2026 Reading Challenges

Reading Challenges 2026 (The Bookwyrm's Hoard)

Goodreads Reading Challenge

I set my Goodreads Reading Challenge goal at 125 books for 2025. That’s 15 books lower than my 2025 goal. I went lower than last year because I anticipate having a lot less time to read this year. We are preparing to sell our house and move across the country, and there’s a lot of work to do.

As of August 31, 2026, I have read 89 books, putting me 6 books ahead schedule for the year. That’s significantly better than where I was a few months ago, at least! (NOTE: Goodreads isn’t good about distinguishing between short stories and full-length books or novellas, so in my mind, a few of those 70 books shouldn’t actually count as “books”—one is definitely a short story and one is at best a novelette. But Goodreads is counting them as books read.)

(Unfortunately, I can’t seem to get the Goodreads Reading Challenge widget to work on this page, probably because my blog’s security software keeps blocking JavaScript. The link goes to my challenge page on the Goodreads site. I will continue updating this page on my own site manually.)

Audiobook Challenge 2026

Host: Caffeinated Reviewer and That’s What I’m Talking About
Progress: 4/10 (40%)
1 January, 2026 — 31 December, 2026
In Progress

I’m participating in the 2026 Audiobook Challenge, hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer and That’s What I’m Talking About. My goal for the year is to listen to and review 10 to 15 audiobooks, putting me in the Stenographer category.

Below are the books I have listened to but have not yet reviewed. Books marked with a * are books I have read and/or listened to before.

American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation (Jon Meacham) – own
Ruby Fever (Ilona Andrews) – Hoopla audio
The Attenbury Emeralds (Dorothy Sayers and Jill Paton Walsh)* – Hoopla audio
The Late Scholar (Dorothy Sayers and Jill Paton Walsh)* – Hoopla audio (book reviewed 12/15/2014)
The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World (Virginia Postrel) – own
A Little Too Familiar (Lish McBride)* – own
The Shadowy Horses (Susanna Kearsley)* – own (book reviewed 7/26/2018)
Straight (Dick Francis)* – own (book reviewed 08/07/2017)
Beyond (Mercedes Lackey)* – own (book reviewed 6/4/2021)
Into the West (Mercedes Lackey)* – own
Valdemar (Mercedes Lackey)* – own
A Nun in the Closet (Dorothy Gilman)* – Hoopla audio
Copper Beach (Jayne Ann Krentz)* – Hoopla audio (book reviewed 1/10/2012)
Dream Eyes (Jayne Ann Krentz)* – library CD (book reviewed 2/18/2013)
White Lies (Jayne Ann Krentz)* – library CD
Sizzle and Burn (Jayne Ann Krentz)* – library CD
Running Hot (Jayne Ann Krentz)* – library CD
The Third Circle (Amanda Quick)* – library CD
The Perfect Poison (Amanda Quick)* – library CD
Fired Up (Jayne Ann Krentz)* – library CD
Burning Lamp (Amanda Quick)* – library CD
In Too Deep (Jayne Ann Krentz)* – library CD
After Dark (Jayne Castle)* – Hoopla audio
After Glow (Jayne Castle)* – Hoopla audio
Ghost Hunter (Jayne Castle)* – Hoopla audio
Silver Master (Jayne Castle)* – Audible
Dark Light (Jayne Castle)* – Hoopla audio
Obsidian Prey (Jayne Castle)* – Hoopla audio
Midnight Crystal (Jayne Castle)* – own
Quicksilver (Amanda Quick)* – own
The Inheritance (Ilona Andrews) – own ★★★★⯪
Deception Cove (Jayne Castle) – Hoopla audio (book reviewed 12/02/2013)
The Hot Zone (Jayne Castle)* – own (book reviewed 10/02/2014)
Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops (Shaun Bythell) – Libby (review scheduled for Sept.)

COYER 2026: Out to Lunch Again

Host: Berls, Michelle, & Lillian
Progress: 12/20 (60%)
1 January, 2026 — 31 December, 2026
In Progress

The goal of COYER 2026: Out to Lunch Again is to “Clean Out Your E-Reader” — to plow through all those unread ebooks and audiobooks you downloaded because they were free or cheap. To qualify, books must be in digital format (ebook or digital audiobook.) They must be free or low-price (under $5.00 for e-books; under $7.50 for audiobooks.) However, in a departure from the original, strict rules, you don’t have to own the book; library books count too. However, books from subscription services like Kindle Unlimited, Amazon Prime, or Audible Plus do not count for the challenge.

My goal is to read and review 20 qualifying books in 2026. I can also count any of them toward any of my other challenges.

Below are the books I read but have not yet reviewed for COYER 2026: Out to Lunch Again. Books marked with a * are rereads.

Winter’s Charms (Celia Lake)*
Ruby Fever (Ilona Andrews) – audiobook
The Attenbury Emeralds (Dorothy Sayers and Jill Paton Walsh)* – audiobook
The Late Scholar (Dorothy Sayers and Jill Paton Walsh)* – audiobook (book reviewed 12/15/2014)
Mind Games (Nora Roberts)* (reviewed 1/16/2025)
Hidden Nature (Nora Roberts)* – older ARC; review to come
Best Hex Ever (Nadia El-Fassi)
Pastiche (Celia Lake)* (reviewed 4/15/2024)
The Fossil Door (Celia Lake)*
Three Tales of Gabe & Rathna (Celia Lake)*
Witches of Dubious Origin (Jenn McKinlay)– ARC; review to come
Old as the Hills (Celia Lake)*
Upon a Summer’s Day (Celia Lake)*
Enter the Nightmare (Jayne Castle) – ARC; review to come
Three Graces (Celia Lake)*
The Changing Door (Celia Lake)* – novella-length collection of extra scenes
The Quiet Side (Casey Blair)
The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World (Virginia Postrel) – audiobook
A Little Too Familiar (Lish McBride)* – audiobook
The Shadowy Horses (Susanna Kearsley)* – audiobook
Straight (Dick Francis)* – audiobook (book reviewed 08/07/2017)
Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel (Lucy Foley) – ARC; review scheduled
Lost and Found (Jayne Ann Krentz)* (reviewed 6/20/2016)
Beyond (Mercedes Lackey)* – audiobook (book reviewed 6/4/2021)
Into the West (Mercedes Lackey)* – audiobook
Valdemar (Mercedes Lackey)* – audiobook
Stay for a Spell (Amy Coombe) – ARC; review to come
A Nun in the Closet (Dorothy Gilman)* – audiobook
A Bitter Cut (Anna Lee Huber) – ARC; review to come
Copper Beach (Jayne Ann Krentz)* – audiobook (book reviewed 1/10/2012)
Dream Eyes (Jayne Ann Krentz)* – audiobook (book reviewed 2/18/2013)
Sizzle and Burn (Jayne Ann Krentz)* – audiobook
Running Hot (Jayne Ann Krentz)* – audiobook
Eclipse (Celia Lake)*
Tea and Meetings (Celia Lake)* – novella-length collection of extra scenes
With All Due Speed (Celia Lake)* – novella-length collection of extra scenes
The Third Circle (Amanda Quick)* – audiobook
Twig’s Traveling Tomes (Gryffin Murphy) – ARC; review to come
Unexpected Magic (Jude Knight) – ARC; review to come
The Perfect Poison (Amanda Quick)* – audiobook
Fired Up (Jayne Ann Krentz)* – audiobook
A Waltz to Remember (Mary Balogh) – ARC; review to come
The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies (Kate Westbury) – ARC; review to come
Burning Lamp (Amanda Quick)* – audiobook
In Too Deep (Jayne Ann Krentz)* – audiobook
After Dark (Jayne Castle)* – audiobook
After Glow (Jayne Castle)* – audiobook
Ghost Hunter (Jayne Castle)* – audiobook
Silver Master (Jayne Castle)* – audiobook
Dark Light (Jayne Castle)* – audiobook
Murder on Threadneedle Street (Andrea Penrose)
– CURRENTLY READING

Library Love Challenge 2026

Host: Angel's Book Nook & Books of My Heart
Progress: 2/12 (17%)
1 January, 2026 — 31 December, 2026
In Progress

I’m participating in the Library Love Challenge 2026, hosted by Angel’s Guilty Pleasures & Books of My Heart. My goal is to read and review 12 books, which is the the lowest possible option. I’m hesitant to try for more, because I have so many books on my Kindle and on my physical shelves that I also want to read, and also because some of my library books will be for writing research, so I probably won’t read them all the way through.

Below are the books I read in 2026 but have not yet reviewed. Books marked with a * are books I have read or listened to before.

Ruby Fever (Ilona Andrews) – Hoopla audio
The Attenbury Emeralds (Dorothy Sayers and Jill Paton Walsh)* – Hoopla audio
The Late Scholar (Dorothy Sayers and Jill Paton Walsh)* – Hoopla audio (book reviewed 12/15/2014)
Best Hex Ever (Nadia El-Fassi)
A Nun in the Closet (Dorothy Gilman)* – Hoopla audio
Copper Beach (Jayne Ann Krentz)* – Hoopla audio (book reviewed 1/10/2012)
Dream Eyes (Jayne Ann Krentz)* – library CD (book reviewed 2/18/2013)
White Lies (Jayne Ann Krentz)* – library CD
Sizzle and Burn (Jayne Ann Krentz)* – library CD
Running Hot (Jayne Ann Krentz)* – library CD
The Third Circle (Amanda Quick)* – library CD
The Perfect Poison (Amanda Quick)* – library CD
Fired Up (Jayne Ann Krentz)* – library CD
Burning Lamp (Amanda Quick)* – library CD
In Too Deep (Jayne Ann Krentz)* – library CD
After Dark (Jayne Castle)* – Hoopla audio
After Glow (Jayne Castle)* – Hoopla audio
Ghost Hunter (Jayne Castle)* – Hoopla audio
Dark Light (Jayne Castle)* – Hoopla audio
Obsidian Prey (Jayne Castle)* – Hoopla audio
Deception Cove (Jayne Castle) – Hoopla audio (book reviewed 12/02/2013)
Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops (Shaun Bythell) – Libby audio (review scheduled for Sept.)

Netgalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2026

Host: Yvonne @ Socrates' Book Reviews
Progress: 6/10 (60%)
1 January, 2026 — 31 December, 2026
In Progress

The NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2026 is hosted by Yvonne at Socrates’ Book Reviews. I am joining at the Bronze level: 10 books read and reviewed. I find the reviewing more challenging than the reading, and I’m way behind, so I will also count reviews for books that I read previous to 2026 but had not yet reviewed. (In some cases, that will entail rereading the book; in other cases, I kept good notes.)

Below are the books I read in 2026 but have not yet reviewed. Books marked with a * are ARCs I have read before, but wanted to read again to refresh my memory for the review.

Hidden Nature (Nora Roberts)* – older ARC
Witches of Dubious Origin (Jenn McKinlay)
Enter the Nightmare (Jayne Castle)
Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel (Lucy Foley, Agatha Christie) – review scheduled
Stay for a Spell (Amy Coombe)
A Bitter Cut (Anna Lee Huber)
Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter (Heather Fawcett)
Twig’s Traveling Tomes (Gryffin Murphy) – review to come
Unexpected Magic (Jude Knight) – review to come
A Waltz to Remember (Mary Balogh) – review to come
The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies (Kate Westbury) – review to come
Murder on Threadneedle Street (Andrea Penrose) – review to come
A Many-Splintered Thing (ed. by Mercedes Lackey) – review to come
– CURRENTLY READING

Robin's Recs 2026

Host: Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Progress: 0/6 (0%)
1 January, 2026 — 31 December, 2026
In Progress

None yet!

Robin’s Recs is an ongoing personal challenge to read and review at least 6 books that my (adult) child, Robin, has either recommended or given to me. You can see the full list of titles by clicking on the challenge title.

Below are the books I read in 2026 but have not yet reviewed. Books marked with a * are books I have read or listened to before.

Best Hex Ever (Nadia El-Fassi) – gift from Robin

Additional Goals

Spend less time on social media and more time reading (and writing, if I can squeeze out the time.) This goal is self-explanatory.

Write more reviews than last year. Especially, be more consistent about reviewing ARCs. Unfortunately, time to review has been in short supply this year.

Read more of the (unread) books I already own. I want to cut down on book-buying, and I have a ridiculous number of unread books, both physical and digital. As of May 2026, I have purged most of the physical books that a) I thought I was unlikely to ever get around to reading or b) I can borrow from the library. That still leaves me with a huge collection of unread Kindlebooks.

Make better use of the library. As I said above, I want to cut down on book-buying—and support my local library, of course!

Read more diversely. As in previous years, I want to read some books by/about Black, Asian, indigenous, LGBTQIA+, neurodiverse, and disabled people.

Prune some of the books I own, and catalog and pack up as many of the remaining books as possible. We are planning a cross-country move sometime in the next 6-9 months. To that end, I had to significantly reduce the number of books I own from 19 or 20 bookcases down to about 10. Progress: As of August 31, 2026, I have catalogued 1065 books (over half of my remaining physical collection), and sold or donated at least 20 boxes of books (I lost track of how many books, but it was around a third of my total collection, probably more.) I purged most of my mass-market paperbacks because I can’t read them easily with my aging eyes, but I kept my very favorites as well as some titles I can’t find as ebooks. I also purged most of the books I bought from library booksales over the years but never got around to reading. And I let go of some of the physical books that I also own in digital format, but only some. I kept signed books, special editions, frequent rereads, and books that have been special to me for a long time—including a lot of my children’s books. I also kept books for writing reference, both about writing and about topics relevant to the novel I hope to get back to writing after the move. I have been putting dust jacket protectors on all the paper covers (dust jackets) that are old and fragile as well as the dust jackets on my signed copies and first editions.