Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
Book Recs of 2026
20
items I'm tracking my best reads of the year (based on my own rankings, of course), and we're starting off strong. These are the ones you should absolutely add to your TBR or find in your local library. If you're looking for a full review, check out either...
Sections
3
One-Off Books
Series
Important books to read in 2026
One-Off Books
This satire about a cannibalistic sorority touched multiple aspects of my life. What makes a perfect woman? Check out my Tiktok to see what I've gotta say about this.
Girl Dinner: A Novel|Hardcover
As a big Stephen King fan, this is one of his best. There are so many ties to his other series, and they work so well. What kinds of watershed moments do you see as things that could change the world?
11/22/63: A Novel|Paperback
If you read The Stand and asked yourself, "What happened outside of white suburbia?" same. This is it - an expansion on the world told through short stories.
The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King's ...
Series
I love books where you get a peek into the daily life of the characters. That's the best part of this one - the glimpse of Claire using her microscope, or of Jamie enjoying the crisp fall air on the ridge.
The Fiery Cross (Outlander Volume 5) (Hardcover)
This book really ramps up the challenges the characters face. They're already watching for when the revolution picks up. There's some real evil moments. And the end just breaks my heart.
Outlander A Breath of Snow and Ashes, Book 6, (Hardcover)
My favorite of the Skyland series. It's a story about love and grief and everything in between. Tw: infant loss
Before I Let Go (Skyland, #1) by Kennedy Ryan - Goodreads
This is the start of a rollercoaster that you won't find relief from until the next book. Good luck 😬
An Echo in the Bone: A Novel (Outlander)
Unique magic system. Excellent writing. Idk how anyone survived the wait, reading this in real time...
One Dark Window (The Shepherd King, #1)
Talk about finally getting a breath of relief. What a journey!
Written in My Own Heart's Blood
Meet Lord John - he's essentially a mix between an 18th century gentleman and Sherlock Holmes.
Lord John and the Private Matter (Lord John Grey)
I wish we had gotten more of the happy relationship. Less of the abusive man.
This Could Be Us (Skyland, #2) by Kennedy Ryan
This book is connective tissue. There are so many characters that seem to have history in Outlander - this explains a lot of it.
Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade: A Novel (Lord John Grey)
Enjoy as Lord John and Jamie try to find some common ground again.
The Scottish Prisoner: A Novel (Lord John Grey)
Important books to read in 2026
This is a collection of really important books right now. I've added them to my TBR, but I wanted to collect them somewhere for easy access.
This is a dystopian novel that really serves as a cautionary tale about the rise of facism. The author's wife pushed him to write this, as she saw the value in this.
It Can't Happen Here|Paperback
Big Brother controls every aspect of life through psychological manipulation. This is about the destruction of truth and individuality.
1984 (paperback)
1
When a society values VR and a fake reality over knowledge, truth, and books, what happens to critical thinking? This is an old read for me, but I look forward to rereading it.
Fahrenheit 451: A Novel|Hardcover
Dystopian novel about a climate-collapsed California, where people are facing economical and ecological crises. Way ahead of its time.
Parable of the Sower|Paperback
This is a classic that hasn't been on my radar before now. It's all about the technologically, elite class that's ruling over the rest of the world.
Brave New World (Study Guide) (Paperback)
This one already exists in my physical library. When I first read it, I'd expected it to follow the show. Instead, it's a story of facism being told through a historical record. Must read.
The Handmaid's Tale (Deluxe Edition): 40th Anniversary Edition|Paperback
If this book doesn't get you fired up, we must be reading different stories and living in different worlds.
Animal Farm by George Orwell - ArvindGuptaToys