Read What You Own 2026

[ÚlldemoShúl]

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?

I am still sticking with RWYO and have just finished House of Glass - Hadley Freeman which I bought in 2021. Fascinating and moving story of a Jewish family in Europe in the twentieth century. Full review on 50B thread.

Another book done, Rizzio by Denise Mina about the murder of Mary, Queen of Scots' Adviser David Rizzio which was plotted by her husband. Short but wonderful.

It’s been a while! Finished 2 both excellent- The Gid of Small Things and An Artist in a Floating World- I’ve had both for years.

Three more RWYO for me - One August Night by Victoria Hislop (sequel to The Island), Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome and A Horse Walks into a Bar by David Grossman, which won the International Booker Prize in 2017.

Just finished The Names by Florence Knapp.. love love loved it!

Finished The Last Party - Clare Mackintosh which I bought a couple of years ago. Page-turning murder mystery. Full review on 50B thread will follow in usual way.

Finished Patricia Gibney - The Missing Ones, Natalie Fergie - 25 Library Terrace and Clare Chase - Mystery on Hidden Lane

Just finished Diary of a Provincial Lady and can't believe I left it gathering dust on a bookshelf for so long before trying it, I loved it

Finished a good few RWYO on holiday over the last week (alongside some newbies)
Wild Shores by Maria Adolfsson
The God of Small Things by Arundahti Roy
An Artist in the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante
Excellent Women by Barbara Pym
Most were great!
I also DNFed Haven by Emma Donahue

Finished Why be happy when you could be normal last night, by Jeanette Winterson, and utterly loved it. Must read more Winterson - I thought I'd read Oranges are not the only fruit but listening to this one made me think no, I think I'd absorbed some stuff about it by osmosis but not actually read it. (I've definitely read something else about a northern, evangelical Christian family but I don't think it was that) - so I will go back and rectify that. I've probably done it in the wrong order but oh well.

This was a joy.

Finished Emma - Jane Austen which has been on my Kindle since 2014! It is a re-read as I did it for either O or A level - can’t recall which. Grateful for anyone who can remember which it was....

Emma is still pretty annoying.

Will review on 50B thread.

And also now finished The Thirty-Nine Steps - John Buchan which I have also had since 2014. I have read this before many years ago. It's pretty dated and some views expressed that reflect that. Will review on 50B thread.

I'm on a roll and have finished A Game of Lies - Clare Mackintosh today. Easy-reading, page turning mystery - semi sequel to The Last Party. Down to 70 unread books on my Kindle!

Just looked back at last year's thread to discover I had 107 unread books on my Kindle on 1 July 2025 so feeling quite good to get down to 70 (particularly as I have also bought 24 Kindle books during that period).

Great work @TimeforaGandT

Well done @TimeforaGandT .

I have DNF Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson. I would quite like to try Jackson Brodie but think I need to start at the beginning of the series and this had been on my shelf for ages.

That’s great progress @TimeforaGandT, well done!

I’m working my way through Night Waking by Sarah Moss on my kindle at the moment, and just started on Audible SuperInfinite by Katherine Randell, both of which have been knocking around a while on my devices - particularly the Moss.

I have started Nightwaking a couple of times but haven’t got that far with it.

I’m not loving it honestly.

Well done @TimeforaGandT you're the type of RWYOer I aspire to be! Number 8 of the year has now been read - Truestee From The Toolroom by Nevil Shute.