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I enjoy making New Year's resolutions, but I usually fail at them, and then I'm sad. I'm trying something new this year. Instead of resolutions, I'm choosing eleven subjects I want to learn about. If I learn one thing about each subject, then I have succeeded at my goal. I can learn one thing, right? RIGHT? I won't fail at this. (Please tell me I won't fail at this. It seems easy, but I fail at easy stuff all the time.)
Some of my subjects are lifelong interests. Others are things I'm currently curious about.
If you have book/TV/whatever recommendations, I want to hear them. I refuse to fail!
Subjects I Want To Learn About In 2026
(In alphabetical order because we're organized in this house)
1. Autism. I learned about it in EMT school, but that's the extent of my knowledge. Autism has been in the news lately. Politicians with no medical training seem to have strong opinions about it. I want to learn more (but not from politicians. From medical people).
2. Christian Nationalism. This is my parents' religion now. Friends, I'm deeply confused.
3. Cozy fantasy. I'm still chasing the happiness I got from Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia Of Faeries. I adore that book. I want to read more low stakes, funny, magical books.
4. Dark academia. Another genre I want to explore. I like dark books, and I've spent the majority of my life in academia. It makes sense that I'd like dark academia. I just don't know where to start.
5. Listening. One of my bad habits is zoning out while people talk. It's rude. I also get distracted while listening to audiobooks, but that's less rude because books don't get offended if you rewind them. Rewinding your boss is awkward. I need to get better at listening to people and remembering what they say.
6. National Park history. Speaking of academia, I recently met a dude who was taking a college class about the history of US National Parks. Why did none of my schools offer this class? I demand a refund.
7. Polar history. This one is a lifelong passion. I've read a ton of "ice books," but I know there are more in the world. I will find them. And I will learn something new.
8. Search and rescue. Another lifelong interest. I was supposed to start SAR training in 2025, but life and illness got in the way. I should be responsible and use the delay in training to learn more SAR stuff.
9. The human microbiome. Last year, I read I Contain Multitudes and developed a small obsession with gut bacteria. I want to know what lives in my guts. I also need to know how my gut bacteria feel about nachos because that's mostly what I feed them.
10. Wolves. I've been closely following Colorado's wolf reintroduction efforts since 2020. I'm happy that the state has an "experimental population" of wolves, but OMG, the drama. Literally everything about wolves is difficult and complicated. I want to know more.
11. Zoos. I want to read animal books. I don't like textbooks, and I don't like sappy books where the animal dies at the end, and we all learn important life lessons. The only thing I learn from sappy books is how hard I can roll my eyes. I think I want to learn about zookeeping and behind-the-scenes zoo stuff.
What do you want to learn in 2026?
Do you know any fun facts about my subjects? Teach me something so I don't fail!
These are such good topics! I also want to learn more about the National Parks.
ReplyDeleteLove your take on your goals for the year.
ReplyDeleteI recommend Naomi Novik’s Scholomance series which is dark academia but with lots of snark which I think you’ll enjoy.
I started drinking those little probiotic shooters daily a few months ago and my gut seems to appreciate them.
Thanks for sharing your #TTT and good luck with all your goals.
American Wolf is a fantastic book about the reintroduction of wolves in the Yellowstone area.
ReplyDeleteI need to find out more about Christian nationalism. It's all over the place around here, including my own father and his wife.
I have a few relatives who have fallen into Christian Nationalism as well. It’s so confusing, and I’m sorry you also have to deal with it.
ReplyDeleteI love this take of learning something new! I'm also still finding my way in dark academia, but one of my favorite reads ever is Ninth House, which happens to be dark academia :)
ReplyDeleteThese are some interesting topics. Good luck. I hope you learn a lot of new stuff.
ReplyDeleteSuch neat topics, Aj. I'm not a great resource on these topics. Patrick King has written a couple of books about listening. I also struggle with that one. I am thinking of getting back into French this year. Thanks for sharing. Good luck with your learning!
ReplyDeletehttps://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2026/01/top-ten-tuesday-top-ten-promises-for.html
Wow! These are amazing topics for focus. (I am so sorry about your parents becoming Christian Nationalists.) Not zoo related, but a nonfiction animal book I enjoyed last year was stories from an African safari guide. The book is called, Whatever You Do, Don’t Run. I learned bits about different animals, like how dangerous an angry water buffalo can be. But mostly it was entertaining. So now that I’ve described it, I’m not sure it’s what you’re looking for…
ReplyDeleteGreat idea for this week's topic. You have a great list. I do love National Parks and zoos.
ReplyDeleteOk I've got a book that will cover some history, difficult zoo keeping, and is definitely heartbreaking because it's real but not sappy at all: Father of Lions by Louise Callaghan. It's nonfiction but I was so utterly glued to it
ReplyDeleteI like your unique approach. It's totally doable. You got this!
ReplyDeleteHappy TTT (on a Wednesday)!
You have got this! I love wolves, hope you have fun learning more about them, and more about each of those 11 topics this year.
ReplyDeleteCosy fantasy is a lot of fun. I need to get back to reading my review copy of Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter because I suspect that's going to have some good cosy vibes. So far it's reminding me of Howl's Moving Castle.
ReplyDeleteYou CAN DO IT!!! I am now curious about Christian Nationalism, I have never heard of it. I hope you find great books (or TV shows), on all of these! I don't really have any good ones to recommend.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine what Dark Academia would entail! As far as the poles, I can recommend:
ReplyDeleteTHE ICE AT THE END OF THE WORLD, Jon Gertner
https://readingfreely.com/2019/10/16/the-ice-at-the-end-of-the-world/
Neil Shubin's ENDS OF THE EARTH is okay.
https://readingfreely.com/2025/02/13/ends-of-the-earth/
Well what an amazing list. I was a teacher and sure could have known more about autism, and I suspect in your job you will come up against people with it. I wish I had known more. I don't read dark but Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop was dark enough for me although it did have warm parts. I will leave the dark academia to you. Christian Nationalism I just wouldn't touch at all.
ReplyDeleteAwesome list! I wish I'd thought to think of things I'd like to learn on further as well. I also really love polar history and I will read anything, fiction or non, set in either of the poles. Also learning from medical people rather than politicians can only be a good thing, I wish more people had such goals. Also cosy fantasy is such a FUN genre to get stuck into, it really does give the best warm and fuzzies.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great list! I saw that someone already recommended Naomi Novik's Scholomance trilogy, but I will second that recommendation because it truly is incredible!
ReplyDeleteI love this. I need to make a list like this!
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of learning about particular topics and am sorry your parents have slipped into the heresy of Christian Nationalism. While it predates the latest rise in Christian Nationalism, I would recommend reading Kristin Du Mez's "Jesus and John Wayne." It's a great book. I am trying to learn more about drivers and the American Revolution in 2026.
ReplyDeletewow, so many fascinating topics!
ReplyDeleteNo wonder you are confused. If you read Early Christian texts, for instance the Didache, written 50-70, you can see clearly that Christian Nationalism is a total aberration. I'm a committed Christian, and I have read all the major Christian texts of the Early centuries, and they would all say that you can't reconcile both concepts.
The Didache is a beautiful text. You can read it here in English for instance: https://ccel.org/ccel/richardson/fathers/fathers.viii.i.iii.html Click on the top right arrow to go on. Or on the left arrows to read a short introduction.
More recent books offer both the text and a commentary
These are great goals! I want to read more cozy fantasy and dark academia too this year. Thanks for visiting my blog 😊.
ReplyDelete~ Marwah @ The Booklore Fairy
I love this take on bookish goals for 2026. Also, I hear you re: Christian nationalism confusion. I have family/friends who've been sucked into that vortex as well. Andrew Whitehead has a great book about it called American Idolatry. I also enjoyed April Ajoy's memoir called Star-spangled Jesus. Jesus and John Wayne is on my reading list this year under this topic. Thanks for sharing your goals and making me laugh-- I needed that! :)
ReplyDeleteI really like how you interpreted the prompt for this week. These are all such awesome topics. I especially am interested in the microbiome topic. I hope you learn so much this year! Good luck.😀
ReplyDeleteI love your attitude about learning instead of resolutions! I really should do this too. I've also been getting interested in the gut microbiome recently and have made a list of books I want to read; I Contain Multitudes is one of them. Others, in case you haven't read them are; The Good Gut by Justin and Erica Sonnenburg, The Mind-Gut Connection by Emeran Mayer, Gut by Julien Enders, Fiber Fueled by Will Bulsiewicz, Brain Maler by David Perlmutter (I have not read a single one so have no idea if they're good!).
ReplyDeleteFor cozy fantasy, if you liked Emily Wilde and haven't read these; The Legends & Latte series by Travis Baldree, The Spellshop series by Sarah Beth Durst. I hope you enjoy these!!
Love this! I fail at easy things all the time too 😠A lot of these topics sound really interesting and I hope that they all spark some kind of joy in learning and diving deeper into them! Happy learning 😊
ReplyDeleteGreat topics! I have a feeling we ALL need to get better at listening. I read a great zoo book many years ago (A Peaceable Kingdom, I think) and it was just so lovely and interesting. I'd love to learn more about National Parks history too. (Where was that class when I was in college???)
ReplyDeleteThis is fantastic!! I love how you are learning things and there are so many great things on here. Christian Nationalism is something that I don't think we can understand. It's a cult and my family is in it and it's completely frustrating. If you find some clarity, please let me know. <3
ReplyDeleteI'm here for the cozy fantasy and dark academia! I hope you have fun diving into all of these this year.
ReplyDeleteI love this post, how you framed these goals as things you want to learn. That's the way we should be looking at the world. Anyway, have you ever read Mary Roach? Her books are so fun and informative. One of two of them may help you with some of these things you're looking to learn. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThis is great. I love getting a chance to explore subjects that really interest me. I hope you find some books on Christian Nationalism to help you deal with your family.
ReplyDelete