Best reads of 2026 so far
- Dan
- 47 minutes ago
- 2 min read
We've reached the midpoint of the year. How is that possible? I guess time does have a way of flying by! Anyway, that means it's time to give a reading update, namely what have been my best reads of 2026 so far.
Best reads of 2026 so far
This is another fun addition to the Old Man's War Universe. Easily the best book in the series since Zoe's Tale. There is humor, gnarly aliens, and nail-biting situations galore as expected in a Scalzi novel. Ran the Obin, an alien race created by the uber technologically advanced Consu, steals the show. Obin in their natural state are without consciousness. Humans have provided the Obin a consciousness collar—a consciousness prosthetic, so to speak—that the wearer can turn on and off. This is just the tip of the iceberg of the fun and humorous ideas Scalzi presents.
This is the third novel I've read by Joe Hill and easily the best. It's downright creepy! Hill specializes in characters that, at least for me, aren't very likable or sympathetic. They are, generally, interesting, and that is 100% true in Heart-Shaped Box. I don't know if I ever liked the aged rockstar with a penchant for the macabre, but he was an interesting and, in the end, a sympathetic character.
Oh, and whatever you do, don't buy that haunted suit on the Internet!
This book is insanely good. Easily the best book I've read after hearing about it on BookTok. It's a crazy mashup of horror and fantasy that reads like a historical novel. I will 100% be reading more books by Mr. Buehlman. If you have only a passing interest in the horror genre, do yourself a favor and read this story right now.
I was shocked to learn that this is a banned book. When I learned that, I absolutely had to read it. Although it was taught while I was in school, I don't recall reading it at the time. Maybe I read excerpts in middle school, but I can't be certain.
Simply put, this is amazing writing on multiple levels. It's a firsthand account of Jewish life under the Nazis. But it's far more than that. It's a tragic tale that is often humorous, sometimes harrowing, and occasionally both at the same time. Miss Frank was an astute observer and gifted writer. It's terrible what happened to her and so many others. Don't forget history. Don't repeat the horrors of the past. Read banned books.
This story feels epic and intimate at the same time. It follows a family of exceptional warriors living in a rural area. Everything seems bucolic, then war comes. What follows is a tale of brutal magical combat, grief, reconciliation, and accepting one's place in society. The story kept me guessing what would happen next until the very end.