I've been spending some time lately staring at my bookshelves. I see all of the books I’ve collected and thrown onto the TBR pile and think: I should really read those. I see the short piles of books laying around that I’ve started and haven’t finished and think: I need to finish that. 

 

I need to close the loop on all of these open reads. 

 

Do you ever feel like a TBR collection hangs over your head like good-intentioned projects? That’s how I’m feeling this year with all of my books.

 

Now, I also firmly believe that there are times when you finally pick up a book to read at just the right time you are meant to read it. I read a book like that last year. I had the copy for years, maybe even decades. It was delightful once I finally read it. Right on time.

 

This year, though, I thought I’d give myself a flexible enough structure in what I want to read. And, I thought I’d start with the books I own physically and see every day. 

 

I’m also going to finish those books that are partially read. Those are mostly non-fiction. I think my hang-up for those is that I like underlining and they require lots of mental attention and emotional energy. I’m nothing if I don’t give all of my emotional energy. Which is why I’m learning how selective I need to be with choosing who and what gets emotional access to me.

 

I think I’m also a mood reader with seasonal undertones. If there is such a thing. Well, I suppose, why couldn’t there be such a thing? I hope I have enough diverse titles to fit the moods I’ll have throughout the year. If not, to the library I’ll go. Until time as I get a little money and buy some books. Perhaps I’ll run into Cicero. You never know.

 

Another lofty goal is to read more pages than I consume screens. This is often more difficult than meets the eye. Modern life is built around screens. The scrolling addiction is so very real. Maybe the next post will satisfy me fully finally. Maybe the card hidden just under the fold will be the one I need to watch later. Writing this makes me realize just how much I need a digital detox.

 

To sum up, these are my 2026 Reading Plans:

 

  1. Finish reading the partially read non-fiction books laying around (but they’re part of the decor, so they don’t look clutter-y).
  2. Pick titles already on my bookshelves to read according to my mood and as fancy strikes.
  3. My annual reading of The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery (ooh! Should I annotate this year?)
  4. Choose one or two other favorite classics to re-read. (Right off the cuff, I’m thinking Anne of Green Gables, or Pride & Prejudice, or maybe Jane Eyre or The Enchanted April during the month of the same name.)
  5. Give myself the grace to DNF a book if I just can’t get into it and practice just letting it go.

These points feel very do-able amongst all the other goals, projects, plans and initiatives I seem to always overfill my plate with. I will be sure to check back in and let you know how it’s going!

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