I’d love some input from readers on what my 2026 (and onwards) literary lineup should be!
I’ll try to keep this brief!
I am 22 and I’m diagnosed dyslexic, so I grew up firmly believing that reading was just something I’d never enjoy. Because of that I actively avoided reading for years.
In 2024, though, I found a certain genre that sparked something in me that I never thought could be. Suddenly I was up til 3 in the morning because I just couldn’t put the book down! Since then, I’ve done a mix of books and audiobooks (so I can ‘read’ on the go) and I love this version of myself. I’m a bit ashamed to say it but the genre that got me hooked on books is smut… I saw it all over social media and thought I might give it a go! I ended up really enjoying everything about reading: the book itself; the escape from reality; the escape from being on my phone; and getting cozy on the sofa or in bed.
I have recently come to realise two things:
• As I’m getting older, I want to ~know~ things. I don’t actually know much of anything, so I can’t really have in depth conversations about many things and I don’t like that. Or at least I’d like to have a surface level understanding of more topics.
• I’m not just reading for the spicy scenes, they’re just a cool bonus sometimes. I actually really enjoy character development, plot progression and unforeseen twists.
My mum found out I was reading but I couldn’t tell her exactly what, so I said I enjoyed romances. Because of that, for Christmas one year she got me The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. My first book with no smut. I loved it. I’d like to read more books like that.
On the side, as part of some personal development, I’ve also slowly been reading Atomic Habits by James Clear (recommended to me by my PT). My lineup of personal development books include The Psychology Of Money by Morgan Housel, then Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy.
My plan for these books is to read a chapter a day (or as often as I can) then journal a little summary of what I’ve understood from that chapter and list some actions for myself moving forward. I’m not necessarily looking to read loads more books like this, though. Three over time feels plenty for now.
Although I’ve been reading for a couple of years now, I assume my reading level will still be pretty immature and entry-level due to the genre of books I have been reading. I should also note that because of my dyslexia, I’m a relatively slow reader.
From what I’ve seen through TV and movies, I don’t like the idea of sci-fi, I’m not a fan of non-fiction. Within fiction, I’m interested to try fantasy (but I really don’t like Harry Potter or LOTR).
I think for the time being I’d like to stick to books similar to The Rosie Project, with a fantasy thrown in to push my boat out every once in a while.
Any suggestions on what should come next would be great! TIA
by Intelligent_Lie8053