Let’s pretend it’s still the beginning of the year and not 50-years into a two month period because I’m excited to do this New Years Book Tag! 🎉 I last did it in 2023, but I remembered it earlier this year and just never got around to it until now. Better late than never, right? 🤭 I’m gonna jump straight into it.
This tag was originally created by Booktuber Heather @Bookables.
How many books are you planning to read in 2026?
Considering how my reading over the past year has not gone according to plan, I’ve decided to set my 2026 reading goal to 100 books. I’ve read 13/100 so far and that puts me 1 book “ahead” of schedule. 🍀
Name 5 books you didn’t get to in 2025 but want to make a priority in 2026.
With how my reading year went in 2025, it’s safe to say that I had more than a few books that I didn’t end up getting to, so it’s hard to pick just five. But I’d really love it if I could finally get these books off my TBR this year because (all save two) have been on my TBR for 6+ years! 🤞🏽
What genre do you want to read more of?
There are actually a few genres that I want to read more of this year. Last year, I found great success reading literary horror and one ended up being my favourite book of the year (The Buffalo Hunter Hunter). So I guess part of me wants to see if that was a fluke or if it’s something I might actually enjoy more of! Aside from that, I want to get back to reading more literary and historical fiction. I used to read those genres just as much as fantasy and romance, and when I read a few last year, I realised how much I missed it!
Name 3 non-bookish related goals for 2026
- Regularly workout — This was one of my “semi-obscure goals” last year and for a while there, I did pretty well! I would workout every day accompanied by my audiobooks and I would actually enjoy it. Then I stopped and well, I’ve stopped ever since. 🤡 Over the past year I’ve started to feel an increasing need to do something about my health because I know I’m not healthy. I just want to be healthy.
- Save more money — I have massive impulse control issues when it comes to money and well, let’s just say that I should have more saved up and yet, I am where I am (and it’s kind of embarrassing). I’m not wanting for money, but I feel like with the precarious state of the world right now, I should help myself feel a bit more financially secure by actually saving. I need to invest smart!
- Step outside of my comfort zone (at least once a month) — You might be thinking once a month is nothing, but for someone like me — a notoriously lazy and introverted homebody who could happily not leave her room ever — this is already going to be a challenge, but at least I think it could be doable. Getting outside of my comfort zone means actually pushing myself to go out, see things, do things (like a short hike or visit parts of the country outside of Jakarta that I’ve been meaning to). Simple things, maybe even silly things, but I need to just do things.
What’s a book that you’ve had forever that you still need to read?
What’s not a book that I’ve had forever and still needs to be read?! The options are limitless. Let’s go with this one:
Bad Girls with Perfect Faces by Lynn Weingarten
📖 SYNOPSIS
When I looked up, his smile was wide and real. “Ready?” he said.
I faked a smile back. I had gotten so good at faking things.
I thought: You brought this on yourself, Sasha. You will have to pretend forever now.
He squeezed my hand again. He couldn’t begin to imagine what this actually was. He had no idea what I’d done. What any of us had.
When Sasha’s best friend Xavier gets back together with his cheating ex, Ivy, Sasha knows she needs to protect him. So she poses as a guy online to lure Ivy away.
But Sasha’s plan goes sickeningly wrong. And she soon learns to be careful of who you pretend to be because you might be surprised by who you become…
One word that you’re hoping 2026 will be…
This was the word that I had in 2023 but I feel like more than ever, this is what I want to manifest for 2026: KIND. I want this year to be KIND. I know it hasn’t started off that way. It’s already been so rough for so many people, but I don’t want to lose hope for the rest of the year. All of us—except for the tons of sh**ty people who seem to want to make it their life’s mission to make other people’s lives a living hell—deserve for this year to be kind and good and full of hope. ✨manifesting for us✨
And that’s it for the New Year’s Book Tag! I won’t be tagging anyone but if you wanna hop on board, feel free to link back so I can check out your answers! What would your one word be for 2026?
dinipandareads 
It’s definitely not too late for the New Year tag in my opinion. Good Luck with reading your books that are left over from 2025 especially the ones you’ve had for a few years.
I can never think of one word for a year but kind sounds like a good choice to me. Maybe mine would be tolerance – people being able to accept that different to them is OK.
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Tolerance is a great word! And thank you Janette, I hope that I can get these books read. Some of them may have been on several yearly TBRs and they’re still going strong on them until now. 😂 Let’s see if 2026 will break that cycle!
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I can totally fake it’s still the beginning of the year lol. Good luck with your 100 books, I have a feeling you will smash it. I’m also aiming to read more Stephen Graham Jones this year and have Only Good Indians if you would maybe be up for a buddy read sometime?
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Thanks, Becky! I’d totally be up for a buddy read of The Only Good Indians! I have a feeling that one is gonna be a bit stronger on the horror side so I’d be delighted to have someone else to read it with, haha. Let me know when would work for you! I don’t have any fixed reading plans this year (no ARCs anyway) so whenever works for me 😃
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Ahaha yep, I have that feeling too so at least we can be scared together 😂. I’ve been a little trigger happy with my request over the next month or so 🤦♀️ but I should be able to fit it In April if that works for you?
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Goddess in the Machine is also on my shelf for a while now xD that’s a good reminder for me to possibly grab it as well. I’m feeling like I might get into a tech / robots / futuristic vibe soon so that can go on the list!
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Gosh, it’s been years since I’ve had Goddess in the Machine on my TBR and I don’t know why I keep putting it off cos every time I think about it, I feel like I do want to give it a go. I’ve heard it’s very weird, and like, mostly in a good way? Haha I hope you enjoy it if you get around to it!
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THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS is so good & so infuriating. It was such a good recommendation from a friend a while ago. And good on you for wanting to get more into literary horror. I commend you because idk that it’ll ever be for me. I might read some when it involves dystopia for women’s rights or pandemics but that’s about it haha.
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Good and infuriating—love the sound of that! I think part of the reason why I keep putting off reading it is because I know it will make me angry and sad and I always find those types of reads the toughest to get through.
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter could’ve just been a fluke for me (although I did enjoy another horror last year as well), so let’s see. I’m liking the horror that’s not paranormal. As long as there’s no ghosties and possessions, I seem to be down, lol. Honestly, I haven’t been able to convince myself to read stories about or set around pandemics yet! 🤭
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Great goals. I am with you on saving money, though, how much cheaper can I get. HA! I read the Weingarten book. Dark but good
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My problem is that I’m very loose with my money because I always believe that it will come back to me in some shape or form. 😅 And I mean, yeah, I guess it does, but it is not a sustainable way to live. Haha
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I still need to read Blood Over Bright Haven! Also, I so relate to you on saving money and working out. I work out and then stop…I need to get back on it because I have 3 trips coming up soon and I need to get my stamina and walking strength up. All unplanned trips by the way…(and there goes my money LOL). I hope you have a great year Dini!
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Haha, I’ve got trips and all that coming up soon too. I also just want to feel a bit more stability and know that if I ever end up losing my job, I’ll at least be able to comfortably survive without panicking for a good long while… I hope you enjoy your trips though, Yolanda (as unplanned as they may be)!
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Thanks Dini! And you enjoy your trips also!
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Ooh I’m saving this to try and remember to join in with next year when I’ll hopefully be more organised 🤞 kind is a lovely choice for the last question. I definitely agree that we all need a bit more kindness in the world right now.
Good luck with your comfort zone plans. I totally understand how daunting that will be. I hope it leads to lots of new adventures for you though.
Ive read Bad Girls With Perfect Faces and I think I enjoyed it but I cant remember it now 🙈 it was a 2020 read though so its been a while.
I’m pretty sure I have To Best The Boys as an ebook and definitely have Goddess In The Machine. I also need to read Blood Over Bright Haven for another TBR project so if you want a buddy read of any of those let me know.
I look forward to seeing what historic titles you pick up too. And hope you get on well with anymore horror you try. Im surprised by how well we both got on with the genre last year.
I hope you have a fantastic year 🥰🥰
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I’d be up for buddy reading all those books if you want, Charlotte! Haha or if not at least Goddess in the Machine and Blood Over Bright Haven. I feel like the latter will be amazing to talk about with someone, and I feel like I’ll need motivation to pick up the former (not because I think it’ll be bad, its just been on my TBR for yonks and I just need to have someone to read it with to get me to pick it up, haha). We can discuss it over chat 😃
I’m so surprised how well we got on with the horror books last year. Did you see that Kliewer is coming out with another book this year? It looks interesting too (and perhaps scarier than We Used to Live Here, lol). I’m keen to possibly check it out! 🤭
I hope you have a fantastic year as well, Charlotte! 💜
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Thats so true about Blood Over Bright Haven, it sounds like a book that gives you a lot to think about so should be perfect for discussions. And I get that about Goddess In The Machine its been sat on my shelves for years too. I really hope I enjoy it as I also own the sequel 🙈
Yes I’ve seen that and I’m very curious to see if it will be the type to screw with our minds as much as the last one. Definitely sounds like an eerie premise and im curious to see where itll go.
Thank you 🥰🥰
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I love this tag, definitely will do it too hahah
Great on your goals, Dini, both bookish and not. I totally am behind you and hope you will achieve each one of them. Also hope you read all the books you didn’t get to lat year. Horror is the only genre that I just can’t do is not for me, with the exception of Neil Gaiman’s books. I tried but i am too scared hahah
Preach! May this year be filled with kidness, hope and love all around the world ❤
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Thanks, Lin! I love your positivity 🙂 I saw that you already did this tag too—you worked on it so quickly! I hope that you enjoy all the books you pick up this year.
And yes, may this year be filled with kindness, hope and love. It’s desperately needed!
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Thank you, Dini! I did, when you have a toddler, you learn to do things fast hahah you have no other option 😀
Yes! We need it ❤
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[…] saw this book tag @Dinipandareads, and had to do it. Honestly, I love tags. If I could, I would do them all!!This tag was originally […]
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Kind is the perfect word for 2026. It feels like there’s not enough kindness right now.
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It definitely feels like there’s not enough kindness in the world right now. We could all use so much more of it!
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[…] 2026 New Years Book Tag […]
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