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2026 Books Read

6 items

Kat Kurdziel

Apparently my reading taste this year is:
🦖 dinosaurs escaping containment
🚀 people stranded in space
🧪 terrifying science experiments
😭 emotional damage disguised as sci-fi

Here’s everything I’ve read in 2026, complete with my quick reviews and ratings.

Sections

Sci-Fi

Fantasy

Sci-Fi

Space disasters, terrifying science experiments, survival stories, aliens, morally questionable scientists, and books that make me stare at the wall afterward. This category is mostly sci-fi, speculative fiction, and science-heavy thrillers that comp...

WOWWOWWOW. I already loved the movie adaptation, but the book is somehow even better. The humor, the science, the pacing - all incredible. Mark Watney is such a compelling narrator, and the survival/problem-solving aspects made this impossible to sto...

The Martian by Andy Weir, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®

WOW. I’ve loved the movies forever - even the chaotic later ones 😅- but the book is on another level. So much scarier, more intense, and genuinely thrilling. Michael Crichton somehow makes dinosaurs feel scientifically believable and absolutely terr...

Jurassic Park: Crichton, Michael

I picked this up after finishing all of Andy Weir’s books because I needed more smart sci-fi. This definitely leans heavier on the science side and reads almost like a technical report at times - it actually reminded me a lot of The Hot Zone, which i...

The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton, Paperback

Okay, yes - I finally gave in because everyone was reading this, and WOW. Completely lived up to the hype for me. I actually didn’t love the ending at first, but after listening to the audiobook and really immersing myself in the story, I appreciated...

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®

I really enjoyed the setting and overall storyline here - the moon colony concept was super fun and immersive. It’s definitely a quicker, lighter sci-fi read compared to Project Hail Mary or The Martian. My biggest complaint is that the ending/climax...

Artemis by Andy Weir, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®

Fantasy

Kingdoms at war, morally questionable characters, political chaos, ancient prophecies, dragons, and at least 14 people with names I need a chart to remember. These are my fantasy reads of 2026 — ranging from addictive and immersive to “hold on, I nee...

I flew through the first book in a week, but this one somehow became my emotional support travel companion for the last TWO YEARS 😅 It came with me on flights, road trips, vacations… and I’d still barely make progress every time I picked it up. Not ...

A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire #2) - Barnes & Noble