The Books Waiting on My Shelves

Some people have a small nightstand stack of books they want to read. Others have entire walls dedicated to unread novels, essays, and paperbacks bought on impulse in secondhand stores. Mine exists somewhere in between.

Over time, I have developed a loose system for my unread books. I divide them by year and mood, though the system is never truly fixed. New additions keep arriving, sometimes because I bought them myself, sometimes because books remain the easiest and most welcome gift to give me. There are always new titles to discover, new covers to fall for, new authors to obsess over. The pile keeps growing and I have stopped pretending otherwise.

Honestly, it feels like a luxury.

I have never really had one defining hobby. I was never completely devoted to sports, music, or art, even though I have dipped in and out of all of them over the years. Reading, though, has always stayed. Books are one of the few constants in my life, something that makes me feel unmistakably like myself. Without reading, I think I would feel slightly lost. Without overflowing bookshelves, I do not think a place would ever feel fully like home.

So with that said, here are the books currently waiting for me in my 2026 to be read pile. At least for now.

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

Cyrus Shams is a young poet struggling with grief, addiction, and the legacy of his mother’s death on a plane shot down over the Persian Gulf. As he becomes fascinated by martyrs and the meaning of sacrifice, his life begins intersecting with a cast of strangers who reshape the way he sees himself.

Life for Sale by Yukio Mishima

After surviving a suicide attempt, Hanio Yamada places an ad in the newspaper offering his life for sale. The responses lead him into a strange series of encounters involving criminals, spies, and dangerous women.

Women Without Men by Shahrnush Parsipur

Set in 1950s Iran, the novel follows five women whose lives converge in a garden outside Tehran. Each arrives carrying her own history of repression, loneliness, or loss while political unrest unfolds in the background.

A Girl’s Story by Annie Ernaux

Annie Ernaux revisits the summer of 1958, when she was eighteen years old and working at a holiday camp in Normandy. Decades later, she examines the events of that summer and the girl she once was through memories, photographs, and diaries.

Hot Milk by Deborah Levy

Sofia travels with her mother Rose to a small town on the Spanish coast, hoping an unconventional doctor can cure Rose’s mysterious illness. As the long summer unfolds, Sofia becomes increasingly drawn to the people and atmosphere around her.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Bilbo Baggins is pulled from his quiet life when the wizard Gandalf arrives with thirteen dwarves seeking help to reclaim their stolen treasure from the dragon Smaug. Their journey takes them through mountains, forests, caves, and unexpected dangers.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Nick Carraway moves to Long Island and becomes fascinated by his wealthy and mysterious neighbor, Jay Gatsby, who hosts lavish parties every weekend. Gatsby’s life revolves around his longing for Daisy Buchanan, a woman from his past.

Charleston by Zelda Fitzgerald

The novel follows a Southern woman navigating marriage, social expectations, and changing relationships during the Jazz Age. Set against parties, travel, and artistic circles, the story captures a restless and glamorous world.

Homesick for Another World by Ottessa Moshfegh

This collection brings together stories about lonely, dissatisfied, and often strange characters living on the fringes of everyday life. From motel rooms to office spaces and small apartments, the stories move through awkward encounters and uneasy relationships.

The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami

A man becomes haunted by memories of a mysterious walled city connected to a girl he loved when he was young. Years later, he is drawn back toward that strange place and the secrets it may contain.

Whatever by Michel Houellebecq

An unnamed office worker drifts through corporate life in Paris while accompanying a colleague on work trips across France. Detached from both ambition and relationships, he watches the lives around him with growing bitterness.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll

Alice falls down a rabbit hole into a strange world populated by talking animals, peculiar creatures, and shifting rules. In the second story, she steps through a mirror into another fantastical landscape shaped like a chessboard.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Edmond Dantès is falsely accused of treason and imprisoned just as his life seems about to begin. After years in captivity, he escapes and sets out to uncover hidden fortunes and take revenge on the men who betrayed him.

The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante

Giovanna grows up in Naples believing she understands her family and the world around her. When she overhears her father compare her to an estranged aunt, she begins uncovering secrets that change how she sees the adults in her life.

Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky

An isolated former civil servant recounts episodes from his life while railing against society, reason, and human behavior. His memories include failed friendships, humiliation, and obsessive encounters.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

The animals of Manor Farm overthrow their owner and attempt to build a society where all animals are equal. As the pigs gradually take control, life on the farm begins to change in unexpected ways.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Merricat Blackwood lives with her sister Constance and their uncle in isolation after the rest of their family dies from poisoning. When a cousin arrives at the house, the fragile balance of their world begins to shift.

Orlando by Virginia Woolf

Orlando begins life as a young nobleman in Elizabethan England and lives across several centuries without seeming to age. During that time, Orlando experiences dramatic shifts in identity, love, and social position.

Some of these books have been sitting on my shelves for years, while others arrived only recently. Still, I look at them the same way. I do not feel rushed by unread books anymore. The pile is not a failure or a task list. It is possibility.Hopefully I will read all of them this year, and probably many more. If not, that is perfectly fine too.

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