LibraryLover23's 2026 Reading List

2026 Reading List

January
1. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
2. Coyote by Linda Barnes
3. My Beloved by Jan Karon
4. Persepolis: The Story Of A Childhood by Marjane Satrapi
5. Persepolis 2: The Story Of A Return by Marjane Satrapi
6. Death In The Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, And The Lost Dream Of Jonestown by Candace Fleming
7. Living The Simple Life: A Guide To Scaling Down And Enjoying Life More by Elaine St. James

February
8. Code Talker: A Novel About The Navajo Marines Of World War Two by Joseph Bruchac
9. The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths
10. The No. 2 Feline Detective Agency by Mandy Morton

March
11. The Wealth Ladder: Proven Strategies For Every Step of Your Financial Life by Nick Maggiulli
12. The Gratitude Diaries: How A Year Looking On The Bright Side Can Transform Your Life by Janice Kaplan
13. Dreamland: The True Tale Of America’s Opiate Epidemic by Sam Quinones
14. Alive In Shape And Color: 17 Paintings By Great Artists And The Stories They Inspired edited by Lawrence Block

April
15. Vigil by George Saunders
16. I Will Have Vengeance by Maurizio de Giovanni

May
17. Pomona Afton Can So Solve A Murder by Bellamy Rose
18. Cave Mountain: A Disappearance And A Reckoning In The Ozarks by Benjamin Hale

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Welcome back!

>4 drneutron: Thank you!

1. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (342 p.)
Abducted while walking home one night, Jason wakes up in an alternate reality where he chose his career over his family. Meanwhile, his alternate-reality self has assumed his place back in the real world, and Jason has to figure out how to get back. This was good overall, but it lost me a bit at the end when even more alternate-reality Jasons showed up.

2. Coyote by Linda Barnes (264 p.)
When a serial killer starts targeting immigrants, Boston PI Carlotta Carlyle is on the case. I enjoyed this - it's the third in a series, but I had no problem jumping in. Written in the 90's, it's very reminiscent of the Kinsey Millhone books, although I don't think this series got nearly the same level of attention.

3. My Beloved by Jan Karon (Kindle)
Father Tim writes a love letter to Cynthia for Christmas, which promptly goes missing. Accidentally passed around to different townspeople, it affects their actions in multiple ways. It was nice to catch up with the goings-on in Mitford again.

4. Persepolis: The Story Of A Childhood by Marjane Satrapi (153 p.)



5. Persepolis 2: The Story Of A Return by Marjane Satrapi (187 p.)

Satrapi's graphic-novel memoirs of her time growing up in Iran and eventually moving to Europe. I thought it provided a unique glimpse into the country while also still showcasing the universal themes of growing up.

6. Death In The Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, And The Lost Dream Of Jonestown by Candace Fleming (356 p.)
Excellent young adult nonfiction about Peoples Temple, Jim Jones, and his utopian community turned nightmare. Hard to put down and hard to wrap your head around as well. I found it well-written and engaging.

>10 LibraryLover23: Were you alive at the time where you remember the event? I remember my classmates and I were stunned--and amazed that Jones had the charisma to makes his followers comply.

Happy 2026 reading and new thread!

Tori Morrow, an SFF booktuber I like, is a fan of Crouch's sci-fi thrillers. I have them on my TBR.

>11 thornton37814: I wasn't, so I'm not sure how it first seeped into my consciousness. I know I've used the phrase "drinking the kool-aid" before without maybe fully thinking through the implications. It was interesting because there were times where Jones was able to recruit skeptics and make them into ultra-loyal followers within the span of a day or two and no one is quite sure how he did it. I can imagine how shocking it must have been at the time!

>12 libraryperilous: Thank you! That was the first I've read of Crouch's but I would be interested in trying more.

7. Living The Simple Life: A Guide To Scaling Down And Enjoying Life More by Elaine St. James (350 p.)
Basically a rehash of the other simple-living book I have by this author on my shelves, right down to her recounting a hang-gliding incident. (That's how I knew it was the same, how many times does the topic of hang gliding come up in books or in life?) I preferred her first book to this one; I feel her message was a bit clearer in that one.

January Books Read
1. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
2. Coyote by Linda Barnes
3. My Beloved by Jan Karon
4. Persepolis: The Story Of A Childhood by Marjane Satrapi
5. Persepolis 2: The Story Of A Return by Marjane Satrapi
6. Death In The Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, And The Lost Dream Of Jonestown by Candace Fleming
7. Living The Simple Life: A Guide To Scaling Down And Enjoying Life More by Elaine St. James

January Books Acquired
None!

8. Code Talker: A Novel About The Navajo Marines Of World War Two by Joseph Bruchac (231 p.)
This topic has always interested me - how the Navajo language was used as an unbreakable code during WWII. Although the Marines who developed and used the code were not recognized for their efforts until long after the war was over, stories like the one recounted in this young adult book help to shine a light on what happened.

9. The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths (374 p.)
Number six in the Ruth Galloway mystery series. This one involves the abduction of children with the team racing to find them before it's too late. This is a great series overall with strong characterization and I enjoyed this entry. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

10. The No. 2 Feline Detective Agency by Mandy Morton (271 p.)
I gravitated to this one because I thought it would be a fun play on The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, but with cats! It is, in a way, although I was put off by poor execution (in a variety of ways) and the cats acting more like people (driving cars, etc.). Not recommended, unfortunately.

February Books Read
8. Code Talker: A Novel About The Navajo Marines Of World War Two by Joseph Bruchac
9. The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths
10. The No. 2 Feline Detective Agency by Mandy Morton

February Books Acquired
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Thale's Folly by Dorothy Gilman (Marshall Street Bookstore's Winter ReSort Sale)
The China Study Cookbook: Revised And Expanded Edition With Over 175 Whole Food, Plant-Based Recipes by LeAnne Campbell, PhD (a gift)

11. The Wealth Ladder: Proven Strategies For Every Step of Your Financial Life by Nick Maggiulli (Kindle)
Pretty interesting personal finance book about different levels of wealth and how you can move up the ladder. There were some new-to-me concepts and I thought it was refreshing that he focused on earning more vs. spending less. Most PF books do the opposite.

12. The Gratitude Diaries: How A Year Looking On The Bright Side Can Transform Your Life by Janice Kaplan (328 p.)
I enjoyed this; the author focused on different areas of her life and how she could apply more gratitude practices to add overall improvement. I forget the exact statistics, but it's something like keeping a daily gratitude journal can make you 20% happier on average. I wasn't a huge fan of the celebrity name-dropping she did in this book, but the practices are something I can definitely get behind.

13. Dreamland: The True Tale Of America’s Opiate Epidemic by Sam Quinones (374 p.)
Sobering look at the explosion of opiate abuse in America, which is the result of factors including the reckless overprescribing of drugs like OxyContin, along with the rise of new heroin-selling business models from places such as Nayarit, Mexico. Not a fun read by any means, but an important topic nonetheless.

14. Alive In Shape And Color: 17 Paintings By Great Artists And The Stories They Inspired edited by Lawrence Block (310 p.)
As mentioned in the subtitle, this is a collection of stories inspired by various paintings and sculptures. Some worked better for me than others, but I thought it was a strong collection overall. Standouts for me included "Charlie the Barber" by Joe R. Lansdale, "The Great Wave" by S.J. Rozan, and "Looking for David" by Lawrence Block. These stories were inspired by Norman Rockwell's The Haircut, Katsushika Hokusai's Under the Wave off Kanagawa, and Michelangelo's David, respectively.

March Books Read
11. The Wealth Ladder: Proven Strategies For Every Step of Your Financial Life by Nick Maggiulli
12. The Gratitude Diaries: How A Year Looking On The Bright Side Can Transform Your Life by Janice Kaplan
13. Dreamland: The True Tale Of America’s Opiate Epidemic by Sam Quinones
14. Alive In Shape And Color: 17 Paintings By Great Artists And The Stories They Inspired edited by Lawrence Block

March Books Acquired
Vigil by George Saunders
Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett (gift card)
The Suspect by L.R. Wright (freebie)

15. Vigil by George Saunders (174 p.)
Somewhat similar to Saunders' Lincoln In The Bardo in that it deals with a purgatory-like place where spirits roam. One of those spirits, Jill "Doll" Blaine, is tasked with easing the transition from death to afterlife for an oil tycoon who has shown no remorse for his lifetime of destructive behavior. Not as good as Lincoln, but it's still fascinating to take a trip into Saunders' warped, intriguing world.

16. I Will Have Vengeance by Maurizio de Giovanni (216 p.)
In 1930's Italy, Commissario Ricciardi has a special ability to see the ghosts of people just after they've died, giving him an advantage in his job with the police. However, he's unsure who killed a famed opera singer who was beloved for his voice, but hated for his personality. With no shortage of suspects, Ricciardi methodically works the case, investigating the background of the music world. It's an interesting concept and setting, and the first in a series.

April Books Read
15. Vigil by George Saunders
16. I Will Have Vengeance by Maurizio de Giovanni

April Books Acquired
To Dance With The White Dog by Terry Kay (a gift)
The Left And The Lucky by Willy Vlautin (FEC)

17. Pomona Afton Can So Solve A Murder by Bellamy Rose (Kindle)
A fun and funny mystery/romance hybrid. Pomona Afton lives a life of riley, living in her family's hotel while going to galas and parties, having all of her needs met at the drop of a hat. After her grandmother is killed, a freeze is put on all funds due to a clause in the will that says no one is to inherit if grandma dies under mysterious circumstances. Desperate to get her old life back, Pomona is forced to move out, get a job, and solve her grandmother's murder. Along the way, she enlists the help of Gabe, the son of her former nanny, who also wants the case solved so his mom can get her retirement money. Romance and hijinks ensue. A good read.

18. Cave Mountain: A Disappearance And A Reckoning In The Ozarks by Benjamin Hale (287 p.)
When she was just a little kid, Hale's young cousin went missing on a trail in the Ozarks while hiking with her grandparents. Afterwards, the incident brought to light a crime that had occurred in the same area decades before, involving a doomsday cult and another young child. Hale looks at the two events in detail and how the consequences played out years later. This was good at times, but I didn't much care for the author inserting himself into the story, which he does pretty often. When he sticks to the facts of the two cases (plus a third that's also fascinating), it's a much stronger book.

>26 LibraryLover23:, >28 LibraryLover23: These both sound fun!

>30 libraryperilous: Yeah, they were good! I haven’t really read a dud yet this year, which is nice. Not a lot of free time for either reading or posting these days, though. Ah well. Hope things are good with you!