2026 Reading Goals: How You Can Read More Books This Year

If reading is a new habit, try starting small with your initial goal.

This could mean setting a low number of books to read by the end of the year, or committing to reading 1-2 books per month to start.

Starting small could also mean picking books on the shorter side, say 300 pages or less!

Having a set book and a group of people depending on you to read it may be motivational for some, even if it doesn’t work for me, personally! Start your own club with friends, see if your local library hosts one, or try to find an online group to get started. Be sure to check out the Words & Whimsy Book Club on The Nest to get inspired.

If having an assigned book isn’t for you (I am a mood reader, which is why book clubs rarely work out for me), try seeing if there is a Silent Book Club chapter near you, or look to start your own at silentbook.club/pages/chapter-map!

Silent Book Clubs are BYOB (bring-your-own-book) and don’t include a discussion period. They’re a great way for introverted readers to find a space to meet like-minded individuals.

There’s something about having a friend hold you accountable to something that increases your rate of success. If the formality (and large group size) of a book club isn’t for you, a buddy read might be the solution for you!

The premise is that you and your friend read the same book at the same time and chat about what you’re reading as you go. Each reader can go at their own pace, just make sure you’re clear on your spoiler expectations!

OwlCrate Readalongs are hosted on The Nest, with two readalongs per month, each lasting eight days, for OwlCrate’s Adult Fantasy and Young Adult Fantasy subscription books. It’s a chapter-by-chapter club read with mini games and discussions, but don’t worry, readers can take it at their own pace!

Participating in a readalong could lead to winning a gift card to spend on the OwlCrate shop, and you don’t have to be an OwlCrate subscriber to play! One of the first mini challenges of a readalong is usually to share how you'll be reading the book, so feel free to brag about your library copy as much as you want.

This is one of my favourite ways to tackle my personal reading goals, and it's also one of the ways my partner motivates me to drink more water.

A reading sprint, for those who don’t know, is a focused period of time dedicated to reading. These can be done individually or in a group. The spirits part of this is well… a drinking game. 

To play, you need at least one other person, a list of prompts, and drinks. During the sprint, when a reader encounters a prompt, they assign someone to take a sip.

It’s best to tailor prompts to the book(s) being read so that there’s actual gameplay. For example, if you’re both reading a fantasy book, one prompt can be “a character is wounded” or “someone builds a fire,” etc. I recommend 5-8 prompts, as this works best.

Please note that the drinks can be anything you prefer. No one should ever feel pressured to drink alcohol. As I mentioned, my partner and I do a Sprints and Spirits session when I need to drink more water.

The intention behind a reading marathon or retreat is to limit distractions. This is specifically a day or weekend set aside to unplug and commit oneself to reading. This activity can be done individually or in a group at home or during a hotel/vacation booking.

I personally like to book a hotel with room service, but I know it’s not realistic for everyone. You don’t need a hotel or a getaway; you just need to be intentional with your time and have a stack of books ready. Oh, and snacks! I guess a cozy blanket and a pile of pillows wouldn’t hurt either.

If you do want to commit to being screen-free during the marathon/retreat, make sure to let people know in advance so they don’t worry!

Despite a lot of online discourse, we don’t need to get bogged down in what “counts” as reading, but I’ll make my opinions known... Audiobooks count as books... Graphic novels count as books... They both count toward your reading goal. We’re not gatekeeping this stuff.

So, what do I mean by mixing your formats? Reading burnout does exist, and it’s not always convenient to have a physical book on hand, like when you’re commuting to work (by driving, taking public transit, or walking). In these situations, there are still ways to get some reading done. Audiobooks aren’t for everyone, but they’re great for walking and all forms of commuting. 

I recommend you opt for a full cast audiobook, for a more immersive experience! If you’re new to audiobooks, start with a book you’ve read before, and definitely try your library options before committing to paid services.

I personally don’t like to take my books on public transit, so I find eBooks to be a great format (thank you to my public library for having both Libby and Hoopla to meet my eBook and Audiobook needs) to get an extra hour and a half of reading done on my commute.

Changing the types of content you’re reading can also help. For example, switching to a graphic novel or a book of poetry can provide a much-needed break between novels to prevent reading burnout.

This monthly reading challenge typically runs from the first to the twenty-fifth of each month. Every month has a different theme, and reader sign-ups (via Google Form) typically begin on the 29th of the month, coinciding with the theme reveal.

Readers can sign up to play at any time during the month, so if you happen to be out of town or unable to sign up until the challenge has already started, you don’t have to worry!

Players earn points by reading books that fall under 20 or 10 point prompts, or titles from the 5 point book Google Sheet, writing reviews, participating in creator challenges (photo/video prompts, which is an excellent way to get started if book-fluencing is a goal), and bonus challenges.

The Words & Whimsy Reading Challenge is also a wonderful way to get more involved with the online bookish community. Each team will always have 1-2 moderators and a dedicated group. From my experience with Words & Whimsy, every participant is more than happy to help interpret the theme/prompts, which I love.

In 2024, one of my personal reading goals was to be on a first-place winning Words & Whimsy team. Spoiler: I was on a first-place team MORE than once that year, which was a huge achievement for me and motivated me to read books more often.

There are several interpretations of this challenge, but the basis is to read 26 books, one for each letter of the alphabet. Some readers prefer to match the letters to books, while others will assign letters to either the first or last name of the author.

Maybe you’ll decide to make up your own A-Z challenge using characters, settings, or genres. The sky’s the limit!

One feature I didn’t delve into when discussing this reading tracker is its extensive reading challenge section. The app/website includes tracking for a myriad of challenges, including the aforementioned Alphabet Challenge.

Challenge categories range from Genres to Tackle Your TBR, Geographical, Literary Awards, and more. The best part is that users can start their own challenges and share them with friends/their community.

This is entirely open for interpretation! Personally, I made book-themed Bingo cards for all of Taylor Swift’s albums, but the more traditional options are for genres and tropes.

There are endless book bingo challenge templates available for free online, and you can find a template to edit on Canva.

Some people even use a reward system when they get bingo (which usually involves buying a new book).

Your local independent (or chain) bookstore or public library may run its own yearly reading challenges. Sometimes there are prizes or rewards for joining and succeeding in the challenges, which can add an extra level of motivation to complete your reading goal!