Open Thread for Readers for August 2026
Got a book you want to talk about? Frustrated with a book or series? In love with a new one? Found a buried treasure? An issue that keeps popping up in the books you are reading? Just want to chat about stuff in general? Post about it here!
We are a little past halfway into the year and I’ve only had a few great reads, and only one of them is from 2026, This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews. So I’m looking for more. What are your favorite books of 2026 thus far?
Two of my favorite 2026 reads are by Sarra Manning, Rescue Me and The Last Days of Summer. The Last Days of Summer is an enemies to lovers with a valid reason to dislike the MMC for 300 pages.
Other Books I Liked:
Not His Girlfriend…Yet by M.J Liu (thanks Jayne)
Once in a Blue Moon by Kristan Higgins. It took me back to Higgins romance days before her books became issue oriented women’s fiction.
Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan. Her books always have questionable third act breakups.
@Jenreads: You’re welcome! I’m looking forward to Liu’s follow up book. ☺
@Janine: The Ilona Andrews’ book is also my favorite so far this year.
The most recent Murderbot and Finlay Donovan books would be next in outstanding reads. 2026 has been successful for me, but THIS KINGDOM WILL NOT KILL ME is way out in front.
There is a great deal to look forward to this fall: the final really final Thursday Next book from Jasper Fforde; Louise Penny, Robert Jackson Barrett, Becky Chambers, Mark Billingham.
And now I have seven books on loan from the library because Mick Herron’s RECONSTRUCTION and Katherine Applegate’s POCKET BEAR just became available and added to the pile. Such lovely problems.
I have several new favorites ~
Turns of Fate (Isle of Wyrd Book 1) by Anne Bishop (read in mid December)
This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews
For Whom the Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn
Live, Love, Level by M.C.A. Hogarth
I haven’t read any 5-star books yet this year, but a few came close: LADY TREMAINE by Rachel Hochhauser (retelling of Cinderella from stepmother’s POV, dark but romance-adjacent) and HEART THE LOVER by Lily King (lit-fic, also romance-adjacent).
Looking forward to:
Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher
Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty (sequel to Big Little Lies – could be good or could be awful)
Paper Ghosts by Sarah Addison Allen
@Darlynne: Platform Decay is a runner up for me – I’d give it a B+. I’m tickled that three of us all have This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me on our best of the year (so far) list.
@SusanS: I’ve heard good things about Lady Tremaine and Heart the Lover. I want to read both. How important is it to read Writers and Lovers (the prequel) before Heart the Lover?
@Janine: I have lots of recommendations, including more “romantasy” books that I think you might enjoy if you’re still looking for recs. Highly recommend these gems:
-Radiance by Grace Draven – have you tried anything by her? I think this is one of her best. I don’t want to set unreasonable expectations but it almost felt like if Goblin Emperor had a romance sequel
-Unicorn Hunter by Katherine Arden – I love her work. Like other things she writes, it is part fairy tale, part historical fiction. Writing is lyrical but not overwrought IMO. If you are a stickler about historical facts, you may not enjoy as much, as it deviates from history.
-The Everlasting – the best of the “Lady knight” subgenre in my opinion. Well written and original and beautiful
-Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo – I read her entire (sadly short) backlist after picking up fox wife on DA’s recommendation. Loved them all, but particularly liked this one. There is a trope that some readers may find slightly squicky without giving too much away
-Dungeon Crawler Carl – I’m on book 4. Such a fun, laugh out loud series. I am not a gamer, but the stories and characters are so engaging!
@Janine: I read Heart the Lover before Writers and Lovers and it was fine. They cover different parts of the MC’s life, with just a little overlap.
@Li: Princess Donut!
@Li: You had me at “it almost felt like if Goblin Emperor had a romance sequel”. I adored Addison’s THE GOBLIN EMPEROR so immediately went to my library’s website and borrowed RADIANCE. Very much looking forward to reading it.
@Susan/DC: I hope you like it!!
@Jayne: yes she is my fav!! :-D
I liked radiance too! Interestingly grave Draven and Ilona Andrews are friends irl.. master of crows is good as well..
@Li: Thank you! :)
I have tried Grace Draven before but her prose style jarred me, it just sounded too modern for the setting (fantasy, but the world had a historical-ish flavor). I believe the books I tried were Master of Crows and Entreat Me. I have become (by necessity) a bit less picky about language in recent years, especially in fantasy novels, so maybe she would work better for me now. I’ve certainly heard a lot of praise for her books, so it would be great if she did. I’ll check out Radiance, since I also adored The Goblin Emperor.
I have had both Unicorn Hunter and Everlasting on my radar, I’ll try to move them up. If only I didn’t have so many library books checked out or on hold! Everlasting might even be one of them.
I did not know that Yangsze Choo had another book out! I’m the one who reviewed The Fox Wife. I must read it!
Thank you so much!!
@Sue: @Janine: I didn’t love Entreat Me, but I loved Master of Crows. Uprooted is one of my favs of all time and Master of Crows felt like it might have inspired Uprooted, so I might have been biased there. I really enjoy the grumpy sunshine trope or whatever the cranky older wizard and more level headed/undervalued apprentice (and later respected equal) trope is! I do find Draven is a bit hit or miss for me.
@Li: I wonder if that trope originates with Howl’s Moving Castle. I think it’s older than Uprooted or Master of Crows.
I did not love This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me as much as everyone else – it’s a good book but not 5 stars for me. I enjoyed Platform Decay and also the Dorothy Gentleman series by Olivia Waite. Other books I’ve really liked this year (fiction) were published in 2023 and 2025, Babel and The Hounding.
I’m looking forward to the new Ana & Din mystery, A Trade of Blood, out last week – I’m 51st on the hold list at the library :)
@jmc: My husband and I are also looking forward to the new Ana & Din book. According to LIbby we are about 5 weeks away from being able to check it out.
Off to look into The Hounding! I haven’t heard of it.
@Janine: So far – same. Favorite book of 2026 for me.
@jmc and @Sirius: I read an AMA with the author where he said he’d like to continue the series long enough for the total number of books to be at least seven or eight, and potentially more. So that’s good news.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1vf4ghz/im_ana_and_din_mysteries_author_robert_jackson/
Thank you for the AMA link, @Janine.
@Sirius: Do you mean This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me or the Robert Jackson Bennett book in the Ana and Din series?
@Jmc: You’re welcome.
@Janine: Kingdom will not kill me. I certainly liked Ana and Din a lot, but Kingdom so far is favorite book of the year.