From Two Books a Year to Eleven, Last Year's Reading List
2026 is here. Rewind to approximately one year back, and I was making a New Year's resolution to read one book a month. To give some context to this number, I used to read about 3 - 5 books a month when I was in my teens and early twenties. It was almost exclusively fiction, but it covered a lot of different genres. Other than finishing the Wheel of Time series, I didn't do any significant amount of reading in my 30s (just to clarify, I read a lot, just not books - only blogs, articles, comic books, etc)
2025 comes around, and I decide that I will start with one book a month and end up with twelve books read for the year. I was travelling a lot during the last two months of the year, so I couldn't do much reading, and I ended up with eleven books read.
Here's the list!
I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett #
A Tiffany Aching Story This is the 4th Tiffany Aching book and is part of the larger Discworld series of books. I had started reading some Discworld books to get into the groove of reading, and I never have trouble reading them.
AI blurb: The book follows Tiffany Aching, now about 15–16 years old, as she grows into her role as a witch on the Chalk. Now a full witch, she must protect her people as fear and superstition turn them against her. When an ancient evil stirs, Tiffany learns that the greatest danger isn’t magic—but ordinary minds filled with hatred.
Children of Time, Children of Ruin, and Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky #
Don't read this if you have a fear of spiders, octopuses, ravens, or great scifi Amazing series that explores how different species might evolve and adapt given different conditions to those found on Earth. Also makes you think about non-human communication, and you'd be able to communicate with an alien intelligence.
AI blurb: Across distant worlds, humanity’s greatest legacy is not survival—but the minds it creates. As uplifted species evolve beyond human expectations, spiders, octopuses, and other intelligences reshape civilization in startling ways. The Children of Time series explores evolution, consciousness, and first contact on a galactic scale—where the future belongs to those who can learn to understand the truly alien.
The Fifth Season, The Obelisk Gate, and The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin #
Earth bending, but on a way larger scale If you like earthbending, magic, and lots of lore building, this is the series for you. Loved this story because of the amazing world-building. The story weaves together the past and the present, and you experience everything from the viewpoint of a couple of key characters.
AI blurb: An epic fantasy series set in a world plagued by constant catastrophes, where people with the ability to control the earth are both feared and oppressed. As the world teeters on the brink of collapse, one woman’s personal journey becomes entwined with the fate of the planet itself.
Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds #
Gave me Arthur C Clarke vibes This book is a little slow to take off, but once it does, there's a lot going on. Contains everything from aliens, problems with relativistic speeds, political intrigue, and the hard choices one must make when you're in a leadership position.
AI blurb: When a routine ice-mining mission goes disastrously wrong, a small crew is dragged far beyond known space by a mysterious alien artifact. Cut off from Earth and each other by time and distance, they must survive, adapt, and uncover the truth behind forces far older—and more powerful—than humanity.
The Dark Profit Saga by J. Zachary Pike #
Fantasy meets Wall Street This trilogy was hilarious! It's like if The Big Short was set in an epic fantasy setting and also had a big doomsday prophecy playing out in the background.
AI blurb: In a hilariously sharp fantasy world run by guilds, venture capital, and weaponized paperwork, heroes must navigate dungeon crawls, economic collapse, and corporate greed. Blending epic fantasy with biting satire, the series skewers modern capitalism while delivering genuine adventure and heart.
What's Next? #
This year's New Year's resolution is that I will read more than 11 books in 2026. I've already begun reading The Three-Body Problem series, and so I hope to continue from there.