What my 2025 reading looked like and some possible plans for 2026...

Hey there, book friends!  Hope you all had a great holiday season and weren't 'too busy' (is that even possible - ha!).  Also I'm enjoying hearing what you liked best in your reading life for 2025 and what might come in 2026.  Decided I'd share a bit here about my 2025 reading adventures.

I had a 'goal' (which I don't actually do anymore, but somehow I always want to mention a number) of 100 for 2025.  I did not get to that level.  I finished 89 books and that was fine.  Some of those books were quite lengthy.  And I listened to a number of book podcasts, which lessens my audiobook time.  

I reread/caught up on two full mystery series.  The first I completed was by Elly Griffiths and was her Ruth Galloway series.  It has 14 books and I'd love for there to be a 15th.  Maybe at some point.  The second series that I completed was Julia Spencer-Fleming's series featuring Clare Fergusson (Episcopal priest) and Russ Van Alstyne (Chief of Police).  This series has 10 books now and I was glad to revisit the earlier books and get to read the new one, At Midnight Comes The Cry.  It had been about 5 years since the last book.

I also attended the two book groups that I've been part of for many years.  My favorite book that the Mystery Book Group read and discussed was The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen.  The Afternoon Book Group reads a wide assortment of book types, but my favorite was probably The Women by Kristin Hannah.  My favorite book of all for 2025 was The Hallmarked Man by Robert Galbraith.  It's very long, as most of the books in that series tend to be.  However, I love these books featuring Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott and am delighted when a new one (this was #8) is available.

Think that's about all to share for 2025.  Will move on to my sorta-ish plans for 2026.  

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First of all, I'll be sharing what both the book groups I attend will be reading for Jan-June of 2026 in separate posts in the next week or so.  The Mystery Book Group will be having the first meeting on Thursday evening and we'll be talking about the first book in Elly Griffiths' new series, The Frozen People.

I'm pretty excited as I've heard some good things about the books both groups are planning on discussing.  Yay!  You guys can let me know if you've read any of them and have thoughts on them when I share the upcoming lists.  

I'm not going to have a set goal for 2026 reading.  We'll just stick with 100 and see if that happens.  I do plan to continue to do some rereading/catching up on series that I enjoy.  There is a new book coming out in Sujata Massey's Perveen Mistry series, The Star From Calcutta and, as it will be #5, rereading the previous books might be fun.  There is also a series by Jennifer Chiaverini that features The Elm Creek Quilters.  I have read a bunch of them (#23 is coming in April), but I'm thinking about starting at the beginning again and making my way through them.  We'll see what I decide.  I need to figure out where I left off in my reading of that series and calculate how many I am behind.

Think that's about all I have to share.  I'm going to enjoy my reading in 2026.  Not continue a book if it isn't working for me.  Enjoy reading in print and on my Kindle and also listening to books on audio.  Maybe reread some old favorites from my shelves.  Mostly, I want to have fun.  Hope you guys do the same.  Take care and we'll 'talk' again soon.