Table of Contents
Back in January I mapped out an ambitious reading plan for 2026. My goal was to read 66 books—36 library books and 30 from my own shelves. It looked like a great plan on paper.
Then life happened. Between launching this website, updating hundreds of older posts, family time, and everything else, my reading slowed down considerably. That’s okay. Reading has always been about enjoyment, not racing to hit a number. Now that the site is finally live, it’s time to get back to the books.
The website launch consumed far more of my free time than I expected, but it was worth it. Now I’m looking forward to balancing writing about books with actually reading them.
The 2026 Reading Challenge – Libary and TBR Shelves
As previously mentioned the 2026 Reading Challenge is divided into two ctwo challenges : The Libary Book Reading Challenge. and the TBRSheves Challenge. Here’s the Challenge Categories by type and genre. along with my progress.
| 2026 Library Book Reading Challenge: Categories | Proposed Reads | Status |
| No. to Read | No. Read | |
| Favorite Mystery/Thrillers Series and Standalones | 24 | 5 |
| New Mystery/Thrillers Series and Standalones | 6 | 1 |
| Non-Fiction | 6 | |
| Total | 36 | 6 |
| 2026 TBR ShelvesReading Challenge: Categories | Proposed Reads | |
| No. to Read | No. Read | |
| Sci Fi | 6 | |
| E-Books | 12 | 1 |
| Non-Fiction | 6 | |
| Mystery Series/Thrillers Series and Standalones | 6 | |
| Total | 30 | |
| Target Goal | 66 | 7 |
Books Read Thru July 2026
| Title | Author | Reading Challenge Catagory |
| Little Black Dress | Loren D Estleman | Favorite Mystery/Thrillers Series and Standalones |
| The White Crow | Michael Robotham | Favorite Mystery/Thrillers Series and Standalones |
| Departure 37 | Scott Carson | Favorite Mystery/Thrillers Series and Standalones |
| Nenesis | Gregg Hurwitz | Favorite Mystery/Thrillers Series and Standalones |
| Inside Man | John McMahon | E-Book |
| Clsosing Time | Michael Ledwidge | Favorite Mystery/Thrillers Series and Standalones |
| The Crossroads | C. J. Box | Favorite Mystery/Thrillers Series and Standalones |
With the website launch taking up much of my reading time this summer, I’m carrying a few books over into August. That’s fine—reading isn’t a race. These are the five books I hope to spend time with over the next few weeks.
Late Summer Reading Plans
| Status | Title | Author | Challenge | Category | % Read |
| Finished | Going Rogue -Rise and Shine Twentu-Nine | Janet Evanovich | TBR Challenge | Favorite Mystery/Thrillers Series and Standalones | 100% |
| Finished | The Fourth Deadly Sin | Lawrence Sanders | TBR Challenge | Mystery Series/Thrillers Series and Standalones | 100% |
| Finished | Winter House | Carol O’Connell | TBR Challenge | Mystery Series/Thrillers Series and Standalones | 100% |
| Sarted | The Power of Beliefs | Shawn Achor | Library Challenge | Non-Fiction | 17\% |
| Started | The Summer of 1876 | Chris Wimmer | Library Cha;enge | Non-Fiction | 15% |
Why These Five?
These aren’t just the next five books I happened to pull off the shelf. Each one has a reason for being here.
- Going Rogue (Stephanie Plum #29) – I’ve enjoyed Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series for years. After taking a break from the series, it’s time to catch up with Lula, Ranger, Morelli, and one of Stephanie’s latest adventures
- Winter House – Carol O’Connell is one of my favorite mystery writers, and somehow this novel slipped through the cracks,
- even though it’s been on my TBR shelves for a long time. Now is the time!
- The Fourth Deadly Sin – I read one of the novels from Lawrence Sanders’ McNally series last year. When I found this copy at Goodwill, it seemed like the roght time to revisit the streets of NYC with Edward X Delaney. Since the ;ast visit pf sometime in the 70s. When I read The Second Deadly Sin
- The Summer of 1876 – I’ve always enjoyed books about the American West and western history. As soon as I saw this one at the library, I knew it was coming home with me.
- The Power of Beliefs – This selection came from conversations with my son-in-law. We often end up talking about motivation, learning, and personal growth, and those discussions convinced me this was a book worth reading.