Top Ten Fiction and Non-Fiction Books Second Quarter 2026
It has been an excellent year for reading so far, not my best to date, but my second best. I averaged under a book and a half a day. Faster than the last few years, and so many books and series I am working through.
In April of 2023 I wrote a piece called How I Read So Much? Because I get asked the question so often, read the piece linked above if you are looking for some ideas on ways to read more.
This quarter I read 110 books and I did not any to the ‘did not finish’ list, one of my highest second quarters since I started keeping track, below is the comparison with the last 10 years:
2026 - 110
2025 - 118
2024 - 78
2023 – 109
2022 – 110
2021 – 104
2020 – 85
2019 – 102
2018 – 102
2017 – 112
2016 – 36
Year to date by the numbers:
Books Read: 110
First Time Reads: 86
Fiction: 49
Non-Fiction: 61
5/5 Stars: 79
5 Stars Fiction: 44
5 Stars Non-Fiction: 35
The second quarter of this year was great. I can state again that looking back 2016 is a bit of an outlier as late that year I switched jobs and have since had much better work – life balance. In the spring of 2016, I worked through Brandon Vogt’s course Read More Books Now (now available on ClaitasU). The year before that I removed all games from my phone and tablet and my reading had doubled. This year I received a physical Kindle for Christmas; instead of reading on my phone; and my reading has gone up again.
Here is my top ten fiction and non-fiction books of the second quarter of 2026.
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books:
1. Coached by Catherine of Siena Lessons in Charity - Joan Watson
2. Holy Nurses - Dr. Gosia Brykczynska - CTS Books
3. Holy Scientists - Fr Douglas McGonagle - CTS Books
4. Rescued II: True Stories for Catholic Kids - Kathryn Griffin Swegart
5. St John Henry Newman: A New Doctor of the Church - Fr Hermann Geissler, FSO - CTS Books
6. The People of the Way of the Cross: Walking with Jesus through the Eyes of 14 Witnesses - Marci Alborghetti
7. Great Spiritual Teachers Series - Ave Maria Press
Grace Through Simplicity The Practical Spirituality of Evelyn Underhill - John J. Kirva
Mission to Love: 30 Days with Óscar Romero - Todd Walatka
8. Letter to a Friend on the Prayer of the Heart - Dom André Poisson and Erik Varden - CTS Books
9. Two Discourses on Our Lady The Present and Future of British Catholicism - John Henry Newman - CTS Books
10. Stories of Saints and the Beatitudes - Sr Marie Paul Curley FSP
11. The Practice of the Presence of God - Brother Lawrence with Dr. Matthew K. Minerd, Fr. Gregory Pine, Rebecca Dougherty - Ascension Catholic Classics
Bonus Books:
15 Days of Prayer With Series
15 Days of Prayer With Charles De Foucauld - Michael Lafon
15 Days of Prayer With Saint Bernard - Pierre-Yves Emery
15 Days of Prayer with Saint Jeanne Jugan - Michel Lafon
15 Days of Prayer With Saint Louis De Montfort - Veronique Pinardon
15 Days of Prayer with Saint Philip Neri - Jean-François Audrain
Just A Minute Meditations - Pauline Books and Media
Trusting in God’s Love - Kathryn J. Hermes FSP
Growing in Self Esteem - Marie Paul Curley, FSP
Mini Saints & Missionaries Library - Pettyfeather Publishing
Seven Saints for Boys: A First Communion Collection of Courage and Faith
Top Ten Fiction Books:
1. Far Distant Shores and Other Stores - Fiorella de Maria
2. Closing Accounts - E. P. Cowley
3. Lioness Lost - Susan Brinkmann - Chronicles of Ariella Book 1
4. Witchward Series - Cedar Sanderson
Child of Crows Wings of Broken Magic
5. The Fighter - Jim Sano - Father Tom Book 7
6. Running Out of Sand - MaryJo Thayer - Sand and Soul Book 2
7. The Timeless Series - Richard Paolinelli and Gibson Buffa
The Timeless - Dreams Of The Storyteller 17
Secret Of The Sphinx - Dreams of the Storyteller 18
8. Dragon Noir - Cedar Sanderson - Pixie for Hire Book 3
9. Books by Rodman Philbrick
10. Amelia Counterrevolution - edited by Clayton Barnett - Tales from the Lemurverse Anthology Two
Bonus Books Shakespearean Themed Fiction:
Shakespearen Shorts
ERROR 404: LOVE NOT FOUND: A Romeo and Juliet Reboot - Ty Balt
Hostile Takeover: A Macbeth Remix - Rex MacDuff
Shakespeare Murder Series - Guy Hale
The Croaking Raven
Post Apocalyptic Space Shakespeare - William Shakespeare and Ted Neill
Bonus Books by A.K. Frailey
Wise Home - Wise Home Book 1
I have averaged just over a book a day over the last decade; and closer to a book and a quarter over the last few years. In April of 2023 I wrote a piece called How I Read So Much? Because I get asked the question so often, read the piece linked above if you are looking for some ideas on ways to read more.
Note: I do not include books that have been read in previous years and were reread this year in my top ten lists, they are sometimes in the bonus section.
But if you want more options check out my favourite books year by year list.
Top 10 Fiction Books 1st Quarter 2010
Top 10 Fiction Books 2nd Quarter 2010
Top 10 Reading Goals for 2010
Top 10 Fiction Books 3rd Quarter 2010
Top 10 Fiction Books 4th Quarter 2010
Top Ten Reading Goals For 2010 - Recap
Top 10 Fiction Books 2010
Top 10 Picture Books of 2010
Top 10 Non-Fiction Books of 2010
Top 10 Graphic Novels for 2010
Top Ten Reading Goals For 2011
Top Ten Fiction Books 1st Quarter 2011
Top Ten Fiction Books 2nd Quarter 2011
Top Ten Reading Goals for 2011 Update
Top Ten Fiction Books 3rd Quarter 2011
Top Ten Fictions Books 4th Quarter 2011
Top Ten Fiction Books 2011
Top Ten Reading Goals 2011 - Recap
Top Ten Reading Goals 2012
Top Ten Fiction Books 1st Quarter 2012
Top Ten Fiction Books 2nd Quarter 2012
Top Ten Fiction Books 3rd Quarter 2012
Top Ten Fiction Books 4th Quarter 2012
Top Ten Fiction Books 2012
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2012
Top Ten Reading Goals 2012 - Recap
Top Ten Reading Goals 2013
Top 10 Fiction Books 1st Quarter 2013
Top 10 Fiction Books 2nd Quarter 2013
Top 10 Books Second Half 2013
Top Ten Fiction Books 2013
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2013
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2014
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2014
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2014
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2014
Top Ten Fiction Books 2014
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2014
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2015
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2015
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2015
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2015
Top Ten Fiction Books 2015
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2015
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2016
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2016
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2016
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2016
Top Ten Non- Fiction Books 2016
Top Ten Fiction Books 2016
Top Ten Catholic Books
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2017
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2017
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2017
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2017
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2017
Top Ten Fiction Books 2017
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2018
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2018
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2018
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2018
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2018
Top Ten Fiction Books 2018
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2019
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2019
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2019
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2019
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2019
Top Ten Fiction Books 2019
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2020
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2020
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2020
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2020
All Top Ten Lists on Book Reviews and More
Statistics Books Read By Year:
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2020
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2026
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2026
...
All Top Ten Lists on Book Reviews and More
Statistics Books Read By Year:
261 - 2026 January-June
424 - 2025
363 - 2024
455 - 2023
438 - 2022
365 - 2021
317 - 2020
392 - 2019
359 - 2018
380 - 2017
272 - 2016
177 - 2015
130 - 2014
88 - 2013
176 - 2012
163 - 2011
302 - 2010
142 - 2009
98 - 2008
83 - 2007
191 - 2006
151 - 2005
60 - 2004
52 - 2003
97 - 2002
50 - 2001
41 - 2000
71 - 1999
73 - 1998
131 - 1997
101 - 1996
392 - 2019
359 - 2018
380 - 2017
272 - 2016
177 - 2015
130 - 2014
88 - 2013
176 - 2012
163 - 2011
302 - 2010
142 - 2009
98 - 2008
83 - 2007
191 - 2006
151 - 2005
60 - 2004
52 - 2003
97 - 2002
50 - 2001
41 - 2000
71 - 1999
73 - 1998
131 - 1997
101 - 1996
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