Hi and welcome to a new Top Ten Tuesday post! Each week, we create lists around a bookish theme. This week we will be discussing our bookish goals for the year 2026. I always try to set achievable goals for myself, I don’t want to feel pressured or push myself too hard. If I do so, reading, and blogging with it, becomes a chore and that’s exactly not what you want for a hobby to become. So without further ado, let’s take a look at the bookish goals I’ve set myself this year!
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
1. Read 50 books
I’ve set this number for two years straight and I met this goal halfway through the year for two years straight as well. So, it’s time for round three. Do I want to increase it after meeting this number? No, not at all. I don’t fancy challenging myself regarding the amount of books I read, I think quantity is not what really counts. The years I could read tons of books are behind me and I simply don’t care anymore. This is part of maturing and becoming more picky I guess. Moreover, I only set myself a reading goal for the end-of-year wrap ups and statistics, that’s the nicest reward for me. I will get those anyway, no matter if I set my reading goal at 1 or 100, so 50 is a good number in the middle which is definitely manageable.
2. Choosing quality over quantity
This has been an ongoing goal for the past few years as well and is related to my previously mentioned one. No matter the number of books you read, quality is what matters. Always. If you read books just for the quantity, you risk needing to put more books aside because the quality is not what you’re looking for. You might just not enjoy the books picked. Unfortunately, I find the quality of today’s books rapidly declining, especially of the popular ones. Popularity does not always mean quality and it’s a nice reward when you just find that gem that decided to stay hidden for a long, long time.
3. Exploring more genres
Another goal that’s linked to my previous one, because choosing quality over quantity might mean giving up on genres, whether it’s entirely or partially. In order to find new books to read, it’s time to branch out and explore. I have a much better understanding of what genres do and do not work for me, so I try to branch out and explore more, but within a certain frame of what piques my interest. Reading the blurb helps me a lot, maybe even more so than reading reviews. I’m sorry to everyone who puts their hard work and best effort in writing those.
4. Reading as diverse as possible
Another ongoing goal of mine is to read as diverse as possible. In the past year, I shared two lists with books to diversify your reading, as I find those books really helpful in A) finding more quality stories and B) getting a better understanding of marchinalised groups and so forth. If you are curious for my lists, here you are. Part 1 and part 2. I think there will be at least a part 3 in the near future, just wait and see.
5. Stop anticipating new releases and focus on the backlog instead
One of the “ dangers” – definitely disadvantages – of being active in bookish spaces such as the blogging world and social media, is the huge influx of new releases thrown at you every single day. They trigger curiosity and push the backlist books further down that TBR. These older books get overlooked pretty easily, even though there are some gems out there. In recent years I discovered a few of those gems that have been sitting on my TBR for ages, all pushed back by new releases. Moreover, I have been disappointed way too often by books I’d anticipated lately, so in order to avoid such disappointments and slumps, I decided to not anticipate new releases that much in 2026. Of course I will keep an eye out for those, but not that long in advance probably.
6. Declutter my TBR
I think everyone reading this can relate to this goal, because our TBR’s are giving out under the heavy weight of all these books they have been carrying. Some even for years. I’m setting decluttering my TBR as a 2026 goal once again, just like I did in 2025. I think I did a good job by having read a lot of backlist books last year (more on that next week), but that TBR still keeps growing and growing. Of course you keep finding new books to add, whether it’s a pretty shiny new release or a book that has been out in the world for years. However, there are also books that have been on the TBR for ages and I simply forgot about them or lost interest in them. I keep them on this list for now, because what if… Fear of missing out is a thing. In 2026, I should give that shelf a good clean at least twice, to check whether the books on there still resonate with me or if I just should let them go. Others I will be knocking off by reading them as part of my goal to focus more on the backlog.
7. Buy less books
Another relatable goal I guess, but buying less books is definitely something I should try this year. This in relation to try and declutter that over flooding TBR of mine. However, when it’s a backlist book I still do not own, I should make some exception to the rules. Or whenever it’s a next book in a series, or if the audiobook or whatsoever is unavailable. Okay okay, I already try to find excuses haha. Will this goal succeed? Hmmmmmm.
8. Writing my reviews as soon as possible and finding a review format that works
When you have been blogging for as long as I do (this February it marks 9 years on and off), you have written tons of reviews. Lately, I notice myself struggling with these as I often don’t know what to say. Furthermore, the imposter syndrome kicks in, because of all the other reviews I see on my daily round of bloghopping. Is that “the format”? How do other people enjoy reviews to be like when reading them? I’ve tried different things, but I’m not sure what format suits me best. Is it my good old format I have been using for at least 3 years but feels somewhat stiff to me, or is it time to find something fresh and new? As I struggle with this question, I notice myself postponing writing my reviews, which isn’t too beneficial in the long run. I should try and figure this out as soon as possible. I think I just give up on cross-posting my reviews though which has been another goal in the past few years, because I keep forgetting that anyway. Besides, what’s the point? I have my blog, so why bother with posting them to platforms such as Goodreads and The Storygraph? Sometimes I do, but most times I forget and that’s okay.
9. Make a decision about my Dutch blog
I put this goal on my 2025 list as well, but I ended up extending my Dutch blog for another year. So the question is on the table again: to keep my Dutch blog or to let it go for good? I just don’t know what I want for myself. Yes, keeping up with two blogs is a hell of a job, but Dutch is my first language and writing reviews in that language is easier for me. However, I know that it hardly gets read anymore. I asked the question on Instagram and in a Facebook group if people still read book blogs and literally all responses were “no”. So, is it still worth the investment? I have been seeing a shift in the Dutch blogosphere for a few years now, many bloggers post less and less or quit entirely. Many move over to social media, which is logical in this day and age. But, it doesn’t give you the space you have on a blog. As the Dutch equivalent of Goodreads (where I still do post my reviews) is undergoing some major changes, I’m definitely not sure what to do. Stick or go and focus more on my Dutch blog? Yes I Know, I ramble too much now about it.
10. To rebrand or not rebrand my Bookstagram
This goal is connected to my previous one. As the Dutch reading community is mostly on social media, mainly Instagram, I have to decide in what language to post in. My current feed is an utter mess, with Dutch, English and bilingual posts alike. I think I should get more consistency and decide on one language. I have English speaking followers, bookish and non-bookish alike. But most people who interact with my content are Dutch. However, I don’t want to shut out the people who don’t speak Dutch. So, here’s another dilemma LOL.
So, these are my goals for this year. Do we have similar ones? Or what do you hope to achieve in the bookish year of 2026?
