2026 - A Year of Reading
It's 1/16/2026 and I started the year pretty rough. I got the flu in Dec. 2025, which was followed by a second flu, which turned into pneumonia. Now that I'm back to 98% health, I thought it time to look at my reading goals for this year.
My goals are as follows: Read 50 books in 2026 with the goal of listening to no more than 10 of them. Of course, I might listen to more than 10, but anything over that I'm not counting towards the goal. To do this I need to read 4 books per month + 2.
- My first book will be The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles.
"The Sheltering Sky is a 1949 novel by Paul Bowles about three American travelers—Port, his wife Kit, and their friend Tunner—who journey through post-WWII North Africa, exploring themes of cultural alienation, existentialism, and the disintegration of relationships against a vast, indifferent desert landscape. The story follows their increasingly tragic and isolating experiences as their incomprehension of the foreign culture leads to personal and marital breakdown, culminating in Port's death and Kit's harrowing transformation." - AI summary
I can't remember who or what recommended this book. It might have just been my Libby/Library app when I was looking for a new work of literature. I wanted a strange tale of exploration. Since I'm not reading it, but listening to it, I am missing the construction of the sentences, which is a bummer because it's clear that Bowles is a talented technical writer. However, his understanding of humanity and human relations is bleak and shallow. I had read some reviews before I checked the book out, but those reviewers who valued the book so greatly probably don't hold the same worldview. I find their lack of faith troubling. But to be honest, I should withhold my judgement until I complete the book. I'm currently sitting at 78%.
2. My second book will be The Moviegoer by Walker Percy.
"The Moviegoer, Walker Percy's 1961 debut novel, is a National Book Award-winning work of Southern Gothic and philosophical fiction that follows alienated New Orleans stockbroker Binx Bolling as he searches for meaning in his life, often finding it in movies rather than reality. The story explores existential themes of alienation and authenticity through Binx's quest for "treasurable moments," which leads him on a journey through the chaos of Mardi Gras and his own family's instability, particularly concerning his cousin Kate." - AI summary
I'm towards the beginning of the book and I can't believe this was his debut novel. Percy is a tremendous writer and observer of human nature.
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