Let Fate Pick Your Next Book

On a recent Thursday email, Stephanie shared about picking a guiding word or phrase for 2026. I've done this for almost a decade. Having a focus word has greatly helped me stay committed to my biggest goals and offered some surprises along the way. This year, I'm choosing "divine timing".

The Universe's Library

What might happen if you let the Universe pick your next read, if you left it up to chance instead of your own interpretation of the story you're ready to hear? I wondered this for myself as I took a winter afternoon walk.

I came home feeling inspired and ready to put this new idea into action, leaning into "divine timing" for 2026.

First, I went through my bookshelf, sorting through the books I've read and no longer wish to keep - putting them aside in a giveaway pile - and a stack of those that I keep telling myself I'm going to read but didn't get to in 2025. It's this second stack that became the books in the Universe's Library.

Sitting on the office floor, I wrapped each one in identical candy-cane striped wrapping paper, still lying around post-Christmas. On the front, I put a simple label in masking tape: memoir, writing craft, fiction, and nonfiction.

I posted a video this weekend on Instagram (​@ewilsonwrites​) if you'd like to see it!

What now?

I currently have 12 books in the collection, although I just ordered a few more that I'll wrap as they arrive. My intention is to pick at least one book a month from this pile. My promise to myself is that I will read at least as much of the book as I need to in order to understand why it was the right timing for it (some of the writing craft and nonfiction books are quite dense - hence why they've been sitting on my bookshelf all year untouched).

Track my progress

In an effort to hold myself accountable to this in 2026, I'm going to include a note in the footer of my Tuesday emails (subscribe using the form below) about what book I've chosen (or the Universe has chosen for me) and any brief remarks about insights I've gleaned. I'll also be posting about it on my Instagram reels. Follow along if you'd like, and if you're someone that likes to experiment with a new practice, consider joining me in this challenge!