1jlshall
In 2025 I did a little better than I expected and read 49 books.That’s a few more than I read in 2024, and the closest I’ve come to my 50-book goal in several years. Quite a few of those were children’s books, but that’s not unusual for me. I count them all, and the same thing will apply for 2026. I might also start revisiting some of the comics I read as a child back in the 1950s, and I haven’t decided if I’ll include those with all the other totals, or make a separate listing. We’ll see what develops.
I also participate in LibraryThing’s Category Challenge, and this year I’ll be doing AlphaKIT and BingoDOG over there, and maybe RandomKIT, too. Those really help nudge me into finding books and authors I’d probably ignore otherwise.
OK, all set and here we go again…. Happy reading in 2026!
—-------
(Originally posted 1/04/2026)
I also participate in LibraryThing’s Category Challenge, and this year I’ll be doing AlphaKIT and BingoDOG over there, and maybe RandomKIT, too. Those really help nudge me into finding books and authors I’d probably ignore otherwise.
OK, all set and here we go again…. Happy reading in 2026!
—-------
(Originally posted 1/04/2026)
3jlshall
Past 50-Book Challenge Threads (I didn't do a 50-Book Challenge in 2023)
...My 2025 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2024 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2022 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2021 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2020 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2019 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2018 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2017 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2016 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2015 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2014 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2013 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2012 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2011 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2010 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2009 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2008 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2025 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2024 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2022 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2021 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2020 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2019 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2018 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2017 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2016 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2015 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2014 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2013 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2012 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2011 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2010 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2009 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
...My 2008 FIFTY BOOK CHALLENGE thread
4jlshall
Reading JAN - MAR 2026:
JANUARY
1. The Final Problem. Arturo Pérez-Reverte; trans. by Frances Riddle (2023/2026) ✭✭✭✭
2. More Than Enough: A Novel. Anna Quindlen (2026) ✭✭✭
3. No Roses for Harry!. Gene Zion; illus. by Margaret Bloy Graham (1958) ✭✭✭✭
FEBRUARY
4. Cast, in Order of Disappearance (Charles Paris Mystery #1). Simon Brett (1975) ✭✭✭✭
5. This Is Not My Hat (The Hat Trilogy #2). Jon Klassen; illus. by author (2012; Caldecott Medal Winner 2013) ✭✭✭✭½
MARCH
6. The Velveteen Rabbit. Margery Williams Bianco; illus. by William Nicholson (1922) ✭✭✭✭
7. The Man Who Died Laughing (Stewart Hoag Mystery #1). David Handler (1988) ✭✭✭✭
8. Bea and Mr. Jones. Amy Schwartz; illus. by author (1982) ✭✭✭✭
9. Stonecliff. Robert Nathan (1967) ✭✭✭✭
10. A Tree Is Nice. Janice May Udry; illus. by Marc Simont (1956; Caldecott Medal Winner 1957) ✭✭✭✭
11. The Rock from the Sky. Jon Klassen; illus. by author (2021) ✭✭✭✭½
12. Hopjoy Was Here (Flaxborough Chronicles #3). Colin Watson (1962) ✭✭✭✭
........
Reading APR - JUN 2026:
APRIL
13. Knight Owl. Christopher Denise; illus. by author (2022; Caldecott Honor book 2023) ✭✭✭✭½
14. Zin! Zin! Zin! a Violin. Lloyd Moss; illus. by Marjorie Priceman (1995; Caldecott Honor book 1996) ✭✭✭✭
15. The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances. Glenn Dixon (2026) ✭✭✭✭½
16. The Aspern Papers. Henry James (1888) (this was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭✭
17. Lives of the Saints. Nancy Lemann (1985) ✭✭✭✭½
18. The Knight at Dawn (Magic Tree House #2). Mary Pope Osborne; illus. by Sal Murdocca (1993) ✭✭✭✭
........
Reading JUL - SEP 2026:
Reading OCT - DEC 2026:
Reading APR - JUN 2026:
Reading JUL - SEP 2026:
Reading OCT - DEC 2026:
JANUARY
1. The Final Problem. Arturo Pérez-Reverte; trans. by Frances Riddle (2023/2026) ✭✭✭✭
2. More Than Enough: A Novel. Anna Quindlen (2026) ✭✭✭
3. No Roses for Harry!. Gene Zion; illus. by Margaret Bloy Graham (1958) ✭✭✭✭
FEBRUARY
4. Cast, in Order of Disappearance (Charles Paris Mystery #1). Simon Brett (1975) ✭✭✭✭
5. This Is Not My Hat (The Hat Trilogy #2). Jon Klassen; illus. by author (2012; Caldecott Medal Winner 2013) ✭✭✭✭½
MARCH
6. The Velveteen Rabbit. Margery Williams Bianco; illus. by William Nicholson (1922) ✭✭✭✭
7. The Man Who Died Laughing (Stewart Hoag Mystery #1). David Handler (1988) ✭✭✭✭
8. Bea and Mr. Jones. Amy Schwartz; illus. by author (1982) ✭✭✭✭
9. Stonecliff. Robert Nathan (1967) ✭✭✭✭
10. A Tree Is Nice. Janice May Udry; illus. by Marc Simont (1956; Caldecott Medal Winner 1957) ✭✭✭✭
11. The Rock from the Sky. Jon Klassen; illus. by author (2021) ✭✭✭✭½
12. Hopjoy Was Here (Flaxborough Chronicles #3). Colin Watson (1962) ✭✭✭✭
........
Reading APR - JUN 2026:
APRIL
13. Knight Owl. Christopher Denise; illus. by author (2022; Caldecott Honor book 2023) ✭✭✭✭½
14. Zin! Zin! Zin! a Violin. Lloyd Moss; illus. by Marjorie Priceman (1995; Caldecott Honor book 1996) ✭✭✭✭
15. The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances. Glenn Dixon (2026) ✭✭✭✭½
16. The Aspern Papers. Henry James (1888) (this was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭✭
17. Lives of the Saints. Nancy Lemann (1985) ✭✭✭✭½
18. The Knight at Dawn (Magic Tree House #2). Mary Pope Osborne; illus. by Sal Murdocca (1993) ✭✭✭✭
........
Reading JUL - SEP 2026:
Reading OCT - DEC 2026:
Reading APR - JUN 2026:
Reading JUL - SEP 2026:
Reading OCT - DEC 2026:
5jlshall
1. The Final Problem: A Novel, by Arturo Pérez-Reverte; trans. by Frances Riddle (2023/2026)
Read: Jan 1-25, 2026
Fiction / Historical Fiction / Mystery
Rating: ✭✭✭✭
Publisher''s description:
"June, 1960. Rough weather at sea leaves a group of strangers stranded on the idyllic Greek island of Utakos, all guests of the only local hotel. Edith Mander, a quiet British tourist, is found dead inside the beach cabana. What appears at first glance to be a suicide reveals possible signs of foul play to Ormond Basil, an out-of-work but still well-known actor who in his glory days portrayed the most celebrated detective of all times. Accustomed to seeing him display Sherlock Holmes’ amazing powers of deduction on the big screen, the other guests believe that the actor is the best equipped to uncover the truth behind this classic closed-room mystery."
This was a strange book. The first two-thirds were slow-going -- Pérez-Reverte seemed determined to rehash, or at least mention, every single Sherlock Holmes story ever written, plus give the reader a thorough history of the detective-mystery genre of literature. Interesting up to a point, but after a while it just buried the mystery and seemed like literary name-dropping. Sort of "hey, look what I know!" -- not at all what I expected from this author.
But the final third of the novel pulled everything together and provided an interesting "reveal" and wrap-up, so I'm giving it four stars mainly based on that final portion. Pérez-Reverte is a fine writer and even his lesser efforts are worth reading, but I'm hoping for better things next time around.
Read: Jan 1-25, 2026
Fiction / Historical Fiction / Mystery
Rating: ✭✭✭✭
Publisher''s description:
"June, 1960. Rough weather at sea leaves a group of strangers stranded on the idyllic Greek island of Utakos, all guests of the only local hotel. Edith Mander, a quiet British tourist, is found dead inside the beach cabana. What appears at first glance to be a suicide reveals possible signs of foul play to Ormond Basil, an out-of-work but still well-known actor who in his glory days portrayed the most celebrated detective of all times. Accustomed to seeing him display Sherlock Holmes’ amazing powers of deduction on the big screen, the other guests believe that the actor is the best equipped to uncover the truth behind this classic closed-room mystery."
This was a strange book. The first two-thirds were slow-going -- Pérez-Reverte seemed determined to rehash, or at least mention, every single Sherlock Holmes story ever written, plus give the reader a thorough history of the detective-mystery genre of literature. Interesting up to a point, but after a while it just buried the mystery and seemed like literary name-dropping. Sort of "hey, look what I know!" -- not at all what I expected from this author.
But the final third of the novel pulled everything together and provided an interesting "reveal" and wrap-up, so I'm giving it four stars mainly based on that final portion. Pérez-Reverte is a fine writer and even his lesser efforts are worth reading, but I'm hoping for better things next time around.
6jlshall
2. More Than Enough: A Novel, by Anna Quindlen (2026)
Read: Jan - Feb, 2026
Fiction
Rating: ✭✭½
Publisher’s Description:
“High school English teacher Polly Goodman can talk about everything and anything with the women in her book club, which is why they’ve become her closest friends and, along with her veterinarian husband, the bedrock of her life. Her students, her fraught relationship with her mother, her struggles with IVF—Polly’s book club friends have heard about it all.
But when they give Polly an ancestry test kit as a joke, the results match her with a stranger. It is clear to Polly that this match is a mistake, but still she cannot help but comb through her family history for answers. Then, when it seems that the book club circle of four will become three, Polly learns how friendships can change your life in the most profound ways.”
I really wanted to like this book. I’ve read several other works by Anna Quindlen, and while I can’t say they’ve been favorites, I’ve enjoyed them all. But this one was a disappointment. Some reviewers have pointed out that the title is a very apt description of the book, and I agree. Just too much going on, too many plot lines, and too many characters, with new plots and people appearing all along the way. Characters introduced abruptly and then just as suddenly dropped, story lines that seemed to go nowhere. That made it hard to get involved with the story or any of the characters. At times, I had trouble even remembering who was who.
Quindlen started her writing career as a journalist, and at times this felt more like journalism than a novel. It’s as though she’s trying not to leave out any facts that might be relevant. That might work for a magazine series, but here it just makes for too much confusion. I think “more than enough” is the perfect title for this one.
Also, the book club in the novel is devoted to NOT reading the books they choose. That put me off, right from the beginning.
Read: Jan - Feb, 2026
Fiction
Rating: ✭✭½
Publisher’s Description:
“High school English teacher Polly Goodman can talk about everything and anything with the women in her book club, which is why they’ve become her closest friends and, along with her veterinarian husband, the bedrock of her life. Her students, her fraught relationship with her mother, her struggles with IVF—Polly’s book club friends have heard about it all.
But when they give Polly an ancestry test kit as a joke, the results match her with a stranger. It is clear to Polly that this match is a mistake, but still she cannot help but comb through her family history for answers. Then, when it seems that the book club circle of four will become three, Polly learns how friendships can change your life in the most profound ways.”
I really wanted to like this book. I’ve read several other works by Anna Quindlen, and while I can’t say they’ve been favorites, I’ve enjoyed them all. But this one was a disappointment. Some reviewers have pointed out that the title is a very apt description of the book, and I agree. Just too much going on, too many plot lines, and too many characters, with new plots and people appearing all along the way. Characters introduced abruptly and then just as suddenly dropped, story lines that seemed to go nowhere. That made it hard to get involved with the story or any of the characters. At times, I had trouble even remembering who was who.
Quindlen started her writing career as a journalist, and at times this felt more like journalism than a novel. It’s as though she’s trying not to leave out any facts that might be relevant. That might work for a magazine series, but here it just makes for too much confusion. I think “more than enough” is the perfect title for this one.
Also, the book club in the novel is devoted to NOT reading the books they choose. That put me off, right from the beginning.
7jlshall
3. No Roses for Harry!, by Gene Zion; illus. by Margaret Bloy Graham (1958)
Read: Feb 13, 2026
Children's Literature / Children's Picture Book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭
Read: Feb 13, 2026
Children's Literature / Children's Picture Book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭
8jlshall
4. Cast, in Order of Disappearance (Charles Paris Mystery #1), by Simon Brett (1975)
Finished reading: Feb 19, 2026
Fiction / Mystery
Rating: ✭✭✭✭
Publisher’s Description:
“Who killed Marius Steen, the theatrical tycoon with a fortune to leave his young mistress Jacqui? And who killed Bill Sweet, the shady blackmailer with a supply of compromising photographs? Charles Paris, a middle-aged actor who keeps going on booze and women, takes to detection, by assuming a variety of roles, among them that of a Scotland Yard Detective-Sergeant, and the results are both comic and dramatic. (Disguised as) the mythical McWhirter of the Yard, he actually precipitates the crime; as one of the blackmailer’s victims, he finds himself in bed with the blackmailer’s wife; as a small-part player in a horror film (‘The Zombie Walks’), he gets shot at by a murderer. And he arrives at the solution by way of the petrol crisis and an abortive attack of the German measles. It’s a light-hearted frolic that is, at the same time, a beautifully ingenious puzzle, and it fizzes with fun and wit.”
Back in the 1990s I read a few of the Charles Paris mysteries and always intended to go back and read the earlier books in the series. But I never did anything about that until this year when the AlphaKIT Challenge here at Library Thing finally gave me the nudge I needed (February letters were O & B). This one was a fun read, maybe not quite as enjoyable as the later books, but it held my interest. If you’re looking for serious mystery writing, this series isn’t for you. But as a “light-hearted frolic” with a bit of a whodunnit to solve, the Charles Paris books are perfect.
Finished reading: Feb 19, 2026
Fiction / Mystery
Rating: ✭✭✭✭
Publisher’s Description:
“Who killed Marius Steen, the theatrical tycoon with a fortune to leave his young mistress Jacqui? And who killed Bill Sweet, the shady blackmailer with a supply of compromising photographs? Charles Paris, a middle-aged actor who keeps going on booze and women, takes to detection, by assuming a variety of roles, among them that of a Scotland Yard Detective-Sergeant, and the results are both comic and dramatic. (Disguised as) the mythical McWhirter of the Yard, he actually precipitates the crime; as one of the blackmailer’s victims, he finds himself in bed with the blackmailer’s wife; as a small-part player in a horror film (‘The Zombie Walks’), he gets shot at by a murderer. And he arrives at the solution by way of the petrol crisis and an abortive attack of the German measles. It’s a light-hearted frolic that is, at the same time, a beautifully ingenious puzzle, and it fizzes with fun and wit.”
Back in the 1990s I read a few of the Charles Paris mysteries and always intended to go back and read the earlier books in the series. But I never did anything about that until this year when the AlphaKIT Challenge here at Library Thing finally gave me the nudge I needed (February letters were O & B). This one was a fun read, maybe not quite as enjoyable as the later books, but it held my interest. If you’re looking for serious mystery writing, this series isn’t for you. But as a “light-hearted frolic” with a bit of a whodunnit to solve, the Charles Paris books are perfect.
9jlshall
5. This Is Not My Hat (Hat Trilogy, Book 2), by Jon Klassen; illus. by author (2012; Caldecott Medal Winner 2013)
Read: Feb 13, 2026
Children's Literature / Children's Picture Book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭½
Read: Feb 13, 2026
Children's Literature / Children's Picture Book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭½
10jlshall
6. The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams (Bianco); illus. by William Nicholson (1922)
Read: Feb 26, 2026
Children's Literature / Children's Picture Book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭
Read: Feb 26, 2026
Children's Literature / Children's Picture Book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭
11jlshall
7. The Man Who Died Laughing (Stewart Hoag Mystery #1), by David Handler (1988)
Read: Feb 28 - Mar 12, 2026
Fiction / Mystery
Rating: ✭✭✭✭
Read: Feb 28 - Mar 12, 2026
Fiction / Mystery
Rating: ✭✭✭✭
12jlshall
8. Bea and Mr. Jones, by Amy Schwartz; illus. by author (1982)
Read: Mar 12, 2026
Children's Literature / Children's Picture Book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭
Read: Mar 12, 2026
Children's Literature / Children's Picture Book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭
14jlshall
10. A Tree Is Nice, by Janice May Udry; illus. by Marc Simont (1956; Caldecott Medal Winner 1957)
Read: Mar 27, 2026
Children's Literature / Children's Picture Book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭
Read: Mar 27, 2026
Children's Literature / Children's Picture Book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭
15jlshall
11. The Rock from the Sky, by Jon Klassen; illus. by author (2021)
Read: Mar 27, 2026
Children's Literature / Children's Picture Book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭½
Read: Mar 27, 2026
Children's Literature / Children's Picture Book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭½
16jlshall
12. Hopjoy Was Here (Flaxborough Mystery #3), by Colin Watson (1962)
Read: Mar 25 - Apr 2, 2026
Fiction / Mystery
Rating: ✭✭✭✭
Read: Mar 25 - Apr 2, 2026
Fiction / Mystery
Rating: ✭✭✭✭
17jlshall
13. Knight Owl, by Christopher Denise; illus. by author (2022; Caldecott Honor Book 2023)
Children's Literature / Children's Picture Book
Read: Apr 2, 2026
Rating: ✭✭✭✭
Children's Literature / Children's Picture Book
Read: Apr 2, 2026
Rating: ✭✭✭✭
18jlshall
14. Zin! Zin! Zin! a Violin, by Lloyd Moss; illus. by Marjorie Priceman (1995; Caldecott Honor book 1996)
Children's Literature / Children's Picture Book
Read: Apr 4, 2026
Rating: ✭✭✭✭
Children's Literature / Children's Picture Book
Read: Apr 4, 2026
Rating: ✭✭✭✭
19jlshall
15. The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances, by Glenn Dixon (2026)
Read: Feb 20 - Apr 5, 2026
Fiction / Science Fiction Fantasy
Rating: ✭✭✭✭½
Read: Feb 20 - Apr 5, 2026
Fiction / Science Fiction Fantasy
Rating: ✭✭✭✭½
20jlshall
16. The Aspern Papers, by Henry James (1888) (this was a re-read)
Read: Apr 10-18, 2026
Fiction / Short Fiction / Suspense
Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭
Read: Apr 10-18, 2026
Fiction / Short Fiction / Suspense
Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭
21jlshall
17. The Knight at Dawn (Magic Tree House #2), by Mary Pope Osborne; illus. by Sal Murdocca (1993)
Read: Apr 26, 2026
Children's Fiction / Fantasy
Rating: ✭✭✭✭
Read: Apr 26, 2026
Children's Fiction / Fantasy
Rating: ✭✭✭✭
23jlshall
19. The Circular Staircase, by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1908)
Read: May 1-7, 2026
Fiction / Mystery / Suspense
Rating: ✭✭✭½
Read: May 1-7, 2026
Fiction / Mystery / Suspense
Rating: ✭✭✭½
