After a brief, unintentional hiatus for the holiday season, I am ready to talk about bookish goals and intentions for 2026!
As most readers do, when December came around, I took a good look at all my bookish accomplishments throughout the year. While it was one of my lowest reading years in a while, I noticed a few things that made me very happy about my reading (and a few I wasn’t thrilled about).
Mainly, I was happy to see that I had read books that had been sitting on my shelf for years. This wasn’t the main theme of 2025, or even a conscious goal. It was something that just happened. But my happiness at finally checking these books off my list (even if they didn’t turn out to be ones I loved) was amazing! I decided then and there that 2026 would be the year I spent more time reading backlist titles and finally stop saying I’d get to them “one day.”
With that goal in mind, I knew the time had finally come to truly focus on simply reading the books I own rather than trying to read every new book that comes out. If I ever want the number of unread books on my shelves to decrease, I have to give my time to them. That’s not to say that I won’t be reading/buying any new books in the new year (I don’t have the strength of character for that), but I will be implementing some serious book-buying restrictions.
The idea is that I cannot buy a book until I have read at least three. DNFs and books I unhaul do count. The whole point of this goal, after all, is to clean up my library by keeping the books I want to read (including new releases I’m so sure I’ll love) and donating the ones that aren’t for me to readers who will appreciate them.
I already took the time to really look at the books I own and ask myself whether I will ever truly read them, even if they sound interesting. If the answer was most likely no, because they no longer piqued my interest or because I knew I would always prioritize other books before it, it was time for that book to go to a new home.
As a result, I unhauled a significant amount of books, and I feel so much better about my physical TBR as it stands. I also remind myself that if ever those books call to me again, I can borrow them from the library or maybe a friend who owns a copy.
By culling my library and buying fewer books, I hope to achieve another goal beyond reducing my TBR. I hope to be more mindful of my overall environmental impact in 2026.
Every time I buy a new book instead of buying used or borrowing from the library, I use valuable resources and leave a carbon footprint. Now, this isn’t to say that I’ll never buy a new book again. I, like many readers, love a new copy or that special edition of one of my favorite novels. I love for my library to shine with brand new books. But all those books I bought new that are just sitting on my shelves, unread? Well, that’s putting a bad taste in my mouth.
I am a big fan of the PangoBooks app, where I have found beautiful and like-new copies of books I really want to read. I also find it a great place to sell my own books, which helps me put money into my book-buying fund and get the right books to the right readers. However, there is still an environmental cost to buying here, so I don’t necessarily want to rely entirely on the app for used books either.
I am lucky enough to have great used-book stores near me. Not to mention a wonderful library. I’ve also decided this is the year I learn to love e-books, so I can make use of the library’s vast e-book catalog, as I do with their audiobooks. When I do go out to buy new books, I’ll do my best to support indie bookstores and help a local business!
Making intentions and goals is great, but sticking to them is what really matters. By creating intentions aligned with the principles I value, I hope to stick to them more than intentions shaped by what other people are doing.
I hope that 2026 is a year of change in so many positive ways. My impact as a human being may not be large, but where and how I spend my money is what I have control over in this crazy world. Books are my passion, and I need to make sure that, just like with everything else, I do the most good with them rather than harm.
The Book Nook 