Every year, I make it a goal to read 20 books. Since reaching my halfway point for 2026, I decided to look back at my first 10 reads and reviews of the year.
5 Stars:
One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Holy shit. This was so beautifully written and complex. No one person was in the right or wrong and both loves were so beautiful in their own way. I definitely felt reflections of my own relationships and have a new perspective of what it means to love and grow with someone.
That Was Then, This Is Now by S.E. Hinton
The Outsiders was the first book I fell in love with and this felt like a continuation/expansion on its universe. It beautifully captured the fear of change in your adolescence and was easy to relate to both Bryon and Mark’s perspectives. I also loved how Ponyboy showed up.
4 Stars:
Nothing Like the Movies (Better Than the Movies sequel) by Lynn Painter
I gave this the same rating as the first book, but I feel like I enjoyed this one better because 1.) they’re in college and 2.) Liz (the main character) is in the same field as me. I loved getting perspectives of both Liz and Wes (her love interest) and watching him become the one pining for her.
Fifty-Fifty by Steve Cavanagh
I liked the concept and the use of hiding which sister was the killer by using an anonymous point of view. Following each of her kills became confusing. Even though they were necessary, not all of them connected to the main plot of the court case. Overall, I liked that it kept me switching back and forth between which sister I was rooting for and which I thought was the killer.
101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think by Brianna Wiest
I enjoyed the formatting of this. There were no chapters that were connected, so I could easily skip any essays/topics that didn’t interest me. Here were my favorites: There Is A Voice That Doesn’t Use Words, How To Become Your Own Worst Enemy, How To Lose Our Minds To Other People’s Gods, How To Fall Out Of Love With The Idea Of Someone.
The Irish Goodbye by Heather Aimee O’Neill
I loved how the perspectives shifted to each sister and was able to show how the families they made for themselves fit into their own family dynamic. I also loved how relevant Topher remained as a character and how he influenced how each of the sisters grew to be what they are in the present timeline.
Rumble Fish by S.E. Hinton
I read someone describe this as The Outsiders from Dally’s perspective and that’s exactly what it felt like. Rusty James didn’t have the hope or ambition that Ponyboy did and you see him turn into not only what he feared, but what he looked up to in the Motorcycle Boy (his older brother). It’s hard to remember he’s only 14, but there were small moments that show his naivety, like how he truly believes the Motorcycle Boy is partially deaf instead of just outright ignoring him.
Hole in My Life by Jack Gantos
“You can make a mistake, but it doesn’t have to ruin your life or entirely define who you are as a person.” After being sentenced to up to six years in prison, the narrater grapples with the consequences of one mistake that marked the end of his youth. There were so many lines in this book that I had to stop and reread. Gantos’ writing resonated with anyone who feels lost in life and screwed by time and circumstance.
3 Stars:
Bunny by Mona Awad
I really liked the concept of this book, but became disappointed and disconnected very early on. The writing was very juvenile and graphic for what seemed to be shock value only. The plot had so much potential but fell flat.
A Theory of Dreaming (A Study In Drowning sequel) by Ava Reid
I wish I had the physical book instead of having to rely on the audiobook. I loved the first book and definitely would’ve gotten into this one more if I had it, but this sequel wasn’t necessarily needed. It didn’t add much to the story and none of the plot lines finished as exciting as they seemed they would.
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