26 for 2026

DundeeDoll

I am collecting thoughts already for next year - we sang a lovely song 'like a rainbow' and I am thinking 27 rainbow-themed challenges would be fun.

Dakota_Rose

Hi everyone.

It’s taken me a while to find the time and energy to get through my tenth read of 2026 but I finally finished it tonight. I must’ve enjoyed the last quarter of the novel as I’ve been hooked tonight and stayed up late (for me) to read to the end. It’s The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett and is a story about a wartime code that’s entwined with a children’s book. This is cleverly linked to an ex-criminal’s re-telling of his past and pays tribute to the saying ‘never judge a book by its cover’. It was written as a series of audio files and was really engaging if not a bit frustrating in places as you felt that you were missing something. Anyhow, it was very engaging but a difficult one to score. I’ve gone 9/10.

26 books for 2026

1.You Are Here (easy read) 9/10

2. The Seven Murders of Evelyn Hardcastle (time-travelling murder mystery) 9.5/10

3. Love Untold (ending made a middling read worthwhile) 8/10

4. Way Back (engaging easy read with a farm theme and a few typos) 8.5/10

5. The Cuckoo’s Calling (first of the Strike detective novels) 8.5/10

6. Yellowface (‘too awful to look away’ page-turner) 10/10

7. A Thousand Splendid Suns (emotive, heavy but worthwhile read) 10/10

8. Before the coffee gets cold (Japanese coffee-shop time-travelling scenarios) 8/10

9. Us Three (screenplay-style friendship story) 9/10

10. The Twyford Code (a puzzle within a puzzle) 9/10

thechubbyunicorn

@DundeeDoll sounds like a fun weekend!

Week 21 update…

1. Watch 26 movies I’ve never seen before - The Devil Wears Prada 2 

2. Complete 26 different crafts - Diamond art

6. Post 2026 photos to Instagram - 72

7. Buy 26 gift cards for Christmas spending - Tesco

16. Save £2026 - £12.45

17. Walk 2026 miles - 29.2 miles 

20. Make 26 donations - Donated to Lewis hillwalk 

21. Try 26 new restaurants / cafes - The Ramble Inn, Antrim 

22. Tick 26 things off my bucket list - See The Giant’s Causeway

The weather is set to be beautiful this week which always makes me feel a bit more motivated. I'm going to make it my mission to work towards 17 things this week (the most I have done so far is 16 in a week). Sometimes I need an extra wee challenge to keep things entertaining.

❤️

Dakota_Rose

And I’m back with a quick turnaround for book 11. A sure sign that I’m off work! I’m steadily working my way through my recent charity shop book haul.

‘The Shock of the Fall’ was a really readable story and enjoyable. I’d give it 8/10. I’m not sure why not higher, although I did have a sense of Déjà vu reading it - perhaps it’s my second read of it, or maybe I’ve trialled a sample chapter on my kindle at some point. Other than that, it was perhaps too like others I’ve read in the past. 

26 books for 2026

1.You Are Here (easy read) 9/10

2. The Seven Murders of Evelyn Hardcastle (time-travelling murder mystery) 9.5/10

3. Love Untold (ending made a middling read worthwhile) 8/10

4. Way Back (engaging easy read with a farm theme and a few typos) 8.5/10

5. The Cuckoo’s Calling (first of the Strike detective novels) 8.5/10

6. Yellowface (‘too awful to look away’ page-turner) 10/10

7. A Thousand Splendid Suns (emotive, heavy but worthwhile read) 10/10

8. Before the coffee gets cold (Japanese coffee-shop time-travelling scenarios) 8/10

9. Us Three (screenplay-style friendship story) 9/10

10. The Twyford Code (a puzzle within a puzzle) 9/10

11. The Shock of the Fall (first person narrative with flashbacks - includes childhood trauma told sensitively and with humour woven throughout) 8/10