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7 books that i’m committing to reading in 2026! If you’re finding yourself overwhelmed by all of the book recommendations, 5 star books that you can’t seem to enjoy, or feel like you’re part of a rat race to read as many books as possible so you have something to share at the end of the year, I hope you’ll consider joining me in 2026 for a year of slow reading.  I want to spend more time with less books in 2026, truly diving into literature that I feel is important, relevant, and impactful.  The goal for this project is so explore works of literature that are full of themes and ideas that challenge our thinking, and help us better understand feelings, emotions, people, and places with more clarity.  The 7 books I’ll be reading as part of my year of slow reading are: Europe Central by William T. Vollman Intermezzo by Sally Rooney Memoirs of a Revolutionary by Victor Serge Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson The Censor’s Notebook by Liliana Corobca Pachinko by Min Jin Lee Underworld by Don DeLillo If you find these titles interesting, and want to be more intentional with what you read in 2026, subscribe to the substack using the link in my bio! I’ll be announcing all the details later this week.  #booktok #literature #books #fiction #readinglist 

7 books that i’m committing to reading in 2026!

Welcome to New Site! I'm glad to have you.

New Site

Chris Dougherty

My Real Name

Welcome to my Bindery community! 

If you're here, you are likely craving a more intentional and curious exploration in your reading journey. 

Literature is such an important part of life. It introduces you to people, places, and experiences we'd otherwise likely never encounter. 

I think of characters like Lee from East of Eden, or Robert from Train Dreams. Characters who struggled, hoped, loved, and lost. 

I think of people like Victor Serge, who experienced true horror in his life, and still found the strength to write about it, and to have it turn out beautifully and be immensely impactful. 

Books are where we go to be someone else, be somewhere else. Books are where we go to feel something new, or old again. 

Books ARE political. They're worth criticizing. Literature can be difficult to sit with, but I firmly believe we need to encounter it intentionally and with curiosity. 

If you think this community sounds like a place you want to be, we'd love to have you! 



A community for readers who want to explore literature with an intentional and curious mind. 