2026 Plans and Challenges—3rd Quarter Check-In

This was supposed to go up last week, if not the one before, but…well, stuff happened. I apparently didn’t finish the 2nd Quarter Check-In, either. Whoops, it slipped my mind.

Anyway. Here we go.

Last year was a disaster for my plans and goals…both those stated and unstated. That only bothers me a little—I had too much fun with what I did accomplish, and was so tired because of everything else in life that perspective is easy. This is a hobby—I didn’t hobby the way I wanted to. But, still, hobbying was done.

This year, I think my plans (at least the stated ones) are more achievable…I fell back on the ol’ SMART Goal model, and cut myself a lot of slack (see below)–even stating upfront that I expected to fail with at least one goal. I do really wish my Literary Locals thing had a bit more life to it, ditto for the HC Chats videos, too–but, oh well. Grandpappy’s Corner has gathered more dust than I like–and I have a stack of titles to fill it with. Still, hobbying is happening. Let’s see how the goal-meeting is going.

How’s the perennial “Cut down on my Goodreads Want-to-Read list and the unread books that I own” goal going? As of October 1:

I will say that I’ve really made a lot of progress on that since the beginning of the month (as much as one can in two weeks, anyway).

2026 Book Challenges

Goodreads Challenge

So, that one’s done and dusted.

My TBR Range Challenge

There’s been incremental improvement on everything pre-2025. 2025 has improved enough to feel relieved. But let’s not talk about 2026, okay?

Reading with Wrigs

• A book about siblings: The Young Necromancer’s Guide to Ghosts by Vanessa Ricci-Thode
• A book with a tree on the cover: A Divided Duty by Seanan McGuire
• A book with a body part in the title: The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
• A book to screen adaptation: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
• A book with an animal main character: Cat on a Hot Tin Woof by Spencer Quinn
• A book with a building or cityscape on the cover: City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky
• A book featuring music or a musician: Runaway Lyrics by C.O. Bonham
• A book with a color in the title: Black Bag by Luke Kennard

I’m doing better with this one than I usually am by this time of year. Conceivably–but not likely–could have this done this month.

The 2026 Booktempter’s TBR Challenge

• • January–It’s a classic task for a reason: Read the very last book to enter your TBR pile. TBRs come from the habit we have of not reading books because we put them off. You have my permission to indulge yourself—Lit by Tim Sandlin
  • February–Partners in crime?: For the month of Valentines you can choose a book about a partnership be it friends, lovers or whatever combination comes to mind—Hidden in Smoke by Lee Goldberg
  • March–First Bloom: As Spring arrives for this change I’d like to read a book that is the debut of an author. Who knows this may become someone you’ll follow forever!—Nav’Aria: The Marked Heir by K.J. Backer
  • April–Sidetrips: For this month I’d like you look for a book that has been published by either an independent press or self published—Guns of Brixton by Paul D. Brazill
  • May–Freedom! You have my permission to finally pick the most tempting book in your TBR pile – no questions asked—Remington Platypus by Steve Nash
  • June–Equinoxes should be easy be easy: Regardless of hemispheres you live in read book over 500 pages—What’s Next: A Backstage Pass to The West Wing, Its Cast and Crew, and Its Enduring Legacy of Service by Melissa Fitzgerald & Mary McCormack
  • July–A Ceasar Word Salad: Read a book with an empire – starting, ending or changing—Eyes of Empire by JCM Berne
  • August–Schools Out!: Choose a book by an author who is not from the UK or USA—Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
  • September–Back To School: Treat yourself to a book that is not from your usual genre. Expand your minds!—An Icelandic Adventure: One Family’s Mostly Successful Quest for Puffins, Pleasure, and Perfect Pizza by S Bavey (travel book is the genre, btw)

Haven’t hit a stretch goal yet, but there’s still time.

25 Greatest Picture Books of the Past 25 Years
This is a reading challenge, right? I’m doing okay. If it were a writing about challenge, I’d be in trouble.

2026 Speccy Fiction Challenge

• Published in 2026—The Photonic Effect by Mike Chen
• A speculative novella (less than 250pgs)—Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite
• A translated speculative novel—The Cat Who Saved the Library by Sosuke Natsukawa, translated by Louise Heal Kawai
• The first book in a speculative fiction duology/trilogy/series—Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
• Romantic speculative fiction—Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett
• Speculative fiction that features a creature (animal/monster)—Strange Animals by Jarod K. Anderson
• Dark Fantasy—Banners of Wrath by Michael Michel
• A fantasy based on myth, legend or folklore—The Lost Daughter of Sparta by Felicia Day, Rowan MacColl
• A scifi that takes place on a spaceship or space station—Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
• Dystopian—Wool by Hugh Howey
• A scifi featuring conscious technology—Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

I’ve got one read left on this one–I’ll probably tackle it next week. So, I’m calling that a win.

Ultimate Book Nerd

I didn’t mention this one previously; I was mostly “auditing” it to see how well I’d do while not really trying. I did try a little, I will admit–especially lately. I’ve now read 44 of the 60 prompts (only need to hit 50 by mid-December), so I’m now trying to finish it–and I should have no problem doing so. (these other challenges have helped a lot). I think I’ll take this approach next year, too.

Cutting Myself Some Slack

I added one goal after the year started. My “To Write About” pile was out of control–seriously. And it was eating away at the back of my mind. So I did two things–I started those Monthly Leftover posts–requiring myself to write a catch-up post at the end of the following month for the books I haven’t gotten to yet (e.g., At the end of February, write about January books; at the end of June, write about the May books).

That cut 252 books from my list, and so much anxiety.

I’ve gotten a little behind on my Leftover posts, I should be able to get caught up on those soon–and keep plugging away on the others.

20 Books of Summer

Got that one done with a little to spare…

How’re your reading goals/plans going so far this year?

The image for the Picture book list is taken from the article. The Book stack image by yeliao521 from Pixabay. The “finger scissors” image is from Clker-Free-Vector-Images on Pixabay.