It’s our 2026 mid-year reading check-in, which means we are taking a very official look at the books we loved, the books we regretted, the genres that surprised us, and the reading habits we are pretending to have under control.

Katy and Elyse talk Goodreads goals, audiobook math, romantasy fatigue, dystopian awakenings, cozy fantasy surprises, horror rom-coms, memoirs, and why some sequels simply need to stop sending everyone on a quest.

Plus, we rank our favorite books of the year so far, hand out mid-year superlatives, and discuss the books that felt like personal attacks.

No genre shaming unless it’s funny.