Reading Goals for 2026

It is time to share my reading goals for 2026.

This year, I have ambitious reading goals. They are so ambitious that I almost didn’t share them with you. However, this is a book site, and I talk about books and reading. I also keep it real, and it would be hard to talk about books and reading this year without talking about my reading goals.

2025 was my worst reading year in a long time, not just in quantity but in quality.

In 2023, I read 123 books, the most I have read since I started keeping track over ten years ago.

In 2024, I read 109 books. I usually read about 100 books per year, so 109 was good. However, in 2024, I struggled to have many five-star reads. So, although I read a lot of books, I didn’t have many favorites.

For 2025, I didn’t set any specific goals beyond focusing on quality over quantity and learning through reading.

I did learn through reading books in 2025, but not as much as I wanted to. I am also not sure whether focusing only on quality over quantity worked for me, because I didn’t have a numbers goal to aim for.

I’ve realized my reading life is better when I set goals.

Reading and reviewing books is part of my job. I don’t make much money on From Our Bookshelf, but I do make some. At the end of 2025, I realized I hadn’t done a very good job of treating reading as a job last year.

I also realized I had been scrolling through social media and the news way too much in 2025.

One of my goals in 2026 is to get that under control. I am not giving up social media because I use it for my online work, but I need to reduce my time on it significantly.

I also want to reduce the noise of constant news. I love news and politics, but over the last few years, I have listened to and watched way too much of it. I want to quiet that part of my life.

In doing that, I will have more time to read.

In the reading life, you don’t always need or want goals or plans, but at work, you do. Not only is reading my hobby, but it is also a job.

I am setting big goals for 2026, because not only do I want to scroll less, but I also need to treat my reading life more like a job. I still want it to be fun. I still want to read what I want, but I also need to set goals and better plan my reading life.

I say all that because my reading goals for 2026 probably won’t look like yours. I don’t want you to compare your reading life to mine because our lives look different.

Most of my readers don’t read, write reviews, and share bookish content for a job. I do, and my reading goals for this year reflect that.

Your stage of life may also look very different than mine. My kids are all grown with lives of their own. I have more time to read now than I did when I had three little kids to take care of.

Our reading lives change as our lives change. The important part is not how much you read, but that you are still reading and enjoying it.

Reading Goals for 2026

In 2026, I want to read 150 books, or as close as I can get. I want to have a record-reading year.

My goal is to read 12 to 13 books a month, bringing me to between 144 and 150 books for the year.

I have set a few goals to help me make it to 150 books in 2026.

Audiodbooks

One of the ways I plan to read more books is by listening to more audiobooks. I listen to a lot of news-focused podcasts. I will still listen to some news, but I need to reduce it. Instead of listening to those, I want to listen to more audiobooks.

I also want to listen to at least one audiobook a month. I am not a big audiobook listener, so that is more than I usually listen to. I already have a list of books I hope to listen to and will share it later this week.

YA Books

I also want to read more YA books. In the past I have not been a huge YA reader, but after reading and loving The Outsiders last fall, I realized there are many classic YA books I have not read. I am making a list of the ones I want to read and will share it later this week.

YA books are usually shorter and easier to read, so I think I can read one a month alongside my other reading.

General Goals

I usually read at least 100 books a year, so if I add YA and more audiobooks, I think I might be able to reach my goal of 150.

I also have a stack of Christian books that I hope to read this year. I will share that list on Sunday for Sunday Reading.

When I looked back at my 2025 reading, I realized I had read fewer historical fiction and mystery books than usual. I want to return to those two genres this year as well, because I love them.

I am a mood reader, so for the rest of my fiction and nonfiction reading, I am going just to read what I want, focusing on the books I own. I really need to clear some books off my shelves, so reading what I own will be a priority this year.

Do you have any reading goals in 2026? I would love to hear about them.