories and each individual U.K. country. I also allowed myself to count books I read before I officially started the challenge.
Inspired by the MMD book chat with Virginia Evans i’m cooking up a plan to read Irish authors in the coming year. maybe 1 a month?
I was similarly inspired! Although I’ll be honest, my preference would be to binge them over holiday break. 🙂
This past year my project was more about reading unread books on my shelves. I will still be doing that, but I’ve also put together a bit of a history project for myself. It will probably be a multi-year project, but I’m planning to read 2-3 narrative non-fiction books from each major historical era. I play in a trivia league, and World History is one of my weakest subjects. I’m also planning to read 1-2 fiction books from each period after the non-fiction since I’ll have better grounding in the area.
I have done a deep dive into the history of the Mitford sisters, six wealthy British sisters who grew up in England between WW1 and WW2. This is the story of their changing political allegiances, family ties and at the heart of the novel – a family who loves each. The Mitfod Affair is a historical fiction and I am currently pairing this with The Mitfords – Letters Between Six Sisters (Edited by Charlotte Mosley). The non fiction gives actual letter transcripts as well as photos.
After listening to both Amy and Will’s episodes about a personal curriculum I was inspired to combine my love of quilting and fabrics with my love of reading and travel. I am working on a year long quilting project that uses Liberty of London fabrics. As a result, it has opened up the idea of reading books set in or about London! I will be starting with the door-stopper London by Edward Rutherford. Returning to London would be a dream!
I love this! I’ve dabbled with quilting in the past, but this year I’ve completely jumped in (thank you government furlough!). I was looking at doing a personal curriculum centered around quilting, but can’t find many quilting books that aren’t focused on techniques. I love how you’re combining the Liberty fabrics (so pretty!) with London. I also have it on my bookshelf and now I’m super tempted to join in on the fun!
I have a fantastic book for you! You need to read Threads of Life: A History of the World through the Eye of the Needle by Clare Hunter. She’s Scottish and a leading expert on quilting and talks about all these different kinds of quilting projects and how people have made quilts over the years and how quilting has brought people together. She has a new book out Making Matters: In Search of Creative Wonders that I’ve bought but haven’t read.
Thank you for this book recommendation! I LOVE to sew, and am always on the lookout for such books!!
I have two!
In order to help my huge TBR feel like a menu and not a to-do list, I use a randomizer to choose three options from the list each month, and then I choose one to read. It’s been so much fun, I’m doing it again this next year.
Decades ago, I started a project of reading a biography of every US president (in order). Part of the reason it’s taking me so long is that I often read more than 1 biography of each president (depending on how interested I am in the man and who the biography writers are) and I also like to read books written during or about the time period of that president’s administration. 2026 is the year of Richard Nixon, and I’m also planning on reading a number of books set in Vietnam and by Vietnamese/Vietnamese-American authors, including but not limited to books about the war.
Hi! Theodore Roosevelt is on my list this year. Any recommendations?
I really enjoyed the River of Doubt by Candice Millard. Very well written and worth reading.
The Edmund Morris trilogy (The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, Theodore Rex, and Colonel Roosevelt) are excellent. The first is my favorite. Candice Millard’s River of Doubt is also great, but it doesn’t cover TR’s presidency at all.
I am also on a years-long journey to read a biography of every US president in order. (I only read a couple each year.) Next up for me is Buchanan.
That’s a great idea! I love this!
I am just at the beginning of this presidential journey! I found a website https://bestpresidentialbios.com/ – this guy who is a pilot decided to read as many of them as possible and he gives an overview of them, so that’s how I’m picking. I also took his recommendation to start with 1776 by David McCullough. I’ve finished Washington by Chernow, gotta get back to this, as I’ve taken a few months off.
Over the past few years I’ve been reading the Anne Shirley series by LM Montgomery and listening to the season of the Kindred Spirits podcast that coincides with the book I just read. I’ll be finishing that project in 2026!
The Kindred Spirits Podcast? Tell us more! Ps. When I was growing up, I thought Prince Edwards Island was made up, like Narnia!
Rereading the series is a goal of mine. I will have to look into the podcast too.
I have never heard of the Kindred Spirits podcast and immediately went to look for it. Thank you for bringing me some future joy. X
We’re heading to Theodore Roosevelt National Park this fall. His Presidential Library opens July 4. I’m planning on reading several books about him this year. Probably do a few as audiobooks we can listen to on our other road trips so both my husband and I can get the background before going. We’ve also got a other camping trip that will range from Colorado and New Mexico to Mississippi. That may be another project is books about those areas.
Anne, I hope you will report back on how this goes! My dad is a fluent German speaker, and since it is his second language, he often reads novels in German to keep up his skills. I’d love some recommendations for him once you find some that really work for you!
I’m almost at a 2000 day streak (started back during the pandemic!) on Duolingo. I’ve been studying French and Spanish and I’d like to read a book in each of the languages – which I haven’t done yet! I’m also planning to read 150 books, and make a dent in my physical and digital book collections!
I have two reading projects for 2026. For the first, I chose 12 authors, and each month I will read two works by one author. I’m kicking off January with Maeve Binchey (I’ve never read her before!): Circle of Friends and Evening Class. For my second project I’m reading 12 books about the history and people of the United States in honor of our country’s 250th birthday. Six of the books I own, and six are on topics that interest me. Some titles are Truman, 1776, Nothing Like It in the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad, and The Small and the Mighty.
I am currently “Reading Around the World”! The authors must be from/born in said country which in some cases is tough but makes for interesting choices like children’s books, poetry, etc., I am using the official United Nations list of countries and I am over half-way finished. I use a spreadsheet to track the titles, authors, and a brief description of the story. In addition, I have a section where I have collected potential authors/titles from different nations for future reads, (this is collected from several publishers specializing in books in translation). There is a lot of color coding as well, for example, if I have visited said country, it gets a bold green. 🙂
My husband and I are also doing this (slowly), like you requiring the book to be written by someone born in the country. He’s read (60%) three times as many as I have because I am much happier making lists than checking things off! LOL But I’ve been putting “read a book from each of six continents” on my list each year to help move me along.
Fellow Anne here who also loves German, but doesn’t read nearly enough German novels. Delighted to hear you share my passion, so if you ever need someone to talk about it with, I’m game! You should know that the Goethe Institut allows you to check out German language ebooks through an online library here – https://www.goethe.de/en/m/kul/bib/onl.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqLZsefrb0SolCMBezygo516quU0YFRGFxNcX_M71hrJ15XuDfQ
I have never thought of this topic. I would say I embarked on a reading project this year. I decided I wanted to read Hawaii by James Michener. I have only managed to get 55% of the way through. I have it thru Libby and apparently I am not the only one with the ambition to read this, very long, book. I haven’t given up yet, but it definitely took a lot of time away from my other reading. I will continue the quest in 2026! Happy reading adventures all!
Love hearing about other’s projects! I have two reading projects planned and they’re related! I’m doing the Wolfcrawl – a slow reading of The Wolf Hall trilogy with Footnotes & Tangents. I’m committing to book 1 and if I enjoy, I’ll continue! It’s been on my TBR for years so thought it was finally time! And my other project is getting thru the “Reader’s” Choices for Best of 21st Century books (NYT list). Wolf Hall is on it but I’m also planning on 11 others that I’ve wanted to read and scheduled one a month!
I have found in the past that loose projects like read 20 classics this year, don’t work for me. So, this year, I am going to try something more structured. I have come up with 2 small projects.
1. I attended the Portland Book Festival in November. Mitchell S. Jackson, a local Portland author/academic interviewed Nicholas Boggs, the author of Baldwin: A Love Story. A book that I’d been circling but hadn’t committed to because of its size. The whole interview was fascinating. They used the audio instead of having the author read the book and I really liked that. My project is to do a slow but steady read of Baldwin on audio and read one Baldwin fiction title each quarter. Go Tell it On the Mountain; Giovanni’s Room; Going to Meet the Man: stories; and If Beale Street Could Talk.
2. In HS, I was in advanced placement classes or whatever they were called 50 years ago. (Once I was in college and nursing school, that was out.) Anyway, my HS English teacher was an exact replica of all those English teachers that are written about-I am talking about those extremely demanding, acerbic ones who had a very strong idea about what we should be reading. We read some horrific crap for 16- and 17-year-olds: The Mayor of Casterbridge, Orlando (amazing book when you are 65 but I can’t believe they tried to teach it to high schoolers in the late 70s!) Anyway, I became friendly with her after college and guess what? She was a nationally known Willa Cather scholar. She traveled to Red Cloud, NE every summer to present until her early 90s! I was always going to but never did read more Willa Cather. BUT this year, I am going to, and I am planning a trip to the National Willa Cather Center https://www.willacather.org/ early this summer. It’s just under a 6-hour drive from Denver and then I can head over and visit some family in NE and IA or maybe I’ll go crazy and head out to Iowa City and shop at Prairie Lights https://prairielights.com/ My plan is to read a book of hers each month-My Antonia; O’ Pioneers; Death Comes for the Archbishop; The Song of the Lark; One of Ours; and A Lost Lady. I’ll keep reading through the year, but this seems like a good start before I get to Red Cloud.
I think I will be successful with a list to check off. We’ll see next year at this time!!
Great idea to read more Cather!
Have to add another one- I downsize the books I read to tiny libraries. I just wrapped two as blind dates with a book, and they got swiped up real quick. For 2026, I’ll do that to all of them, I’m excited, I think it’s super fun!
As a LFL steward, I love this idea!
I have a little free library in my front yard and while I often put books in there, I’ve never thought to wrap them! That sounds super fun. Thanks for the idea.
My short-term challenge is to read 10 books in 10 new-to-me genres! This will be: Western, YA, crime, celebrity memoir, essays, nature writing, graphic novel, rom-com, horror, and suspense. Branching out from my beloved SFF and cozy mysteries. My reading life was feeling restrictive (lots of catch and release from the library whenever a book was not quite working for me and simultaneously hoarding titles from my go-to authors) and I wanted to feel expansive, like there were so many potential books out there that I could read. The fun of the challenge is that I don’t expect to deeply love/ become wholly immersed in these books, so there’s less pressure. Totally OK to hit some 3 stars or “not for me” thru-out, instead of DNF-ing.
In 2025 I felt like all I read was shiny and new, so my goal for 2026 is to read 10 books (one per year) from 2014-2024 from my TBR.
Several years ago I set a goal to read all of the Newbery winners, but after starting back in 1922 and going in order, I abandoned the challenge. I recently decided to revisit it, not in order, and reading either the winner or an honor book for each year.
My daughter read all the Newbery award winners! She started in middle school and took her a few years.
I had a similar experience to yours when we went to Berlin and Switzerland a few years ago. My three years of high school German/one year of college German came back to me pretty well. Since then I’ve been working on improving it through a language app.
Not long after that trip, I tried to read Garou, the sequel to Leonie Swann’s Three Bags Full, in German because there was no English translation available (now there is). It was a huge struggle; i spent more time looking words up in my German-English dictionary than I did getting anything from the plot. I gave up after one chapter. I think your idea of having the German book coupled with the same book in English is the way to get started, and I may try that myself sometime soon.
I have loved reading all the challenges everyone is setting for themselves. So many great ideas. My project is a small one – I plan to wrap the 12 oldest fiction books on my TBR (that is the ones I have had the longest) in brown paper, and then select one a month to read. Hopefully this process will make them feel new again!
Hi! I do not have a particular reading project in mind. However, I do prefer to release books I’ve put on hold at the library in a specific order: at least one hefty novel or biography written by an author I know or have heard enough about to know I have a good chance of liking their writing AND two or three shorter books that are a mixture of genres (magical, fantasy, mystery, romance…).
With that said, after reading this post you’ve given me an idea. I was never fluent in French but my high school and early college classes pay off each time we visit family in Brussels. My French is actually usable! While definitely NOT at the adult novel level, I will start to look for young adult books in French to practice my reading skills. Thank you for the idea!!! And good luck with your self-created challenge!
I’m currently doing a read of everything by Charles Dickens in the order they were written. Read The Pickwick Papers and Oliver Twist this year. Next up is Nicholas Nickleby. Like others, I am working on reading what’s on my library shelves. Time to read and purge before we downsize and move next year.
I’m getting a liberal arts education through books.
I’m following a reading list that’s similar to the Harvard Classics. (About a hundred years ago the president of Harvard University was asked which books a person should read to get an equivalent of a liberal arts education. He came up with a book list that could fit on a five foot bookshelf. Google it to get the booklist.)
Instead of following this booklist, I found the book called “The Well Educated Mom” by Susan Wise Bauer. She came up with a booklist that is an equivalent to a liberal arts degree but it’s broken down into books that are easiest to read first. The list starts with fiction, then autobiography, history, plays, poetry.
I’m about halfway through (in histories) after starting 8 years ago!
For the last couple of years I have read one fiction and one non-fiction from my shelf each month. I plan to continue next year. It has helped me tackle my TBR shelf!
Many years ago I stumbled on a blog of some sort by a person who was reading all the Newbery Award winners, as Middle Grade is always fun for me. Someday I’d like to say I’ve read all the winners – maybe a retirement project?
I would encourage you to pursue this goal. After a long and satisfying career as a middle school teacher, I took my love of children’s literature and decided I would work my way through the Newbery award winners and honor books. For the most part, I have relied on my local library, Internet Archive, and several other digital libraries to gain access to books and, after 4 years, have read 435 of the current list of 446 books. Whew! Some have been enjoyable, memorable, and enlightening while others have not been as fabulous. It’s been interesting to observe the changes, both in material and reading level, of the chosen books over the years. So now, I’m down to my last 11 books and am waiting for Public Domain Day (Jan. 1, 2026) when I will have access to the 1931 titles.
I didn’t have a stiff plan last year, but I wanted to finally read some of these big fat books that I kept seeing recommended. So I read: Lonesome Dove, 11-22-63, A Prayer for Owen Meany, A Walk in the Park (by K Fedarko), The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, and Hold Still by Sally Mann. I also caught up on a bunch of classics I somehow missed: Huckleberry Finn, The Color Purple, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Bring Up the Bodies (Wolf Hall 2), West With the Night, My Brilliant Friend by Ferrante, and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.
Now 2026 is coming up and I don’t have a plan! I have no list of doorstoppers OR classics I am particularly wanting to read. There are always the books on my shelf to be read. But I liked Marcia’s idea of choosing 12 authors and each month reading two of their works. I have many favorite authors where I have not read all that they’ve written! Even if it was just ONE book by each (save some for next year.)
Over the past many years I have found a fondness in reading re-writes of Jane Austen Novels from many genre’s and authors. I read diversely and it has been fun to come back to Austen’s storylines which feel familiar but also have a twist! Pride and Prejudice has so many re-writes and they are all so different!
2026 goal – I’ve planned 3 books per month that I already own and am looking forward to reading. I’ve prepared a spreadsheet! Yay! The plan includes a classic each quarter, a book over 600 pages each quarter, and a variety of genre each month. I’m adding a goal to avoid purchasing any new books in 2026. I know I’ll read more than these 36 books – but will supplement with additional owned books or will use the library as needed. Most will be actual books, but some will be books that are in my Audible account and haven’t been listened to yet. I can’t wait to get started – but I’m waiting till January 1st to start any of these books.
First will be Frozen River and Lonesome Dove. ❤️
Love this post and reading all the comments! I’ve saved a couple ideas for my future self. 🙃
Two of my ongoing reading projects are reading a biography of every US president in order (next up is Buchanan); and reading the complete works of Shakespeare (for the last 10 years I’ve read a comedy in February and a tragedy in August).
I’ve been making an annual book list for myself since 2015, and next year I plan to compile all the books I haven’t read from all those annual lists to make my 2026 list. Right now that’s shaping up to be about 19 or 20 books + my next presidential bio and Shakespeare, of course. 💛📚
I’m trying to read the rainbow in 2026. Each month is dedicated to a different color, and I’m focusing on reading books whose covers are predominantly that color. This is already proving logistically challenging because I read almost exclusively from the library (via Libby) so I have to time my holds correctly and also estimate how long it will take me to finish a book. But it’s a fun way to narrow down options from my long TBR while still letting me read from a wide range of genres.
Fun to know that you are working on reviving a language through reading. I want to do the same with the languages I’ve studied or dabbled with in the past. I may never complete a book but if I get through a few chapters of a book in each language, I’ll be satisfied. My languages: French, German, Spanish, and Swedish.
After three years of Spanish every day via Duolingo to revive my high school/college Spanish classes, my goal one year on vacation in Puerto Vallarta was to find a book with which I was really familiar in English and attempt to read it in Spanish
I came home with the boxed set of Harry Potter books in Spanish — at my understanding husband’s suggestion!
I’ve gotten through the first two, but it is tough! Thank goodness for translating apps on the phone!
This is a very mini project I do every year: since our anniversary is on January 6, my husband and I started “assigning” each other two books to read during the year that we have loved and either think the other person would enjoy too or that we know they wouldn’t pick up on their own but we want to share. It’s been a really fun way to connect. We have overlapping taste but also areas where we differ and sometimes we love the “assigned” books (like when he had me read Dune and I had him read The Name of the Wind) and sometimes we drag through them (like when he had me read a history of the Korean War or I had him read Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow). Either way, it’s been great to get us out of our reading comfort zones and share this part of our life.
I love the idea of the 100 years of books so I challenged my daughter to do it with me for 1925-2025! She is a keener and super organized so she quickly developed a spreadsheet we can share to keep track of our books. We live in different provinces so this will be a great way to share our books! She read 175 books in 2025 and I read 87 so it will be an interesting challenge!
Thanks for the great inspiration!
I’ve done all sorts of challenges in the past like reading at least 30 books already on my shelves, read around the world, A-Z, etc. This past year I did a ton of rereads. For 2026, I’m trying something new. Each month, I want to try to read a book in each of these genres: fantasy, Sci-fi, historical fiction, non-fiction, middle grade, and literary fiction. I tend to read mostly fantasy but really enjoy Sci-fi and historical fiction too. I just tend not to read as much of those.
I love that your project is reading books to enhance your 2nd (3rd, 4th…) language skills. I’m an intermediate Spanish learner and I usually read one or 2 books in Spanish a year, sometimes with other learners. I want to read more in Spanish this year and would love strategies that others use to identify books to read in their target language. I’m looking forward to hearing how Anne’s project goes.
Pride & Prejudice has long been a favorite book. I have read, listened to, and watched multiple times. I’d also always enjoyed various movie/tv versions of other Austen works, so one summer just a few years ago, I decided to read everything Austen had written. Since then, I have delved into the novels behind several historical fiction shows I have loved. Generally, the novels were not on my radar before seeing the shows. I read North & South and several Dickens classics. I spent 2 years reading all of the Outlander books. I have worked my way through the Poldark series this year, and I am currently on the last book. I am considering The Last Kingdom next, but haven’t decided yet.
A while ago I saw a list of book described as the best adventures stories from each state and decided to tackle the list. Now, they are not all technically “adventures” but I’m enjoying them and am up to North Dakota. Didn’t realize I had a niche project going, but here I am…. and learning bits about each state I would never have discovered otherwise.
I’ve been embarking on an “English Lit self-study of all the famous books I’ve never actually ready yet”, particularly focusing on famous heroines.
Some of the books in this self structured reading plan have included:
Brontë sister novels
Jane Austen novels
Anna Karenina
Madame Bovary
Little Women
The Secret Garden
Combining audio book listening to these books during the day and switching format to reading at night has been a great way to get through the books faster and with more joy. Listening provides a totally different experience! My favorites so far have been Anna Karenina and Jane Eyre. It has been so fun and empowering to read all of these harder novels!
Also, as someone with ADHD hyper fixation at times, I LOVE reading a lot of books about certain topics right in a row. Some mini-series I’ve created in the past are:
-Non-Fiction books about white collar art crimes
-non-fiction and fiction books about books (Mr. Penumbras 24 hour library’s a fav)
-non-fiction about sports doping scandals
-narrative non-fiction about endurance sports (Adranahand Finn has fantastic books about this!)
-non-fiction books about wellness culture and cults 🙂
So many interesting reading projects in the comments! A few years ago I wanted to start a project where each month I would read either a Shakespeare play (or more likely, a synopsis of the play) and then watch a movie version of the play. Then life happened and I didn’t get very far. But after reading Jodi Picoult’s book, By Any Other Name, I want to try this again in 2026. It’s been many years since I read Shakespeare!
I love this Anne, thank you for sharing! Your project made me think of a reading project that I had actually “started” several years ago, but life (and grad school) got in the way and I wasn’t able to get far.
In the Chinese culture, we have what’s generally referred to as the Four Great Classic Novels: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, The Water Margins, Journey to the West, and Dream of the Red Chamber. While I’m familiar with these works overall due to growing up in the Chinese culture (and being exposed to the plentiful adaptations of these novels over the years), I’ve never actually read the novels themselves, but have always wanted to. In light of this, I made it a goal of mine several years ago to make my way through each of these classics. Now I must admit that this is a daunting project, as all 4 are epic novels that are infamously long (the unabridged versions span multiple volumes that are easily 600-800+ pages each – at a minimum of 4 volumes, that’s around 2000+ pages per novel). A few years ago, I only got as far as procuring which version(s) I wanted to read (a huge task in itself) and didn’t get around to actually starting to read. I’m thinking 2026 might be a good time to dust off this project and finally give it go (or at least get started, especially knowing it will probably take me years to finish one novel). 😅
I’ve been thinking of doing a Little House on the Prairie book series reread along with a road trip this year. I’d like to visit locations mentioned in the books, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri. I’ve been to a few of the locations in the past, but would enjoy visiting again.
I’m dying to visit DeSmet, South Dakota!
This topic and people ideas are just fantastic! I am excited. I average 100+ books a year gave my 13 ideas (some appropriated) I have had a hard time choosing…I am going to focus on Women Explorers (I have previously read Desert Queen about Gertrude Bell, Mary Kingsley (a victorian who explored the west coast of Africa on her own — on foot or in canoe!) and I have one of a women who went to Lhasa when it was closed to the West. And for fiction I am going to focus on culinary fiction having discovered Ruth Reichl with The Paris Book in January of this year and have since read all but one of her books so ready to cast a wider net.
It’s keeping my goal pretty simple by some standards. I want to reread one book for every new book I read in 2026. I have so many books I want to reread, but my TBR is so long I keep putting them off. The time has come to revisit some old favorites.
Some years I have specifically chosen several books by authors of color and/or from different countries. It’s a fun way to learn a bit about another culture.
I don’t know if anyone will see this, but this post helped me zone in on a goal I’ve had for a while: reading a book from each year of my life. I’ll be turning 40 in 2027 and have started putting that list together, and I need some help choosing which book I want to read for about half the years of my life. 🤣
I shared all the details for this project on my blog (https://oldoriginalthoughts.blogspot.com/2026/01/my-life-in-books.html) and I also created Goodreads polls for all the years I need help with (https://www.goodreads.com/poll/created_by/82275334). I would love as much input from other readers as possible!! The polls will be open until December 1st. 💛📚
As an adult (55 yo) adoptee, I’ve been doing a deep dive on all things adoption-related for several years now.
I’m particularly interested in reading memoirs and fiction from adoptees and birth mothers, as well as any popular books (by non-adoptees) that feature adoption themes/storylines.
Add to these, any classics with orphan protagonists (Dickens, Harry Potter, Jane Eyre, etc.), stories about single moms, and/or unexpected pregnancies.
Basically, I am curious at how the non-adopted (~94% of the US population) view adoption/adoptees, and how books might be influential (in both helpful and harmful ways).
It’s a topic both broad and deep (especially as I branch out into related areas, like foster care, infertility, and reproductive rights, etc.), and one that I expect will keep me busy many more years into the future!
Aside from trying to read what I already own, my goal for the new year is to write a book blurb immediately after I finish reading a book. I bought myself a pretty journal to help me get inspired. So often I know I’ve read a book and really liked it but have no idea why or (often) even what it was about! I think it will help me get more enjoyment out of my reading which has increased so much since I retired.
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