26ish books 2026

[Tinkhasflown]

A shiny new thread for 2026.

All welcome and note 26 is just a number. Everyone can set their own target and you are welcome here even if you only read 2 books a year.

I personally count the larger novel style books I read to my children and audio books I listen to. Others don't and there are no rules.

I look forward to all your suggestions again this year.

For the Maggie O'Farrell fans who has read "I am, I am, I am"? I loved that book. First chapter is shocking and the last is very moving.

Just finished book 2 yesterday, so my list is now:

1. The Names By Florence Knapp
2. Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

it’s my first one of hers, if I’m honest I wasn’t into it to begin with, and while it was ok I thought it wasn’t really my cup of tea, but then got totally hooked and ended up sneaking off at work to get a coffee and finish it yesterday, and now feel like I’m missing it!! An unusual and clever story that really pulled me in (though could have done it a bit more quickly!). am loving all the Maggie O’Farrell chat, I have read almost all of her novels and absolutely adored the Marriage Portrait when I read it 2 summers ago, though I always say I don’t like historical books - so I had avoided Hamnet as “not my kind of thing”. But then I had the chance to see a preview of the film on Boxing Day and my goodness, I have never cried like that at the cinema!! And knowing what a wonderful writer she is, and what everyone has said here, I think I need to read it now as well - will add to my reading wish list!!

Just finished book 2

1. Then she was gone - Lisa Jewell
2. Beautiful Ugly - Alice Feeney
3. I felt a bit cheated tbh with the twists, I know part of it is because the character narrating is supposed to be unreliable but it felt very gappy with the way plot points were omitted imo.

onto book 3 - The intruder Freida McFadden

I actually really enjoyed The Intruder - got a bit fed up with some of her books but this was a good read.

That’s promising!

I started The Housemaid last year and only read a couple of chapters before getting distracted and stopped reading it, so that is on my list to revisit this year

I would like to join! And, fittingly for this thread (!), I've just finished The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell. Really enjoyed, especially from about halfway through when I felt the narrative propelled me along.

I so need to put this on my list!

I’ve just finished Number 2 - The Year of the Cat.

Okay, i was cheating somewhat as I listened to the abridged version on BBC Sounds but I’m determined to up my book count for this year so audio books will have to be added in

Oh and if you liked The Marriage Portrait, have you seen this thread? 🙂

I’ve finished the clock house murders (nice read - Japanese locked room mysteries are a little outlandish but keep the suspense up!)

onto 4 kokoro by Natsume Soseki

Hi, can I join in? I followed this thread last year for inspiration and managed about 17 books (including some audiobooks). Hoping to reach the magic number of 26!

1. The Painter’s Daughters by Emily Howes.

1. Tells the reimagined story of the painter, Thomas Gainsborough’s two daughters set in 1700’s. I love historical fiction and this was along the lines of Maggie o’Farrell (my favourite). Really enjoyed this and will look to read her next about Charles Dickens’ wife.

@MuddlingThroughLife I love the sound of that spreadsheet.

Finished book 4
The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King.
An interesting read - 21st century Chinese American college students and their grandparents who lived through WW2 Shanghai. I found the college girls a bit lightly drawn but the war and post war background interesting.

I have been following the Goodreads bookmark challenges so have read a few things I wouldn't otherwise. I'm very bad for feeling obligated to read things that are "on my list" and then not enjoying them so will have to watch for that. Luckily Hamnet is on the list and I've ordered a second hand copy from eBay.

I didn't mind "Brain damage" but struggled with the Housemaid. I am on the second of the Housemaid series and not that bothered about it but I will try to finish it.

4 . His & Hers, Alice Feeney

Wanted to read this before watching it on
Netflix. It did keep me guessing throughout, but ultimately I knew who it was in the end otherwise a certain part of the story was totally pointless. Still gave it a 4 ⭐️ as it gave me whiplash and it was engaging throughout.

2 - Mania by Lionel Shriver I enjoyed this and thought it was brilliantly clever. I know she’s controversial and this book certainly shows her political views pretty clearly but it was a great read anyway.

1. The Marble Hall Murders by Antony Horowitz

2. Table for Two by Amor Towles

3. North Woods by Daniel Mason

I loved all of these books! I recommend them all.
A great start to 2026, my first year of (hopefully) reading 26 books.

I've 3 books and am half way though another.

1. The Outrun by Amy Liptrot
2. The Man who saw Everything by Deborah Levy
3. A Monk’s Guide to a Clean House and Mind by Shoukei Matsumoto (not really sure this can be considered a book as it took about 2 hours to read).

I'm currently reading Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant and am about half way though, will hopefully finish over the weekend. So far I'm enjoying it a lot although I'd also recommend The Man who Saw Everything by Deborah Levy.

Just finished book 2

2. All the colours of the dark by Chris Whitaker

this started off slow for me but then kept me guessing right to the end. Would have been a 5 star read had it not been for the writing style which left me confused in places.
loved how it spanned the decades and you watched the characters grow both in age and personality.
Heartbreaking, terrifying, brilliant

I enjoyed all the colours of the dark @MammaGnomes. Definitely wasn't a predictable storyline. I read on a Kindle so didn't quite realise how long a book it was until halfway through, think you did good making that your second

Fantastic book, one of my favorite reads of 2024.

1. The Mitford Affair~ Marie Benedict. A must read for anyone interested in the Mitfords or the politics of the 20s-40s.
2. Theo of Golden ~ Allen Levi

This did not live up to the hype and I disliked the religious seam running through it.

1. Famous Once ~Jane Green A short story. Implausible, fluffy but fun.

second book: Shakespeare, the man who pays the rent - Judi Dench

i adored this book, I’m a director so maybe more than most, but it made so much sense and I made copious notes and god it makes me miss the theatre? And I love her sense of humour

5 Howard's End - EM Forster
6 Never Let me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro
7 How to Build a Boat - Elaine Feeney

I really enjoyed Howard's End in the...well in the end 😁. In fact couldn't put it down. To the PP (sorry I can't go back a page to check your name) thank you for the encouragement. I have seen the film but it never resonated as much as A Passage to India which I read and then watched when I was younger. I think I will find the film of Howard's End and watch again.

I absolutely loved Never Let Me Go which id strange as it had been a DNF before.

I can also recommend How to Build a Boat. Its been on my Kindle Wish List for a while now and I got it for 99p on a deal.

I'm also reading a couple of books for work purposes but they are a bit niche and I don't include these work/research ones.

Started book 4: The Housemaid,
Haven't actually finished book 3 yet but now I have a book for upstairs and a book for downstairs!

2: Raising Hare: A Memoir by Chloe Dalton
Enjoyed this so much. The author rescues a leveret and raises it in her home whilst also trying not to make it a pet. The way this wild animal adapts to her life, and she to it's life, is a wonderful read.