8 Tips For Your 2026 Reading Goal
It’s no surprise that I enjoy reading, and the past few years my yearly book-reading numbers have been high—
However, a few years before this I was struggling to read anything. I was burnt out from over six years of studies for my bachelors and masters degrees, and working demanding hours each week. I didn’t feel like I had time or energy for reading, especially for fun. Yet I spent many hours on my phone, both from work and on social media.
In 2021, I realized that I missed reading, so I set a goal to read 45 books. I read 8 books that year. Some would consider it a failure, but I see that year as formative! Not only did it help me to get back into the habit and pattern of reading, but the books I read that year made me excited to continue reading. It reminded me of why I love to read and the huge benefit that books bring into my life! The following year, in 2022, I set my reading goal lower (30). I read 24. Again, I didn’t view this as a failure—I had actually tripled the books read from the previous year!
After two years of slowly building it as a habit, I got more serious about reading. With a newborn at home, I needed to make every moment count. I set stricter screen boundaries for myself and began to utilize my local library. In 2023, I hit over 100 books read, and have continued to do so every year since.
Maybe you can relate to me; you may have lost your desire to read or found yourself distracted with other priorities. Below are a few tips to setting your own reading goals:
1. Consider the ultimate goal.
The point of a reading goal isn’t to read as many books as possible. It’s not to hit a landmark number like 50 or 100 (or more!). And it’s certainly not to copy someone else’s goal because that may not work for your season of life. Sometimes people feel disappointed when they see my large number of books completed when they may have read only one or two books. I always say that it’s not the number of books you read, but simply the fact that you are reading!
Avoid perfectionism as you set your reading goal. Consider what you want to get out of your reading: maybe building it as a habit, exposing yourself to new authors or ideas, or to learn more about a specific subject. Most importantly, if you are a Bible-believing Christian you should prioritize reading God’s Word above anything else. One year I read over 100 books but I didn’t complete my Bible reading plan. I was really disappointed by this because it showed I didn’t value God’s Word over other reading materials. As you set goals, make sure your priorities are in line with your values!
2. Determine the number that makes sense for you.
When setting your goal, you will want to be realistic. Consider the different things vying for your time. Are you working out of the home or a busy mother? Do you have big projects that will require much of your focus this year, or maybe some vacations planned that will give you extra time to read? If you are a student or will be reading for work, be sure to include those books in your calculations.
If you are just getting started with reading, I encourage you to start small. One book a month is very doable, and gives you plenty of room to catch up if you fall behind. Some people like to aim for 1 book a week (52 books for the year). Although I have read over 100 books a year for the past three years, I don’t feel pressure to complete that number each year. I set something attainable for my season of life and commitments.
Your goal doesn’t have to be a certain amount of books completed. You could also set goals to simply read! Maybe your goal is to read for twenty minutes a day. Maybe it’s ten pages a day, or one chapter. Set attainable reading goals that make sense for your life.
3. Always read genres that bring you joy.
A few years ago, I was studying apologetics and deconstruction for some projects at church. Although extremely beneficial, these books were long and heavy. Easy fiction reads were a breath of fresh air! It will be difficult to reach your reading goal if you find the books boring or a chore. Maybe your preferred genre is biographies or historical fiction; whatever it might be, plan in advance to read books that bring you joy!
4. Read more than one book at once.
Many people are shocked when they hear that I read up to six books at a time! While I don’t recommend reading TOO many books at once, it’s helpful to have two or three going at a time. If I’m not quite in the mood for my mystery thriller, I can pick up a newly published memoir to read instead. Or perhaps I want to take my time through a thoughtful devotional, so I will only read a few pages a day, then switch to a book from my favorite novelist.
I will also do this by reading simultaneously library books, books I own, and books on my Kindle. This way I always have a variety of reading materials to chose from. Pro tip—have bookmarks on hand so you never lose your spot in any of the books!
5. Utilize a reading log.
I have been tracking my books on Goodreads for five years, and there are several other apps that focus on logging books. Perhaps I’m a nerd, but I enjoy updating the app to show what I’m currently reading and writing a short review of each book I finish. It’s also quite motivating to see what my friends are reading on the app!
If you don’t care to track your reads online, purchase a beautiful paper reading log, or use any notebook you have on hand!
6. Find interesting books to read.
One of the questions I get asked the most is where I find all the books that I read. I discover book ideas from my friends on the Goodreads app, as well as a few different social media reading groups I’m in. It has taken me a few years to find trusted sources—some generic “Christian reading groups” on Facebook didn’t always recommended books with solid content or material I enjoyed. Eventually I found some smaller, more niche groups with Christian women I trusted for recommendations. There are also many Christian “bookstagramers” who utilize social media to talk about what they read or recommend; it might just take some time to find someone with similar taste to follow.
I also enjoy talking to other reading friends to hear what they are reading and receive suggestions. One of the most memorable books I read last year, The Mirror Visitor series, I borrowed from a lady at my church. My local librarian often recommends titles to me based on what she sees me checking out. I also subscribe to the email newsletters of my favorite authors; usually they promote other authors of similar genres or will share what they are reading as well.
Another option is to ask your pastor or a trusted Christian mentor for a recommendation! And I have several blog posts with my own short reviews of what I’ve read for ideas.
7. Find a reading plan to follow.
I usually prefer to read books that interest me in the moment, but having a reading plan can be immensely helpful to those who need ideas, suggestions, or something to help them stay on track. It can also expose you to different genres or authors than you would normally choose. A reading challenge would be fun to complete with a buddy! I’m told that Tim Challies, The Literary Life, G3, and Scholé Sisters usually offer a unique reading challenge (I haven’t personally used them so use discretion, as always; if current challenges don’t appeal to you, look at their past challenges), and you can find many others online. Or, create your own!
Even if you don’t utilize a reading plan for all your books, there are so many unique ideas that can help you with smaller reading goals. You can participate in goals like Shaketober (Shakespeare in October), Jane Austen July, or an A-Z reading challenge. I just saw an idea to read a chapter of War and Peace each day, to finish the book within a year—I might try this one!
8. Keep track of books you want to read.
If you ever hear of a book that sounds interesting, but immediately forget the title and author, you’ll want to start keeping a list of books TO read. I utilize Goodreads for my list (which currently boasts over 300 titles…) Keeping track of books you want to read means that you always have an answer to the question “what should I read next?” If you want, you can also organize this list by genre to make it even easier to find the next book to pick up.
I also take my list on Goodreads and find which books are available in my local library system. My library allows me to make an online list of books to read, so I add these books to that list to make it easy to put books on hold.
What tips would you add to this list? What is YOUR reading goal for this upcoming year?
Photo by Matias North on Unsplash
