What I'm Reading
I read a lot of mostly science fiction, fantasy, literary fiction, and nonfiction. Here's what I've read in 2026. You can find affiliate links to purchase these books on Bookshop.org and help support this site and independent bookshops. I also love and actively support my local library - library joy!
2026: 35/36
6 July - Songlines by Bruce Chatwin (Nonfiction)
Songlines is part travel-memoir part commonplace book. The characters Chatwin meets in his quest to discover more about the Songlines of Aboriginal Australians are what makes this book sing. The commonplace ‘chapters’ are mere notes from his travels about his lifelong quest to figure out what makes people wander, why are we nomadic? It is a question that is near and dear to my heart. Chatwin has been criticized for his neocolonial perspective. Having spent only 9 weeks in Australia that becomes clear. The stories and notes are interwoven in a loving and thoughtful way. A fast and compelling read.
4 July - Judas Unleashed by Peter F. Hamilton (Fiction)
The sequel to Pandora’s Star delivers a satisfying conclusion to the Commonwealth saga. It slogged in places, but wrapped everything up in a nice tidy package. My favorite characters were Paula and Ozzie. At first some of his characters vapidity annoyed me, but then I gave it more thought, and they are real. Really real. Dumpster fire real. But it is his highly descriptive world building and mixed genres that really suck you in, and keep the ~2000 page saga moving forward. It’d be fun to live in this universe where FTL, wormholes, rejuvenation, and planet hopping is all possible.
24 June - Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey (Fiction)
It’s been ages since I last read a Pern book. They are fast reads comfort food. It’s time to revisit the series starting with the first book Dragonflight. Dragonflight tells the story of Lessa a down and out Ruathan noblewoman who becomes a dragon rider. The dragonriders of Pern co-evolved to combat Thread, essentially a space fungus, which falls to the planet when the Red Planet is at perigee. Thread burrow into the land if left unchecked and cause desertification of a kind. It’s a perfect mixture of science fiction and fantasy that has surprisingly aged better than I expected.
20 June - Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson (Fiction)
My friend sent me this classic fantasy that I’ve somehow never read. And even though I keep saying I’m on a fantasy moratorium the genre keeps slipping in. Vin, a serf thief joins a group of resistance “fighters” to overthrow the Lord Ruler. In the process she discovers her magical roots, and falls lamely in love with a nobleman. The magic system is metal based. The world is bleak and mysterious. The characters are diverse and interesting. I’m a sucker for a strong female lead. The writing is a bit of a slog. I’m not sure I’ll finish the trilogy.
18 June - Pandora's Star by Peter F. Hamilton (Fiction)
I love a great space opera, and Pandora’s fits the 900 page bill. Earth has formed a Commonwealth and spread across the galaxy after developing wormhole technology. This book has it all, sci-fi space nerdery, adventure, mystery, politics, unknown alien threats, and some great characters. And some not so great characters. Sometimes Hamilton writes like a 12 year old boy who just discovered their parent’s porn stash. The way he writes about some of the female and young characters is just ewww. That said I enjoyed being in this space opera universe and look forward to its equally long sequel.
2 June - The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf (Fiction)
1 June - Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (Fiction)
29 May - Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton (Nonfiction)
17 May - DNF - The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
(Fiction)
16 May - Beartown by Fredrik Backman (Fiction)
11 May - The Art of Death by Edwidge Danticat (Nonfiction)
9 May - Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat (Fiction)
6 May - The Waste Lands by Stephen King (Fiction)
28 Apr - I Saw the Sky Catch Fire by T. Obinkaram Echewa (Fiction)
17 Apr - The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King (Fiction)
27 Mar - A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (Fiction)
20 Mar - The Daughter Who Remains by Nnedi Okorafor (Fiction)
15 Mar - One Way Witch by Nnedi Okorafor (Fiction)
13 Mar - Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtey (Fiction)
28 Feb - She Who Knows by Nnedi Okorafor (Fiction)
24 Feb - The Burning God by R.F. Kuang (Fiction)
19 Feb - Emergency Skin by N.K. Jemisin (Fiction)
17 Feb - The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang (Fiction)
12 Feb - Life of Pi by Yann Martel (Fiction)
9 Feb - Planet Paradise by Jesse Lonergan (Fiction)
8 Feb - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (Fiction)
1 Feb - Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor (Fiction)
29 Jan - Spider Woman's Daughter by Anne Hillerman (Fiction)
24 Jan - Kabu Kabu by Nnedi Okorafor (Fiction)
17 Jan - The Gunslinger by Stephen King (Fiction)
15 Jan - Queen Demon by Martha Wells (Fiction)
12 Jan - The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke (Fiction)
11 Jan - Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (Fiction)
8 Jan - A Life of One's Own by Marion Milner (Nonfiction)
6 Jan - Gringos by Charles Portis (Fiction)
2 Jan - The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction Summer 2025 (Fiction)