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📚 My Book Recs for 2026! Contemporary, Historical, Japanese Fiction
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items These are books I recommend for a cozy night in. Engaging storylines & plots, memorable characters! Short easy to read books are labeled in the description! I also have a currently reading section so if you want to read what I'm reading this year...
Sections
4
2026 - Currently Reading/Read
Fiction
Japanese Fiction
Self-Help & Life
2026 - Currently Reading/Read
This is where I will keep all my 2026 books I've read. Let me know if it's on your list too. I've leaned into two sub categories (???) of fiction this year for reading. One is stories with magic elements and Japanese authors that depict everyday life...
STARTED: Going to be a very long read! I really want to read this before seeing the movie!
Wicked: Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
FINISHED: Short and easy to read stories!
Aesop's Fables
FINISHED: I enjoyed this so much! I never read the actual book before seeing the Disney (the one everyone's seen) and it has stories or snippets that the movie does not show so of course it's a treat!
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass (Signature Classics) - Lewis Carole
FINISHED: This is a long poem but the imagery is so magical and delicious. A fast and enjoyable read.
The Goblin Market and Other Poems
FINISHED: I enjoyed this very much! It's a story about a woman that uses social media to meet people and recommend books. It's interesting this little decision changes the way she lives her life.
The Bookshop Woman: My Year Transforming Lives--One Book at a Time
Fiction
Fiction books with great stories and characters. Some are short breezy reads, others tackle more serious themes of family, love and relationships.
I enjoy reading mythology so this is a good book if you're a mythology lover. Circe isn't a well know mythology character so this was a fun read.
Circe - Madeline Miller
I love the main character of the book. She is a chemist and single mother, who ends up as a host on a cooking show. A character I want to root for.
Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus
I enjoy the magical realism in these stories. Short and easy read! I find them perfect for a cozy weekend afternoon.
The Girl in the Flammable Skirt - Aimee Bender
Infinite number of husbands? How do you choose? Great covers - great story based on a interesting premise.
The Husbands - Holly Gramazio
4 siblings, 1 famous estranged father, can they ever reconcile? Nina holds a big party - you meet interesting characters and learn about their stories. Great pacing.
Malibu Rising - Taylor Jenkins Reid
I enjoyed the futuristic storyline - where robots become a part of a family.
Klara and the Sun - Kazuo Ishiguro
If you could see into the future of could-have-happeneds, would you ever decide return to present?
The Midnight Library - Matt Haig
A story of what it means to be a family. I highly recommend reading this before watching the movie. Loved the book and loved the movie.
Little Fires Everywhere - Celeste Ng
Another great book about relationships, family and love.
The Dutch House - Ann Patchett
Abandoned girl finds love in nature and in humans. Great read. Well-written.
Where the Crawdads Sing - Delia Owens
Great story - chilling ending.
The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins
Short and sweet - best of Fitzgerald. Glitzy & Glam - the atmosphere and prose is spot on.
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
A boarding school with children - what do their futures hold? A story that makes you think even long after you have finished the book.
Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro
Keep an eye out for the short story called “The Color Master” - very beautiful and memorable.
The Color Master - Aimee Bender
Magical realism is dreamy and quirky. The imagery is beautiful.
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake - - Aimee Bender
The prequel to Jane Eyre. Who is Mr. Rochester's wife kept in the attic? The imagery of Jamaica and the historical references are vivid and beautiful.
Wide Sargasso Sea
Japanese Fiction
These titles offer a unique window into Japanese culture and storytelling that I've found deeply moving
Enjoy with a coffee! A series of stories about a peculiar cafe. Great Japanese vibes and imagery.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold - Toshikazu Kawaguchi
The second book to the famous series. I like to read this with a cut of coffee. ☕ Poignant and heartwarming.
Tales from the Cafe
Book 3 of the series. If you enjoyed book 1 and 2 like I did I recommend this one too. Same characters, more whimsical stories.
Before Your Memory Fades
Book 4 of the series. The stories are just as memorable as book 1.
Before We Forget Kindness
An ordinary year of living with an elderly stranger. Easy read! A little dose of Japan.
A Perfect Day to Be Alone - Nanae Aoyama
I love how the past and present are weaved into this story - Etsuko is dealing with the death of her daughter while thinking back to the time she spent with a peculiar woman and daughter after WWII.
A Pale View of Hills - Kazuo Ishiguro
Self-Help & Life
A must read for women in their 30s. Also a movie!
Eat Pray Love a book by Elizabeth Gilbert
A must read for those having a hard time decluttering! I have used this method to organize and have found that it works.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up a book by Marie Kondo
A very heartwarming book on how the universe and the ones we love communicate with the living. Many inspiring stories. It taught me to take the time to look around and enjoy the moment.
Signs from the Universe
I have just started this and it's good so far. Lots of ways to enjoy the gloomy cold weather.
The Little Book of Hygge - Meik Wiking