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.

I read this last year and loved it! So nice to hear I wasn't the only one.

I am so far the only person I know who didn’t enjoy it at all and didn’t even finish it. It just didn’t engage me at all even though I love nature.

Finished #3 today. The Sewing Machine by Natalie Fergie. Took myself off to a cafe BY MYSELF (never done before!!!) and finished it with a large latte and a slice of cake - bliss! Loved it - lovely slow moving story of the owners of the same sewing machine over 100 years.

Book 4 - Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Loved her other book so have high hopes!

I'd like to join, I used to read a lot but have lapsed a bit recently. So far this year I've read:

1 - Croydonopolis: A Journey to the Greatest City that Never Was. Slightly niche non-fiction, very enjoyable

2 - Five Children on the Western Front by Kate Saunders. I'm usually a bit wary of modern sequels to classic books, but has a real feel of E Nesbit.

3 - Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O'Farrell. Less intense than The Marriage Portrait and Hamnet, but I loved it.

Currently reading Diary of a Provincial Lady by E M Delafield.

5 The Hairdresser of Harare by Tendai Huchu. Highly recommend. Very readable but also very deep.
We saw Hamnet tonight, looking forward to reading it but might leave it a couple of weeks.

Thank you for this - I always buy local books when I holiday in Southern Africa but it can be so hard to find any when back. Will be getting this and having a good browse through the connected books!

I'm on the waitlist for Atmosphere at the library, so I'm hoping it's a good one.

1. Old God's Time - Sebastian Barry a Booker longlist novel. I listened on audio but feel this is a book that should be read so borrowed a copy from the library to fill in the holes. I'm not really a fan of these stream of consciousness novels and this was a hard depressing story. It covers hard topics including child abuse and suicide.

Next up is James that has been recommended here. I also have After You'd gone by Maggie O'Farrell on the go.

Finished book 3 last night whilst cuddling a poorly DS.

1. Then She Was Gone - Lisa Jewel
2. Beautiful Ugly - Alice Feeney
3. The Intruder - Freida McFadden

I found this a quick easy read which was nice for my brain after the intensity of Beautiful Ugly. The twist was a little irritating, it’s my first Freida McFadden book I’ve read all the way through, but chatting with friends apparently it’s quite prescriptive of her writing. I do have 2 other books of hers in my book pile so I think I’ll intersperse them with more intense reads.

I’m going to read The Shadowman by Helen Fields next - I really enjoyed The Institution when I read it last year so hopefully this is a good read

Loved After you’d gone. Enjoy

Finished book 3, Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers. A really lovely read and very odd to read a novel set in 1960s Croydon when I'm quite familiar with Croydon as it is today! It made me wonder if I should read Croydonopolis is mentioned by a PP above.

Croydonopolis is fascinating if you know the area, so many unexpected things happened there.

I will definitely put it on the list!!

I was planning to wait until I’d finished it to talk about my #3 book, which is Dreamland by Rosa Rankin-Lee but am wondering if anybody else has read it? I’m about 3/4 of the way through and totally gripped! It’s set in a dystopian version of Margate (talking about reading books set in places you’re familiar with) and there’s apparently a BBC series in production.
oh and @Twinsybalinsyi loved Shy Creatures, have long been a Clare Chambers fan and feel like she’s got a bit more recognition recently - think I read her first book 20+ years ago!

Book 3 finished - The Safekeep by Yael Van Der Wouden. I love the 2nd world war and post war era, so this book really stirred me.

I'm loving this thread - it's giving me lots of ideas for future reading.

1. One of us by Elizabeth Day.
2. The Backpacking Housewife by Janice Horton.
3. The Hike by Lucy Clarke
4. Postcards from a stranger by Imogen Clark
5. Introducing Mrs Collins by Rachel Parris- follow up to Pride and Prejudice focusing on Charlotte Lucas who married Mr Collins, bought for 99p on kindle daily deal then finished next day

@Teeteringonthebrink45
I’ve read Dreamland and I also live in Thanet!
Really interesting reading about the area…even Westwood Cross gets a mention!
I loved the book…I believe it’s being made into a tv series with Anna Friel.

I can’t stop thinking about it today, I’m struggling with the idea of starting my next book when my mind is on this one! I’ve been looking for a release date for the series but nothing available yet, the were filming last year apparently so hopefully won’t be long to wait. Can’t stop thinking about the ending (no spoilers here!) but can see this translating really well to the screen!

3: I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
Like others on here I thought this was an interesting (and quick) read. It was so sad to read that she had no choice in acting - she was just doing it for her mother's love and approval.

It feels quite relevant to the Beckham situation (without the physical and sexual abuse but the controlling parent)

@Tintarella I read The Marriage Portrait in December and agreed with what you said about the narrative propelling you forward from the second half. I actually started it the year it was published in hard back having attended a Maggie O’Farrell reading of it (one of my favourite authors). I couldn’t get into it at all. So abandoned it which is rare for me. Picked it up again in December and raced through.

Book 2 completed for me. The Coral Bones by EJ Swift. I had requested this as a present as it was billed as sci-Fi. It wasn’t really but I enjoyed mainly because it was so well written. It’s a thoughtful piece about climate change and written through the voices of three different women in three different eras - roughly past, present and future (kind of post climate disaster age).

Just adding that I’m jealous of anyone starting Hamnet!

I finished my first book, Dream Count. I really enjoyed it. Next, I want to read Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner.

I'm so impressed by people having read 3-5 books already! That's one a week. I generally only have about 20mins for reading daily but I'm trying to up it.

1.One of us by Elizabeth Day.
2.The Backpacking Housewife by Janice Horton.
3.The Hike by Lucy Clarke
4.Postcards from a stranger by Imogen Clark

1. introducing Mrs Collins by Rachel Parris
2. Remarkably bright creatures by Shelby van Pelt. I struggled to get into this but enjoyed it by the end.

8 Endling - Maria Reva.

I found the main story of this really enjoyable but not sure it (or maybe just I) needed the surrounding stories so much but I did enjoy it as a whole. Set in modern day Ukraine.

I think my next one will be After You'd gone. My first dive in to Maggie O'Farrell after reading how many of you recommend her.