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Read What You Own 2026

832 replies

ÚlldemoShúl · 30/12/2025 13:04

This is a brand shiny new thread for those of us who want to continue reading what we own in 2026.
My aims for 2026 are:

  • At least half my reading will be from books I already own on 1st January 2026
  • I will buy less than a quarter of my reading new including kindle deals😱 and book club books
  • I will wait when prize lists are released to see if the books appear in the library within a week. I will not read full longlists unless I love the sound of each and every book on it.
  • For the first two months I will only read what I own- focusing on the older books on my kindle while allowing myself to read newer (but already owned) physical books
What are your RWYO aims for 2026?
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ÚlldemoShúl · 19/02/2026 10:41

Finished another RWYO Taken by Dinuka MacKenzie- decent Aussie crime

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Cherrypi · 19/02/2026 08:19

Failing miserably here.
Books bought 10.
Books RWYO 2.
Must try harder. I'm reading Mother Mary Comes to me too. I got that for Christmas.

TimeforaGandT · 19/02/2026 08:17

I'm doing quite well - on my 14th book of the year and 9 of my books so far have been RWYO, 3 have been book club books and 2 have been random recent purchases.

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ÚlldemoShúl · 18/02/2026 22:16

Stowickthevast · 18/02/2026 21:56

I've done pretty well this month - 5 RWYO and on the technical 6th, though I think I acquired it in December, The Antidote by Karen Russell. Am hoping it may be on the Woman's prize list though.

1 new audio but that was for book club, Vigil by George Saunders.

What's been your favourite Woman's prize NF audio @ÚlldemoShúl ? Am toying with using this month's credit for one of those or for The Director which has been hotly tipped for Three International Booker.

I’m almost finished my second- first was The Death of an Ordinary Man by Sarah Perry- very moving in its simplicity and truth. This second The Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet is also excellent- a history of Afghanistan from the 70s until the present day and adding a personal touch by linking each part to The Intercontinental Hotel there and its staff. Very engaging and Doucet narrates well- it’s much longer than the first too (15 hours to 5) so would be more bang for your buck!
Arundhati Roy’s Mother Mary Comes to Me has already been highly praised by the 50 Bookers and is my next read from the list (also library audio). Strong field so far.
Great going on the RWYO! My library has The Director too- ebook rather than audio- and have added it to my wishlist.

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Stowickthevast · 18/02/2026 21:56

I've done pretty well this month - 5 RWYO and on the technical 6th, though I think I acquired it in December, The Antidote by Karen Russell. Am hoping it may be on the Woman's prize list though.

1 new audio but that was for book club, Vigil by George Saunders.

What's been your favourite Woman's prize NF audio @ÚlldemoShúl ? Am toying with using this month's credit for one of those or for The Director which has been hotly tipped for Three International Booker.

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ÚlldemoShúl · 18/02/2026 21:27

EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 18/02/2026 21:24

It’s Mad Men!! @ÚlldemoShúl I saw it all originally bar the last season and that’s what I’m on now. I am ready to read as soon as I finish though! Absolutely loving it. Strongly recommend

Oh I loved it- I watched it when first out and may well be ready for a rewatch. Love Roger!

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EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 18/02/2026 21:24

It’s Mad Men!! @ÚlldemoShúl I saw it all originally bar the last season and that’s what I’m on now. I am ready to read as soon as I finish though! Absolutely loving it. Strongly recommend

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ÚlldemoShúl · 18/02/2026 21:22

What’s the tv show @EineReiseDurchDieZeitand would you recommend?

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EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 18/02/2026 21:15

I’m still distracted by binging a TV show. @AliasGrape I really enjoyed the Correspondent

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ÚlldemoShúl · 18/02/2026 20:57

Good point on next year’s RWYO Grin
September’s last year definitely counts!
The Booker, International Booker and Women’s Prize Fiction could damage me but I’m determined to keep trying at least (and I’ll still have plenty to read when I’m a pensioner Grin)

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AliasGrape · 18/02/2026 20:55

I’m currently reading the John&Paul book I bought this year, so not a RWYO. But I suppose it’s good I’m reading it within a month or so of buying it rather than leaving it to become next year’s RWYO 😂

I also bought and read Heated Rivalry and its sequel last month. And used my audible credit on The Correspondent (I’ll use my credit every month but really, my library is already over full with stuff I’ve not listened to - it usually takes me much longer to get through an audiobook).

I’m listening to Braiding Sweetgrass currently, which I bought in September last year so technically could be a RWYO if I’m counting anything bought before 1st Jan this year. I’m not getting very far with it at all. I so want to like it.

Totals so far - read 10 books, 8 of which were RWYO. 6 of those were on kindle and 2 from the physical pile. No audiobooks completed yet.

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ÚlldemoShúl · 18/02/2026 20:46

How is everyone going? My audio reads are currently Women’s Prize for non-fiction nominees from the library and I’ve bought 5 books this month but I’m currently reading oldies on kindle and physical. Book prize season and 50 booker recommendations I find hard to resist! My actual reading so far has been 7 owned and 2 new (with another 2 owned and 1 new close to finished)

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TimeforaGandT · 17/02/2026 19:49

It's taken me a while but I have finished The Beautiful and the Damned - F Scott Fitzgerald. It's a double whammy for me as I seem to have bought it twice and have two different editions on my Kindle - both of which I bought in 2024. Will put review on 50B thread.

CatWithThreeLegs · 16/02/2026 15:13

Finished The Daughter by T M Logan. Not really my cup of tea. It was one DH bought and read last year. Seem to recall him saying it wasn't that great. Some really improbable eye roll moments, felt over-stuffed with too many action-packed moments.

Peridot1 · 15/02/2026 23:14

@ÚlldemoShúl - we do indeed! I bought a packet of Tayto in Coles yesterday…..

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ÚlldemoShúl · 15/02/2026 21:47

Peridot1 · 15/02/2026 21:20

@ÚlldemoShúl- yep I love that too about the journey!

I think we’ve spoken about Colm Tobin books before. I used to go to that area of Wexford as a child. He mentions so many places I remember.

I think half of Ireland is living here now. Was in Coles yesterday and could as easily have been in SuperValu with the amount of Irish people in there!

I mostly lived outside the big centres- summer in Tassie, winter in NQ sometimes FNQ (DH is a nurse and did short term contracts so we moved with his job) but any time we visited the bigger cities it was Irish people galore! We get everywhere lol

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Peridot1 · 15/02/2026 21:20

@ÚlldemoShúl- yep I love that too about the journey!

I think we’ve spoken about Colm Tobin books before. I used to go to that area of Wexford as a child. He mentions so many places I remember.

I think half of Ireland is living here now. Was in Coles yesterday and could as easily have been in SuperValu with the amount of Irish people in there!

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ÚlldemoShúl · 15/02/2026 20:58

Peridot1 · 15/02/2026 20:52

I have read a few off my Kindle - Frankie by Graham Norton, The Heather Blazing by Colm Tobin and You Are Here by David Nicholls. Enjoyed them all. Had a flight to Australia so got quite a bit of reading done.

Am staying with a friend and am about to start a book of hers which doesn’t help my RWYO aims but at least I haven’t bought it! Although did succumb to two Kindle 99p deals just now……

I have The Heather Blazing on my kindle- glad to hear it’s worth a read. I used to live in Australia and loved the journeys over and back because I’d get so much uninterrupted reading done’

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Peridot1 · 15/02/2026 20:52

I have read a few off my Kindle - Frankie by Graham Norton, The Heather Blazing by Colm Tobin and You Are Here by David Nicholls. Enjoyed them all. Had a flight to Australia so got quite a bit of reading done.

Am staying with a friend and am about to start a book of hers which doesn’t help my RWYO aims but at least I haven’t bought it! Although did succumb to two Kindle 99p deals just now……

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ÚlldemoShúl · 15/02/2026 16:46

I’ve finished one more- The Little Stranger by Sarah Perry- I’ve also had a mini flurry of book buying and library borrowing between the Women’s Prize Fiction Longlist coming out and a trip to London. Normal service should soon resume!

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AliasGrape · 14/02/2026 22:20

Finished another one Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce - on my kindle since April 2022. It was fine, enjoyed the second half more than the first.

CatWithThreeLegs · 12/02/2026 22:40

Finished another one All Her Fault by Andrea Mara. A surprisingly enjoyable family crime thriller/drama. Lots of twists and turns, tightly plotted and kept me reading.

Next up, I think, will be The Daughter by T M Logan.

CassandraWebb · 12/02/2026 10:43

TimeforaGandT · 12/02/2026 08:07

Finished a 2022 purchase : Malibu Rising - Taylor Jenkins Reid. Easy read - review on 50B thread.

I enjoyed this, very readable!

AliasGrape · 12/02/2026 09:57

TimeforaGandT · 12/02/2026 08:07

Finished a 2022 purchase : Malibu Rising - Taylor Jenkins Reid. Easy read - review on 50B thread.

I've got this on my kindle too!

TimeforaGandT · 12/02/2026 08:07

Finished a 2022 purchase : Malibu Rising - Taylor Jenkins Reid. Easy read - review on 50B thread.