We are over halfway through the year, so it is time to share my mid-year check-in with my best books of 2026 so far.
When I looked back over the list of books that I have read this year, I realized that I have had a great nonfiction reading year. Seven of my favorite books are nonfiction.
I have read some good fiction books, but only three of them made my list of best books so far this year.
I love to read nonfiction, so it shouldn’t surprise me that some of my top reads are nonfiction, but when it comes to the number of books I read, I read way more fiction than nonfiction.
I think one of my goals should be to find more five-star fiction reads!
Fiction
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi was all over the social media book world last year. I finally read it in January and loved it!
I have read a few reviews from people who didn’t really like it, but overall this book has received so much praise from those who have read it. I agree with those who loved it. It was a five-star read for me, and I have recommended it to so many people.
Emma M. Lion Vol. 6, 7, and 8 by Beth Brower. Yes, I know that is three books, not one, but I did not want to list three books from the same series in my top books.
I have loved this series. It took me a couple of books to really get into it, but I definitely get why these books have been so popular over the last couple of years.
Famous For a Living by Melissa Ferguson is a clean rom-com book. It is rare for a romance book to make my top books, but I loved this one. It was just what I needed for a quick, easy read.
This book addressed some of the problems of social media, but since it is a rom-com, it was not heavy or depressing.
Melissa Ferguson is quickly becoming my favorite clean romance writer.
Nonfiction
No One’s Coming by Kevin Hazzard is the story behind the news headlines of the 2014 Ebola outbreak. This book was so good!
Keven Hazzard is a former paramedic. He understands medical information, and his passion for the work medical professionals do shows in his writing.
Like, Follow, Subscribe by Fortesa Latifi is a look at the world of online influencers on social media and YouTube.
This book was so fascinating yet also so sad. I have been working in the online world since 2008, and there were so many things about the behind-the-scenes life of influencers that I had no clue about.
No More Tears by Gardiner Harris is the story of Johnson & Johnson. It mixes true crime with medical ethics. As soon as I finished this book, I handed it to my husband and said, “You have to read this.”
This book is so good and so maddening at the same time. If you love true crime or books about science and medicine, this book is for you.
Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin is a backlist book, way backlist. This book is a food memoir that was published in 1988. I love reading memoirs and all things food and cooking, so this book was perfect for me.
The Spinach King by John Seabrook doesn’t really fit into one category. It is part history, part memoir, and part true crime. I knew nothing about this part of American food history.
If you love books about little known historical events, this book is one you might really enjoy.
All About Allergies by Zachary Rubin, MD. Yes, a book about allergies, by a doctor who is a social media influencer, made my list of favorite books so far this year.
I have had allergies and asthma for years. I know a lot about them, but I still learned so much from this book. This book also made me feel like someone understands what it is like to live with severe allergies.
If you deal with allergies, are new to the world of allergies, or know someone who has allergies, I think you will learn a lot from this book.
When God Doesn’t Fix It by Laura Story is my favorite Christian book so far this year. I have read quite a few nonfiction Christian books this year, but this is the only five-star one that I have read.
I realized when making this list that I have not shared a review of this book. I need to fix that and share it soon for a Sunday Reading post.
What is your favorite book so far this year? I would love to hear all about it in the comments.
I LOVED Theo of Golden!! Hoo-ray! I just got volume one of the Emma Lion journals so we’ll see how that goes. There are some non-fiction books on your list that look fascinating too.
I hope you enjoy Emma M Lion! The first book or two were slow starts for me, but I love the series.
I haven’t read Theo of Golden yet, but it’s on my shelf. I love the Emma M. Lions series. I’ve been listening to them…so fun. I also read the Like, Follow, Subscribe. I agree, fascinating and sad…and now I find myself really “looking” at the pages I follow and asking myself a lot of questions.