This year, I’ve gotten back into my hobby of reading. In this process, I’ve discovered some books that I’ll likely leave on my shelf forever. Here are my favorite books that I’ve read in 2026 so far.
‘The Silence of the Lambs’ by Thomas Harris
After becoming obsessed with the movie adaptation of The Silence of the Lambs, I thought reading the original novel would be worth it. I was right.
I found great enjoyment in the book version of this story about a trainee FBI agent’s journey in discovering a serial killer. The book was written in a way that made it extremely engaging; I could read for an hour that felt more like five minutes.
I also appreciated how the book gave more insight into the background of the characters than could be fit in the movie’s runtime. I absolutely recommend this book to any fans of the horror or mystery genre, or any fans of the Silence of the Lambs movie in particular.
‘One of Us is Lying’ by Karen McManus
This mystery read follows the story of five kids attending Bayview High. The group’s names are Bronwyn, Addy, Nate, Cooper, and Simon. This group winds up in detention together, which ends disastrously. Simon, who is known as the “outcast” of the group, dies after drinking a cup of water containing peanut oil, which he was allergic to.
It’s revealed that Simon ran a gossip page, and he was planning on posting about the other four members of the detention group the day after he died. Therefore, the rest of the group is suspected of murdering Simon. The story mainly focuses on which one of them caused his death.
This novel switches between each main character’s perspective, which I loved. Each character has a different role in the story, so it’s quite useful to read this switching of perspectives. The mystery also resolved in an intriguing twist. You’ll like this read if you enjoy mysteries or stories of teenage drama.
‘The Hunger Games’ by Suzanne Collins
Prior to this year, I’d never been keen on reading or watching the The Hunger Games series, despite its intense popularity. But after the book was given to me by one of my family members, I finally decided to give it a read.
This book exceeded my expectations. Since I’m not an avid reader of science fiction or dystopian fiction, I thought that I wouldn’t finish this book. After understanding the concept of the Hunger Games competition in the book, I thought it was strange and unrealistic at first. But after getting into the second half of the book, it sucked me into its world. I was fascinated by the love story between Katniss and Peeta. Plus, I was on the edge of my seat wondering who would be the next to “lose” in the competition.
Overall, Collins built a fascinating world and fascinating characters, as well as a great deal of suspense. If you’re one of the few who hasn’t read or watched this series already, I recommend it if you enjoy the dystopian genre, science fiction, or fantasy. Even if you’ve seen the movies, I recommend reading the book for a different perspective.
‘Good Girl, Bad Blood’ by Holly jackson
This novel is the second installment in the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series. The first book in the series, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, follows a high schooler named Pip solving a crime case that involved a classmate from her high school a couple years before. However, the second installment of the series brings a new challenge for Pip.
This time, Pip finds herself solving a brand new crime. An acquaintance has just gone missing in her town, and after the town’s police neglect the case, Pip decides to take it upon herself to solve his disappearance. She then releases her findings on the disappearance through a podcast.
I loved the unpredictable twists and turns throughout this story. I was incredibly engaged by the story being from the perspective of a high school girl with limited resources, rather than from the perspective of the police or a detective. I recommend this story for anyone who loves thrilling stories or mystery, especially with unexpected twists. If you haven’t read the first installment of the series, I also recommend that you do so to understand the full progression of events.
These books have kept me entertained and interested through my free time in 2026. If you enjoy horror, mystery, sci-fi, or all three, you might end up feeling the same way about at least one of these books if you give them a read!