mid-year book report
yes, I've read heated rivalry twice this year so far
Hey! You’re here. Thank you.
Believe it or not, we are halfway through the year. I know. Time is weird. But I’ll take any excuse to pause and think about my reading life, so join me in a little mid-year reading reflection if that’s your thing.
This post is entirely inspired by Traci Thomas who wrote about her mid-year reading report here. Bless the internet for connecting me with other book nerds who get just as excited about this kind of thing as I do.
Before we get to the books, here are some stats from the first six months of my 2026 reading life:
I’ve read 33 books so far this year: 27 fiction, 4 non-fiction, and 2 poetry collections. Of those 27 works of fiction, 11 are romance novels. Finally, I’ve read 12 new releases and 21 backlist titles.
Nobody asked how I am doing on my reading goals (because I made them up!), but I’m going to tell you anyway.
Complete the mega challenge - with 25 prompts complete, I am just about halfway through the Stacks Mega Reading Challenge. As long as I stay consistent in the coming months, this is going pretty well!
Keep up with my book journal - Okay, this is not going well. I am struggling to take the time to pause and reflect on the book I just finished before I just run right into my next read. Anyone have any tips on this? I really want to stick to it, but it’s hard to build the habit.
Read 40% new releases - I am at 38% new releases right now, so I’m not mad about that at all!
Read 12 books before their release date - this goal is specific to my job as a bookseller, but I’m at 8 books so far, so that is looking good!
Read 12 romance novels - can you tell this is the most fun goal?? I am already at 11! And that’s only counting Heated Rivalry once even though I read it twice. Let’s go!
Okay, now here are some highlights from the last six months. This list is inspired by the mid-year book freakout tag on instagram. Again, I love the internet for bringing me so many friends who take reading as seriously as I do.
On to the books!
best book you’ve read so far
I know. This is not a surprise. Etna comes out August 4th, and I just can’t emphasize enough how moved I was by this small, powerful book. I can’t wait to talk about it with you.
favorite sequel
This counts as a sequel, right? Because, yeah, I think this goes without saying. Rachel Reid changed my life with these little hockey books.
book that made you cry
Novels by poets! My dear friend, Laura, recommended this novel to me and, of course, she was right. The novel is told in the voice of poet who experiences a health crisis and spends a prolonged period in the hospital during the height of the COVID pandemic. What Greenwell does with this premise is unforgettable. The audiobook, read by Greenwell himself, is one of the most profound reading experiences in recent memory. I listened to end of this book on my couch, with Yaya, and cried the best kind of book tears.
new favorite character
Patrick, After Hours at Dooryard Books by Cat Sebastian
I was so taken by this gay romance novel set in a used bookstore in the Greenwich Village in 1968 and a big part of its charm was Patrick, the large, grumpy, soft-hearted, Whitman-obsessed proprietor of the titular bookstore. I could have spent a hundred more pages with Patrick.
favorite new to you author
Addie E. Citchens was new to me and new to many when her debut novel, Dominion, hit shelves last year. Dominon is a small-town drama set in a church community in rural Mississippi and, like so many readers, it caught me completely by surprise. Also great on audio!
favorite re-read
Again, I do think this goes without saying.
favorite debut
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
It’s pretty wild to think of The Warmth of Other Suns as a debut, since it is without a doubt a modern classic of narrative non-fiction. Isabel Wilkerson really came out swinging with this one, and I am so glad I finally made time for it this year.
biggest disappointment
For the Bride by Becca Grischow
I don’t know, guys, all I can say is Rachel Reid taught me to have standards in my romance reading and this book really let me down. I feel like publishers are phoning it in a little with some of these rom-coms. It felt like they needed some lesbians in their catalog and they tried to just fill in the blanks and I demand more, and better.
biggest surprise
Fat Swim by Emma Copley Eisenberg
I knew I would like this short story collection from Emma Copley Eisenberg, but I did not expect to be absolutely gripped by it. I read almost all of it on a plane and was completely consumed. Truly, all hits and no skips and that is almost never my experience with short story collections. I think this is the book of the summer and if it’s not on your summer reading tbr you are doing it wrong.
most anticipated new release for the second half of 2026
Music Against the Night by Yiyun Li
I’ve referenced this before, but Ann Patchett recently said Music Against the Night (out October 13th), “may be the best contemporary novel I’ve ever read in my life.” If there is one thing I am going to do, it is listen to Ann.
most beautiful book you acquired this year
Court Queens by Emma Baccellieri and Jordan Robinson
I don’t even have a coffee table, but you know I had to buy this coffee table book about women’s basketball. I haven’t read it yet, but I have flipped through and it is absolutely gorgeous, full of photographs and history, and I can’t wait to dig in. If you ask me, it’s about time women’s basketball got the coffee table book treatment.
Okay that’s all for me! Time to maybe go write in my book journal??
Before you go, tell me: how is your reading life going so far this year? what is one thing you are loving and one thing you want to change?
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I love books. I love you.
I’m glad you’re here.
Love,
Rosamond
Okay goals!!!! Look at you go! I’m right with you on the Mega challenge (🪱), but mostly I came here to say that your HR gifs are making me think a 3rd rewatch should probably be a goal for this year. I don’t make the rules.
I love this!! I feel like I play catch up with new releases and don’t read ahead as much as I’d like, but I think I will for Etna.