Hello friends and fellow bloggers,
I'm wondering whether you set reading goals for the year, or whether you just like to read whenever the mood strikes you never mind the idea of keeping track of the books you've read. Or maybe you really don't like to read at all. I know a few people that don't read much. They usually try to read just before sleep and promptly nod off. I always try to encourage people to read more, even if it's just one more book than they might usually read.
I've always liked to read and I had the impression that I read a lot. However until I started setting annual reading goals and tracking the number of books and pages read through Goodreads, I realized that I really didn't read much at all. I started tracking my reading in 2009 and now read consistently though my reading drops off if I'm sick or travelling and there are some months when I just give myself a break. I know you can read when travelling and people use their electronic devices to assist in this regard but I prefer reading paper books and I may only take 1 with me to read on the plane. There are usually so many other things to keep one busy when travelling.
In 2026, I've set another modest goal of reading 50 books. If you are a reader you'll know there are some books that only take 2 or 3 hours to read. Then there are books that take much longer to read. Most books I select have anywhere from 6 to 15 hours estimated reading time. I prefer to read books that are a more than 300 pages so that I am not having to go to the library every other day. I like going to the library but I usually try to work in a trip there for when I am needing to do other errands nearby. I also enjoy historical fiction best but in the last 3 years I've tried to diversify my reading. Consequently, I've read fantasy books, murder mysteries and contemporary books.
If you've read this far, I hope you will leave me a comment and let me know what books you are reading right now. Perhaps I can add a few of them to my 'want to read list'. In the meantime you might be interested in knowing what I've been reading thus far in 2026. Here are the books and a summary of what they are about.
I picked the book, Ring of Salt off the library shelf and was pleasantly surprised and happy with the book. In this memoir, Betsy, an American left the United States for Ireland to get far away from her rich, abusive parents. She ends up dating and marrying an abusive man and having one child with him. Throughout her marriage Betsy is working as a struggling but published author and her husband earns very little which only adds to the strain in their marriage. Ultimately she plots her escape and with the assistance of the local women's shelter she is helped to get on her feet again. Betsy meets another man, who is supportive of her and wants to marry her but she declines. She has a vision for opening a retreat for abused women where they can also learn how to learn some crafts to help them earn an income. Though her life continues to be a financial struggle, Betsy is able to see the beginning of her dream coming to life.
The Golden Spruce, was gifted to me for my birthday. This non-fictional story is set largely on the northwest coast of British Columbia, the province where I live. It's a fascinating account of a man, Grant Hadwin, who cuts down a tree, known as the Golden Spruce. The tree was a 300 metre high Sitka Spruce tree, revered by loggers and sacred to the Haida people of the Haida Gwaii, formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands. The year was 1997 when Grant's used a chainsaw to fell the sacred tree from the old growth forest which was his act of protest against the logging industry. He felt people were too fixated on the one tree while the logging industry was decimating a huge part of the old growth forest. Just before he was scheduled to stand trial for environmental vandalism and eco-terrorism, Grant disappeared under mysterious circumstances and has never been found.
Aging Well with Diabetes, is a good reference book for older adults who have diabetes. I didn't finish it because there were people on the waitlist before I could complete the reading. I don't want to buy the book because I've already decluttered so many books over the past several years and don't want to accumulate more. On the rare occasion I do buy a book, it's usually from the thrift store. I will add this book to my list to read later
I added Welcome to the School by the Sea, to my "want to read" list because it was recommended by the library based on other books I'd read. I enjoyed it but I would give it an average rating. The book is the first installment of a 4 part series. The setting for the story is a posh girl's boarding school in Devon, England, hence the title. In this installment, young teacher Maggie leaves Scotland to begin teaching at the boarding school. In doing so, she has to leave her boyfriend Stan behind and he's none too happy about it. It's a bit nerve wracking for Maggie to settle in because she isn't from the posh set and has no experience of teaching children from a well to do background. But she is determined to have a new adventure in life and is reluctant to return home though several times Stan asks her to do exactly that. The book is basically about how Maggie adjusts to the school, Maggie making new friends, the school girls that get into mischief, and an attraction to male teacher at the neighbouring boys school. There is also an overarching story about the school administrator, Veronica. As the novel proceeds we learn of an unexpected connection between Veronica and the adopted son she gave up at birth. Of course no one even knows she had a child as an unwed mother. Although the book was just average or a little better than average, I'm open to reading the other books in the series in the future.
I picked up The Last Thing He Told Me was a free book which I picked up at the local community center. The book is easy to read and quite engaging. As I started reading, it didn't take long to realize that the story line was familiar. I thought perhaps I'd already read the book but later realized that I'd seen a mini-series of the same name on Apple TV. I enjoyed both the book and the mini-series. In the story, Owen, is Hannah's husband. Very early in the story, Owen disappears suddenly and very mysteriously. The police are looking for him in connection to major fraud perpetrated by his boss and the company for whom he worked. Owen's boss has been arrested and Owen will also be taken into custody if the police investigators can find him. Owen left so quickly that he hasn't let his wife, Hannah or his daughter, Bailey know what's going on, where he is. whether he will come back. He's only left a note for Hannah to protect Bailey. It's left to Hannah and Bailey to try to piece together what has happened to Owen and to try to have a life without him. The majority of the story reveals that Owen isn't who he said he is and that much of what Hannah and Bailey know about him is untrue. This is earth shaking news for the both of them and they are faced with monumental decisions about how they move forward.
This next book was on my 'to read' list. It appealed to me because I like bakeries and I like a lot of novels set in Paris. It turns out the book isn't set in Paris but in a suburb on Rue de Paris, lol. It's a magical, fantasy book that weaves together the secret bakery recipes and the lives of those who own the bakery or work in it.
I picked up The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo because the cover appealed to me. The book title and summary suggested a story reminiscent of the late Elizabeth Taylor who I always found fascinating. Not so much because of her many husbands but because of her great collection of precious jewellery and her air of old fashioned Hollywood glamour. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a well written story but if I had known a bit more about the content, I probably would not have read it.
The Secret History of Audrey James is another book I picked from the shelves. It seems I read a lot of books about women heroines set in WW2 in England or France. I haven't read this book yet but will start soon.
I have a few more books that will be ready for pick up in the next few days.
I heard an interview on You Tube with the author of this book, Culinary Claims. L. Sasha Gora did her Ph. D. in Canada which culminated in this book.
I tried listening to Andrew Lownie's Entitled on Audible but I have a hard time listening to a book. My mind wanders all over the place. Even if it doesn't wander I just can't seem to focus on the story itself. So I've put the paper book on hold and now it's ready. In the period of time that I've been waiting for the book there has been so much information about these two former royals that has come out in the press, tabloid television and You Tube channels that whatever is in the book is probably "old" news.I've only read one book by Carley Fortune who seems to be a very popular Canadian author writing about romance and contemporary themes. The book is called, This Summer Will Be Different . It's set in Prince Edward Island (PEI) which is clear on the other side of the country from where I live. I thought it was a little 'fluffy' or light for my taste but I'm going to read another book of hers to see if I like it better. That concludes my January and February book selections so far. Please let me know in the comments if you've recently reads any good books. I'll see if the library here has a copy.
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