Showing posts with label Top10. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Top10. Show all posts

Tuesday, 30 June 2026

Top Ten Fiction and Non-Fiction Books Second Quarter 2026

 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:

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
8. Letter to a Friend on the Prayer of the Heart - Dom André Poisson and Erik Varden - 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 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. 


Relates Posts: 
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:
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



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Tuesday, 31 March 2026

Top Ten Fiction and Non-Fiction Books First Quarter 2026

Top Ten Fiction and Non-Fiction Books First Quarter 2026


It has been an excellent year for reading so far, not my best to date, but my second best. I averaged over a book and a half a day. Faster than the last few years, but I had the first few weeks off work, 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 151 books and I did not any to the ‘did not finish’ list, one of my highest quarters since I started keeping track, below is the comparison with the last 9 years:

     2026 - 151
     2025 - 132
     2024 - 119
     2023 – 160
     2022 – 145
     2021 – 97
     2020 – 96
     2019 – 123
     2018 – 91
     2017 – 100
     2016 – 52

One of the things that always causes a spike in the first quarter is I endeavour to pray a Stations of the Cross Friday of the year and each day through Lent. And this is the first Lent I have hit each day, at least so far. At the beginning of Lent this year I had 10 Stations I had never read. I have read 20 new ones and still have 4 I have year read, which I hope to do during Holy Week. But back to this year by the numbers:

Books Read: 151
First Time Reads: 122
Fiction: 37
Non-Fiction: 114
5/5 Stars: 111
5 Stars Fiction: 27
5 Stars Non-Fiction: 84

The first 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 fourth quarter of 2024.

Top Ten Non-Fiction Books:

2. 15 Days of Prayer with …New City Press - Focolare Media
3. Poetry of John Irvine
4. Great Spiritual Teachers Series - Ave Maria Press
Living in the Presence of God The Everyday Spirituality of Brother Lawrence - John J. Kirvan
That You May Have Life: Let the Mystics Be Your Guide for Lent - John J. Kirvan
6. Saint Michael the Archangel Through the Ages - Fr. Frederick Schmit O.Praem and Fr. Peregrine Fletcher O.Praem
7. The Power of the Cross: Applying the Passion of Christ to Your Life - Michael Dubruiel
8. Just A Minute Meditations - Pauline Books and Media
Finding Inner Peace - Kathryn J. Hermes, FSP 
9. Art and Prayer - Mary Charles-Murray - CTS Deeper Christianity Series 
10. Lent for Little Folk - Roderick Vonhögen 
12. The Way of the Passion: 40 Stations with Jesus - Julien Chilcott-Monk 

Bonus Books New Stations of The Cross:

John Paul II's Biblical Way of the Cross - Amy Welborn, Michael Dubruiel, and Michael D. O'Brien
With Jesus in Jerusalem: The First Way of the Cross - Étienne Méténier
Stations of the Cross with the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus - Fr. William F. Prospero and Fr. James Kubicki
Stations of Strength: Praying the Stations of the Cross in Times of Suffering - Alice Camille 
Stations of the Cross for Young Catholics - Sister Anne Flannagan, FSP

Top Ten Fiction Books:

 1. A Stranger Among Us - Connor Gallagher
 2. Hypergifted - Gordon Korman - Ungifted Book 3
 3. Pilgrim Tales An anthology of fiction by the Catholic Writers Guild
 4. Tales From Wakken Wood - E. P. Cowley
 5. The Kidnapped Prince - Roger B. Thomas - The Chronicles of Caol, Book 1
 6. The Fixer - Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Lessons in Power
 7. Begotten - Antony Barone Kolenc - Incarnate Book 2
 8. Black Dog - Dean Hamilton - A Tyburn Filos Novella
 9. The Ultimate Blindside - Leslea Wahl - Blindside Series Book 3 

Bonus Books:

Conspiracy 365 - Gabrielle Lord
April
Ted Talk - Karina Fabian - A DragonEye, PI, Short Story
Pogue Too - Edited by Liska McCabe - Raconteur Press Anthologies Book 72

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.  



Statistics Books Read By Year:
151 - 2026 January-March
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


Relates Posts: 
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 



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Wednesday, 31 December 2025

Top Ten Fiction Books 2025

Top Ten Fiction Books 2025


It has been a good year for reading. I read 424 books this year, making it my third best since I started keeping track. There were many great reads, and a few new authors that I had not explored yet, with plans to read more from some of them.  I have read just over a day, in comparison with the last 7 years:

     424 - 2025
     362 - 2024
     455 - 2023 
     438 - 2022
     365 - 2021
     317 - 2020 
     392 - 2019
     359 - 2018
     380 - 2017 
     272 - 2016 

But back to this year by the numbers:

Books Read: 424
First Time Reads: 309
Fiction: 166
Non-Fiction: 258
5/5 Stars: 303

The first half of this year was great. The second half was very busy at work and home, including moving house. Three teenagers have a lot of stuff and moving a family of 5 takes some serious effort and time; especially when we painted all the bedrooms, the den and did touch-ups in all the common areas. 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. 

A few years I set the goal of reading all of Gordon Korman’s books, this year I read 62 of them. Of those 61 received 5/5 Stars. I did not want to make this list a lot of Korman, so anything by him could have ended up on this list. Check out this interview with Korman with Links to reviews of all of his books.

I also included some unpublished manuscripts that could easily have made this list. But I wanted the list to be titles you could lay your hands on and give a read.

Here are my top ten fiction books of 2025.

Top Ten Fiction Books 2025:

1. unSPARKed Books - Corinna Turner

Bonus Books Unpublished Manuscripts:
Armstrong Adventure Series  - Nick Donnelly 
02 Snares of the Demons
03 Faith of the Armstrong
Lucky and Blessed The Novel - Amanda Lauer (Not final title)

Other Bonus Books:
Newearth Books - A.K. Frailey
Anything by Gordon Korman 

As can be seen by the numbers, my reading has been up over the last few years, but last year there was a dip, but rebounded up over 400 again this year. This reading success I in part attribute to Brandon Vogt’s course Read More Books Now, removing all games but 1 brain game from my devices. And I was commuting to work on a bus and read on the bus every day. Working from home reading took a little more discipline, and we are now back to a hybrid model with 5 days a month in the office, so things have changed again.

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. 

Table full of books.

Relates Posts: 
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:
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


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