Goals to Get Me to the End of 2026 Book Tag

I got the idea to do this book tag from Emma at Words and Peace who posted her 2026 goals book tag the other day. The creator of the tag is Lost in the Narrative. Emma tweaked things and so did I.

GOAL #1:
Are there any books that you started this year that you need to finish?

Yes, three:

• The Lives We Actually Have: 100 Blessings for Imperfect Days by Kate Bowler
• The Daily Jane Austen: Quotes by Devaney Looser
• The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley

GOAL #2
Do you have any holiday books you hope to read before year's end?

Possibles:

•  The Bewitching due to its Halloween-ish theme and it is a book on the Goodreads challenge for the fall.  
• Hogfather by Terry Pratchett. I wanted to read it last year for the Christmas season but didn't get to it.

GOAL #3
Is there a new release that you’re still waiting for?

I have three fall releases I hope to get to:

• Partita by Barbara Kingsolver
• The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon
• Peck and Peck by Bonnie Garmus

GOALS #4
What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?

• The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout (Book Prize Shortlist)
• Dèy by Edwidge Danticat(National Book Award finalist, Fiction category)
• Tree of Knowledge by Victoria Chang (National Book Award finalist, Poetry category)

GOAL #5
Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favorite book of the year?

It might be Partita. I have loved all of Kingsolver's books so it wouldn't surprise me if it took over the number one spot.

GOAL #6

Goals you created in January you still need to finish up before year's end?

Oh boy. It's a lot:

• Read one of the Booker Prize finalists (See above #4)
• Read two of the winners or finalists for the National Book Award (See above #4)
• Read two past winners of the Pulitzer Prize (Unlikely)
• Read two 2026 Printz Honor books (Less likely)
• Read seven books for the Autumn Goodreads Challenge (doubling up is allowed)
• Read and review the remaining four book club books for the two clubs
• Read four more books from the NYT Best Books of the 21 Century list
• Total=22 books. I could read that many books in the remaining time but it is very unlikely that I will finish all these goals. That number, 22, doesn't include the books I want to finish and the new releases I want to get to, either. That total is 29. Gulp. Next year I am paring down my challenge list for sure. My heart is no longer into many of these challenges: Printz and Pulitzer past winners among them. The NYT Times listed books I've read recently I haven't liked so I may remove that personal challenge, too. Who cares if I read the books on that list or not?

GOAL #7
Have you already started making reading plans for 2027?

1. I am only at the mulling over stage of what book I want for my One Big Book Challenge of 2027. I'm considering from: 

• Anna Karenina
• Midnight's Children
• Don Quixode 
• Crime and Punishment

2. I want to read a book published in 1927, making it 100 years old, so I am checking for possible options:

• To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolfe
• Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
• The Big Four by Agatha Christie
• Now We Are Six by A.A. Milne

Phew. I need to get to work!

-Anne