Oh this is my jam! I did my MA in Poland and immersed myself in that literature. I was immediately coming to recommend Siblings. Bottled Goods: A Novel by Sophie van Llewyn is another one for those who stay. It's contemporary but have you read Endings by Marina Reva. I don't love meta fiction but my goodness, that was good.
I have two completist projects on the go - Laurie Colwin and Dorothy Dunnet - two entirely different authors but I think that works well, and a goal of half my reading being pre-2003 (an arbitrary time frame of when I graduated from high school). I tend to read the bright and shiny lit fic but find myself impatient with what feels like the same story. I wonder if those stories of finding yourself in your 20s and 30s resonate less now that I'm established in an academic career with an 8-year-old?
I'm also teaching a class on politics on the page/screen in the spring so doing lots of reading for that. Pessimistic that my students will read a "whole" book so on the look out for short stories and novellas. Think I'll do narratives of communism, but will probably otherwise focus on more contemporary work that I hope resonates with them (rise of far-right, etc).
Oh my gosh, this is amazing! Thank you so much for your recommendations! And your class on politics in literature sounds SO GOOD. Any chance you would be willing to share your syllabus when you have it?
I'm doing a couple of long-and-slow reads with book groups (War and Peace, plus The Brothers Karamazov). For a couple of years now, I've been digging into 1920s literature (trying to sample some of the more obscure writers as well as the big hitters), so I hope to take that a bit further. And I'm keen to get going with a new theme: Hotels! Want to start with Estoril and A Gentleman in Moscow. As you expressed so well, the ideal for me is to combine some sort of structure with lots of room for spontaneity -- but stopping one of those impetuses taking over is always a challenge :)
I love your intentional reading and your 2026 plan. 🤩
I’ve started choosing books per week or per month that I plan to read, and depending on the emotional breadcrumbs I get from the most recently read book, I go from there. That’s been more helpful to me than having a large, overly ambitious goal for the entire year.
Enough reading would look like at least 3 books a month for me, but I’m not going to beat myself up if I fail some months, especially with how volatile our government is right now. It’s not that I’m prone to despair, but I do find it difficult to concentrate when people are being snatched from the streets and we’re being asked to show ID when we’re just existing outside. I refuse to look away AND I need my books, so if I can strike a balance with both of those, I’ll feel triumphant.
I am back in therapy because of this. It’s triggering a lot of childhood trauma for me and my anxiety has been really tough to manage. Take gentle care of yourself… and adding pressure to read MORE is not helpful.
I’m so sorry. I’ve been leaning on community and my connections within to help ease the stress and this space brings me so much joy, so thank you for continuing to show up here even when you’re feeling this way. ❤️🔥🫂
Wow, a comment of mine inspired a whole ass reading goal! I'm honored and I hope the picks are both enjoyable and inspirational for your own project.
I'm trying to shift towards more intention in my reading this year. I have a messy list of project ideas, some of which are thematic ("revisionist westerns", "travel writing"), some of which are single big books ("the last two volumes of In Search of Lost Time", "Crime and Punishment"), and some of which are author-based (Sandra Cisneros, Gene Wolfe). But, my first two weeks of the year have been chaotic and full of finishing up my 2025 books, so no progress yet :)
My main goal is to up my writing game, which means I need more structure and better note-taking methods. I am not and have never been a journal person but I started a reading journal and will see where it takes me.
Thanks for being out here sharing your evolution with all of us!
January is typically very chaotic for me too. I just think of it as the month to get organized and then truly start the year in earnest in February. The days will start to feel a little longer too so we won't feel like we are always running out of time.
If you need any journaling inspo / help - be sure to message me!!! As you know, notebooks are my greatest passion in life. ahah
This is so interesting! As someone who has committed to be a bit more organized in her reading habits this year this post is very helpful and inspiring. I can relate to the bit where you write you’ve had time in your life without reading and the sadness that caused. I have been in that place. I am now reading regularly again but my reads still feel scattered and “moody” . This year I hope to build a system around it.
I am so happy this resonated. Take it easy and make it feel like play! My very first project was a month of reading only Didion and even though I loved it, I was ready to be done with her by the time that month was over. BUT having that small timeline on it made me feel like I could stick with it.
Absolutely love this idea! I have been trying to read my shelf & right now am trying to finish all the books I own that are unfinished series or duologies.
I loved Julia Kristeva's feminist criticism when I studied literature! Also, Grace Paley's short stories are coming up as my March salon pick! Looking forward to revisiting them.
I adore your reading projects, which make so much sense and feel so intellectually rewarding. I am hoping to do a complete read/re-read of the work of Jean Rhys this year, including all her novels, stories, and the criticism around her work. To your question of when I most struggled with my reading life: after I got my first Smartphone...
Ok, ok, ok... PERFECT. Will plan to read Grace Paley in March and definitely make an effort to participate in the short story salon!!! Do you remember what you read by Kristeva that you loved?
Wide Sargasso Sea has been on my list (thanks to you) forever. And I was reminded of it again recently when I was flipping through my copy of Kate Zambreno's Heroines. THIS IS THE YEAR I READ IT. Your project reminds me that I have been trying with mixed results to read more criticism re: the authors I love. THIS IS THE YEAR!!!
I can't remember specifically all the criticism of Kristeva I enjoyed but I think Jane Eyre was definitely one of them! She kept cropping up because I (quite obviously) always chose the books with critical perspectives from feminist critics!
I love the idea of reading projects! It also seems like a great antidote to the feeling of missing out when there are so many books to choose from. For similar reasons I'm taking part in the read along of an intimidating classic this year, reading with a sense of direction is so satisfying. xx
Thank you for this idea! I've got my 2026 reading sorted, just by reading this. I believe in cross-pollination of ideas, so having 6ish reading projects really allows me to focus and wander within my reading. My 6 Reading Projects for 2026 (and likely 2027) are:
1. Artists/Art History
2. Geometry of Nature/Biomimicry
3. Travel (lots of travel coming my way and I want to read what I can in preparation.)
4. Novels written as Journals, Letters (correspondence) and diaries
5. Pop-up, cut-out books, books as art objects
6. Fiction to Fall Asleep to (this often shows up as reading everything an author has written - I read Willa Cather's books repeatedly and it helps with not having to make more decisions.)
These categories have been present in my life for years, but now they have names and that somehow clears up some of the chaos in my mind. Thank you!
Somehow giving the projects names makes a huge a difference in my brain, too!!! I love your list!!! Thank you so much for sharing it and I may borrow that last project! One of the women who came to book club last week said she has a bedtime book that she keeps on her nightstand and reads before bed every night! It sounds like a very healthy thing to do.
This is just amazing. Three things struck me as I read your thoughts. One, I tend to be a horror reader and gravitate to gothic stories with feminine rage as the conduit to the horror. I think that falls in line with your project to read about wives under pressure. I didn't realize that I was really following something deeper than just "oh I like this" and have started creating a kind of study for myself. You've given me something to consider and I will try to add a more reflective side to my reading and perhaps some journaling. Two, completing an author's backlog somehow makes me feel sad, especially if you find an author who has passed or stopped writing. To know that at some point you will reach the end of it and there will be no more to read...how do you move past that? I do have some "auto-buy" authors that are currently writing, so hopefully I can stave that idea off for a while. Thirdly, the "genre lanes" is so genius! I use an app on my phone that is a decision maker (it's a wheel that spins), one for my fiction books on my shelf and one for non-fiction. My plan is to let it pick one of each for the month, then also pick a re-read, as that's a goal for me for this year to re-read some favorites. Beyond that I am free to pick things as they come to me.
Thank you so much for your content. It has really changed how I see my reading life!
I loved reading this, Laura! And I got goosebumps when I read about your love for horror / gothic literature. It's amazing when you have these moments that your intuition leads you places for a reason! Love, love, love that.
I'm going to sit down and write out a list of what I've read that has that theme and find more to delve into in a purposeful way. Maybe create a whole topic to approach as research. This is very energizing!
I really like this style of setting goals. For me, if goals are too rigid, I find myself reading books I'm just not enjoying. I'd much rather have some flexibility so that if I need a page turner to get me through something hard, I can do that and feel good about. In 2026, I'm hoping to read more old-ish books instead of falling for the latest trendy bestsellers, more YA and MG books because I have a dream of writing one some day, and more short story collections!
This has been a life altering post for me. Lately I’ve been battling the flu and increased work demands as well as designing a new apartment. I am newly solo and choosing textiles and interior design elements just for me! (Hello mid century modern furniture mixed with English countryside textiles. )So my reading life has taken a sad halt. I love the idea of reading projects. I will do commit to only one this year.
Women in Community:
I read Arial Lawhon’s “The Frozen River” a fictionalized account of the life of Martha Ballard. A midwife in rural Maine in the 18th century.
Fascinated by her. I then added the non fiction work “A Midwife’s Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard” by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich which was a master class in research and deep reading.
If anyone has suggestions along this theme non fiction or fiction they are very welcome!
I cannot be constrained when it comes to reading! I need to be free to choose what I want to read according to the mood I’m in when I finish a book. That said, I made a list of three (3) books I want to read sometime this year. I will work these in as and when I feel like reading them (I’m reading the first one now). I also plan to continue my plan of rereading a book every year. That’s as structured as I feel like getting!
I just recently discovered your Substack and I am obsessed!!!
For 2026, I decided to create monthly reading themes inspired by the tarot’s Major Arcana (just purely for fun) and choose one anchor book per month that fits each theme. At the same time, I’m still reading freely outside the theme based on my mood and hyperfixations, because I’m a huge mood reader and AuDHD 😅 On top of that, I’m continuing my two-year Tome Project: Les Misérables, which I started in 2025 (after finishing War and Peace as my first Tome Project from 2023–2024).
My main reading goal this year is simply to read what my heart desires (as cheesy as that sounds). Last year I read 37 books, but it was far less satisfying than the 13 I read in 2024. I joined several book clubs last year and pushed myself to read monthly picks that weren’t really in my lane. I thought I was expanding my taste, but it mostly just led to long reading slumps; so this year, I’ve given myself permission to skip book club picks if my heart isn’t in it.
These are the monthly themes I assigned myself:
January – beginnings & discovery
February – aching & emotionally charged
March – endings & transformation
April – mystery & the subconscious
May – sun-drenched nostalgia (I live in a tropical country, so summer starts around then)
Oh this is my jam! I did my MA in Poland and immersed myself in that literature. I was immediately coming to recommend Siblings. Bottled Goods: A Novel by Sophie van Llewyn is another one for those who stay. It's contemporary but have you read Endings by Marina Reva. I don't love meta fiction but my goodness, that was good.
I have two completist projects on the go - Laurie Colwin and Dorothy Dunnet - two entirely different authors but I think that works well, and a goal of half my reading being pre-2003 (an arbitrary time frame of when I graduated from high school). I tend to read the bright and shiny lit fic but find myself impatient with what feels like the same story. I wonder if those stories of finding yourself in your 20s and 30s resonate less now that I'm established in an academic career with an 8-year-old?
I'm also teaching a class on politics on the page/screen in the spring so doing lots of reading for that. Pessimistic that my students will read a "whole" book so on the look out for short stories and novellas. Think I'll do narratives of communism, but will probably otherwise focus on more contemporary work that I hope resonates with them (rise of far-right, etc).
Oh my gosh, this is amazing! Thank you so much for your recommendations! And your class on politics in literature sounds SO GOOD. Any chance you would be willing to share your syllabus when you have it?
So many great ideas -- thank you!
If you feel comfortable sharing, what are you planning to read in 2026?
I'm doing a couple of long-and-slow reads with book groups (War and Peace, plus The Brothers Karamazov). For a couple of years now, I've been digging into 1920s literature (trying to sample some of the more obscure writers as well as the big hitters), so I hope to take that a bit further. And I'm keen to get going with a new theme: Hotels! Want to start with Estoril and A Gentleman in Moscow. As you expressed so well, the ideal for me is to combine some sort of structure with lots of room for spontaneity -- but stopping one of those impetuses taking over is always a challenge :)
I am doing the War and Peace slow read with Simon too!!! I love it so far.
Amor Towles is one of my biggest inspirations as a reader! The 19th Century Wives project was a project he mentioned in an interview.
Your projects sound amazing! I am so glad I asked! 😇
I love your intentional reading and your 2026 plan. 🤩
I’ve started choosing books per week or per month that I plan to read, and depending on the emotional breadcrumbs I get from the most recently read book, I go from there. That’s been more helpful to me than having a large, overly ambitious goal for the entire year.
Enough reading would look like at least 3 books a month for me, but I’m not going to beat myself up if I fail some months, especially with how volatile our government is right now. It’s not that I’m prone to despair, but I do find it difficult to concentrate when people are being snatched from the streets and we’re being asked to show ID when we’re just existing outside. I refuse to look away AND I need my books, so if I can strike a balance with both of those, I’ll feel triumphant.
I am back in therapy because of this. It’s triggering a lot of childhood trauma for me and my anxiety has been really tough to manage. Take gentle care of yourself… and adding pressure to read MORE is not helpful.
I’m so sorry. I’ve been leaning on community and my connections within to help ease the stress and this space brings me so much joy, so thank you for continuing to show up here even when you’re feeling this way. ❤️🔥🫂
Wow, a comment of mine inspired a whole ass reading goal! I'm honored and I hope the picks are both enjoyable and inspirational for your own project.
I'm trying to shift towards more intention in my reading this year. I have a messy list of project ideas, some of which are thematic ("revisionist westerns", "travel writing"), some of which are single big books ("the last two volumes of In Search of Lost Time", "Crime and Punishment"), and some of which are author-based (Sandra Cisneros, Gene Wolfe). But, my first two weeks of the year have been chaotic and full of finishing up my 2025 books, so no progress yet :)
My main goal is to up my writing game, which means I need more structure and better note-taking methods. I am not and have never been a journal person but I started a reading journal and will see where it takes me.
Thanks for being out here sharing your evolution with all of us!
January is typically very chaotic for me too. I just think of it as the month to get organized and then truly start the year in earnest in February. The days will start to feel a little longer too so we won't feel like we are always running out of time.
If you need any journaling inspo / help - be sure to message me!!! As you know, notebooks are my greatest passion in life. ahah
This is so interesting! As someone who has committed to be a bit more organized in her reading habits this year this post is very helpful and inspiring. I can relate to the bit where you write you’ve had time in your life without reading and the sadness that caused. I have been in that place. I am now reading regularly again but my reads still feel scattered and “moody” . This year I hope to build a system around it.
I am so happy this resonated. Take it easy and make it feel like play! My very first project was a month of reading only Didion and even though I loved it, I was ready to be done with her by the time that month was over. BUT having that small timeline on it made me feel like I could stick with it.
Love your approach. Also, I watched the video and read the article. :)
Me too, Matthew! 😄 just can't get enough of Petya's wise thoughts on reading ✨️
you are making me blush!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH. reading friends are the best friends.
hahaha thank you for supporting my overthinking habit, matt!
Absolutely love this idea! I have been trying to read my shelf & right now am trying to finish all the books I own that are unfinished series or duologies.
oh, how fun! have you seen Alex Kelebay's shelf-led reading project: https://thebookishglow.substack.com/p/introducingreading-in-the-quiet-a
I haven’t! Thanks for sharing. ☺️
I loved Julia Kristeva's feminist criticism when I studied literature! Also, Grace Paley's short stories are coming up as my March salon pick! Looking forward to revisiting them.
I adore your reading projects, which make so much sense and feel so intellectually rewarding. I am hoping to do a complete read/re-read of the work of Jean Rhys this year, including all her novels, stories, and the criticism around her work. To your question of when I most struggled with my reading life: after I got my first Smartphone...
Ok, ok, ok... PERFECT. Will plan to read Grace Paley in March and definitely make an effort to participate in the short story salon!!! Do you remember what you read by Kristeva that you loved?
Wide Sargasso Sea has been on my list (thanks to you) forever. And I was reminded of it again recently when I was flipping through my copy of Kate Zambreno's Heroines. THIS IS THE YEAR I READ IT. Your project reminds me that I have been trying with mixed results to read more criticism re: the authors I love. THIS IS THE YEAR!!!
I can't remember specifically all the criticism of Kristeva I enjoyed but I think Jane Eyre was definitely one of them! She kept cropping up because I (quite obviously) always chose the books with critical perspectives from feminist critics!
I love the idea of reading projects! It also seems like a great antidote to the feeling of missing out when there are so many books to choose from. For similar reasons I'm taking part in the read along of an intimidating classic this year, reading with a sense of direction is so satisfying. xx
YES!!! I feel the same about projects helping you focus. They become this critical lens that helps you choose what to say and no to!!!
Thank you for this idea! I've got my 2026 reading sorted, just by reading this. I believe in cross-pollination of ideas, so having 6ish reading projects really allows me to focus and wander within my reading. My 6 Reading Projects for 2026 (and likely 2027) are:
1. Artists/Art History
2. Geometry of Nature/Biomimicry
3. Travel (lots of travel coming my way and I want to read what I can in preparation.)
4. Novels written as Journals, Letters (correspondence) and diaries
5. Pop-up, cut-out books, books as art objects
6. Fiction to Fall Asleep to (this often shows up as reading everything an author has written - I read Willa Cather's books repeatedly and it helps with not having to make more decisions.)
These categories have been present in my life for years, but now they have names and that somehow clears up some of the chaos in my mind. Thank you!
Somehow giving the projects names makes a huge a difference in my brain, too!!! I love your list!!! Thank you so much for sharing it and I may borrow that last project! One of the women who came to book club last week said she has a bedtime book that she keeps on her nightstand and reads before bed every night! It sounds like a very healthy thing to do.
Hi Petya, I replied in your video as well but curious if you’d be willing to share your checkout 19 list? Thanks!
Yes! The list and the bigger google doc are in this post: https://petya.substack.com/p/anatomy-of-an-affair
This is just amazing. Three things struck me as I read your thoughts. One, I tend to be a horror reader and gravitate to gothic stories with feminine rage as the conduit to the horror. I think that falls in line with your project to read about wives under pressure. I didn't realize that I was really following something deeper than just "oh I like this" and have started creating a kind of study for myself. You've given me something to consider and I will try to add a more reflective side to my reading and perhaps some journaling. Two, completing an author's backlog somehow makes me feel sad, especially if you find an author who has passed or stopped writing. To know that at some point you will reach the end of it and there will be no more to read...how do you move past that? I do have some "auto-buy" authors that are currently writing, so hopefully I can stave that idea off for a while. Thirdly, the "genre lanes" is so genius! I use an app on my phone that is a decision maker (it's a wheel that spins), one for my fiction books on my shelf and one for non-fiction. My plan is to let it pick one of each for the month, then also pick a re-read, as that's a goal for me for this year to re-read some favorites. Beyond that I am free to pick things as they come to me.
Thank you so much for your content. It has really changed how I see my reading life!
I loved reading this, Laura! And I got goosebumps when I read about your love for horror / gothic literature. It's amazing when you have these moments that your intuition leads you places for a reason! Love, love, love that.
I'm going to sit down and write out a list of what I've read that has that theme and find more to delve into in a purposeful way. Maybe create a whole topic to approach as research. This is very energizing!
This post on identifying your "reading kinks" may be helpful too: https://petya.substack.com/p/issue-114-my-reading-kinks
I really like this style of setting goals. For me, if goals are too rigid, I find myself reading books I'm just not enjoying. I'd much rather have some flexibility so that if I need a page turner to get me through something hard, I can do that and feel good about. In 2026, I'm hoping to read more old-ish books instead of falling for the latest trendy bestsellers, more YA and MG books because I have a dream of writing one some day, and more short story collections!
This has been a life altering post for me. Lately I’ve been battling the flu and increased work demands as well as designing a new apartment. I am newly solo and choosing textiles and interior design elements just for me! (Hello mid century modern furniture mixed with English countryside textiles. )So my reading life has taken a sad halt. I love the idea of reading projects. I will do commit to only one this year.
Women in Community:
I read Arial Lawhon’s “The Frozen River” a fictionalized account of the life of Martha Ballard. A midwife in rural Maine in the 18th century.
Fascinated by her. I then added the non fiction work “A Midwife’s Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard” by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich which was a master class in research and deep reading.
If anyone has suggestions along this theme non fiction or fiction they are very welcome!
I cannot be constrained when it comes to reading! I need to be free to choose what I want to read according to the mood I’m in when I finish a book. That said, I made a list of three (3) books I want to read sometime this year. I will work these in as and when I feel like reading them (I’m reading the first one now). I also plan to continue my plan of rereading a book every year. That’s as structured as I feel like getting!
I just recently discovered your Substack and I am obsessed!!!
For 2026, I decided to create monthly reading themes inspired by the tarot’s Major Arcana (just purely for fun) and choose one anchor book per month that fits each theme. At the same time, I’m still reading freely outside the theme based on my mood and hyperfixations, because I’m a huge mood reader and AuDHD 😅 On top of that, I’m continuing my two-year Tome Project: Les Misérables, which I started in 2025 (after finishing War and Peace as my first Tome Project from 2023–2024).
My main reading goal this year is simply to read what my heart desires (as cheesy as that sounds). Last year I read 37 books, but it was far less satisfying than the 13 I read in 2024. I joined several book clubs last year and pushed myself to read monthly picks that weren’t really in my lane. I thought I was expanding my taste, but it mostly just led to long reading slumps; so this year, I’ve given myself permission to skip book club picks if my heart isn’t in it.
These are the monthly themes I assigned myself:
January – beginnings & discovery
February – aching & emotionally charged
March – endings & transformation
April – mystery & the subconscious
May – sun-drenched nostalgia (I live in a tropical country, so summer starts around then)
June – survival & becoming
July – power structures & their costs
August – sudden upheaval & chaos
September – tradition & solitude
October – truth & reckoning
November – quiet repair
December – mastery & completion
October – truth & reckoning
November – quiet repair
December – mastery & completion