In Episode 228, Sarah, Catherine (@GilmoreGuide), and Chrissie (@ChrissieWhitley) take stock of the reading year so far, discussing the books, publishing trends, and industry chatter that have defined the first half of 2026. They dive into the biggest publishing stories of the year, the rise of “cozy everything,” the continued influence of self-publishing and book-to-screen success stories, and whether it’s possible to tap a Book of the Year before the second half of the publishing calendar arrives. Then, they share their Top 5 Books of 2026 So Far and a few disappointing reads that didn’t quite live up to expectations.
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
Highlights
- How our 2026 reading has been so far
- How 2026 compares to this point in 2025
- Each person’s current Book of the Year pick
- Whether it’s too early to crown a Book of the Year
- Midyear reading stats and surprise wins
- Each of our Top 5 books of 2026 so far
- Their biggest disappointments of the year so far
Top 5 Books of 2026 So Far
Sarah
- No One’s Coming by Kevin Hazzard (Mar 3) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [32:42]
- A Hymn to Life by Gisèle Pelicot (Feb 17) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:36]
- Whistler by Ann Patchett (Jun 2) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [39:44]
- London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe (Apr 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [46:55]
- The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff (May 19) | Amazon
| Bookshop.org [52:55]
Catherine
- The Poet Empress by Shen Tao (Jan 20) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [35:11]
- A Hymn to Life by Gisèle Pelicot (Feb 17) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:36]
- Land by Maggie O’Farrell (Jun 2) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [42:55]
- Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser (Mar 3) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [49:42]
- Ruins by Lily Brooks-Dalton (March 31) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [56:09]
Chrissie
- A Hymn to Life by Gisèle Pelicot (Feb 17) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:36]
- Whistler by Ann Patchett (Jun 2) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [39:44]
- The Infamous Gilberts by Angela Tomaski (Jan 20) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [44:44]
- Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell (Mar 24) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [51:10]
- Seek the Traitor’s Son (The Burning Empire, 1) by Veronica Roth (May 12) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [58:55]
Other Books Mentioned
- The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne (2017) [41:31]
- Tom Lake by Ann Patchett (2020) [42:14]
- The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff (2025) [53:03]
- Dune (Dune, 1) by Frank Herbert (1965) [59:38]
Some Disappointing Books So Far
Sarah
- Kin by Tayari Jones (Feb 24) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:00:33]
- Go Gentle by Maria Semple (Apr 14) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:00:55]
- Leave Your Mess At Home by Tolani Akinola (Apr 14) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:01:35]
Catherine
- The Last Mandarin by Louise Penny and Mellissa Fung (May 12) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:02:03]
- The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett (May 5) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:02:31]
Chrissie
- Artifacts by Natalie Lemle (May 19) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:03:39]
- Hell’s Heart by Alexis Hall (Mar 10) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:04:13]
- Fatherland by Victoria Shorr (Mar 10) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:04:54]
Other Books Mentioned
- Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple (2012) [1:01:01]
- Moby-Dick; or, The Whale by Herman Melville (1851) [1:04:19]
Books From the Opening Discussion
- Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, 3) by Rebecca Yarros (2025) [2:39]
- Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (2021) [3:18]
- Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl, 1) by Matt Dinniman (2024)* [3:22]
- Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (Apr 7) [4:34]
- Theo of Golden by Allen Levi (2025)* [4:41]
- The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (2025) [5:03]
- The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins (2024) [5:57]
- Game Changer (Game Changers: Heated Rivalry, 1) by Rachel Reid (2024) [6:09]
- KPop Demon Hunters (Junior Novelization) by Jessica Yoon (Mar 31) [6:13]
- KPop Demon Hunters (Screen Comic Boxed Set) by Netflix (Nov 3, 2026) [6:13]
- The Martian by Andy Weir (2014)* [6:48]
- The Names by Florence Knapp (2025) [11:17]
- Trad Wife by Michelle Brandon (Aug 4, 2026) [16:57]
- Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer (Feb 10) [16:59]
- Too Blessed to Stress by Alli Hoff Kosik (Mar 3) [17:02]
- The Midnight Show by Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne (Apr 7) [17:29]
- Good People by Patmeena Sabit (Feb 3) [17:35]
- So Old, So Young by Grant Ginder (Feb 17) [17:40]
- No Friend to This House by Natalie Haynes (Mar 10) [18:00]
- Upward Bound by Woody Brown (Mar 31) [18:33]
- This Is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman (Feb 10) [18:35]
- The Reservation by Rebecca Kauffman (Feb 24) [18:38]
- Brawler by Lauren Groff (Feb 24) [18:43]
- My Dear You by Rachel Khong (Apr 7) [18:46]
- All the World Can Hold by Jung Yun (Mar 10) [19:16]
- The Shippers by Katherine Center (May 19) [19:18]
- American Fantasy by Emma Straub (Apr 7) [19:32]
- Man Overboard by Kathleen Rooney (Jul 7, 2026) [19:37]
- Swept Away by Beth O’Leary (2025) [19:47]
- The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion (Vol. 1) by Beth Brower (2019) [22:45]
*Publication year reflects the later traditionally published edition. These titles were originally self-published.
Additional Links
- The New Yorker | Glowworms by Ann Patchett (Sep 29, 2025)
About Catherine Gilmore
Catherine started The Gilmore Guide to Books over 10 years ago after wrapping up a career as a corporate librarian. She loves books and reading (surprise!) and currently lives in Seattle, WA.
About Chrissie Whitley
Instagram | Goodreads | Substack
Chrissie loves all things related to books, movies, and music. Before joining Sarah’s Bookshelves in 2021, she worked in marketing on a foreign exchange trading floor before spending many years as a stay-at-home mom and occasionally taking on freelance graphic design and copywriting work. Between story times with her kids, steady visits as a library patron, and volunteering, she’s spent a lot of time in libraries — making up for having little access to one growing up beyond the school media center.
Known for sharing her opinions confidently (especially about books), Chrissie still makes plenty of room for differing takes and lively discussion. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two nearly grown children.
Next Episode
In two weeks (July 8), Laura B. McGrath, from textCrunch on Substack, is back on the podcast. This time Laura talks about her new book Middlemen and Behind the Scenes of Literary Agents.
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