A Year of Reading (Week One)

Somewhere between curiosity and stubborn optimism, I decided that this year I’m reading 100 books.

Me, 2026

100 is a big jump from the 33 I managed last year, but I’m curious about what happens when I read more intentionally, more widely, and more honestly.

I’m also trying to stretch myself across genres. My comfort zone has always been romantasy. I can survive fantasy without romance, but romance without fantasy? Historically, not my thing.

That was before I stumbled into Part of Your World late last year and realized contemporary romance could actually say something worth listening to.

So this year, I’m branching out. And this week, these were my reads: The Do Over, The Wedding People, Funny Story, and Yours Truly.

Let’s start with Abby Jimenez, because honestly, she deserves her own paragraph.

I love Abby Jimenez. I really do. Part of Your World is such a warm and comforting book, with good vibes that feel intentional. But Yours Truly hit me differently. It’s layered. It’s quieter. It sits with emotional and mental struggles in a way that only really resonates when you have lived through certain experiences. I plan on finishing the entire Part of Your World series this year, no debate.

Jacob is a good human. Truly good. And Bri? Bri has ghosts. Demons. History. And even though I’ve never been married, I relate deeply to how she sees the world. Life becomes incredibly difficult to comprehend when you’ve always felt like the odds were stacked against you, and even more so when you’ve been short-changed one too many times despite choosing hope and challenging the status quo.

Bri freaking out on Jacob was unfair. But it was also understandable. Relatable. And God, if Jacob isn’t perfect for having that “window into his soul.” Life isn’t always like that, unfortunately, but it’s what made Yours Truly such a great book.

Funny Story was wholesome. I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though the last part felt rushed. Still, the window of hope theme came back again. Daffy leaned into it. Miles panicked, and that did a number on me. It reminded me that life is a gamble with zero guarantees. Maybe, like Daffy, we have to keep returning to that window of hope. Or at least try. Get out of our heads. Be honest about what’s actually happening instead of spiraling in imagined futures.

I’m officially hooked on Emily Henry. After also watching People We Met on Vacation, I know I want to read more. The movie wasn’t exactly wholesome, but it felt like her, emotionally familiar, slightly messy, and very human.

The Wedding People was overwhelming in the best and worst ways ( and if you are curious, the Kindle edition is currently going for a $1).

It made me feel everything, and when it ended, I didn’t know what to feel at all. I still don’t. The last part felt rushed, and Phoebe outright saying no to the professor after everything didn’t feel entirely real, but then again, maybe she’d had enough. Maybe his wanting her back was all she needed to finally move on.

Lila and Gary? Absolute nonsense. But people are silly like that. And then there’s Gary and Phoebe, proof that life has a strange sense of timing. Imagine unknowingly crashing a wedding, and getting the hots for the groom…who, conveniently, feels the same way.

Phoebe’s story with her ex-husband left me thinking Taylor Swift was onto something in Breathe when she said;

…people are people and sometimes we change our minds…

The complexities don’t erase the reality, and sometimes you’re left wondering if any of it was ever worth it. But there’s almost always light at the end of the tunnel, and in Phoebe’s case, a literal silver lining in the form of a castle. Also, don’t come for me, but who is Edith Wharton?

The Do Over made me angry!!!

The audacity of people is truly unmatched, and I am not as accommodating as Perci. Most of the characters, except Mimi, didn’t deserve her. Watching her go through hell was exhausting, even though I understood it. My sister always says, “Unlike you, I can’t say or do certain things — it’s just not who I am.” I guess Perci is that kind of person… until alcohol enters the chat.

Overall, these books were deeply relatable. Like Phoebe, I’ve known the kind of heartbreak that makes you want to give up, and somehow, I made it out. Like Bri, I’ve chosen hope even when I was told it wouldn’t work, and sometimes it didn’t, but sometimes it did. Like Daphne, I once stepped away from that window of hope, and honestly, sometimes, I am not so ready to go back and look out expecting something different. And Perci? I’m still not sure what she was meant to teach me, but maybe someday I’ll figure it out. In the meantime, I’ll keep defying the odds.

This is week one. Ninety-Six books to go. Let’s see what happens!!!