The 2026 Annual Reading Challenge Discussion Thread

[Tarana]

4 books read; 5 books bought. Read no magazines. So, negative on the TBR. In another week or so, I will have a lot more time for reading, so hopefully can get this TBR going in the right direction.

[astrangerhere]

January Thoughts - The month started rough with two books dropped. We had three Mondays in a row where a holiday or ice/snow really helped me hit my stride. I read some fabulous short stories and poetry. None of the books has cracked 4/5 yet though.

Length Goals:

• Total Books: 50 (stretch goal of 75)
• Total Pages: 25,000 (stretch of 30,000)
• Read from Print-TBR: 20

Substantive Goals:

• Read at least 51% non-American authors
• Read more female/nonbinary authors than male
• Read at least 52 poems
• Read at least 12 books across all our collections that are selected by my wife. It's a great way to read things I would not ordinarily do, and I almost always end up enjoying them.

Cumulative Totals Through End of Month:

• Total Books: 14 - 28% of goal, 18% of stretch goal - ON TARGET
• Total Pages: 4067 - 16% of goal, 13.5% of stretch goal - ON TARGET
• Gender Goal: 48% Female, % Nonbindary, 52% Male - OFF TARGET - Working my way through the Nero Wolfe novels is skewing this.
• Country of Origin Goal: 56% USA, 44% out of US - OFF TARGET - ditto on Wolfe
  
• Read from Print TBR: 6 - ON TARGET
• Poems 7 - 13% of goal - ON TARGET
• Books Recommended by my wife: 4 - 33% of goal ON TARGET

[seanyyz]

Anyone like to stretch far beyond their reach to try and read more than they otherwise would? Every year I aim to read far more books than I manage to, but it pushes me to read. I am planning on retiring in the spring and I am hoping to get structured daily reading time.

So this year I am aiming for 36.

[nana77]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

For those asking, the 2026 Mobile Read Users TBR Challenge is live on StoryGraph!

Hi, may I ask a side-and-no-relevant question?
When showing the books on the list's challenges, are them shown according to the personal settings - as language? E.g. the version of the book and its cover that I see may not be the exact one another user did read?

Btw, for my personal challenge, I'd thought that borrowing just one book this month at the public library would let me read and follow the Urania SF montly releases and them backlogs I've piled, but when coming in front of those free walls of books didn't menaged to not-to-take five.
The way to pick up books by hand it's also better -imho- than any other UI browsing search engine (it lacks just the reviews, ofc).

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by nana77

Hi, may I ask a side-and-no-relevant question?
When showing the books on the list's challenges, are them shown according to the personal settings - as language? E.g. the version of the book and its cover that I see may not be the exact one another user did read?

You will see whatever version another person added. So if they add it in French, you'll see it in French.

[Tarana]

Originally Posted by seanyyz

Anyone like to stretch far beyond their reach to try and read more than they otherwise would? Every year I aim to read far more books than I manage to, but it pushes me to read. I am planning on retiring in the spring and I am hoping to get structured daily reading time.

So this year I am aiming for 36.

I always found that having a regular reading time to be a good thing. Helps you anticipate your story. Now that I no longer have caretaking duties (my family member died last month), I'm assessing the best times for uninterrupted reading. I also highly recommend that you plan daily walking even if it is just in your house. Either music or an audiobook helps with that. My neighborhood is older and honestly, my Mom, at 92, has more energy than these 70 year olds.

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

January Thoughts - The month started rough with two books dropped. We had three Mondays in a row where a holiday or ice/snow really helped me hit my stride. I read some fabulous short stories and poetry. None of the books has cracked 4/5 yet though.

Length Goals:

• Total Books: 50 (stretch goal of 75)
• Total Pages: 25,000 (stretch of 30,000)
• Read from Print-TBR: 20

Substantive Goals:

• Read at least 51% non-American authors
• Read more female/nonbinary authors than male
• Read at least 52 poems
• Read at least 12 books across all our collections that are selected by my wife. It's a great way to read things I would not ordinarily do, and I almost always end up enjoying them.

I won't finish another book before Sunday, so I'm posting a day early.

Goal Status through February 28:

• Total Books: 23 - 37% of goal, 30% of stretch goal - ON TARGET
• Total Pages: 7120 - 28% of goal, 14% of stretch goal - ON TARGET
• Gender Goal: 57% Female, 0% Nonbindary, 43% Male - ON TARGET
• Country of Origin Goal: 49% USA, 51% out of US - ON TARGET
• Read from Print TBR: 16 - 80% of goal - ON TARGET
• Poems 11 - 21% of goal - ON TARGET
• Books Recommended by my wife: 10 - 83% of goal ON TARGET

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

16 books read, although three were very short, and one was a re-read
7 books bought, but also got four freebies.

So a net reduction of 4.

12 read in January, and 12 bought. But also one freebie. So a net increate of one.

Not so good as January. But not yet a disaster. I just need to continue enjoying reading and avoiding bulk purchases.

I've switched to reading using justReadr.app instead of the Kindle app. It has the great advantage that I have the whole of my library to hand, instead of just those I've either bought at Amazon or sent to my account.

[Tarana]

February wasn't horrible but I only completed one ebook and still working on an omnibus of 7 in audiobook. Acquired 6 ebooks (series I read) and 0 audiobooks in February. Due to major changes in our household, trying to find a new rhythm for reading and listening.

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

12 read in January, and 12 bought. But also one freebie. So a net increate of one.

Not so good as January. But not yet a disaster. I just need to continue enjoying reading and avoiding bulk purchases.

I've switched to reading using justReadr.app instead of the Kindle app. It has the great advantage that I have the whole of my library to hand, instead of just those I've either bought at Amazon or sent to my account.

I noticed on your list you were reading a lot of Dianna Wynne Jones. Any particular reason? My wife and I are accidentally having a year of Le Guin.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

I noticed on your list you were reading a lot of Dianna Wynne Jones. Any particular reason? My wife and I are accidentally having a year of Le Guin.

The usual reason for me - they'd been on my watch list for ages, and they went on offer (mid December 2025). So I finally had all the Chrestomanci books, and I wanted to read them in one go. And then the book of essays was a natural follow-on.