I Like Big Books and I cannot lie

Zoe
Birdie Books
February 24th, 2026

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This year I did the best thing I could possibly do for my reading. 

I’ve run the gambit of reading goals over the years, I’ve set goals high and low, I’ve tried to pace myself throughout the year, and I’ve tried to just read casually. But every December I find myself scrambling to hit an arbitrary number of books that I decided to read when I was feeling optimistic on January 1st. The year I read 100 books was by far the year I enjoyed reading the least. I am really good at putting pressure on myself… and as it turns out, not so good at living in the moment. 

My reading pace is generally fairly slow. I lean more towards short books since they are easier to finish. Every year I hope to try and read the longer books on my shelves but I inevitably put them off to keep up with my reading goal. Last year only 3% of the books I read had a page count of over 500 pages…which doesn't sound that bad until you realize that is only one book. This year I set a Pages Goal for the first time and I am already feeling a shift with how I view my reading. Rather than rushing to finish or “complete” books, I have been finding myself getting lost in stories again. Letting the pages slip by. 

If you see me in store give me your long book suggestions! Letting go of reading a certain  amount of books has rejuvenated my reading ambitions. Linked here you will find some books I'm excited to dive into this year. May 2026 be a year of finding joy in reading for all of us!