I love this. Basically what you did for yourself this year, I want to do for myself in 2026: clarify and deepen my relationship with reading (linked to building/cultivating a genuine sense of taste), build themes to work around, whether it’s focusing on an author’s oeuvre or something broader, be more consistent and diligent with my reading journal, consume a lot less bookish noise online that makes me have FOMO over books I probably wouldn’t love all that much anyway, and most importantly (😂), WRITE IN AND ANNOTATE MY DAMN BOOKS! I really lost my reading self this year, and it caused a lot of anxiety and reflection and so much uncertainty about what I thought to be true about myself. It was really unsettling to feel myself kind of floundering, especially these last few months. I am exhausted by all the noise I’m passively consuming because I can’t yet map a plan for a way forward. Is it extreme to say I want to find my voice again? Oh, and I want to spend less money on impulse book purchases that I probably won’t even read, and put it towards more Substacks like yours that make me giddy to curl up with my coffee and read.
Oh Alex. Thank you! It means so much that you have found ideas and inspiration in my reading experiments. I know how frustrating it is to feel like you are spinning your wheels but I also feel that the frustration is so clarifying, as long as you don’t rush for an answer. You have had such a full year!!!
Meeting you through Substack and getting to know you this year has been so fun!!!
Petya, your newsletters have been a joyous addition to my reading life. I look forward to them always, and without exception I enjoyed this one too.
This year was my year of reading broadly. After having taken a long break from reading, reading broadly REALLY helped me re-assess my tastes - and it also was useful in getting me to approach genres I have in the past stayed away from. I did however find that this way of reading was lacking depth somehow... so next year I'll be reading deeper, focusing on fewer authors (some of whom I discovered this year!) and attempting more completionist projects - more Ferrante, Clarice Lispector, Le Guin, Toni Morrison and Austen. And more generally, I'm interested in exploring more Russian lit - I'll be following you on the Tolstoy train (I think Anna Karenina is going to be SO my cup of tea), and I'm hoping to dive back into some Dostoevsky. I expect these projects to carry on beyond 2026, of course.
Other than that I'm going to try to read a good amount of 2026 releases. I'm already anticipating failing though... Most of my reading this year was backlist reading... I think I only read 1 2025 release (Big Kiss), which by my own standards is quite poor behaviour from someone who is making a pivot into the publishing world, lol... but I don't regret it!
Thank you, thank you! I am so honored to be part of your journey back to reading! I loved the way you put it - reading broadly in order to reassess and then dive in deeper! That’s been my path too!!!
And, of course, thrilled that you are reading Tolstoy. Which one are you thinking? I will be reading War and Peace with Simon, starting January!!!
Oh, this is 100% me: "I am in a constant battle with myself. I absolutely cannot stick to a plan. Anything that feels prescriptive triggers something rebellious (childish??) in me and, somehow, makes me feel paralyzed. I stop moving altogether." WHEW I am undone.
I love how detailed this is! I will definitely take some of these steps and follow them myself because I’m really struggling with building my reading habit (regarding books). Also, I can totally relate with the whole writing to stay accountable thing because I started this whole newsletter to stay consistent in my habit of learning new things and I also started a specific series for coming back to the articles I save for later because I just couldn’t do it. It is great to see that other writers see creation as a way to build habits just like I try to do. It really works because it turns that plan that seems impossible to follow into a fun project you can enjoy and other people can connect with, which I think is huge.
Yes! Writing this Substack has been such a huge part of my reading journey! I truly, highly recommend it for anyone who is trying to re-focus their reading. You know how you always hear fashion influencers say that their style improved once they starting sharing outfit pics online… I feel the same about reading. Knowing that I would be writing a review of the book I am reading always makes me pay better attention!!!
What kind of reader did you feel yourself becoming this year?
My mother passed away unexpectedly this year, and once she was diagnosed, I just couldn’t concentrate enough to read. It seems that my brain went into survival mode while caring for her at home and then gave me the space I needed after her passing to grieve.
Losing her made me start thinking differently about how I want to live going forward. I made a major life decision and am currently waiting on a visa decision to move to Spain. For the first time in a long while, my time will really be my own. I’m looking forward to living at a slower pace...being car-free, using public transportation, and letting myself simply look out the window as I travel through and to a new place. I really believe that this will give me the calm I’ve been missing.
I’m hoping that reading will become part of my daily life again but, this time, I will be reading on buses and trains, or at home in my own apartment. I like the idea of alternating between watching the scenery go by and picking up books I started and put down this year, like Anna Karenina, when I finally have the focus to finish them.
Sharon!!! ❤️💔💔 I am so proud of you for taking gentle care of yourself and doing what you need to heal. What a beautiful way to honor your mom! The reading will come, in its own time.
Not having a single bad reading month in 2025 is such a flex (one I cannot claim)!!! I am really not a repeat author reader (apart from Toni Morrison) but idk I feel like I might try it a bit next year! I think I just love not knowing what to expect a little to much. Congrats on such an epic reading year - can't wait to see what you read in 2026!
Thank you for your sweet note!!! One thing I love about our book nerd community is that we show so many ways to be true to ourselves in reading and in life! What a beautiful thing!!!
You’ve been a joy to me this year! Thank you for inviting me into your community of readers and your commitment to reading inspires my own reading life. Cheers to 2026!
I read far too many new releases this year, but I want to emulate your practice of resisting the allure of newness. My true loves are almost always older books. 😭
I get so excited about the new stuff, too. It’s such a balancing act but a really fun challenge too! I am especially curious about and invested in supporting debut authors. It’s such an insane feeling to have a book in you and I absolutely admire anybody who figures out a way to get the book out into the world!
This was my year of reading community and book clubs. I was part of some great in-person and online book clubs. I used to struggle a lot with book clubs because I either felt the choices never lined up with my interests, or I was getting FOMO on the books I actually wanted to read, or I found the conversations incredibly boring and surface-level. I was able to solve for this a bit this year, both in the clubs I joined and how I personally approach these discussions and my own reading reflections. I LOVE talking about books/stories, so I was grateful that this year I discovered what works for me and how I can engage in a thoughtful and fulfilling way.
I love the idea of reading projects, and I've created plenty of "syllabi" for them, but I always have a hard time sticking to it. It's the same whenever I tried to "plan" my reading for the month. It's like the moment I try to force myself into a predefine list of reading, I immediately want to be reading anything else! The closest I got was a vampire theme through November, but by the time I got to the third vampire-y book, I was fed up! So we'll see how this goes next year...it may need to be more fluid and inspired in the moment.
Oh how fantastic!!! I am so so happy for you. And I am sure Substack has only made it all feel even more abundant, with so many amazing book groups and read alongs going on!!!
One thing that’s worked for me is keeping my reading projects fairly open in terms of deadlines. That way I am reading towards a goal but I still pick when to read what based on what I am in the mood for. I risk of dragging out some of the projects but I am ok with it.
So interesting to see, Petya! I have been using Obsydian for tracking and I have also become a completionist this year. In 2026 I am focusing on Lispector and running all I learn through her astrology.
I saw your name yesterday and I squealed with delight. So happy that our paths have crossed again!!! And I will be joining you in reading more Lispector next year!!!
Right?! I was so excited to have found youuuu! In your other post I said: “Hi, Marta here. Do you EVEN remember “ 😅😅😅 You do! A decade older, smarter as ever. ONWARD AND HAPPY Holidays ⚡️
This time last year I worked through (actually binged) Haley Larsen's "Becoming a Close(r) Reading Series". It was transformative. Her post on annotation style (week 7) was been the biggest influence on my reading this year. That said, while I've made some great progress improving my anotation style and I have written more reading reflections using Haley's prompts, it still feels like I'm in the early stages of becoming a closer reader. I hope to keep working on developing these skills in the year ahead. I'm so pleased I found your Substack too; it's been another highlight of the year following how you write about your reading. While I have tried for the past few years to plan my reading, I always find these plans hard to stick to, and mood reading becomes more rewarding as the year goes on. That's not necessarily jumping to new releases, but rather I switch to prioritising different long-term unread books from my shelves which call to me again, usually for some thematic reason. My only real plan for 2026 is to read more of the books from my shelves which trusted reader friends have shared their enthusiam for (in comments on my IG posts this year). Oh, and I will try to get to Pond too!
I am just trying to emulate your flow state of reading. You’re a literary icon! ❤️
You are the sweetest! Thank you so much, I have loved our parasocial friendship this year! 🤣🤣🤣
It’s been such a blessing ❤️
I love this. Basically what you did for yourself this year, I want to do for myself in 2026: clarify and deepen my relationship with reading (linked to building/cultivating a genuine sense of taste), build themes to work around, whether it’s focusing on an author’s oeuvre or something broader, be more consistent and diligent with my reading journal, consume a lot less bookish noise online that makes me have FOMO over books I probably wouldn’t love all that much anyway, and most importantly (😂), WRITE IN AND ANNOTATE MY DAMN BOOKS! I really lost my reading self this year, and it caused a lot of anxiety and reflection and so much uncertainty about what I thought to be true about myself. It was really unsettling to feel myself kind of floundering, especially these last few months. I am exhausted by all the noise I’m passively consuming because I can’t yet map a plan for a way forward. Is it extreme to say I want to find my voice again? Oh, and I want to spend less money on impulse book purchases that I probably won’t even read, and put it towards more Substacks like yours that make me giddy to curl up with my coffee and read.
Oh Alex. Thank you! It means so much that you have found ideas and inspiration in my reading experiments. I know how frustrating it is to feel like you are spinning your wheels but I also feel that the frustration is so clarifying, as long as you don’t rush for an answer. You have had such a full year!!!
Meeting you through Substack and getting to know you this year has been so fun!!!
I think so too!!! And I am feeling giddy again about what’s possible, so I’m taking that as a good sign! 🤓
Petya, your newsletters have been a joyous addition to my reading life. I look forward to them always, and without exception I enjoyed this one too.
This year was my year of reading broadly. After having taken a long break from reading, reading broadly REALLY helped me re-assess my tastes - and it also was useful in getting me to approach genres I have in the past stayed away from. I did however find that this way of reading was lacking depth somehow... so next year I'll be reading deeper, focusing on fewer authors (some of whom I discovered this year!) and attempting more completionist projects - more Ferrante, Clarice Lispector, Le Guin, Toni Morrison and Austen. And more generally, I'm interested in exploring more Russian lit - I'll be following you on the Tolstoy train (I think Anna Karenina is going to be SO my cup of tea), and I'm hoping to dive back into some Dostoevsky. I expect these projects to carry on beyond 2026, of course.
Other than that I'm going to try to read a good amount of 2026 releases. I'm already anticipating failing though... Most of my reading this year was backlist reading... I think I only read 1 2025 release (Big Kiss), which by my own standards is quite poor behaviour from someone who is making a pivot into the publishing world, lol... but I don't regret it!
Thank you, thank you! I am so honored to be part of your journey back to reading! I loved the way you put it - reading broadly in order to reassess and then dive in deeper! That’s been my path too!!!
And, of course, thrilled that you are reading Tolstoy. Which one are you thinking? I will be reading War and Peace with Simon, starting January!!!
Oh, this is 100% me: "I am in a constant battle with myself. I absolutely cannot stick to a plan. Anything that feels prescriptive triggers something rebellious (childish??) in me and, somehow, makes me feel paralyzed. I stop moving altogether." WHEW I am undone.
Like, I want to be organized… but don’t pressure me, ok?! 🤣🤣🤣
I love how detailed this is! I will definitely take some of these steps and follow them myself because I’m really struggling with building my reading habit (regarding books). Also, I can totally relate with the whole writing to stay accountable thing because I started this whole newsletter to stay consistent in my habit of learning new things and I also started a specific series for coming back to the articles I save for later because I just couldn’t do it. It is great to see that other writers see creation as a way to build habits just like I try to do. It really works because it turns that plan that seems impossible to follow into a fun project you can enjoy and other people can connect with, which I think is huge.
Yes! Writing this Substack has been such a huge part of my reading journey! I truly, highly recommend it for anyone who is trying to re-focus their reading. You know how you always hear fashion influencers say that their style improved once they starting sharing outfit pics online… I feel the same about reading. Knowing that I would be writing a review of the book I am reading always makes me pay better attention!!!
What kind of reader did you feel yourself becoming this year?
My mother passed away unexpectedly this year, and once she was diagnosed, I just couldn’t concentrate enough to read. It seems that my brain went into survival mode while caring for her at home and then gave me the space I needed after her passing to grieve.
Losing her made me start thinking differently about how I want to live going forward. I made a major life decision and am currently waiting on a visa decision to move to Spain. For the first time in a long while, my time will really be my own. I’m looking forward to living at a slower pace...being car-free, using public transportation, and letting myself simply look out the window as I travel through and to a new place. I really believe that this will give me the calm I’ve been missing.
I’m hoping that reading will become part of my daily life again but, this time, I will be reading on buses and trains, or at home in my own apartment. I like the idea of alternating between watching the scenery go by and picking up books I started and put down this year, like Anna Karenina, when I finally have the focus to finish them.
Sharon!!! ❤️💔💔 I am so proud of you for taking gentle care of yourself and doing what you need to heal. What a beautiful way to honor your mom! The reading will come, in its own time.
Not having a single bad reading month in 2025 is such a flex (one I cannot claim)!!! I am really not a repeat author reader (apart from Toni Morrison) but idk I feel like I might try it a bit next year! I think I just love not knowing what to expect a little to much. Congrats on such an epic reading year - can't wait to see what you read in 2026!
Thank you for your sweet note!!! One thing I love about our book nerd community is that we show so many ways to be true to ourselves in reading and in life! What a beautiful thing!!!
You’ve been a joy to me this year! Thank you for inviting me into your community of readers and your commitment to reading inspires my own reading life. Cheers to 2026!
Right back at you, Janet! Let’s hope 2026 is good to us and we finally meet in person!!! 🤓📚❤️
I read far too many new releases this year, but I want to emulate your practice of resisting the allure of newness. My true loves are almost always older books. 😭
I get so excited about the new stuff, too. It’s such a balancing act but a really fun challenge too! I am especially curious about and invested in supporting debut authors. It’s such an insane feeling to have a book in you and I absolutely admire anybody who figures out a way to get the book out into the world!
“Starting at the library: NO PROGRESS MADE” Same, girl, same. 😂😭
🤣🤣🤣
This was my year of reading community and book clubs. I was part of some great in-person and online book clubs. I used to struggle a lot with book clubs because I either felt the choices never lined up with my interests, or I was getting FOMO on the books I actually wanted to read, or I found the conversations incredibly boring and surface-level. I was able to solve for this a bit this year, both in the clubs I joined and how I personally approach these discussions and my own reading reflections. I LOVE talking about books/stories, so I was grateful that this year I discovered what works for me and how I can engage in a thoughtful and fulfilling way.
I love the idea of reading projects, and I've created plenty of "syllabi" for them, but I always have a hard time sticking to it. It's the same whenever I tried to "plan" my reading for the month. It's like the moment I try to force myself into a predefine list of reading, I immediately want to be reading anything else! The closest I got was a vampire theme through November, but by the time I got to the third vampire-y book, I was fed up! So we'll see how this goes next year...it may need to be more fluid and inspired in the moment.
Oh how fantastic!!! I am so so happy for you. And I am sure Substack has only made it all feel even more abundant, with so many amazing book groups and read alongs going on!!!
One thing that’s worked for me is keeping my reading projects fairly open in terms of deadlines. That way I am reading towards a goal but I still pick when to read what based on what I am in the mood for. I risk of dragging out some of the projects but I am ok with it.
So interesting to see, Petya! I have been using Obsydian for tracking and I have also become a completionist this year. In 2026 I am focusing on Lispector and running all I learn through her astrology.
I saw your name yesterday and I squealed with delight. So happy that our paths have crossed again!!! And I will be joining you in reading more Lispector next year!!!
Right?! I was so excited to have found youuuu! In your other post I said: “Hi, Marta here. Do you EVEN remember “ 😅😅😅 You do! A decade older, smarter as ever. ONWARD AND HAPPY Holidays ⚡️
I’m so glad I found you (yesterday!) and can’t wait to follow along and join.
I am still in disbelief how many amazing, smart, wise people find their way to this newsletter! We learn so much from each other!
Readers, unite!
love this breakdown
You inspire so much of my reading life, Sophie!!!
👏👏 🎉 🎉!!! What a year Petya, & what a fun wrap-up newsletter!!
And we shared some of the best parts!!!
This time last year I worked through (actually binged) Haley Larsen's "Becoming a Close(r) Reading Series". It was transformative. Her post on annotation style (week 7) was been the biggest influence on my reading this year. That said, while I've made some great progress improving my anotation style and I have written more reading reflections using Haley's prompts, it still feels like I'm in the early stages of becoming a closer reader. I hope to keep working on developing these skills in the year ahead. I'm so pleased I found your Substack too; it's been another highlight of the year following how you write about your reading. While I have tried for the past few years to plan my reading, I always find these plans hard to stick to, and mood reading becomes more rewarding as the year goes on. That's not necessarily jumping to new releases, but rather I switch to prioritising different long-term unread books from my shelves which call to me again, usually for some thematic reason. My only real plan for 2026 is to read more of the books from my shelves which trusted reader friends have shared their enthusiam for (in comments on my IG posts this year). Oh, and I will try to get to Pond too!
No rush!!! It’s a journey and you are doing it! It’s a long life and we are all doing what we need to be doing. There is no reading police!!! ❤️🤣