What are you reading in 2026?

[Artamo]

Some people read more quickly, some people have fewer other hobbies/interests/media interactions. I read over 200 books in 2025, and my wife read more books than I did.

I applaud this. I wish I had the kind of reading stamina that I used to have as a teenager, but I’m also in full awareness that I’m the problem here - those media interactions, the doomscrolling, the mindless TV watching where you’re not even really watching anything, just surfing - all of that is time I could spend reading.

 

[overgeeked]

Just finished Spring, Summer, Asteroid, Bird. It’s a short non-fiction book about the kishōtenketsu story structure as well as nested and cyclical stories. If you read manga or light novels or watch anime, you’re already familiar with kishōtenketsu. It’s a fun, quick read. It’s informative rather than a how to. Though there is an appendix with dozens of questions that might be helpful in further cementing the concepts. Lots of great examples and spoilers abound for those examples. Well worth the read if you’re curious about the “conflict-free story structure” of East Asia.

 

[Retros_x]

Just finished Spring, Summer, Asteroid, Bird. It’s a short non-fiction book about the kishōtenketsu story structure as well as nested and cyclical stories. If you read manga or light novels or watch anime, you’re already familiar with kishōtenketsu. It’s a fun, quick read. It’s informative rather than a how to. Though there is an appendix with dozens of questions that might be helpful in further cementing the concepts. Lots of great examples and spoilers abound for those examples. Well worth the read if you’re curious about the “conflict-free story structure” of East Asia.

Really interesting! I first stumbled unto this term when I watched and read "Attack on Titan" - while it has definitely a lot of conflict, it still has this 4 act structure where you have a halfpoint switch of perspective that completely puzzles you and when it all comes together the whole story recontextualize in a grand fashion. But I only read the wikipedia articles and some blog posts about it, a small book like this definitely lands on my TBR!

 

[trappedslider]

Just finished it as well. I'll have to think on it, but my first impression is, I really liked it. A very different pace, and very different book than we've been getting.

Spoiler

I like that Dresden really gets a chance to process a lot of the trauma he's experienced, and that we get a look in on Chicago again instead of all the nonstop myth level machinations. Honestly the plot feels a little light and unsatisfactory in this one, but that takes a backseat to Harry's personal journey in a way I actually liked.

we also learned that the only way

Spoiler

Dresden MIGHT be able to take down Mab with demon reach is a surprise attack and even that's iffy. We also found out what it means or at least one meaning to be starborn

and Dresden patched things up a bit with McCoy.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I finished PKD's The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch. A trippy exploration of reality and religion that still maintains some classic sci-fi tropes.

I also read Rudy Rucker's Wetware. After reading two books, I can say that I don't vibe with Rucker. Important events, including POV character deaths, occur off-camera. The female characters have just about zero agency. I will give him credit for his exploration of technology, which while not necessarily more grounded than his contemporaries, does have more thought put into it.

Now I'm reading the Mirrorshades anthology.