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Best Books to Read in 2026 I've Actually Read and Loved
15
items I tracked every book I read in 2025 and these are the ones I kept recommending without being asked. Some fiction, some self-help, some finance — because the best reads don't stick to one genre. All available at Target.
I kept putting off fixing bad habits until I read this. The 1% better every day idea sounds cheesy but it actually works — I've used it for exercise, sleep, and cutting screen time. The most practical self-help book I've ever read.
Atomic Habits - by James Clear (Hardcover)
Book 3 of the Empyrean series — if you've read Fourth Wing and Iron Flame you already know you're buying this. New revelations about the world, the war, and Violet that completely change how you see the whole series.
Onyx Storm - by Rebecca Yarros (Hardcover)
The book that genuinely changed how I think about money when I first read it at 20. The difference between assets and liabilities sounds basic but most people never really learn it. Required reading before you start your first job.
Rich Dad Poor Dad - 25th Edition by Robert T Kiyosaki (Paperback)
Not a book about being manipulative — it's a book about understanding how power actually works in real life, history, and workplaces. Some laws I try to follow, some I use to recognize when they're being used on me. Eye-opening.
The 48 Laws of Power - by Robert Greene (Paperback)
Read this for the first time at 17, read it again last year and cried in different places. It's a short book but it asks you questions you haven't thought to ask yourself. One of those books you give to people you care about.
The Alchemist - 25th Edition by Paulo Coelho (Hardcover)
I was skeptical about waking up at 5am but Sharma explains the science behind the early morning and gives you a specific 20/20/20 routine that actually makes sense. I don't always hit 5am but when I do those mornings are genuinely different.
The 5am Club - by Robin Sharma (Hardcover)
The hardcover version for people who want this on their shelf permanently — and it should be. I've lent my copy to four different people and had to ask for it back each time. That tells you everything about how good it is.
The Psychology of Money - by Morgan Housel (Hardcover)
Won the Pulitzer Prize and I finally understand why — it's a retelling of Huckleberry Finn from Jim's perspective and it completely reframes a story I thought I already knew. Read it in two days and couldn't stop thinking about it after.
James - by Percival Everett (Hardcover)
I ugly cried twice reading this. Two sisters in Nazi-occupied France making impossible choices — the kind of historical fiction that makes you feel like you actually lived through it. One of the best books I've ever read.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (Hardcover) by Kristin Hannah
About a female Vietnam War nurse who comes home and nobody thanks her for her service. Kristin Hannah does this thing where she picks historical moments that have been overlooked and makes you feel every single second of them.
The Women - by Kristin Hannah (Hardcover)
Got this because I bounced off the original Sapiens text but still wanted to understand the ideas — the graphic version makes everything so much clearer and honestly more fun to read. My teenage brother read it without being asked which says everythi...
Sapiens: A Graphic History - by Yuval Noah Harari (Paperback)
I don't usually read fantasy but my friend wouldn't stop talking about this so I finally gave in. Read the whole thing in a weekend. Dragons, war college, and a slow burn romance that is genuinely painful in the best way. Now I understand why everyon...
Fourth Wing - by Rebecca Yarros (Hardcover)
Finished Fourth Wing and immediately ordered this. The sequel somehow hits even harder — higher stakes, more twists, and that ending hit me completely out of nowhere. I had to put the book down and just sit for a while.
Iron Flame - (Empyrean) - by Rebecca Yarros (Hardcover)
Got this after finishing the whole series because I needed somewhere to put all my thoughts and theories. Also just a beautiful object — the design matches the books perfectly. Perfect gift for any Empyrean fan.
Official Fourth Wing Journal - by Rebecca Yarros (Hardcover)
Jay Shetty spent three years as a monk and this book is everything he learned distilled into something actually applicable to modern life. The chapter on purpose hit me harder than I expected. Completely different from the usual self-help formula.
Think Like a Monk - by Jay Shetty (Hardcover)