My Priority Book List for 2026: 12 Fiction & Non-Fiction Reads

My 2026 Priority Reading List

• 🎯 The speaker outlines a priority TBR for 2026, featuring 12 books: six fiction and six non-fiction.
• 💡 Despite reading around 75 books annually, the speaker prefers a flexible reading approach over strict, extensive TBRs.
• 📚 Emphasis is placed on supporting local libraries and utilizing resources like Libby for reading.

Highlighted Fiction Selections

• ✅ The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson was an immediate 5-star read, praised for its political intrigue, world-building, and character development.
• 🎮 Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman is a current read, described as an RPG-like adventure following an alien invasion and dungeon competition.
• ⚔️ The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne, inspired by Norse mythology, explores a world where dead gods' bones hold power and follows three warriors.
• 📖 The Strength of the Few by James Islington (second in the Hierarchy series) continues a story of political intrigue and a unique magic system based on 'will'.
• 🌿 Borne by Jeff VanderMeer is anticipated for its weird, post-apocalyptic environmental themes and a researcher's discovery of an organism.
• 🚀 Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel (a 2026 new release) is set in a dystopian America and explores fractured reality and connected narratives.

Diverse Non-Fiction Explorations

• 🐦 What It's Like to Be a Bird by David Allen Sibley aligns with the speaker's personal curriculum on Pacific Northwest birds.
• 🔬 I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong focuses on microbes and their impact on life, building on the speaker's positive experience with his previous work on animal senses.
• 📜 Jane Austen's Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney delves into the historical literary influences on Jane Austen, appealing to fans of "Pride and Prejudice."

Social & Environmental Insights

• ⚠️ Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe investigates the Sackler family's role in the opioid crisis, a topic of personal relevance due to chronic pain.
• 🏡 The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl offers 52 essays on observing nature in a backyard setting, resonating with the speaker's interest in naturalism.
• 🌱 Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer explores indigenous knowledge about plants and encourages a mindful approach to the natural world and environmental care.