My Top Books of 2026 … so far
My goal this year was to read 60 books total, and I managed to find myself already at 50, with a little less than four months to go! This is not a boast by any means. Being able to read one book is more than enough to claim being a reader; I just do pretty much nothing except work and read and maybe watch House of the Dragon on Sunday nights — miss Daddy Uncle Husbae Dameon already.
But all of this is to say, I’ve read A LOT of books in 2026, I do have favorites already competing for a spot on my top 10 of books of the year list. And I honestly can’t think of a better way to share them than with my first official post.
So, join me on my reading journey through magical lands, ancient history, and everything in between. And maybe I’ll even share where I’m off to next.
People We Meet on Vacation
by Emily Henry
My first foray into the Emily Henry romance universe was an incredibly warm delight in the middle of a cold January. I wanted to read it before the movie arrived on Netflix, but unfortunately, I have still not seen the film that inspired me to read it. I guess I’m happy with how it turned out on the page and not ready to experience it in high-def just yet. But Poppy and Alex are meant to be. One of the first friend-to-lovers I thoroughly enjoyed with my whole heart.
Fan Service
by Rosie Danan
Okay, here me out: A washed out TV star from a CW-esque werewolf show suddenly becomes a werewolf in reality, and the only person who can help him is the super fan he insulted years before. It’s wild and crazy and silly and absolutely the perfect story to make you laugh. It was also oddly touching with how Rosie expertly painted the beauty and heartache of fandoms as you grow up. Plus, it’s a werewolf romance book. You know it’s hot.
How to Kill a Witch: The Patriarchy’s Guide to Silencing Women
by Zoe Venditozzi & Claire Mitchell
My friend and I read this together in an effort to read more nonfiction. I haven’t read more nonfiction, but I did become obsessed with the witch trials of Scotland’s past. I think we always know that witches are women men can’t control, but to learn how it actually happened and have it tied back to today’s world was a devastating awakening. I also closed this book feeling extremely powerful as a woman. Amazing how the horror of reality can make you stronger in your own person.
“So we say, fuck ‘being nice’ to keep the peace or to keep other people happy. Fuck having to keep quiet for fear of being labeled difficult (they’ll do that anyway). Fuck living, laughing, loving. Try shouting, swearing, fighting. Call out misogyny, challenge the norm, be a quarrelsome dame.” — How to Kill a Witch
Look, when I read Throne of Glass last year, I swore I would never finish this series. I just wasn’t impressed. Then I asked my Thriends what they thought, and everyone agreed I should keep going. Heir of Fire was where it truly paid off for me. Manon’s character evolved into one worth reading about and my love of her with it. I knew then I was hooked. If you’re on the fence, I do recommend continuing the journey. It may take a minute to truly pull you in, but it is one of the few series I would say the push pays off as you keep going.
I had never done a tandem read until I reached these two books in the Throne of Glass series, and honestly, any author that recommends one in the future will have me hooked. I loved being able to follow both plots at once, and I genuinely think it made me appreciate Tower of Dawn more. I see a lot of love for Empire of Storms but not for Chaol’s redemption arc. I hate to say it, but you missed out not reading these two as a pair. They belong together.
So, I have one rule with the Bridgerton books: I do not read them prior to their Netflix season. Why? Well, because I did it for Polin’s season, and I was disappointed. And I LOVE that show! So, I now read them afterwards to preserve the show’s magic. I love the books so much, though. The show definitely makes them more diverse and way sexier, but there’s something sweet and charming about spending time with Anthony and Kate on the page. Plus, I do think Netflix robbed us of the bee sting scene. IFYKYK
The Empire of Gold
by S.A. Chakraborty
Book 3 in the Daevabad Trilogy
I had been slowly working my way through this trilogy because I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to this incredible world and these amazing characters. I’m still not over it being over, but I can now officially say this is one of my absolute favorite fantasy series. If you’re looking for fantasy based on Arabic mythology, I can’t recommend this one enough. I enjoyed every second between these pages.
Look, Benedict and Sophie’s story was so incredible on screen that I had to instantly pick up the book version. Somehow, Netflix did it better, but if you weren’t ready to move on like me, this more than hits the spot. I did appreciate getting more time with Sophie at the Bridgerton’s house interacting with Eloise and Hyacinth. You could really see why they were so excited to discover their brother loved her. I think if you need a taste before the next one, pick it up and meet me at My Cottage.
I went into this book completely blind. I knew nothing about it despite it appearing all over my Instagram feed. I never imagined it would take my breath away the way it did. Now, I have my qualms with it — I’m not a fan of the name Ransom, but I am a major fan OF Ransom — but overall, this book managed to really put romance in romantasy. Odessa is one of the most complex heroines who also happens to be clueless all the time. It’s an incredibly compelling mix.
“You are mine. Even if we are kingdoms apart, you are mine. … When I am nothing but dust and ash, Turah will endure. I don’t need a crown. … But before I step into my grave, my choice is you.” — Ransom, Shield of Sparrows
Quick question: Who do you fancast as Kelsier? I don’t usually slide in actors for books, but I could not stop picturing a certain British actor as the perfect version of our fearless leader. (I’ll tell you if you guess it right in the comments!) Vin was a great POV to experience a majority of the book with because she’s new to both worlds we’re introduced to, and in the end, she does truly end up being a hero in an unexpected way. I laughed, and I cried. An incredible start to an epic saga.
Let me tell you something about this saga Fonda Lee created: IT’S SPECTACULAR! It reminds me of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings meets The Godfather. The magic is in the background but vital. The world is built upon the criminal underground, and you cannot help but cheer for every single member of the Kaul family. The third and final book was a beautiful goodbye, but this middle book, with its world-sweeping plots, was the one that stole the show for me.
One day, I am going to write a full-fledge essay about my obsession with Samantha Shannon and her Roots of Chaos books. This was a great return to the world I fell madly in love with in The Priory of the Orange Tree. The only complaint I have is that I could have read 800 more pages about our incredible queen Marosa, who bravely takes on the leader of all wyrms Fyredel to save her people, in spite of her father’s weakness. It’s an intense journey from page one to page 288, but it was worth every moment I spent in Yscalin.
A Monsoon Rising
by Thea Guanzon
Book 2 in The Hurricane Wars trilogy
I know the rumor is that the enemies-to-lovers arc in The Hurricane Wars series is Kylo Ren and Rey, but I would like to put forth my argument that it is actually Katara and Zuko fanfiction — and I mean that in the best way. There is something about our girl Talasyn is strong-willed and almost unbreakable in her love for her people, and Alaric is the perfect dark moon to her light. This is another series I am going to be devastated to see the end of, though I am ready for these two to just be in love proudly and loudly with each other. Oh, did I mention it was a slow burn, enemies to lovers?
Rites of the Starling
by Deveny Perry
Book 2 in the Shield of Sparrows trilogy
This was an excellent book and is in the running to be in my top five of 2026. I could not put it down until I understood the connection between the two POVs. Deveny Perry expertly wove two stories together without ever giving away her plan until the very end. At first, I thought I was going to miss being with Odessa and Ransom, but Caspia kept me so entranced I didn’t even notice he was missing. I’m already counting down the second until the third and final book comes out.
The Girl in the Tower
by Katherine Arden
Book 2 of the Winternight Trilogy
I know I have dear friend from college screaming at me for taking so long to read this trilogy, and honestly, she has every right. Definitely start with The Bear and the Nightingale to get a good understanding of our main character, but I will say that this book is even better than the first. It somehow manages to be a beautiful fairytale while also highlighting the dark times of medieval Russia. Enter the newly built Moscow and discover a fear of magic and a girl full of it.
The Winter of the Witch
by Katherine Arden
Book 3 of the Winternight Trilogy
I have never finished one book then immediately pick up the next one. I need time to process, and I usually am not ready to end a great series. But I had to rip The Winter of the Witch off my shelf immediately following The Girl in the Tower. Now, this one is heart wrenching. I sobbed many times, but through it all Vasya never gives up on saving the magical world that has embraced her. And the tiny bit of romance we’ve been teased with pays off beautifully. Bonus points if you can guess which old fairytale ends up playing a prominent role in how things end.
A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping
by Sangu Mandanna
Every book by Sangua Mandanna feels like a warm hug, which is why she is now on my insta-buy list. I adored The Secret Society of Irregular Witches, but I fell madly in love with this one. A magical inn, a kind witch who used her magic to save her favorite aunt, a serious researcher trying to not fall in love, a talking fox, AND an undead chicken. I don’t want to say more because it’ll give away all the magic. Please read it, for me and for yourself.
“The magic of her past had been a gift, but the magic of her present had been earned.”
Anatomy: A Love Story
by Dana Schwartz
Book 1 of the Anatomy Duology
This book has been on my TBR for what feels like a hundred years, and I am so glad I reached it this year. There was just something about this book following a young woman with a dream of being a surgeon in the 1800s in Scotland who develops feelings for a young grave robber that just warmed by heart. I haven’t read the follow up yet because I’m still processing a part of the ending, but I promise I will and let you know how it all ends. I know it’s going to be great.
“Someone should tell you that you’re beautiful every time the sum comes up. Someone should tell you you’re beautiful on Wednesdays. And at tea time. Someone should tell you you’re beautiful on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve and the evening before Christmas Eve and on Easter. He should tell you on Guy Fawkes Night and on New Year’s and on the eighth of August, just because.”
Thistlemarsh
by Moorea Corrigan
I will admit to loving sexy, dark-haired fairie bad boys in almost any book, but Moorea Corrigan gave me the perfect, old mythological, handsome fae with blonde hair who I was worried might steal a child from their bed as one of our main characters. The deals, the magic, the house and its curses all came together to create a wonderful story about the secrets family keeps and why some spells are not meant to be broken.
One Golden Summer
by Carley Fortune
Carley Fortune is a must-buy author for me ever since I read Meet Me at the Lake, and One Golden Summer, the follow-up to Every Summer After, was so good that I still find myself thinking about it. There’s just something Fortune does that teleports you directly to lake to watch her characters fall in love despite themselves and the world trying to keep them apart. You root for them from the beginning, and no matter how fast they find themselves together, it never feels rushed. This is romance at the top of its game.
The Austen Affair
by Madeline Bell
Okay, if you’re a Jane Austen fan, this one is for you. If you also happen to love time travel, this is also for you. A grumpy, serious British actor and a silly, bubbly American actress fall back in time to Jane Austen’s world after being electrocuted on the set of their Northanger Abbey movie. From their, highjinks ensue, and this pair discover they just might be what the other needs most. This is also one of the absolute best examples of the grief process I have read in any book.
Seek the Traitor’s Son
by Veronica Roth
Book 1 of The Burning Empire duology
We all know Veronica Roth knows how to write a good dystopian, but she blew me with hoe she expertly crafted a prophecy to lead us through this story. From the first chapter, I wondered how she was going to pull it all off, but I knew better than to question her because no one does twists and turns better. Notice I’m talking about the plot? You need to go in without knowing much. It makes the journey that much better.
The Second Death of Locke
by V.L. Bovalino
A lady knight in love with her mage. Enough said, honestly. But I’ll give you a little bit more since you’re here. Remember that magic always comes with a price, that family appears in the most unlikely places, and sometimes you have to risk your heart to get everything you want. But let me say this, our heroine doesn’t give away anything without a fight.
“Why must you always sacrifice yourself, and call that love?” — Kier
Remarkably Bright Creatures
by Shelby Van Pelt
Marcellus shares a story about the incredible beauty of simply being human. I haven’t caught this one on Netflix yet either because I know I’ll be sobbing the whole time. I’m going to keep this one short because like Marcellus, I only have so much time, and you really should discover this one by yourself.
Upcoming Reads on my TBR
