So at first I thought about just recycling my 2025 goals like a lazy person with no time (that’s me!) But then I decided to actually have ‘A Serious Think’!!!

In 2025, I feel like I changed as a reader.
I’m working more hours in my new job, and it’s a demanding role where I really have to concentrate. I used to be able to listen to audiobooks whilst working, but now I can’t.

I’ve also cancelled a couple of book boxes and I’m skipping more often when the picks don’t interest me. But… I’m still led by the FOMO, and I find myself preordering more, meanwhile reading less, which means my TBR is bigger than ever!

So for 2026, here’s what I’ve come up with:

Goal 1: Read Less

I know that sounds strange for a reader, but I want to savour quality over quantity. Looking back at my Goodreads goals from the past few years, I’ve already been doing this naturally, but I want to be more intentional about it.

• 2025: 80 books
• 2024: 119 books
• 2023: 185 books

I originally set my 2025 goal at 52 books and ended up reading 80. So for 2026, I’m taking the average of 66 and going with that!

Goal 2: Think Before I Buy

This is mostly aimed at preorders, which are my weakness. I’ve decided to pause and ask myself, “Do I actually need this?” And if the answer isn’t an immediate YES, I will wait a few hours and see if Future Me still needs it!

Goal 3: Read 2026 Romantasy Releases When They Come Out

Romantasy and PNR romance are my first loves, and I was SO thrilled when they became popular again in 2022/23. So in 2026, instead of buying new romantasy releases and letting them sit on my shelves for months (or years!), I’m going to try to read them right away.

Just three goals for 2026, hopefully simple and manageable and I hope they’ll help me enjoy my reading even more!

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What are your reading goals for 2026?

The 2025 Audiobook Challenge is hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer and That’s What I’m Talking About.

We were told to grab our earbuds, decide on goals, and sign up to the page! #2025AudiobookChallenge

In my sign up post, I said I was going for 20-30, Binge Listener, but by September I was on the way to My Precious, 30+!

So my total for 2025 is…..

37 audiobooks!

Here’s a few I listened to in the last quarter of the year:

How did you get on?

Give yourself 10 points for each of the below you have done and let me know your score in the comments!

• Cut down a real tree
• Regifted a present
• Kissed under the mistletoe
• Seen the Nutcracker live
• Been in a Christmas jumper competition
• Received a bad gift
• Panic bought on the 24th
• Hidden a gift and then couldn’t find it
• Had a Christmas cooking disaster.

My total is 50!

Happy Blogmas!!

It’s that time of year to look forward and pick out those most anticipated books for next year!

For some reason it was really hard to find some books I do want to read in 2026….are some not being announced until the last minute?!

We Burned So Bright by TJ Klune
One Small Echo by Jane Washington
The Lion and the Deathless Dark by Carissa Broadbent
The Last King of Faerie/Wicked Powers by Cassandra Clare
Agnes Albert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett

Obviously hoping for ACOTAR 6 in April (unless it’s about Elain, and then I won’t read it!!!!)

(If there is no cover pic then it wasn’t finalised by the time I wrote this post!)

What are yours?

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer  It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.

I hope you had a great week!

I had the week off work and went in with a long list of things I wanted to accomplish… but of course, not everything got done!

I did manage to finish my Christmas shopping and my son helped me wrap it (except his — I snuck those in while he was at school!). There are still a few tasks I need to tackle before Christmas, but need to find the time to do them!

I also started Empire of the Dawn on audio (an 800-page book is a workout my arms simply don’t want!) but at 35 hours, I’m nowhere near finished yet!

We also went to our local garden centre to check out the Christmas displays, I was in heaven!

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🎧 Brigands and Breadknives by Travis Baldree
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

See my review soon!

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Calendar – December
Blogmas – Announcement
Blogmas – Anticipated 25 Books Look Back
Blogmas – Fave Christmas Films

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Blogmas – Anticipated 2026 books
Blogmas – Festive Points Game
Blogmas – Audiobook Challenge
Blogmas – 2026 Book Plans

What have you read lately?

Happy Blogmas!!!!

This isn’t books but something else dear to my heart….Christmas films!!

There is nothing like sitting in the dark just with the glow of tree lights watching a Christmas film!

In my house we tend the watch the same films each year because we love them so much!

Our staples are:

National Lampoons Christmas Vacation

Home Alone and Home Alone 2

Elf (Saaaaaaanta!!!)

Muppets Christmas Carol

And we will also try and squeeze in:

Jingle Jangle (because we loved this last year!)

Oh and……I do actually want to see if this is any good!

A Very Jonas Christmas Movie

What are some of your favourite Christmas films?

Happy Blogmas!!

At the end of 2024 I posted my most anticipated books for 2025 so thought it would be good to look back and see if I read them (maybe not good for me!)

You can see my post here.

I only actually picked 6 books and not sure why as I *think* I normally go for 10….or maybe I’m getting confused with Top Ten Tuesday! Christmas brain!!!! But anyway…..I’m pleased to say I read them!

A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young ✔️
Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli ✔️
The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune ✔️
Emily Wildes Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett ✔️
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by VE Schwab ✔️
Ragpicker King by Cassandra Clare ✔️

Did you set a list of books you want to read this year? Did you read them?

I’ve done Blogmas for 7 years running now and have absolutely loved doing it (and reading other peoples posts) so decided to do it again!

I’m hoping this will be a fun series of posts on the blog starting on 2nd December and ending on Christmas Eve!

I know that’s more than 12 days………..

I’ve seen most bloggers participate in Blogmas and post on consecutive days but I didn’t want to pressure myself that much over the Christmas lead up so I’ll be posting Blogmas posts every other day. I won’t be posting any book reviews (sorry in advance for when I post them all in January!!)

Anyway, the prompts I’ll be using for Blogmas are:

HAPPY BLOGMAS!

Happy December!

I’m on the countdown to Christmas now! Look out for my blogmas posts starting tomorrow!

May you never be too grown up to search the skies on Christmas Eve.

‘Mankind is a great, an immense family. This is proved by what we feel in our hearts at Christmas.’
– Pope John XXIII

“Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more.”
– How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Dr. Suess