As we close the door on 2025 and move into 2026, an important question emerges: What the heck are we going to read this year? In 2025, I recommended a line-up that continues to hold a special place in my heart. This year, I have six new books to bring to the table! From oldies but goodies to recent discoveries, rest assured my fellow geeks – I’ve got you covered.

• Sunrise Nights by Jeff Zentner and Brittany Cavallaro

It would be horribly amiss if I didn’t include the man who is probably my favorite author of all time: Jeff Zentner. He has a talent for finding the good in the bad and the extraordinary in the every day, and this book, a blend of poetry and prose, does not disappoint. 

Sunrise Nights follows two teenage artists, Jude and Florence, over three years worth of “sunrise nights” – the final night of their artsy summer camp where the teenagers are let loose on the town until sunrise. Jude (whose perspective is written by Zentner), the photographer, struggles with his own anxiety as well as his parent’s divorce and a suffocating relationship. Florence (whose perspective is written by Cavallaro), the dancer, has an eye disease that is slowly getting worse and taking her balance with it. They meet on the very last day of camp by chance, and a spontaneous meeting sparks a deep connection that the book tracks over the course of three years, told in three different sunrise nights. 

This book tells the story of their lives, of their ups and downs, and the way they help each other through the beautiful disaster that is life. It captures all the swirling emotions of being a teenager – the heartbreak of losing people, the intense joy of finding them, and the confusion we all feel as we grapple with the future – but even more so, of being human, and, in doing so, helps you remember how incredible people can be. 

• The No-Girlfriend Rule by Christen Randall

I did not think I would like this book nearly as much as I did. I think it hit me at just the right time. 

This book follows senior Hollis Beckwith, a “fat, broke girl with anxiety” who finds herself stuck in the unpleasant friend group of her boyfriend. Despite her reservations about certain members, she yearns to join the boy’s weekly game of Secrets & Sorcery (hint: It’s just Dungeons and Dragons) in order to prove herself a worthy girlfriend and make the most of her senior year. Her main obstacle? The boys’ “No-Girlfriend” rule. In order to prove herself, she joins Gloria Castañeda’s all-girl S&S game, and inadvertently stumbles upon the group – and the girl – that might be able to give her everything she’s ever wanted.

This heartwarming yet painfully honest book captures the out-of-place feeling so many of us experience, but supplements it with the anecdote: a heap of belonging and the warm feelings of love. I cannot praise The No-Girlfriend Rule enough.

• Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh

This book had me laughing so hard that my dad came into my room to make sure I was ok. I’m not kidding.

Brosh has a knack for sarcasm, silliness, and dark humor that blends incredibly well in her numerous and unconnected short stories. Her wide range of stories is incredible. She tells light, funny stories, such as getting her head stuck in a bucket several times as a child or placing the same stick in her neighbor’s yard for months as revenge. In between these stories, though, she sheds light on heavier topics such as the loss of her sister in a car accident and the depression she experienced afterwards. She deals with these difficult topics with her trademark wit and humor, facing them bravely and honestly. 

She is truly a scream and captures the idea that we have to laugh at our struggles in order to get through them. This book will provide a heck of a good time, but also leave you with plenty to think about.

• In the Hall with the Knife by Diana Peterfreund

My brother and I have been obsessed with Clue (the movie, not the board game) for the longest time. I talk about it pretty extensively in my 80s Review article and recommend it to anything that moves. 

This book series (three books) is based on that movie, but with a twist! In this first book, Vaughn Green, Sam “Mustard” Maestor, Orchid McKee, Scarlet Mistry, Beth “Peacock” Picach, and Finn Plum all attend Blackbrook Academy, an illustrious but secluded boarding school. They have very little in common besides their impressive academics and drive… until they are snowed in and left stranded on campus with only housemistress Mrs. White and Headmaster Boddy. Unsurprisingly to all who know the franchise, Boddy is quickly killed off, leaving behind the classic question of “Who dunnit?” With a group of students with a secret, and quite a few with a motive, they must figure out who killed Boddy before the murderer strikes again.

These books are such a quick and easy read, and I love them to pieces. Each character has such a wild and specific energy, and are genuinely so much fun to explore. I’m not claiming these are the most highbrow books in the world, but if you’re looking for a good time, these have got you covered, guaranteed. Also, I know the book cover looks kind of scary, but don’t let it fool you. This isn’t a scary book – I can’t handle scary books.

• The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe

This book is truly incredible. Full of action and intrigue, The Girls I’ve Been keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole way through. 

Nora O’ Malley is not what she appears. The daughter of a con-artist who only targeted criminal men, she grew up not as one girl, but as many, constantly switching faces and names as the con required – until finally, she escaped. Now, she’s been living as a normal girl for five years – but all that changes on one fateful morning. To start, it’s awkward. Nora, her best friend, and ex-boyfriend Wes, and her girlfriend Iris all meet up to deposit money from a fundraiser they hosted at a nearby bank. Only one problem: The bank is being robbed, and the robbers aren’t playing around. Nora has a few tricks up her sleeve that could potentially save them – or get her killed.

As the book goes on, more of Nora’s backstory, and all the girls she’s been, is revealed, mixed in with high-stakes action as Nora attempts to get herself, her friends, and all of the other hostages out safe. 

I could not put this book down. If you’re in a reading slump, this  book can definitely serve as your antidote. Sharpe really pulls you in, feeding you information one agonizing piece at a time until, at long last, everything makes sense. Parts of this book can be a bit dark, especially the flashbacks, but at the same time, Nora’s friendships serve as beacons of joy, balancing out the darkness of her past with the brightness of her present and the promise of her future. You’ll have no choice but to fall in love with the characters, and, by extension, fall in love with this book. 

• Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds

First of all, Jason Reynolds is ridiculous. His brain works in incredible ways. In 2024, he won the MacArthur Fellowship, which is basically an award that comes with a lot of money that they give geniuses so that they keep doing what they’re doing. You don’t even apply. They just see you, think you’re awesome, and want to give you money. You might know Jason Reynolds from the track series, featuring books Ghost, Patina, Sunny, Lu, and, most recently, Coach, or for his novel in verse Long Way Down.

This book, specifically, is incredible. It starts like this: “This story was going to begin like all the best stories. With a school bus falling from the sky. But no one saw it happen. No one heard anything. So instead, this story will begin like all the good ones. With boogers.” 

Each story is short, only lasting a chapter, and focuses on different characters – but here’s the really cool part: All of the stories occur simultaneously and they all intertwine, with different characters being mentioned in other stories apart from their own. 

From a group of trouble-making kids selling candy with the best of intentions to ridiculously complicated handshakes to the nerve-wracking experience of asking your crush out, Jason Reynolds details friendships that feel real and meaningful. He masterfully captures what life, and especially being a kid, can feel like. 

In Conclusion

These books are incredible, and you should read them! All six of these books had a profound impact on me. Some gave me hope, some made me laugh, others made me think, and still others renewed my obsession with the Clue franchise. Each and every one of them is something special, and if you give them a chance, I promise you they will make 2026 a year to remember. Happy reading!