Reading my friend Linda’s post today reminded me of this reading challenge for 2026. I had already decided on my own Reading Across Canada challenge (reading a book written by an author from every province and territory in Canada), but this one will be a complimentary one to that.

Jodie of That Happy Reader describes the challenge this way:

“The goal is to read 12 books written by Canadian authors over the course of 2026. That works out to one book per month, which feels both manageable and meaningful.

 Who Counts as a Canadian Author?

1. The author must have been born in Canada, OR
2. They currently reside in Canada

Any genre, any format, any time period—fiction, nonfiction, memoir, poetry, thrillers, romance, fantasy… you choose your own reading path.”

She even provides Canadian authors to read. So many great ones I love already.

So I am adding this to my every growing challenge list. I have many books by Canadian authors and since I want to read more books from my shelves, this will be a perfect way to do it.

Happy New Year everyone! Hard to believe we are already into 2026 and starting a new round of First Friday Poetry.

Linda and I have decided to go with themes this year. And what better theme for January than “beginnings”

I read a beautiful poem this morning by James Crews and loved his reflection and prompt following it. Check it out here.

There are many wonderful New Year’s poems – little share this one which led her to write her own Blessings poem ( beautiful sentiments for 2026).

I just started to write, thinking of the word I had chosen as my one word for 2025 (Nurture):

New Beginnings, with a New Word

A new year

A new calendar

A new month

A new day.

A new beginning?

Resolutions? No.

Rather, one word.

One word to enrich –

The days

The months

The year.

2026 is to NURTURE

To nourish

To protect

To support

Each day, a call

To nurture myself

To nurture my creativity

To nurture my relationships

Each day, a new day

To face new challenges

To see wonder and awe

To notice

To listen

To pnder.

2026, a year to BE.

Be sure to check Linda’s post here.

Cheriee’s wonderful poem can be read here.

We’d love for you to join us writing poetry this year.

February’s first Friday is Feb. 6 and the theme is “Love and Friendship”.

Wishing you all the best in 2026!

Shelleyrae of “Book’dout” shared her “Life in Books” book tag. I’ve joined before altho I din’t last year.

I decided it was time to take part once again. It is a fun way to go over the books you’ve read and see how the titles could fit a prompt.

Complete the prompts using titles from the books you have read in 2025 to complete the sentence to describe your life in the past year.

I have read over 200 books this year (many were picture books – which had some great titles to choose from) – so I had a lot to choose from. But this was a bit of a challenge – a fun one though.

Most reflect how the year went. There was still grieving and pain (especially for my hubby who lost the new kidney he received Aug. 2024 and is on dialysis. It does make travel especially difficult. But we persevere and look ahead to a possible 3rd transplant (as the last never really worked properly).

So here is my year in review – through book titles (all of the books were great reads)

2025 was the year of:  “Grieving, Loss and Healing” (ed. by Amy Newman)

In 2025 I wanted to: ” “Choose Joy” (by Sara Frankl and Mary Carver)

In 2025 I was: “A Steadfast Companion” (by Myra Johnson)

In 2025 I gained: “The Life Impossible” (by Matt Haig)

In 2025 I lost: “Variation” (by Rebeca Yarros)

In 2025 I loved: “A Song for the Road” (by Kathleen Bass

In 2025 I hated: “When the World Fell Silent” (by Donna Jones Alward)

In 2025 I learned: “52 Ways to Reconcile (by David A. Robertson)

In 2025 I was surprised by: “Ordinary People” (by Naguib Kerba)

In 2025 I went to: “The Long Game” (by Elena Armas)

In 2025 I missed out on: “One Golden Summer” (By Carley Fortune)

In 2025 my family were: “One Big (Happy) Family” (by Susan Mallery)

In 2026 (I hope (it will be)): ” Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (by Jill Mansell)

How would you describe your year in books?

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Jana at That Artsy Girl.

Each week a new theme is suggested for bloggers for everyone to participate in. This week’s prompt is:

 Books on My Fall 2025 TBR  List

I don’t participate regularly, but this is one of my favourite themes. In the past I usually start with past lists and include some of those books I haven’t read, but want to. This time, I’ve chosen books I’ve had recommended or have on my shelves and finally want to read.

Here’s my list:

My Winter 2025/26 TBR list

Fiction:

Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly by Marie Bostwick (I’ve enjoyed her other books, wanted to catch up)

Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pierce ( needed for a reading challenge)

The Incredible Kindness of Paper by Evelyn Skye (Rec. by Kate Quinn)

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister (Rec. by Never Enough Novels)

Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (from 10 Best Classics to Read – only one I hadn’t)

Non-Fiction

Aging Gratefully by Heather Creekmore (seemed like a good idea)

Dear Writer by Maggie Smith (To improve as a writer)

Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad (I’m working thru her Book of Alchemy)

Bits and Pieces by Whoopi Goldberg (Rec. by Dr. C. Hegsted)

This Way Up by Catherin Bradbury (several have rec. this one)

Hard to believe that this is the last poem of 2025 – that the challenge Linda and I embarked on, joined by Cheriee as well, has come to an end. It has been a learning experience for me and a chance to grow as a poet.

I chose to use the poem “Small Kindnesses” by Danusha Lameris as my mentor text. Linda chose “Phase One” by Dilruba Ahmed . If you wish to join in (and we hope you do), you can try either of theses as models, or follow your own choic.

I decided to start with Lameris’s first line and then the poem just flowed. Probably the easiest one I’ve written this year. But one I wish could be realized!

Small Kindnesses

I’ve been thinking about the way

We say “sorry”, “thank you”, “after you”

Such politeness in a world of chaos.

Such needed politeness for sure.

How many times has a driver

Waved us in, ahead of him?

Or a shopper held the door for us?

Or picked up something we dropped?

A nod, a quick smile, a simple kindness.

Yet the heart swells

And we are ready to pass on the kindness

Paying it forward in small ways.

How wonderful it would be

If those forwarded kindnesses never stopped

But kept circling round and round

Until the whole world was touched and moved to kindness.

Be sure to check Linda’s amazing poem here.

We are still in the planning stages for the new year, but we will share our thoughts and plans at the end of December. Hope to see more taking part next year.

May the light of this season be bright for everyone.

This week is hosted by Liz Dexter from “Adventures in Reading, Running and Working from Home“

The prompt is: “Fiction and Nonfiction Book Pairings”

Liz writes: “This week, pair up a nonfiction book with a fiction title. Maybe it’s a historical novel and the real history in a nonfiction version, or a memoir and a novel, or a fiction book you’ve read and you would like recommendations for background reading. Or maybe it’s just two books you feel have a link, whatever they might be. You can be as creative as you like!”

This has been my favourite week of NF November and though I haven’t participated yet this year, I knew I had to take part. (Catch up on weeks 1 & 2 at the end)

Last year, I chose books that exposed racism : “one in South Africa, the other in Canada. With the rise of racism, misogyny and hate increasing horrifically, I wanted to share books that are extremely well written and honest in their look at this subject.”

I still believe strongly about the continued rise in racism, misogyny and hate in Canada and especially in the U.S., so I am sharing books that have to do with racism in Canada and the U.S. that relate to schools – residential schools in Canada and the Dozier School for Boys in the U.S.

DOZIER SCHOOL FOR BOYS

I have reserved the historical fiction The Reformatory by Tananarive Due.

As I read about it, I realized it was based on a true story, so I searched for a NF book and found We Carry Their Bones by Erin Kimmerle. I plan to read both.

RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS IN CANADA

In Canada, the history of the horror of residential schools and the generational pain that has resulted, has been well documented at the Truth and Reconcilliation Inquiry. A book has come from this inquiry and has given us a history of the schools: A Knock on the Door.

There have been many first-hand memoirs and novels written about the schools. Two novels that I have read (and found excellent):

Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese

Secret Path by Gord Downie and illustrated by Jeff Lemire ( a graphic novel)

(To learn more about this novel, Downie’s album and the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund check here.)

There are many resources for learning about residential schools in Canadqa. One such has a list of 48 books by Indigenous authors – check here.

Week1 of NF November

Week 1 was hosted by Heather from Based on a True Story, and was based on this prompt:

“Your Year in Nonfiction
Celebrate your year of nonfiction. What books have you read? What were your favorites? Have you had a favorite topic? Is there a topic you want to read about more? What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?”

I only read 14 NF books so far this year (out of over 100 books). I had hoped to read more but needed the comfort of fiction books. Many of the NF books related to prayer, self-care, grief, choosing joy. Several were read as partner reads – a great way to study NF books.

I hope to read more memoirs – I do have a number on my shelves. I always find NF Nov. to be a wonderful opportunity to discover new authors/books and new topics of study.

Week 2 of NF November

Week 2 was hosted by Frances of Volatile Rune and the prompt was:
“Choosing Nonfiction: There are many topics to choose from when looking for a nonfiction book.  For example:  Biography, Autobiography, Memoire, Travel, Health, Politics, History, Religion and Spirituality, Science, Art, Medicine, Gardening, Food, Business, Education, Music to name but a few.  Maybe use this week to  challenge yourself to pick a genre you wouldn’t normally read?   Or stick to what you usually like is also fine.  If you are a nonfiction genre newbie, did your choice encourage you to read more?”

I already enjoy books on spirituality, art, biographies and education and writing. I don’t read many books on travel, food, politics or business.

I would like to read Liz Cheney’s book Oath and Honor

and World Travel by Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever. (which could lead to more books by him about travel and food)

Hard to believe we are nearing the end of 2025 – we only have 2 months and 2 first Friday poems left.

This month we are taking inspiration from the Maya Stein poem that is linked to this blog post.
The structure is based on this pattern:
“I could be …”
“But I’m here.”
“I want…”
“They want…”

I had a few ideas of places I could be/but wasn’t, but the one that stood out the most was for my older brother’s memorial held in Toronto last July. I wanted to be there, to pay my respects to his wife and son, but I couldn’t face seeing my siblings. We have had a rocky relationship for years.

Also my hubby was waiting for a kidney transplant and I really worried about us being around a lot of people, whose health we didn’t know.

So I stayed home and I have gotten the cold shoulder since.

Here is my poem:

Saying Goodbye

I could be listening to the tribute to my brother, at the gathering of my siblings. I could be standing shoulder to shoulder with my sister and remaining two brothers for pictures with Doug’s monument.

But I’m here at home, not feeling well,, protecting my hubby by staying away.

I wanted to be ther, but the cemetery is not a place I can be at.

They wanted me there and ostracize me for failing to come.

Be sure to check out Linda’s poem here.

Welcome back Cheriee. Check her poem here.

Next month we have a choice between two poems to use as mentor texts:

 “Phase One” by Dilruba Ahmed and “Small Kindnesses” by Danusha Laméris. You can choose either or both or something of your own choosing to wrap up the year.

Hope you join us for our last poetry writing of the year on Friday December 5.

Lisa Notes has us thinking about what word we want to use to guide us in 2026.

Lisa Notes writes:

“It’s time already—start tuning in to discover a new One Word for 2026!
 Maybe your 2025 word is leading you in a similar direction for 2026. Or maybe you’re sensing the need for a major shift.
 Either way, don’t wait until December to begin reflecting. Now is the right time to watch for glimmers of a new word.  
Take a few moments over the next few weeks to pay attention: Is there a word or theme inviting you in for a closer look?”

I have not been as present online with my One Word this year. I chose “Flourish” for 2025, with hopes that I would be able to do more, would be able to really flourish. But it hasn’t worked out that way as much as I’d wanted. Stress and pain tend to slow one down and it has once again been a stressful year.

Lisa offers 5 questions to think about our word and what we might seek for next year. Here are the questions and my responses:

1. “What was EASY or HARD in working with my 2025 word?”

I chose a word that proved a challenge. Too often, it was enough to get through a da, let alone trying to flourish. I recognize the need though to do more for myself, to allow needed time alone and opportunities to do what I like.

2. “What UNFINISHED BUSINESS do I have with my 2025 word? Or is it time for me to TURN THE PAGE?”

This word will be retired at the end of this year. It has not been as much help as I hoped.

3. “What CHANGES, CHALLENGES, or DREAMS do I see stirring ahead for 2026?”

I know there will be health challenges ahead for both my husband and I, but I am determined to do more to improve my health and increase my creativity.

4. “Do I prefer my next word to be BOLDER, SOFTER, steadier, or more expansive? (Insert your own adjective for what you’re looking for.)”

I want a word that helps me with my motivation and my desires to improve.

5. “Is there a word that KEEPS POPPING UP up in multiple places or coming from a previous year that’s asking for a deeper dive?”

I keep seeing certain words lately that have been resonating with me – YES, Persevere, Listen, Faith. But, no word has really grabbed my attention fully yet. I will keep my heart open for the right word.