It’s July, and the year is half over. The days already grow shorter, the nights (slightly) colder. So it’s a good time to stop, take a beat, and see where we are for 2026.
Because it’s been a hell of a year already, hasn’t it?
2026 has brought with it some surprises. Most of which have been bad, but a few have been good. One thing I didn’t plan for was the influx of new (to me) writers that I would discover. People who were not on my radar or my insta buy list before this year, but are working their way there now.
A lot of my reading this year has been horror. You can read my reviews of many of these books over on Weird Wyrlds. But, for the first time, a book of poetry snuck its way into the top ten.
So let’s get into it. Here are the top ten books I’ve read so far in 2026, rated from 10 to one. As always, I’m not going to go into a ton of detail, because I’ve already reviewed all of these books.
The Fox and The Devil by Kiersten White
This was the sapphic vampire murder mystery love story I didn’t know I needed. But my goodness, reading this book while sipping red wine was one of the highlights of my year.
Rainshadow Orphans by Naomi Ishiguro
This was such a cute book. Okay, it was a cute book about political uprising, dark magic, gruesome murders, and class warfare. But it also had bubble tea, cats, and sun spirits. So, overall a super cute read. Even better, it’s the start of a trilogy. So please join me in waiting for the next one.
The End of the World As We Know It by misc authors
Have you ever read The Stand by Stephen King and thought, man, this book could easily have been 800 pages longer? No, just me? Well, for the first time, King opened up one of his worlds for other authors to play in. This book is a collection of stories in the world of The Stand by some fantastic writers. Go check it out. And avoid the Walking Dude.
Can You Sign My Tentacle by Brandon O’Brien
I heard one of O’Brien’s poems read by the man himself at a Nebula conference. And it was fantastic. I’d never read a whole book of speculative poetry before. But now, I’m hooked.
Year of The Mur by L.D. Lewis
For someone like me who loved The Little Mermaid as a child and now realizes how dumb Ariel was as an adult, this book was fantastic. And, again, it’s the first of two.
The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer
Imagine being broke. Well, chances are you don’t really have to imagine that. But imagine being offered a house-sitting gig for the weekend for an exorbitant amount of money. But it comes with weird rules.
This book is a textbook example of actual obsessive-compulsive disorder. To say it was unsettling is an understatement.
The October Film Haunt by Michael Wehunt
The past always catches up with us. Part slasher thriller, part paranormal mind fuck, this book had me looking over my damned shoulder.
The Republic of Memory by Mahmud El Sayed
This is a fantastic political story, told from various points of view as a generational ship has to ask whether their living citizens are more important than those in cryostasis. The question is complicated, and so is the book.
I know a place by Nat Cassidy
This was a collection of short stories. And every one was better than the last. One, Laughlines, has stuck with me the most. Ugh, the visuals in that one. It will haunt you in the best way possible.
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
This is the best book I’ve read all year by far. It’s the kind of book that you read and then have to sit with. I mean, I was bawling.
This is a historical fiction about a twelve-year-old Black boy who’s sent to a reform school after kicking the son of a wealthy landowner. He soon finds out that the school is haunted by boys who never left. The ghosts are fiction. The abuse described in the book is accurate.
Read this one in the Summer heat. It’s a whole experience.
Alright, now it’s your turn. What are the best books you’ve read so far this year? Let us know in the comments.
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