My Reading Plans For 2026

In thinking about 2026 I wanted to map out at least 40 of the books I will be reading and I asked Grok for help. I gave Grok some of my preferences and they came up with a good list which I have further tweeked. Here is the final list to be read in this order:

Voices of Protest by Alan Brinkley

The Searchers by Tana French

The Chosen by Chaim Potok (Coming-of-Age Drama)

Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor

Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin (Contemporary Romance)

Battle Cry of Freedom by James M. McPherson  (haven’t finished it yet but I plan to)

The Christmas Visitor by Linda Byler

All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren

Pillar of Light by Gerald N. Lund

84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

Novena For Murder by Carol Ann O’Malley

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Historical Drama)

Middlemarch by George Eliot (reread)

Father Brown Stories by G.K. Chesterton (Cozy Mysteries)

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn

She Wore Red Trainers by Na’ima B. Robert (YA Halal Romance)

Book 5 in the Victoria Thompson Gaslight series (Counterfeit Lady or later—your pick!)

At Home In Mitford by Jan Karon

The Shunning by Beverly Lewis (Romance/Drama)

Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin (Contemporary Romance)

Uncle Silas by J. Sheridan Le Fanu

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites by Chris Heimerdinger

How to Read a Book by Monica Wood

The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish

My next Louise Penny (whichever Inspector Gamache you’re on!)

The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher (Romance)

A Secret History by Donna Tartt

True Sisters by Sandra Dallas

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks (Historical Mystery)

The Veil by Dorothy Noble

Prayer For Silence by Linda Castillo (Mystery/Thriller)

Christy by Catherine Marshall

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon

The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree by Susan Wittig Albert

The New Woman by Jon Hassler

The Republic for Which It Stands by Richard White

The Correspondents by Judith Mackrell

Robert Elsmere by Mrs. Humphry Ward

I will discuss these books here at Reading Matters as I read them . But I will allow myself to DNR if after 100 pages the book hasn’t clicked for me. I am also linking this reading project with a diet plan. In other words these 40 books will accompany me on my journey to eat better, lose weight and get healthier in 2026. As the writer Lt Col Ralph Peter’s (Ret) once said: “Books will be there when you need them” and I have mostly found that to be true.

Who knows what the New Year will bring but I will be reading. And I am also sharing my reading/diet plan in the hope of inspiring others.

Thank you Grok and a Happy New Year to everyone!

kathyvullis1's avatar

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kathyvullis1

8 responses to “My Reading Plans For 2026”

  1. janegs1 Avatar
    janegs1

    Wow, that is a great list, and I had fun looking through it for old friends and stuff on my own TBR list.

    I love Middlemarch–it is in my top 5 favorites of all time, so I hope it does it for you as it is long and a big time investment. I’ve read it at least 5 times, and plan to reread it again.

    You know how I feel about Battle Cry of Freedom–it is dense, so I get reading it in batches.

    All the King’s Men has been languishing on my TBR shelf for way too long. I’m sure after you post about this one, I will feel compelled to finally read it.

    I prefer the Father Brown TV series (starring the actor who played Mr Weasley) to the actual Chesterton stories, but that could just be me.

    The Secret History rubbed me the wrong way, but it has a huge fan base.

    I hope to finally read The Correspondents before Spring!

    Good luck with your list. I’ll be looking for posts on all of these 🙂

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    1. kathyvullis1 Avatar
      kathyvullis1

      HI Jane and a Happy New Year. My apologies for the delay in getting back to you I just learned that to respond I have to hit the approve button but now everything is good.

      I do want to reread Midlemarch because there is a book tuber I follow Kate Howe and she was recommending books and was so taken with Middlemarch that she is on her 4th read and was on the video hugging the book. I want to feel that way too about a book and I liked Middlemarch but I got to thinking maybe one read is not enough. Just finished An American Tragecy by Theodore Dreiser. Wow 5 stars.

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  2. Lark@LarkWrites Avatar
    Lark@LarkWrites

    What/Who is Grok? And that’s a great list of books. Love the variety on it. The Kite Runner is one of my favs. Happy reading all of these! (Though I completely support and applaud your decision to DNR if you’re not loving it.) Happy New Year. 😀

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  3. Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? Avatar
    Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear?

    I’m too much of a mood reader to plan this far in advance, lol. Good luck with these! Happy New Year. 🙂

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    1. kathyvullis1 Avatar
      kathyvullis1

      Hi Linda and Happy New Year! I know what you mean about reading and mood and my plan is to read the books on this list in order but I am not sure how much I will stick to that but I do plan to try and read all 40 and DNR if the book is not working for me.

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  4. kathyvullis1 Avatar
    kathyvullis1

    Thanks Lark and Happy Newx Year. Grok is an A! Chat device connected to twitter. It’s very similar to chatgpt. AI is in the news alot and its controversial but I have found them great for suggesting books giving diet menus that are healthy and just asking them any kind of question. I plan to read a total of 60 books this year but these 40 were designed by grok and myself but if after 100 pages its not for me best to DNR. Just finished American Tragedy and wow was that great book and particularly the end and the description of the death row prison was chilling.

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  5. tracybham Avatar
    tracybham

    What an interesting list! Some of them I haven’t heard of so I will be waiting to hear about them and how you liked them.

    I have The Searcher by Tana French. I have read most of her Dublin Murder Squad mysteries and enjoyed them.

    I read several books by Chaim Potok when I was young, and The Chosen was one of them.

    My husband has Middlemarch but has not read it yet. I might try it sometime.

    I hope I get to a book by Louise Penny this year, too, because I did not read one in 2025.

    I have How to Read a Book by Monica Wood and maybe I will read that one this year too.

    Have a good new year, and I am sure your reading will be good.

    TracyK

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  6. kathyvullis1 Avatar
    kathyvullis1

    Hi Tracy, its the first time I will be reading Tana French and so I am hoping The Searcher will be good. Middlemarch is a reread and I wanted to reread it after seeing a video from a book podcaster I follow Kate Howe. She loves Middlemarch and has read it 4 times so I want a second reading because though I liked it I’m hoping for a feeling like Kate’s

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