This year has been hallmarked by several well-received new series, both highly anticipated and surprise stars. Sitcoms are back in full force, BookTok adaptations have taken over social media, and familiar favorites have returned with new seasons.
Despite loving the hype around each release, I’ve found myself in a bit of a reading slump with unspeakably high screen time. So, I’ve decided to ease back into reading by picking up titles that remind me of my comfort shows. If you’re trying to do the same, here are my personal recommendations based on your favorite series of 2026!
‘Sterling Point’: ‘The Idiot’
Prime Video’s Sterling Point stars Ella Rubin, Keen Ruffalo, and Jacob Lavoie-Whiteduck, and follows protagonist Annie (Rubin) as she makes a journey of self-discovery on a peaceful Canadian island that was left to her by her late grandfather. The coming-of-age series blew up on social media for its realistic dialogue and representation.
Annie is brilliant, curious, and sensitive, and her character reminded me vividly of one of my favorite literary heroines, Selin Karadag of Elif Batuman’s The Idiot. Selin, like Annie, is an ambitious girl in her late teens on a complicated journey of self-discovery. Throughout the story, she navigates similar struggles of identity and romantic relationships and takes solace in a major change of scenery.
Apart from the thematic and plot similarities, the diversity and depth of the characters are consistent across both works and are arguably even stronger in The Idiot. The raw, thoughtful dialogue that pulls the reader in will undoubtedly appeal to fans of Sterling Point. If you liked Annie, I think you’ll love Selin!
‘Adults’: ‘Crazy Rich Asians’
Adults is one of my new favorite comfort shows, and it feels like everyone is talking about it. My favorite sitcoms have larger-than-life characters, and Jack Innanen, Owen Thiele, and Amita Rao bring chaotic energy to every episode, meaning this show needs an over-the-top, exciting recommendation to match.
Social media has crowned Crazy Rich Asians as “the perfect airplane movie,” but I see little conversation about the books it was based on, a completely underrated trilogy by Kevin Kwan. While the satirical series following the lives of Singaporean elites may seem completely opposite to five young housemates in Queens, both pieces of media have the same comforting energy.
The books are messy in the best way, with vibrant characters familiar to those who are fans of the franchise and crazy plotlines that fans of Adults would love, coming from someone writing this in a #VoteforPaulBaker t-shirt.
‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’: ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’
For myself, the newest installment in the Game of Thrones franchise has been a breath of fresh air. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has received widespread acclaim for its cinematography and faithful adaptation of the book it was based on. For fans of my favorite franchise, I recommend my favorite book, One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, as your next read.
Like A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the setting and events of the book seem deceptively simple at first but become dizzyingly complex with every page turned. One Hundred Years of Solitude blends fantasy, magic, and reality to tell the story of a powerful family, the Buendías, that struggles to maintain their place in a society that they’ve shaped, much like the Targaryen dynasty in the world of Game of Thrones.
At times, the characterization and prose of this book are so well-crafted that it feels more real than a story on a screen. I can’t recommend this book enough, and I’m positive that fans of this HBO drama will love it!
‘Beef’: ‘You Dreamed of Empires’
One of the most popular anthology series in recent years, Beef released its second season on Netflix in April, starring Charles Melton, Cailee Spaeny, and Oscar Isaac. Anyone who knows and loves Beef will tell you that it’s like nothing else out right now, and it deserves a niche book recommendation to match.
Beef is unpredictable, filled with tension, and blends realistic emotion with unbelievable events. Stylistically, it stands on its own, as does Álvaro Enrigue’s You Dreamed of Empires. The novel follows the meeting of conquistador Hernán Cortés and Emperor Moctezuma in 1519.
Based on this description alone, it may sound as far from Beef as possible, but the humorous writing, absurd sequence of events, and cultural motifs of the novel are perfect for fans of the series that need more media with that same unique feeling.
‘Love Island USA’: ‘Yellowface’
It was a Love Island summer yet again, and whether you love or hate the show, it undeniably sparks a lot of discourse about representation, morality, and the power social media lends to its favorites. For fans who love dissecting the nuanced relationships in the villa and the controversies beyond it, an unconventional book recommendation is needed.
R.F. Kuang’s 2023 bestseller, Yellowface, follows author June Hayward, who is the villain of her own story. If you can handle seeing your least-favorite Islander survive another dumping from the villa, you may survive the complicated emotions that arise when reading Yellowface.
June plagiarizes, lies, and appropriates her way through her newfound fame, and like Love Island, this novel has contributed to impactful, real-world discussions about truth, race, and moral dilemmas.
Whether you take one of my recommendations or begin a different story, I hope that you’ve been inspired to find the story that speaks to you.
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