Compiling a list of my good and bad reads of 2026. Will try (maybe) to expand on my thoughts more here compared to what I put on goodreads bc that shit ain’t for them.

1. The Covenant of Water: 5/5 The absolute best book I’ve ever read. Started my year off with a fucking banger. Generational fiction so there’s a lot to get into and it takes a couple hundred pages to really learn the characters but once you do you become so attached. The plot line was so beautifully woven together. #ChildBride Trigger Warning but the story was so good it had me defending it???? You simply have to understand the cultural nuances of child brides at that time in Kerala, India………..

2. Foster: 4/5 it was a beautiful tale, I’m not sure why I only gave it 4/5. I think at the time I was frustrated that it was only a short story and not more developed, but I think I was projecting something. I possibly (definitely) was also feeling a little spiteful towards the person who loaned us the book. #Grudge.

3. Severance: 3/5 I had to go back and refresh my memory about the plot. I recall the story being interesting but clearly forgettable. I think the ending was really unsatisfying, and some parts of the books were just undeveloped for my liking. Probably still worth the read-- not every book should be five stars.

4. Seven Year Slip: 2/5 this reminded me that I don't like romance books. This book was so trash. There were so many plot holes that were artificially stuffed with the reliance of fantasy magic bullshit. It takes a skilled hand to write about the space-time continuum and this author had poor penmanship, so to speak. 

5. ACOTAR #1:3/5  first and only book in the series for me, I fear. It reads like a mediocre fanfic....also I just simply don't love fantasy. I tried to give the genre a shot with this book and it was a miss. I have heard the series gets better, but also that the author has a reputation of producing dud-first books in most of her series?????? I fundamentally take issue with that. 

6.Open, Heaven: 4/5 heartache in book form. Irish people write pretty good books. A nice little journey coming to terms with sexuality and queerness. This book was from a male perspective which is not a problem necessarily but a little harder to connect to as a #woman.

7. Endling: 5/5 really interesting plotline and major plot twist mid-book due to current events. artfully executed. Not much else to say on this one. 

8. Pachinko: 5/5 screaming, crying, throwing up. A must read if you like generational novels (much like the covenant of water). Some books just have it and this book HAS it.  

9: Martyr!: 4/5. went into this book with very high expectations and that kinda led me astray.  I was feeling generous and felt this book deserved a 4/5, just cuz. written by Man, CLEARLY. 

10. Small boat: Stream of consciousness prose which is always a trip. thought-provoking. Everyone should read but the people who need it most never will. 

11. Bee sting: DNF but shelved. I would like to come back to this book at some point, but I needed a break (plus, my library loan had to be returned) There is some experimental prose around part two or three-ish and I was just struggling to get into it for some reason. waiting on libby for book

12. Phoebe Berman's Gonna Lose it: 2/5 oh so so bad. very exposing peek into a corner of the internet I venture into sometimes. I hate to be a hater to a new author, but this book really should have been in development for longer. An emotionally immature author writing about an emotionally immature character just ain't it. 

13. Long Island compromise: 5/5 banger alert ! ! This book was jaw dropping. The author was able to manipulate the pacing and reader experience in such a way. I am always partial to a multi-perspective book. One of the few books that actually made me LOL multiple times. 

14. Buckeye: DNF. Another book that I had to shelf but I will give it another shot. I think my libby loan is actually available today. It has really good reviews, but the pacing was so goddamn slow coming off the adrenaline rush of the Long Island compromise. I really couldn’t do it. I do think there’s potential. I’m curious to learn more about the wife who could talk to dead people.

15. Will of the Many: currently reading. Feeling like a masochist reading another fantasy book that I probably won’t enjoy, but a friend from my gym loaned it to me and gave it such good reviews I feel like I owe her the effort. But she loves fantasy??? idk, sometimes you have to put in the work to cultivate community.