Well. Here we are at the dawn of a new year. A fresh start; the turning of a page.
And among other things, I need new pages to turn. Of books. Because, you see…never mind, you get it.
I’m saying that it’s time for a new reading list for the first few months of 2026. I enjoyed most of the list that I made for this past fall, and now I need to plan for this season and the one to follow.
Here’s what I’m thinking for January through May:
- Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May
- Blessing My Demons: How to Name, Tame, and Transform Your Inner Critic by Chelsea Forbrook
- Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts by Oliver Burkeman
- A Midwinter God: Encountering the Divine in Seasons of Darkness by Christine Valters Paintner
- No Gods for Drowning by Hailey Piper
- A Little One Shall Lead: Small Congregations Create New Ways of Being Church by Susan Craig and Douglas Allan Dunlap
- Fortunate Son by Melinda Mitchell
- I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin
- A Way Other Than Our Own: Devotions for Lent by Walter Brueggemann
A mix of nonfiction and fiction, and a book for Lent when that season rolls around.
What are you planning to read to start the year?
Here are a few suggestions if you need them.
Jeffrey A. Nelson 