Welcome to 2026! I hope the new year has already been a blessing to you. Let’s talk reading. My first year of All for One didn’t show much in books or reading. When I set out to write a blog, I had originally planned a book blog. What I wrote was something very different. Yet still I love books and reading. So, this year I want to add more book reviews to All for One as well as the content you are used to seeing. I have been on a more consistent reading basis since 2021. Each year I set my goal just a little higher. Sometimes I make it and sometimes I don’t.  

I didn’t meet my goal in 2025. I got hung up on Brandon Sanderson’s cosmere and because of the length, two of his Stormlight books should have counted as two normal books, but here I am keeping my low count again this year. 

I deliberately keep my book count goal low.  So, my count this year is 35.  I started at twelve and feel pretty good about my count of 35. I made it to 22 last year. I know there may be some of you who have busier lives than me, and you are reading into the hundreds, and I am super proud of you. Maybe one day I will reach that level. Each reader must read what they are able and what their life will allow. I got five books read in January and thought yesss this is going to be an awesome year. Then I learned that reading is more than books on a list. Reading is also about a connection. This happened when my son introduced me to Sanderson.  

There is a story here. He was never much of a reader. So, when he came to me and said, “you have to read this”, I dove in. Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn books and Stormlight books had been on my reading list for a while. So, when he got into them and wanted me to read them, it seemed like a good time. I don’t regret reading them and if you are looking for something to add to your own list, I would recommend his books but be prepared for a commitment where Stormlight is concerned.  I ended up reading Way of Kings and Words of Radiance from the Stormlight series and the first two Mistborn books. I am still working on the third one.  

While reading is a solo endeavor, it doesn’t have to be isolated. Books profit by being shared. This is why book clubs are so important and popular. My son and I have had countless conversations over Sanderson’s books this year. I don’t regret that my book goal was not reached. I was introduced to a new author and my son and I built a new connection – over books. That is the power of reading and books. So, I will gladly keep a low reading goal if I can have that kind of result with my family or another person.  

Has a book helped you make a connection with someone? What was it? Was it one you liked or hated? Was it a series or a stand alone?  

What does your reading life look like? Do you enjoy reading? Do you have a reading book goal for 2026?  

Oh, and while you are adding books to your reading list for this year, don’t forget to add the best-selling book of all-time – the Bible. Make sure to read it each day.  

Share your thoughts with me in the comments. I would love to hear from you.  

All for One 

Angela