You want to read more in 2026 — kindly. Not with guilt or goals that feel like homework, but with softness, joy, and a little bookish magic. You miss the feeling of curling up with a story, losing track of time, letting characters live rent-free in your mind for weeks. You want reading to be nourishment again — a thing you look forward to, not a task to perform.
And you're not alone. So many of us crave a slower, sweeter reading life, but the world pulls us toward screens that are loud, fast, and endless. Books are quiet — which is part of the beauty — but it means they need a gentle invitation back into our routines.
This guide isn't about hustling through 52 books or reading faster. It's about making reading feel easy to return to, even on busy days. It's about small choices that add up, community energy, and joy over pressure. Let's create a reading year that feels kind to you. ✨
1. Make reading the easy choice
Reading usually loses to phones not because we don't want to read, but because scrolling takes one second. Books have friction — finding your place, the mood, the moment.
A few small tweaks make reading more effortless:
- Keep your current read visible and within reach
- Pair reading with an existing ritual — coffee, commute, bedtime
- Make your reading space inviting (blanket, lamp, tea)
- Use a delightful book tracker that feels delightful — not like a spreadsheet
Cozy environment + low friction = more pages without force.
2. Read in community (even if you're introverted)
You don't need to lead discussions or annotate every page to benefit from community. Even quietly being around other readers can nudge you back into your book.
Bookworm is full of people posting what they're reading, joining seasonal challenges, swapping recs & screaming about endings. You can lurk, react, comment — all of it counts as connection.
Sometimes reading is easier when you don't have to do it alone.
3. Bring back playfulness & delight
The quickest way to kill reading joy is to treat books like productivity. Numbers matter less than feelings. You don't need to read fast. You don't need to finish everything.
Try structures that feel playful instead of punishing:
- Follow seasonal reading moods, not rigid targets
- Track pages or minutes if you're slow paced
- DNF ("Did Not Finish") is a verb, and we do it without shame
- Read what excites you — not what you “should” read
- Celebrate tiny wins, even a chapter
Joy grows when reading feels playful instead of pressured.
4. Use tools that support your dream reading life
If your reading tracker feels like a spreadsheet or sales funnel, it might be time for a cozier home. Tools shape habits — your reading app should *pull* you toward books, not demand them.
Look for tools that:
- Feel visually warm & pleasant to open
- Give recs from human taste, not algorithms
- Celebrate progress gently, not competitively
- Help you organize books with ease
That's why I built Bookworm. A soft, community-built book space without Amazon, ads, or pressure — where reading feels like joy again.
Your gentle reading year awaits
You don't need to finish 50 books to have a good reading year. You just need softness, curiosity, and stories that move you.
Even five pages count. Even poems count. Even coming back after months counts. Reading grows when nurtured with delight — not pressure.
→ Ready for a joyful reading year in 2026? Come read with us →
