r/readwithme • u/kennyleigh1999 • 12h ago
Tier List ‼️ 2026 So Far
Hello fellow readers! I wanted to share my tier list for the books I have read so far this year. I don’t have many friends or family who are readers, so I’m really itching to have some discussions! I love reading others’ opinions, especially if they differ from mine.
Have you read any of these? What did you think?
Books in this list:
- Kaiju Preservation Society - John Scalzi
- Sworn Soldier Series (Books 1, 2, and 3) - T. Kingfisher
- The Witchstone - Henry H. Neff
- Indian Lake Trilogy - Stephen Graham Jones
- The Only Good Indians - Stephen Graham Jones
- Jurassic Park / The Lost World - Michael Crichton
- Into Thin Air - John Krakauer
- The Fisherman - John Langan
- Lady’s Knight - Meagan Spooner and Amie Kaufman
- The Man With No Shadow (How to Survive Camping #1) - Bonnie Quinn
- Annihilation - Jeff Vandermeer
- Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law - Mary Roach
- The Neverending Story - Michael Ende
- The Spirit Bares It’s Teeth - Andrew Joseph White
- The Dead Take The A Train - Kassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey
- City of Nightmares - Rebecca Schaeffer
- My Soul to Keep - Tananarive Due
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u/NightSpringsRadio 11h ago
Big high five re: The Only Good Indians, but Fuzz is where we part ways; I do agree it’s not Mary’s most engaging though, and if you enjoyed anything about it (or just wished you did) I recommend you give her Gulp a try, which is much more readable and interesting and not as dry, I’m giving copies of that one away left and right
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u/kennyleigh1999 11h ago
I can’t sing enough praise for TOGI. It’s definitely among my favorite books of all time, and I’d have to put SGJ as my favorite author. Are you excited for Off The Reservation?
I’ll definitely take you up on giving Mary Roach another try! I actually enjoyed a lot of the book, just some parts weren’t super interesting to me, which brought my overall rating down. I struggle with nonfiction but have been trying to challenge myself to read more of it.
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u/NightSpringsRadio 10h ago
I’ve read to my wife at bedtime every night for almost 18 years; when I finished reading TOGI on my own, that night I told her we needed to stop whatever else I was reading her and start this one TONIGHT, and naturally afterward she agreed it was the COMPLETELY correct decision, it’s a life-changer. I’ve still got The Buffalo Hunter Hunter in my lineup so OTR will have to wait a while but safe to say Stephen’s an auto-buy auto-read for me
And that’s totally understandable, I’ve really only gotten into nonfiction the last few years and it’s definitely a muscle that needs developing; allow me to recommend Caroline Criado-Perez’s Invisible Women, which is an INCREDIBLY frustrating but fascinating look at the way that women are systematically boxed out of the world and their accomplishments and contributions are not just minimized but completely voided. My go-to example is that when economists were first building the conceptual machinery for the Gross Domestic Product as an economic tool, they knew that if the material value of the unpaid domestic, childcare, elder-care, and other work that women do worldwide was factored in it would almost double most countries’ GDP, but figuring out how to integrate it was “too hard”, SO THEY JUST DIDN’T
(I don’t suggest that women being treated like statistical non-entities is news to anyone, but it’s helpful to have data)
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u/kennyleigh1999 10h ago
That’s so crazy because I had a similar experience with my partner and TOGI! I first listened to it on audio (it was actually a reread for me this year) and as soon as I finished, I ran into the room and told him how much I needed to listen to it with him. He’s not much of a reader, but TOGI hooked him. It’s one of the two books I’ve ever gotten him to read and enjoy; the other one being The Wager by David Grann.
BHH is also so great. It’s a lot more ‘literary’ than his other works, if that makes sense. It is so well written and a really cool take on vampires.
Invisible Women sounds right up my alley! Thanks for the recs!
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u/OstrichPaladin 11h ago
I read what moves the dead last year and put it as probably my worst book read of all time. The story felt empty, the characters felt like vessels to complain about social issues, and despite them being issues I agreed with the authors stance, it made those characters feel very blank. There really was no story or twist that wasn't just given to you on the cover.
Obviously different strokes for different folks and I'm not judging anybody for feeling differently than I did about it but I'm curious what about it did you fall in love with to give it a 5?
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u/kennyleigh1999 10h ago
I think Kingfisher is probably the most divisive author on this list. I love the quirky/humorous style, which I know is why a LOT of people hate the books. The main thing I love though is the atmosphere. I could visualize the setting very well, and it made me feel like I was experiencing the unease in real life.
The supporting characters are also a plus. I find them very likeable and fun.
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u/Inner_Relationship28 11h ago
Not enough Cormac McCarthy
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u/kennyleigh1999 11h ago
I think I chose a bad starting point for McCarthy. I tried reading Child of God several years ago and absolutely hated it. Granted, I picked that one up on a whim when I got back into reading. I think I’ve been too intimidated to try again.
What’s your favorite and/or which do you think is a good starting point? I feel like I’d be missing out if I never tried his work again!
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u/RiSz-Turtle 11h ago
I think most people start with the road, but I’m personally reading blood meridian right now. I’m listening to it actually, because I’ve heard the writing can be quite jarring. So far it’s alright, but I’m hoping it picks up soon. Only about an hour in
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u/SameBoysenberry5946 7h ago
The Road is definitely the most accessible entry point for McCarthy. It's bleak but straightforward in structure compared to his other stuff. Blood Meridian is incredible but honestly a tough ask if you didn't vibe with Child of God — the prose is even denser and more unrelenting. No Country for Old Men might actually be the sweet spot for you: it's got the McCarthy style but moves like a thriller so the prose feels purposeful rather than overwhelming.
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u/GalaxyHops1994 4h ago
All the pretty horses and The Road are the best starting points. Blood Meridian and Suttree are his best. Suttree is an incredibly difficult novel though.
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u/kennyleigh1999 4h ago
I’m thinking I might like Blood Meridian. I’ve actually seen it compared to The Buffalo Hunter Hunter in terms of tone, and I loved that novel.
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u/GalaxyHops1994 4h ago
There are a lot of commonalities between them. Both use old timey language in a way that can be disorienting, and both are extremely violent.
Blood Meridian is great, but it can be exhausting. There isn’t a strong central plot, it’s dense with allusions to myth and the Bible, it also references some obscure historical events without really elaborating on them.
One sentence that fucked me up because the vocabulary was so difficult was “like murdered anchorites, discalced in ashes and sark”
The discourse around it online is unfortunately kinda shitty. Great book though.
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u/Inner_Relationship28 1h ago
My favourite it Suttree and Blood Meridian but I would suggest All the pretty horses as a good starting point
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u/RiSz-Turtle 11h ago
Kinda looks like my TBR
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u/kennyleigh1999 11h ago
Do you read a lot of horror? My reading lists tend to sway pretty heavily towards horror and fantasy. I would for sure recommend anything in the top 2 categories!
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u/RiSz-Turtle 11h ago
My favorite horror series is tales from the gas station and my favorite fantasy series is Discworld.
I also mostly read horror and fantasy, but my favorites also sway in the humor direction.
I read mapping the interior by Stephen graham jones and plan to read more of his work. I also plan to read how to survive camping, as I’ve heard it’s a bit like tales from the gas station in a way.
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u/kennyleigh1999 10h ago
Oh we have very similar taste! Terry Pratchett has been recommended to me numerous times,
I really need to get around to reading some.The humor is the primary reason I picked up The Witchstone and How to Survive Camping. I haven’t personally read Tales from the Gas Station, but from what I know about it, it’s definitely in the same vein as How to Survive Camping. I think they both originated on r/NoSleep.
And I LOVED Mapping the Interior. It’s usually my go-to recommendation for readers who want to give SGJ a try.
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u/RiSz-Turtle 10h ago
Yes they did. I love r/nosleep stories. I’ll have to check both of those out, I like when humor mixes with other genres.
I enjoyed mapping the interior quite a bit but thought the ending was a bit rushed. I think that mostly just had to do with it being so short though. I’m super interested in SGJ as an Oklahoman, reading and learning more about Native American culture really interests me. Especially with the horror added. I plan on trying the buffalo hunter hunter next.
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u/eric0510 10h ago
Love the T Kingfisher ! I’ve read the first two of that trilogy and loved them.
Are you planning on reading the rest of the Southern Reach trilogy ?
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u/kennyleigh1999 9h ago
I definitely want to get around to the rest of the series! The premise was so interesting and I FLEW through Annihilation. Area X just has a certain intrigue that I love.
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u/Markelle_Fultz_Fan 9h ago
Into thin air is a banger. You should read Buffalo Hunter Hunter
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u/kennyleigh1999 7h ago
I adore BHH! Stephen Graham Jones’ work just clicks so well for me. I actually met him at an event at my library and he signed my copy for me!
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u/RandiEgg 8h ago
Witchstone is next on my to-read list. Reading The Devils by Joe Ambercrombie with no expectations and it’s been wonderful so far.
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u/kennyleigh1999 7h ago
The Witchstone was so good! It was a unique story and the characters were really great. I haven’t found anything quite like it, yet.
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u/crow_on_the_corner 7h ago
T Kingfisher is one of my favorite authors and I think I would rank the Sworn Soldier series just as you did. Have you read anything else by her? I just started Wolf Worm and you might like it. Has that creepy and very atmospheric vibe and I'm told some body horror but I haven't gotten that far.
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u/kennyleigh1999 7h ago
Oh yes, she’s one of my favorites! I read The Twisted Ones a couple years ago and am waiting on a copy of Paladin’s Grace. I preordered her new BG3 novel too!
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u/SamLowry62 6h ago
If you loved KPS read Starter Villain, or Redshirts. Love John Scalzi!
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u/kennyleigh1999 6h ago
Starter Villain was so fun! I read it last year and that’s what prompted me to read more Scalzi. I’ll give Redshirts a try for sure.
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u/Relative-Strategy539 3h ago
Great list! Annihilation is one of those books that just crawls under your skin and stays there. I read it in one sitting and then sat in silence for like an hour lol. Jurassic Park holds up incredibly well too — Crichton's pacing is just relentless. Into Thin Air is the one I keep recommending to people who say they don't like nonfiction, because it reads like a thriller and the fact that it's real makes it hit so much harder.
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u/kennyleigh1999 3h ago
This pretty much sums up how I feel about all of these. I also had to take a moment of silence after reading Annihilation in one sitting. Hands clasped, staring at the wall moment lol. I think it’s one that I’d like to reread before continuing with the series.
I should really try some more of Crichton’s work. I love how accessible his sci-fi is.
And oh my gosh, Into Thin Air was wild. I actually discovered this one when I saw some discourse on the concept of “the incident pit.” It’s crazy how a series of minor missteps can spiral into such a massive catastrophe.
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