Books Read in 2026

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" I think books are like people, in the sense that they’ll

turn up in your life when you most need them."

 attributed to EMMA THOMPSON

Books Read in 2026 = 0

One joy in starting a new year is wondering about the good books I will discover in the months ahead. I have no set reading goal this year. I might read many or only a few. All I know is that I will read something everyday, even if it's only a few pages. Not to do any reading in a day is much like not putting food in my body—my soul longs for and needs the words of others. For pleasure, adventure, solace, wisdom, inspiration, getting lost in another world for a while....  

I enjoy memoirs, biographies, and inspirational/spiritual books. I like poetry, children's books, anthology collections, and artsy/creative books. Fairy tales and a bit of fantasy. Books on writing. I like books that tell stories, even in nonfiction. I like to know how authors relate to the material they're sharing and how they work it out in their own lives. I read a lot of novels, including historical fiction—novels based on historical figures and events but told with artistic license. And, of course, mysteries and whodunits continue to be a staple in my reading diet. Ever since 'meeting' Nancy Drew in my girlhood, I have chased after a good mystery.

Here is my simple rate list of books I enjoy at some level—I don't keep track of books I didn't care for or finish.

**** = Forever Favourite. Loved it. A keeper. With unforgettable characters, a great storyline or message, beautifully written. 

*** = Enjoyed very much, enough to reread down the road. Great writing, great story, relatable characters.

** = Enjoyed the book enough but don't need to read again. These go directly into the give away bag. 

Read in January to March (0)

1. 

Also tackling a few titles from the 'Unread Books Cupboard' (these were left from 2025 list)

1. 1984 by George Orwell (novel, 1949)
2. The Call of the Red-Winged Blackbird, essays on the common/extraordinary by Tim Bowling (2022)
3. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco (novel, 1980)
4. Beauty in Photography by Robert Adams (photography, essays, 1996)

5. The Secret War of Julia Child by Diana R Chambers (novel, 2024)
6. Pictures at an Exhibition by Sara Houghteling (historical novel, 2009)
7. Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson (fictionalized autobiography, 1945)
8. Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (novel, 1891)
9. A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth (from the list mentioned in the novel The Reading List)
10. Windswept: Life, Nature and Deep Time in the Scottish Highlands by Annie Worsley (nature, 2023)
11. Rewriting Adam by Connie Mae Inglis (novel, 2021)