2026 Reading Check-In: Favorite Books, Reading Slumps, Surprise Genres, and Books That Personally Attacked Us
- genredpodcast
- Jul 9
- 10 min read
Updated: Jul 17
We are halfway through 2026, which means it is time for a very official, very scientific, and only slightly dramatic Genre’d reading check-in.
This week on Genre’d Off Book, Katy and Elyse are the guests. We’re looking back at the first half of the year to talk about what we loved, what we absolutely did not love, what surprised us, what changed our reading habits, and which books are still haunting us for better or worse.
There are stats. There are Goodreads grievances. There are audiobook revelations. There are too many wolves. And yes, there are several books that felt like they were designed in a lab to test our patience.
Spoiler Warning
If you are trying to go into any of the books completely blind, proceed with caution once we get into the superlatives.
You have been warned. Lovingly.
The State of Reading
We start with the most vulnerable question a reader can ask themselves:
How is the reading year actually going?
Elyse came in with numbers, because apparently some people track things with precision and emotional stability. Her Goodreads goal is 100 books, and at the halfway point she had already read 65. Compared to last year, she is up almost 30 books and reading way more pages overall.
Also important: her Omegaverse goal was to keep it under 10 percent of her total reading.
She is at 9.2 percent.
So, technically successful. Emotionally suspicious.
Katy’s goal is 35 books, and she is on track with 19 books read and two books ahead of schedule. Very respectable, very normal, very “I don’t like goals but I will still beat them quietly.”
The podcast has also changed how both of us read. We’re reading more genres, trying more books we never would have picked up before, and figuring out how to balance podcast reading with the books we just want to read privately before bed like little literary gremlins.
Goodreads, Reading Journals, and Audiobook Math
Elyse gives an update on her ongoing relationship with Goodreads, which remains useful but not fully trustworthy. Goodreads is great for seeing what friends are reading, keeping quick notes, and syncing with Kindle when it decides to behave.
But the reading journal? Surprisingly rewarding.
A backup system has entered the chat.
Audiobooks also became a major part of this year’s reading life. Spotify audiobooks have been a real game changer, especially with premium hours, top-ups, and page matching between Kindle and Spotify.
Katy has also been leaning harder into audiobooks, especially for podcast books during long drives. The current strategy is: audiobook for productivity, physical or ebook for bedtime, and somehow become a person who can read multiple books at once.
Growth looks different for everyone.
Romantasy Fatigue Is Real
One of the biggest themes of the episode is genre fatigue, specifically romantasy fatigue.
Katy admits that after reading books like Dire Bound and We Who Will Die early in the year, she was ready for something different. The romantasy formula started feeling too predictable.
The first book is great.
The second book is a quest.
The third book is war.
Maybe the fourth book finally resolves things.
And we are tired.
We are officially petitioning for more duologies. Give us two strong 500-page books, wrap it up, resolve the emotional damage, and then spin off the side characters if you must.
Romantasy is not dead to us, but the endless quest structure? We have notes.
Surprise Genre Awakenings
The best part of the first half of 2026 has been the genre expansion.
Katy has been pulled into dystopian books, romantic suspense, horror rom-com, memoir, cozy mystery, and psychological thrillers.
Elyse has diversified away from being over-indexed on romance and Omegaverse and has been reading more contemporary fiction, literary fiction, cozy fantasy, mystery, thriller, horror, memoirs, and older buzzy books she missed the first time around.
The podcast has been a big part of that shift.
It turns out reading outside your usual lane can be fun, horrifying, deeply rewarding, and occasionally a mistake.
Favorite Reads of 2026 So Far
We each shared our top books of the year so far, plus a few honorable mentions because apparently five is never enough.
Elyse’s Honorable Mentions:
Unconventionally Elle by Jourdana Weber
A romance that feels fresh, fun, and formula-breaking while still delivering the tropes and emotional beats we want. It has corporate burnout, reinvention, and a later-in-life coming-of-age story that hit exactly right.
An adorable queer second chance romance about two couples, a play, and trying to save the town they grew up in. Cute, warm, and extremely easy to root for.
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
Still deeply important to Elyse’s reading life. The audio experience remains top-tier, and This Inevitable Ruin continues to live rent-free in her brain.
Katy’s Honorable Mention:
Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden
Not a book Katy expected to love, but one she found unexpectedly thrilling. A memoir about divorce, unraveling, money, marriage, and the terrifying realization that sometimes you never really get the answer to “why.”
The takeaway? Keep your own assets.
Our Top Books So Far
Katy gives Rumors & Whiskey a top-five spot because it is exactly the kind of romance that works for her: love story, murder, witness protection, whiskey, and Practical Magic-adjacent family dynamics.
Victoria Wilder’s romantic suspense is hitting right now. It has romance, but also actual plot.
We love that here.
Daggermouth was a major turning point for both of us this year.
It put us firmly back on a dystopian kick and delivered the kind of twist-heavy, high-stakes reading experience that makes you want to text people in all caps. The final stretch of that book? Unbelievable.
We read it before the audiobook existed, which means we had to guess every single pronunciation with our eyes. Brave of us.
A Murder Most Camp was a shared favorite.
It is cozy mystery, summer camp, found family, zany side characters, children who are actually funny, and a very cute love story. Somehow it works as both a summer read and a fall read, which feels like a magic trick.
Also, we would like this adapted for TV immediately. Think cozy mystery with Schitt’s Creek energy. Nic, call us. We have ideas and absolutely no TV credentials.
A horror rom-com was not necessarily on our 2026 bingo card, but here we are.
How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates was fun, genuinely scary, slasher-inspired, and still romantic. It gave Scream energy without requiring us to become horror experts. It was one of the clearest examples of a book surprising us in the best way.
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower
Elyse’s year was fully overtaken by Emma M. Lion.
This cozy historical series has some of the best found family she has read, a deeply lovable heroine, hilarious proper-Victorian-adjacent comedy, and the slowest slow burn possibly known to literature. We are talking no smooch until book six.
The audiobooks are excellent, and the reading experience is totally immersive.
Yesteryear is the book Elyse has not stopped recommending.
The marketing sets it up as a trad wife story, but the book is much more psychological thriller than reality show. The twist is twisty, the premise is unsettling, and the vacation-read reaction seems to be a universal “Jesus Christ.”
That is a compliment.
Katy’s number one book of the year so far is Broken Dove.
A sequel that did not rely on a quest? Revolutionary.
Broken Dove built out the world in a way that made the series more interesting, deepened the stakes, and gave Katy exactly what she wanted from a follow-up. It is dystopian romance, not quite romantasy, and it worked.
Into the Blue by Emma Brodie
Elyse’s number one book of the year so far is Into the Blue.
It sits somewhere between romance and literary fiction, with Hollywood glamour, acting chemistry, missed connections, and a high-stakes emotional center. It follows two people who knew each other in high school, reconnect throughout their careers, and keep getting thrown back together.
There is also a twist, which we will not spoil here.
Biggest Surprises
The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer
The Book Witch was one of the sweetest surprises of the year. Cozy fantasy, bookish magic, romance as a strong B-plot, and a world we would very much like to live inside.
It is touching, charming, and told through genres, which feels very on-brand for us.
Famesick by Lena Dunham
Elyse was surprised by how much Famesick stuck with her. She already likes Lena Dunham, but this memoir ended up landing harder than expected.
Horror Rom-Coms
How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates opened the door to a genre we did not know we needed: horror rom-com.
We are listening.
Biggest Disappointments
The Blue Bistro by Elin Hilderbrand
Elyse tried The Blue Bistro after years of people recommending Elin Hilderbrand to her, and it did not go well.
The issue was not just plot. It was a writing ick. A visceral one. Especially as someone who used to work in restaurants.
Nantucket Nights by Elin Hilderbrand
Katy also tried Elin Hilderbrand and felt similarly unmoved. Life is too short to keep reading a book when you want to go back to The Book Witch.
Half His Age remains a no.
Not a “maybe it will grow on us later” no.
A no-no.
Rapid-Fire 2026 Reading Superlatives
We brought back the same superlatives from our 2025 wrap-up to keep ourselves honest.
Favorite Book Boyfriend
Katy: Cross Redden
Elyse: Julian from Rumors & Whiskey
Supportive, talented, dangerous men remain a core Genre’d value.
Person We’d Want to Hang Out With
Katy: Annabelle from A Murder Most Camp
Elyse: Rainy March from The Book Witch
One gives excellent cozy mystery energy. The other can take us into books. Both are valid.
Sequel We’re Most Excited For
Both: Python, the sequel to Daggermouth by H.M. Wolfe
If this comes out in 2026, we will be chuffed and chortled.
Best Plot Twist
Both: Daggermouth
Plot twist on top of plot twist. The last ten percent? Criminal behavior in the best way.
Favorite New-to-Us Author
Katy: H.M. Wolfe
Elyse: Beth Brower
Two very different reading obsessions, both extremely valid.
Book We Couldn’t Stop Thinking About
Katy: Yesteryear
Elyse: Famesick for better, Half His Age for worse
Some books stay with you because they are good. Some stay with you because they attack your peace.
Worst Third Act
Katy: Catch Her If You Can by Tessa Bailey
Elyse: The Blue Bistro by Elin Hilderbrand
We will not be elaborating.
Except we did elaborate. A lot.
Most Unnecessary Plot Twist
Katy: My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney
Elyse: We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark
Sometimes a twist is shocking. Sometimes a twist makes everyone in the book seem like they have never looked directly at another person’s face.
Book That Felt Like a Personal Attack
Katy: Half His Age
Elyse: The Blue Bistro
Pain comes in many genres.
Book We’d Adapt for TV Immediately
Katy: A Murder Most Camp
Elyse: Dungeon Crawler Carl
One is a cozy mystery ensemble comedy waiting to happen. The other is already basically an audio production masterpiece begging for an adaptation.
What We Want to Read in the Back Half of 2026
For the rest of the year, we are looking toward more dystopian books, more seasonal reading, and shorter fall and holiday-themed mysteries.
Katy wants to be more intentional about reading with the season. Fall books in fall. Holiday mysteries in December. Cozy, themed, mood-setting books that make reading feel like part of the season.
Elyse is interested in more old-school dystopian books, including The Measure and The Road, plus whatever Sarah J. Maas may or may not deliver with future ACOTAR books.
We are also officially considering October through December our themed reading era.
Halloween books. Fall books. Holiday mysteries.
Deck the halls and hand us a murder.
Final Thoughts
This mid-year check-in proved that 2026 has been a weirder, more varied, and more interesting reading year than expected.
Katy is learning how to read multiple books at once, balance podcast reads with personal reads, and accept that audiobooks are sometimes the only way forward.
Elyse has accidentally become a more well-rounded reader while still keeping one eye on her Omegaverse percentage like it is a financial portfolio.
We have expanded genres, found new favorite authors, discovered horror rom-coms, gotten mad at third acts, and confirmed that life is too short to read books you hate unless you are doing it for scientific reasons.
Fast Facts
Episode: 2026 Reading Check-In
Podcast: Genre’d Off Book
Hosts: Katy and Elyse
Main topics: 2026 reading goals, Goodreads, reading journals, audiobooks, reading slumps, genre fatigue, favorite books, least favorite books, book superlatives
Genres discussed: Romantasy, romance, dystopian, cozy mystery, cozy fantasy, horror rom-com, thriller, memoir, literary fiction, romantic suspense
Books and authors discussed include:
Daggermouth by H.M. Wolfe
Broken Dove by Dani Francis
Rumors & Whiskey by Victoria Wilder
A Murder Most Camp by Nicolas DiDomizio
How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson
Into the Blue by Emma Brodie
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer
Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden
Famesick by Lena Dunham
Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy
The Blue Bistro by Elin Hilderbrand
Nantucket Nights by Elin Hilderbrand
My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney
We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark
Catch Her If You Can by Tessa Bailey
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
The Gift by Freida McFadden
The Mistletoe Mystery
The Measure
The Road
ACOTAR by Sarah J. Maas
Join the Conversation
What has been your favorite book of 2026 so far?
Have you also been personally victimized by a third act?
Are you in your dystopian era, your cozy fantasy era, your memoir era, or your “I only read what Spotify has available” era?
We need to know.
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Mini FAQ
What is this Genre’d episode about?
This episode is a 2026 mid-year reading check-in. Katy and Elyse talk about their reading goals, favorite books of the year so far, biggest disappointments, genre shifts, audiobook habits, and rapid-fire book superlatives.
What books did Genre’d love most in 2026 so far?
Some of the biggest favorites include Broken Dove by Dani Francis, Daggermouth by H.M. Wolfe, A Murder Most Camp by Nicolas DiDomizio, Rumors & Whiskey by Victoria Wilder, Into the Blue by Emma Brodie, Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke, and The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower.
Is this episode spoiler-free?
Not fully. The episode discusses favorite books, plot twists, third acts, sequels, and books that did or did not work. There are spoilers for some books discussed.
What genres are discussed in this episode?
This episode covers romantasy, romance, dystopian fiction, cozy mystery, cozy fantasy, horror rom-com, memoir, literary fiction, thriller, and romantic suspense.
What is Genre’d?
Genre’d is a witty, opinionated book podcast hosted by sisters Katy and Elyse. We read widely, judge freely, and talk about romance, romantasy, thrillers, pop culture, and whatever book has most recently ruined our group chat.
Support the pod: This post contains affiliate links, which means Genre’d may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no additional cost to you. Bookshop.org purchases also help support independent bookstores.
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