My 2026 Book Challenge - Increasing the Spectrum

If you want to write, you need to read a lot of books.

2025 was an incredibly fulfilling year for me as a reader. I actually completed my goals of 25 books in 2025, which was a first for me!. While I held onto some of my comfort zone genres (science and science fiction), I also recognized as the year progressed for the need to challenge myself to broaden my spectrum a bit. As a result, in 2025 as part of a sub-challenge with my daughter, five of these titles were international. To be honest, these were the highlights of my year in books.

So for this year, I set the goal for 26 books (you may see a pattern), and 6 international titles. I’ll be updating the list below as the year progresses, but I’m interested in your thoughts, and recommendations.

So let’s start with the books of 2026!

Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake

What a way to start the challenge! While this is at first glance this appears to be just a science book about fungi, it is actually a call to look at all life (and not just warm fuzzy mammals) from a very different perspective, As an evolutionary biologist, this book caused me to think about how life is interconnected on so many levels while at the same time developing a much deeper appreciation of fungi.

#nonfiction #scicomm

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

This book has absolutely nothing to do with birds. In fact, it only briefly uses the word bird. Instead, it’s a look at the life of being a writer from the perspective of a seasoned teacher and mentor who has perfected technique of communicating with aspiring writers. The humor, sarcasm, reality, and ultimate insight on the personal rewards of writing make this a book worth reading for writers at any level.

#nonfiction #publishing

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

A thoroughly enjoyable novel that features a great cast of characters, including a giant Pacific octopus. A great book if you just want to get absorbed in a heart-warming and humorous story. I listened to this on the Libby app (free with a library card) over a series of hikes and long drives. The use of two different narrators for the audio version really enhanced the experience!

#fiction

Ghostways: Two Journeys in Unquiet Places by Robert McFarlane, Stanley Donwood, Dan Richards

This is a collection of two stories about what I thought would be something akin to McFarlane’s Underland. It’s not. The two stories are very different, but both take you to places where the fabric of the past and present is thin. I enjoyed this, but honestly had to restart the first story a few times to get into it.

#fiction #international

cover image by Emil Widlund on Unsplash

last updated: March 2026