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The year is half over! Can you believe it? How's everybody holding up? Are you doing okay?

I've read 20 books so far this year, which is disappointing. I wish I had more time for reading. I still haven't figured out how people have jobs, children, pets, and read 100+ books a year. It's a mystery.

Let's talk about the best and worst of what I've read.

Mid-Year Reading Check-In

Best Book You've Read So Far In 2026?

I've read a few really good ones. I think Man's Search For Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl made the biggest impression on me.

Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Based on his own experience and the stories of his patients, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. At the heart of his theory, known as logotherapy, is a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure but the pursuit of what we find meaningful.

Why I recommend it: I am searching for a self-help book that actually helps. A librarian at my local library recommended Man's Search For Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl.

I think this book could be helpful! Even if it's not helpful, it's a pretty fascinating story. The author was an Austrian neurologist, psychologist, philosopher, and Holocaust survivor. In the first part of the book, he shares stories from his life and explains how the events shaped the way he thinks. The author believes that the search for meaning is what keeps humans motivated. If we lose our desire to find meaning, then we lose our will to live.

This idea resonated with me because I was a severely depressed teenager. Every time I made a plan to kill myself, I would stop and think, Wait . . . if I'm dead, I'll never be able to write a book. That thought is literally the only reason I'm alive right now. The belief that I could write a book someday was my meaning. My meaning was stronger than my depression. I think Viktor Frankl does an excellent job of exploring this concept.

I also appreciate how the author approaches his life story. It's balanced and compassionate. He looks at all the people involved in an event and tries to figure out what was driving their behavior. It feels grounded. The author is examining people's actions instead of instantly judging the actions as right or wrong. He wants to know the "why" behind them.

I recommend this self-help book. I think it could help!

New Release You Haven't Read But Want To?

Meet The Newmans by Jennifer Niven seems delightfully odd. Also, I love the cover.

For two decades, Del and Dinah Newman and their sons, Guy and Shep, have ruled television as America’s Favorite Family. Millions of viewers tune in every week to watch them play flawless, black-and-white versions of themselves. But now it’s 1964, and the Newmans’ perfection suddenly feels woefully out of touch. Ratings are in free fall, as are the Newmans themselves. Del is keeping an explosive secret from his wife, and Dinah is slowly going numb—literally. Steady, stable Guy is hiding the truth about his love life, and rock ‘n roll idol Shep may finally be in real trouble.

When Del—the creative motor behind the show—is in a mysterious car accident, Dinah decides to take matters into her own hands. She hires Juliet Dunne, an outspoken young reporter, to help her write the final episode. But Dinah and Juliet have wildly different perspectives about what it means to be a woman, and a family, in 1964. Can the Newmans hold it together to change television history? Or will they be canceled before they ever have the chance?

Why I want to read it: Reviewers say it's like a funny version of The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo. That description sounds way too good to pass up.

Anticipated Release For The Second Half Of 2026?

Apparently, there's a new John Green book coming out. I didn't know about it because I don't pay attention to new releases unless I come across them by accident. I'm very happy that the Instagram gods decided to inform me about Hollywood, Ending. It's coming out in September.

For rising young actors Kai Laramie and Juniper Castillo, being cast in the buzzy biopic Andy Warhol Never Gets Old is the opportunity they’ve both been waiting for. They’re on the verge of breaking out, and maybe even falling in love. Soon, the movie is blowing up, and so are their lives—in exciting, but also terrifying, ways.

John Green artfully blends a behind-the-scenes Hollywood love story with an unflinching examination of the insatiable attention economy.

Why I want to read it: Because it's John Green. He always manages to find the most fascinating topics to write about. If you've ever posted something online, then you're probably familiar with the attention economy. I'm interested in seeing John Green's take on the subject.

Biggest Disappointment?

I gave up on these two for personal reasons, but I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading them. They're just not "me" books.

It Didn't Start With You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are And How To End The Cycle by Mark Wolynn. I gave up because I'm a skeptical human. The author wasn't doing enough to convince me to see the world his way. I need more evidence.

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar. I didn't know there would be so much focus on the character's alcoholism. Books about addiction stress me out. I don't want to read them.

Biggest Surprise?

I fully expected to put Building A Second Brain by Tiago Forte in the "self-help nonsense" bin, but I learned stuff! And, I'm actually using the stuff I learned!

For the first time in history, we have instantaneous access to the world’s knowledge. There has never been a better time to learn, to contribute, and to improve ourselves. Yet, rather than feeling empowered, we are often left feeling overwhelmed by this constant influx of information. The very knowledge that was supposed to set us free has instead led to the paralyzing stress of believing we’ll never know or remember enough.

Now, this eye-opening and accessible guide shows how you can easily create your own personal system for knowledge management, otherwise known as a Second Brain. As a trusted and organized digital repository of your most valued ideas, notes, and creative work synced across all your devices and platforms, a Second Brain gives you the confidence to tackle your most important projects and ambitious goals.

Why I recommend it: This book is part of my quest to find a self-help book that actually helps.

Honestly, I think this one is helpful.

The book outlines a digital notetaking system that helps the reader reduce information overload. Basically, you use a notetaking app to build yourself a second brain. The author teaches the reader how to choose which bits of information are important and how to organize your notes so they're easy to find when you need them. I like the book because it's straightforward and actionable. Building a second brain feels like something I can accomplish. I can also see how it would help me be more organized.

Favorite Character?

Edgar Hopkins from The Hopkins Manuscript by R.C. Sherriff. This science fiction book was originally published in 1939, and I don't understand why it isn't more popular. Edgar is a very average dude who is living through a very extraordinary moment. The world needs heroes. Edgar is not a hero.

Retired teacher Edgar Hopkins lives for the thrill of winning poultry prizes. But his narrow world is shattered when he learns that the moon is about to come crashing into the earth, with apocalyptic consequences. The manuscript he leaves behind will be a testament—to his growing humanity and to how one English village tried to survive the end of the world.

Why I recommend it: I don't think I'll ever forget this book because it so quirky. Pompous Edgar only cares about his prize-winning chickens. Then the moon crashes into the ocean, and he's forced to become part of a human community. It's somehow funnier and more tragic than I expected. I loved it.

Book That Made You Happy?

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst. It's an adorable cozy romance.

Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she and her assistant, Caz—a magically sentient spider plant—have spent the last decade sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite.

When a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz flee with all the spellbooks they can carry and head to a remote island Kiela never thought she’d see again: her childhood home. Taking refuge there, Kiela discovers, much to her dismay, a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor who can’t take a hint and keeps showing up day after day to make sure she’s fed and to help fix up her new home.

In need of income, Kiela identifies something that even the bakery in town doesn’t have: jam. With the help of an old recipe book her parents left her and a bit of illegal magic, her cottage garden is soon covered in ripe berries.

But magic can do more than make life a little sweeter, so Kiela risks the consequences of using unsanctioned spells and opens the island’s first-ever and much needed secret spellshop.

Why I recommend it: Lots of whimsey. It's fairly low stakes, so it's not stressful to read. There's a romance, but it doesn't consume the whole plot. It's about a community of people (or creatures?) who are truly kind. They care about their neighbors and are always willing to help the community. It's refreshing to read a story about characters who don't let anybody fail.

Favorite Book Adaptation?

I finally watched The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes movie! I enjoyed it. From what I remember, it follows the plot of the book pretty closely. Lots of twists, tension, and villains.

Most Beautiful Book You Bought In 2026?

I wouldn't call the cover of The Hopkins Manuscript "beautiful." I'd call it "unsettling." It definitely gets your attention.

What Book Do You Need To Read By The End Of The Year?

The book that has been sitting on my shelf the longest is a short story collection. It's You Like It Darker by Stephen King.

“Two Talented Bastids” explores the long-hidden secret of how the eponymous gentlemen got their skills. In “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream,” a brief and unprecedented psychic flash upends dozens of lives, Danny’s most catastrophically. In “Rattlesnakes,” a sequel to Cujo, a grieving widower travels to Florida for respite and instead receives an unexpected inheritance—with major strings attached. In “The Dreamers,” a taciturn Vietnam vet answers a job ad and learns that there are some corners of the universe best left unexplored. “The Answer Man” asks if prescience is good luck or bad and reminds us that a life marked by unbearable tragedy can still be meaningful.

Why I want to read it: I'm on a mission to read every Stephen King book. This one is next. I'm excited because I love a good short story.

Do you want to answer these questions on your blog? Go for it!