1. King Sorrow by Joe Hill

Six friends make a deadly deal with a dragon in King Sorrow, Joe Hill’s first novel in almost 10 years. We follow Arthur, Gwen, Colin, Donna, Van and Allie over the course of four decades as they’re forced to choose a new victim for King Sorrow every Easter – or face death themselves.

This is truly a monster of a novel in both size and scope, but I still could easily have spent another 900 pages in this world. 

So much so, two of my bookish goals for 2026 are to read more of Joe Hill’s books and to give the King Sorrow audiobook a go; it really feels like a story I’ll want to revisit each year.

(Image: Talya Honebeek)

2. The Strength of the Few by James Islington

The Will of the Many by James Islington was one of my top three reads of last year, so it’s absolutely no surprise to me that The Strength of the Few is up there this year.

With this being a sequel, there isn’t much I can say about the plot without spoiling it, but this was fast-paced (despite clocking in at over 700 pages), exciting and full of gasp-worthy moments – everything a good sequel should be.

It’s safe to say I have high hopes for book three…

(Image: Talya Honebeek)

3. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Project Hail Mary follows Ryland Grace, the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission to save Earth — except he doesn’t know it yet. We meet Ryland as he wakes up from a very long sleep and realises he’s totally alone… and millions of miles from home.

As his memories start to return, he sets out to find a way to save humanity from extinction. This is sci-fi, with emphasis on the sci. Don’t be put off though, because while there’s a lot of scientific language and terms, it’s written in an accessible and often humorous way.

The novel is split into the present day and Ryland’s memories of life before being sent to space. I was so invested in Ryland’s story, and I still think about the ending of this book all the time. You can catch me at the cinema for the opening weekend of the film adaptation next year!

(Image: Talya Honebeek)

4. Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

Anyone who knows me has already heard about how much I love Dungeon Crawler Carl. I could honestly talk about it all day, but all I’ll say here is it’s about a man named Carl, and his cat Donut, who enter a deadly, game show-like dungeon after an alien takeover of Earth.

It feels really fun and fresh, and it took no time at all for me to start rooting for all of the characters. I would also highly recommend the audiobook, narrated by Jeff Hayes.

There are seven books in the series so far, with another thought to be on the way in 2026. In other words, it’s a great time to jump on the bandwagon and see what the hype is all about.

(Image: Talya Honebeek)

5. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Atmosphere is a love story set against the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle program. It follows Joan Goodwin, an astrophysics professor who finds love, friendship and rivalry while training to become an astronaut. But then, on a mission in December 1984, everything changes in an instant.

As a big fan of both romance and science fiction, I had high expectations going into this. Luckily, it did not disappoint. Joan’s relationships are complex, and the side characters are so fleshed out they actually feel like real people. I’m not someone who tends to cry a lot while reading, but this book had me in tears on multiple occasions, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the ending for weeks.

(Image: Talya Honebeek)