2026 Reading Update

Earlier this year, I created a list of books I wanted to read in 2026. You can find it here. I thought it seemed pretty easy and doable. I knew getting through the rest of the Elsie books would give me a bit of a challenge, but otherwise I figured I could get the list done in twelve months.

I’ve never logged books I’ve read in a year before. (Well, maybe I have in school or something, but I don’t remember.) I don’t know how many I typically read in a year. But I probably thought I’d have more books read by now than I have. I’m a little bit apprehensive to admit how many I’ve actually read, because there are so many people who just fly through several books a month! I haven’t even read the same number of books as we’ve had months this year.

So, I like to finish what I start. Especially when it’s something I enjoy or feel has purpose to it or some other such reason. I started the Elsie Dinsmore series at the end of last summer, and it has 28 books in it. I also am the type to stick with something until I finish it, so I wanted to get through the series before reading anything else. However, summer got here and I really wanted to read some cute summer romantic books. Or at least one. So, I decided to take a break from Elsie and read a book I had read about on another blog (shout-out to Luca Faith from Lighten Up the Page!), My Favorite Color is Your Something Blue by Eva Austin. It wasn’t on my 2026 TBR, though. I just wanted to read a fun summery book this summer. It wasn’t as long as I’d imagined, so I thought maybe it would boost me along with my numbers. Unfortunately, I didn’t plan as ahead of time as I should have, so I haven’t actually started anything else yet. I believe my next book is sitting at my local library waiting to be picked up. It is, this time, from my 2026 Reading List, and it is not the next Elsie book. I still want a break from the series and I still want more romance (though fictional) in my summer. Guess what it is!

Pride and Prejudice! That’s what I plan to read next, and I will be so happy and relieved, I think, to get it read! It’s been on my mental book list for YEARS. Truly. There are always just so many books I’m interested in and something always has to take a backseat, I guess. I wish I would have more classics under my belt by now at this age, but I don’t, and I know that’s ok, but it’s been an aspiration of mine for a while to have more classics read. I feel like I’m already a fan of Pride and Prejudice, probably mostly because I like the movie. I know that movie adaptations are always different than the book, and the books are always better because they were made first and all that, but I somehow, many years ago, watched the movie and it has since become one of my favorite movies. So now I feel like I’m a fan of the book, even though I haven’t read it yet. I usually am one to read the book first in general, though, and to complain about the movie adaptation, so please don’t be mad at me!

I know I’ve been saying I need a break from the Elsie books. It’s not because I dislike them. If I did, there’s a good chance I would have quit them by now. I like them overall, except it’s just been a lot of the same writing, the same characters, the same themes, etc. and I wanted to refresh my brain. I do feel that some of the last few books have lacked plot, though, and some of the themes or events have drug on longer than I’d like. This isn’t a review, though, so I won’t get into it.

Alright, I suppose now I will give you my total number of books read this year- so far. Thankfully there are still four months left in the year, so I will hopefully get in a few more reads. Completing my 2026 TBR isn’t looking too promising, though. Not to mention some of them aren’t seeming as appealing to me as they did back in January. My TBR has actually been growing lately, thanks to Bookstagram and some blogs I follow. l-: (Even though it was already long enough!) I especially am interested in The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion series by Beth Brower. But anyway, back to my total number for the year… This year, so far I have read seven books. Sadly. Six Elsie Dinsmore books, and My Favorite Color is Your Something Blue. (I also want to read the other two books in that trilogy.) The Elsie books are all full-length 2-300-some page novels, in my defense.

Oh, the Christy Miller series is in my 2026 Reading List post. I don’t know why I thought my list was so doable, if I was including the rest of the Elsie books. I mean, I probably did think I’d get through them faster than I have, but still… Both series, plus those other few books? I don’t know what I was thinking. I have a job and a blog and I’m involved in other things and I’m a slow reader as it is… (Sigh…) I am also an adult who drives myself around nowadays instead of getting to be the passenger who can just read while going places. Of course, I’m also the type to just stare out the window rather than focus on a book anyway. Call me a crazy lady, but I like to look out the window even if there’s nothing to actually see.

Before the year ends, I’d like to check off Pride and Prejudice from my list, and I’d like to continue with the Elsie series. I really want to get them over with and move on (even though I still like them).

Well, I suppose that about wraps it up as far as my reading progress for the year goes. I don’t do reviews, but I will say I like the Elsie books and I liked My Favorite Color is Your Something Blue.

Have you read either of these books/series? How has your reading progress for the year been? What have you read, and what do you still intend to get to this year?

If you’re new here, feel free to subscribe to get emailed every Thursday when I put out new posts! I also have a FaceBook page and and Instagram account where I try to post when I publish blog posts, also, and I have an email you can write to me at! ([email protected])

Thanks for being here and making it this far into my book ramble! (-; I hope you found it at least a little humorous. (I sometimes try to be funny but it usually doesn’t work. Haha.)

<3

Note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if any purchases are made through them.