New Years with the Blog Team!

Ethan:
Last year I spent most of my summer pouring over Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. I first read it, like many others, for my GCSEs seven years ago now (information that always reminds me of the unstoppable passage of time), and even back then I could comprehend just how well written it was. Re-reading it last year just served as another reminder of just why The Bard is still so revered today. I must have read and re-read the play at least a dozen times over the summer, whittling it down into an abridged version for our university’s Shakespeare Society, that I have the pleasure of being ⅓ of the team running it. Whittling down 150 pages to 96 was no easy task, every cut had to be considered, and every cut was difficult, Shakespeare managed to pack it to the brim with poetic lines, witticisms and double entendres. So many in fact that sometimes cutting a line early on in the show causes another line right at the end to have less of a pay off that it’s worth considering going back and looking over the text for the 10th time that evening. I think working on this abridged version of the text for our production lead directly to my decision to join the Where Ideas Grow team, it cemented my editorial skills across a wide variety of forms as Shakespeare expertly weaves poetry among his script, I felt this skill of mine should be further honed and thus here I am.

A book I’m looking forward to reading this year is Susan Sontag’s Against Interpretation and Other Essays. Not to sound pretentious but, I’ve grown really fond of the essay form over the tail end of 2025. It’s a form that really lends itself to an author’s style (despite most reading this perhaps only being familiar with the form for referencing in assignments, don’t worry I was guilty of it for a lot of my undergrad too), essays to me demonstrate a writer’s grasp of their own voice in writing, a great essayist is able to convey their thoughts and facts in a way that delivers all the information clearly while retaining a flair that only that essayist is able to provide, their unique stamp. Susan Sontag is perhaps the perfect example of this, having started this collection over the winter break it is immediately obvious that Sontag has a way with her delivery that is second to none. When I say immediate I mean that literally, having read the first two essays, the title essay and On Style (already influential to me it seems), her ideas are succinct and an enjoyable read. I look forward to wrapping my head around her works as the year rolls on.

I never really set myself new years resolutions, but seeing as we’re all doing bookish ones on this post, my bookish resolution is to do far more secondary reading. I want what I write to be well informed and influenced by many different sources.

Aimee:
In 2025, one of the books that stayed with me most was Animal Farm by George Orwell. When I first read it, the story felt deceptively simple: animals overthrow a cruel farmer and attempt to create a fairer society. However, as the novel progressed, I became increasingly unsettled by how quietly the corruption took hold. What affected me most was not the violence, but how easily the animals were persuaded to doubt their own memories. The pigs’ control of language, especially the gradual alteration of the Seven Commandments, made me reflect on how power can be maintained without constant force. Orwell’s writing is deliberately plain, which made the betrayal feel sharper; there is no dramatic moment where everything collapses, only a slow, uncomfortable realisation that the revolution has failed. By the end of the novel, when the animals can no longer tell the difference between pigs and humans, I felt a sense of frustration and helplessness. Reading Animal Farm in 2025 made me more aware of how relevant Orwell’s warning still is, particularly in a world where information can be manipulated and repeated until it feels true.

Looking ahead to the new year, the book I would most like to read is Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. I am drawn to this novel because it explores control and exploitation in a much quieter, more emotional way. Unlike Animal Farm, there is no obvious rebellion; instead, the characters slowly come to accept the roles assigned to them. I find this idea disturbing because it suggests that conditioning can be more powerful than force. The novel’s focus on memory and nostalgia particularly interests me, as the characters cling to small, tender moments despite the knowledge of what awaits them. I expect this will make the story even more painful, as the reader is forced to sit with the characters’ quiet compliance. I want to read Never Let Me Go because it asks difficult questions about what it means to live a meaningful life in a system designed to use and discard people. I think it will challenge me emotionally, not just intellectually, and encourage me to think more deeply about humanity, choice, and responsibility.

Becca:
One of my favourite books from this year has to be Sunrise on the Reaping. Not only did I enjoy reading the latest instalment of the Hunger Games series, but I also loved the hype that surrounded the novel’s release. Being able to discuss with my friends about the familiar characters and their new stories, as well as how incredibly well written the plot was, was such an exciting time and led to this being one of the first books I was really obsessed with in 2025. Adding to the excitement of the book’s release, is the confirmation that a screen adaptation is currently in development and scheduled for release later this year! I cannot wait to see how they will transform this book into a film and am looking forward to seeing how the talented cast, including Ralph Fiennes, Maya Hawke and Jesse Plemons, bring the book’s incredible characters to life.

The first book on my list to read this year is The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. I’m genuinely shocked that I have not read it sooner, and I have decided that 2026 is the year I finally change this. I have been a fan of Plath for a long time – ever since I fell in love with her poetry collection The Colossus and Other Poems while studying for my A Levels. As her only novel, I’m fascinated to see how her powerful poetic voice unfolds within a longer narrative, and how it shapes a story that has become one of modern literature’s most enduring classics. I am excited to follow along with Plath’s protagonist, the same way I have followed her poems all these years, and discover a side of Plath that I have not seen before.

My new year’s resolution this year is quite complicated. I have set myself a goal to focus on myself and start a new chapter in my life, whereas, at the same time I feel as though I am stuck doing the opposite, and can’t see that changing any time soon. As a result of this state of limbo, I feel certain that reading Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton will help me at least feel slightly understood regarding the trepidations of life and being on its bad side. Alderton’s memoir is said to be one of those books every girl in their 20s should read. The book is said to discuss ‘growing up, growing older, and learning to navigate friendships, jobs, loss, and love along the ride.’ As someone who is experiencing all of these things at once, being a 21 year old who just moved to London and left a lot of things behind – alongside being overwhelmed, scared and confused about my future – hearing someone else’s perspective on how they navigated life will hopefully be a comfort blanket of a book. Something to hold my hand this year and say, you’ve got this.

Frankie:
    ”I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being, with an independent will.”

This year I finally got around to reading a classic that’s been on my shelf and staring at me for what feels like a hundred years: Jane Eyre. I’m extremely grateful that I finally decided to dust it off, because this book has everything. From important life lessons, to overcoming adversity, to fostering independence, and learning to love in the strangest of places. I absolutely fell in love with Jane’s story and with Charlotte Bronte’s writing. Not only was it beautifully descriptive, but it came with so many life lessons on the powers of autonomy, self-esteem, and the desire to fight inequality. Jane is unapologetically herself, and she’s not afraid to be different. If you’ve been considering this one, I wholly recommend it.

One book I want to read in the new year is The Samurai Detectives by Shōtarō Ikenami. As you might have guessed from the name it’s supposedly a series of detective investigations being solved by a Samurai whilst set in the Edo-period of Japan. It’s allegedly coined as the author’s greatest work, and I’m trying to make a special effort to read more widely outside of my own culture and history. I’m hoping I’m in for a good time!

Every time I’ve read a classic in the last few years I’ve fallen madly in love with it, so my goal for the new year is to read at least 3 classics.

Laura:
I only finished three books in 2025 (much to my own disappointment), but my favourite read of the year was The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber. I read it as part of my dissertation, and I can honestly say it’s unlike anything else I’ve read. For the most part, it’s told in third person, but every few chapters, we’re treated to an incredibly immersive passage of close second. In those moments, we are in Victorian London, with these characters; there is someone we need to follow and we are falling behind. We walk with Sugar, a sex worker in nineteenth century London, and follow her from the bottom of society until she sits higher than her former employer and master, William Rackham. It is a story of power, of manipulation, and of total badass feminism in a time where it was more than scarce. It’s a pretty lengthy read (especially for me and my short attention span), but well worth the time.

There are so many books I want to read in 2026. I’ve been halfway through Sunrise on the Reaping for nearly six months, I carry a pocket collection of Edgar Allen Poe stories in my bag for emergencies, and Sally Rooney’s Normal People keeps staring at me from my shelf. While I’m sure all of these books will get a look-in this year, the one I am most excited to read hasn’t been released yet. It’s no secret that I love Matt Haig, and his latest novel The Midnight Train is set for release at the beginning of May. As the name somewhat implies, it will explore similar concepts to The Midnight Library, raising questions about love, loss, and bittersweet regret. If I know Matt Haig, and if I know myself, I know that I’ll love this book just as much as I loved The Midnight Library. Even though details are still limited, I have high hopes for this being my favourite book in 2026.

My resolution for 2026 is to finish reading Wicked by Gregory Maguire. I grew up loving the musical, and started reading the book the first time when I was fourteen, while on holiday in France. I found it so tricky that I gave up trying to read it – though, with hindsight, I think I was just too young to appreciate it properly. It’s come with me to every house I’ve lived in since, no matter how small the bookshelf, in the hopes that one day, I will actually finish it. When Wicked: Part One hit the cinemas in 2024, I picked it up again. I got further than I had done the first time, but it soon lost priority to my dissertation reading list. Wicked: For Good brought it back to my bedside table, but I still haven’t made any significant progress. I started the new year 37% of the way through on page 154, and by the end of 2026, I will have it finished.

Raisa:
2025 has gone by in a flash and I have read some great titles. It’s hard to choose one but my favourite for the year has to be The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. I read this on my kindle and loved it so much that I had to buy the physical book, alongside the rest of the trilogy which I will be reading in the new year. Following along Jude’s journey and her relationships with family, friends and foes alike, it was as if I was watching a movie in my head. There is magic, faeries, politics, power, and betrayal. A dark fairy tale, beautiful but deadly. With so many twists and turns that kept me on my toes and invested; I’m super excited to see how the rest of the series will turn out.

If there is one book I am especially looking forward to in 2026, it is Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi. It is the second book of the Legacy of Orïsha trilogy, a YA epic fantasy inspired by West African mythology and culture. Where magic is outlawed and the surviving children of divîners (marked by their white hair and ability to become Maji), who were wiped out, are oppressed under tyrannical rule. Zélie Adebola has been burdened with the responsibility to restore magic and is hunted as a result. We’ve got enemies to lovers, social injustice, resistance and rebellion. With multiple POVs and a lot of high-stakes action, the second book is looking to be an amazing and emotional read.

Luciana:
After reading the first few pages of the book, I knew “Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir was gonna become not just my favourite book of the year but one of my top reads of all time. I always enjoy sci-fi books, but this one had something different. The book follows Ryland Grace, a guy who wakes up on a spacecraft with no memory of how he got there, slowly uncovering who he is and why his impossible mission matters to humanity. For some reason, I felt like I was part of the book, experiencing the emotions of the main character, Ryland, as if I was right next to him. I felt smart and dumb at the same time, reading about super complicated scientific terms and explanations and at the same time understanding them. I am so excited for the movie that’s gonna be released this March, and really hope they do the book justice!

I have an endless list of books I wish to read in 2026, with many taking up the leadership in the queue depending on my mood of the day. Sometimes all I want is a cosy read, others I want to learn about a random time period in history. Since I think it’s impossible to choose just one book from that never-ending list, I will go for the one that will be my next read: “Hamnet” by Maggie O’Farrell. “Hamnet” is a lyrical reimagining of Shakespeare’s family life, centred on love, loss, and the quiet forces that shape his art. I am very intrigued on the story, which has acquired more visibility after the new release of its movie!

This year, I want to read in many genres and expand my reading horizons. I want to accomplish my book goal, which is 20, and hopefully read even more. I want to educate myself in the subject I’m writing my dissertation on as well as reading for fun! I have many resolutions, but with books I have learned it’s better to not put too much pressure on them, otherwise it feels like a burden more than an enjoyment!