Our Reading Goals in 2026

Colleen’s Reading Goal: Write My Way Through Reading!

I love keeping a list of books I’ve read over the course of a year, but online reading trackers only take me so far, and every year I abandon them by spring. To combat this, my 2026 reading resolution is to revive my former identity as a chronic book annotator by annotating more books and keeping a physical reading journal!

I’ll kick off my 2026 reads with Russell Smith’s Self Care (Biblioasis), a novel about the often performative nature of life in the 21st century. I’m hoping it inspires me to show up for myself and my reading habits in a way that feels sustainable and authentic.

Lauren’s Reading Goal: Read More Non-Fiction!

I’ve always gravitated toward fiction; novels are the reason I’m in publishing and the books I turn to, again and again. But in doing so, I’ve been missing out on the great non-fiction on offer, and hope to read more intentionally towards “the real” in 2026. I’m hoping to kick off with Sadiqa de Meijer’s essay collection In the Field (Palimpsest Press), Veronica Litt’s in-depth revisitation of Clueless, Ugh! As If! (ECW Press), and the autofictional grief memoir The Silence of Falling Snow by Kristjana Gunnars (Coach House Books).

Mandy’s Reading Goal: Read Last Year’s TBR!

I’m objectively bad at resolutions. Over the years, though, I’ve enjoyed setting loose goals to keep them top of mind as the calendar turns. This year, my intention is to finally make my way through some of the older books in my TBR, starting with The Fun Times Brigade by Lindsay Zier-Vogel from Book*hug Press. Other books in the pile that I can’t wait to spend time with include short story collections Vigil Stories by Susie Taylor (Breakwater Books) and End Times by Michelle Syba (Freehand Books). Maybe the ultimate goal for 2026 is simply to normalize slowing down and taking in what’s around me. 

Tan’s Reading Goal: Keep a Reading Journal!

While I managed to listen to a lot of audiobooks this year, I don’t feel like I’ve been engaging deeply enough with the books I’m reading. In 2026, I resolve to spend a bit more time with each story, and to record my thoughts privately in a reading journal. I’ll be kicking things off with Mark Morton’s The Headmasters (Shadowpaw Press), the thought-provoking teen horror novel that won the 2025 Arlene Barlin Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy at the Canadian Children’s Book Awards.