June 27, 2026

by Colin Dwyer, NPR Books contributor

Oh hi, it’s us again, your ol’ pals in public media. Last week’s newsletter shared some suggestions for folks who would like to be reading more often, or more regularly (read: just about everyone). Scroll down for some of your reactions to the tips our colleagues offered. As always, the inbox is bookoftheday@npr.org. And if you want to hear the latest author interviews from across NPR, subscribe to NPR’s Book of the Day podcast. Onward!

Our favorite reads of the year so far

Our colleagues shared their favorite reads of 2026 so far! Jackie Lay/NPR

Folks, I come bearing a troubling reminder: It’s almost July already.

Now, in fairness, time as we know it is just a construct. Physicists will cheerily point out that the inexorable forward march we call “time” isn’t a scientific fact so much as a crutch for our overmatched brains – a misperception that habit hammers into us until it resembles truth. Which I find comforting to think about, honestly, when I think about the distressing swiftness with which the past six months just fled.

But if that doesn’t do it for you, here’s another consolation: The half-year mark gives us another legitimate excuse to gush about the books we’ve loved. We got the conversation started by asking NPR staffers and contributors to share a favorite book of 2026 so far, and what we got back was fascinatingly diverse. There’s murder and mystery, romance and missed connection, gothic horror and boarding-school comedy, political upheaval and botched plastic surgery — and that’s just a taste of the fiction favorites. If nonfiction’s more your speed, you can find anything from artificial intelligence to authentic human poop.

But enough from me: Go check out the lists of staff fiction picks and nonfiction picks for yourself. Oh, and don’t forget to prep for what’s still to come this summer.

Now, it’s your turn. Have you read any books published this year that hooked your book club, had you raving to friends, or set up permanent residence in your brain? Let us know at bookoftheday@npr.org.

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TBR Pile

Judy Blume, beloved author of Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, explained to NPR’s Scott Simon why she traded writing for bookselling and, in the process, said farewell to her longtime companions – her characters. “They’re real to you. And you’re living with them for months, sometimes years. And you’re locked up in a little room all day with them. That’s why 50 years is enough. I was ready to come out into the world.”

Alan Greenspan’s death on Monday prompted NPR’s Anastasia Tsioulcas to share an illuminating tidbit from the central banker’s life: Ayn Rand, author of Atlas Shrugged, and Greenspan — whom she nicknamed “the undertaker” for his demeanor and personal fashion — were best friends for decades before the author’s death in 1982.

Laverne Cox in New York in April 2026. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Laverne Cox, star of Orange Is the New Black and author of the new memoir Transcendent, spoke to Fresh Air about the pain of growing up trans in Mobile, Alabama, and the scars she still bears today. “As an adult, I’m angry at the boys. I am angry at my mother. I want to protect that little child. I’m just so angry. I’m so hurt.”

Mailbag!

Last week, we shared tips for how to work reading into your (busy) lives – and asked about your personal reading goals. Here’s what some of you said:

Suzanne M. wrote: “This notion to take advantage of even small kernels of time is something I learned many years ago from a nun friend who told me frankly that with our teaching schedules, there was no way we’d find time for leisurely reading. She practiced what she preached. She was one of the best-read and smartest people I knew in my younger days. To this day, I read even when I have small spans of time and have been able to read regularly.”

Naomi F. wrote: “My reading goal for this year was to read Shogun by James Clavell. I finally accomplished my goal a couple weeks ago. It’s a great book!”

Meghan C. wrote: “I always have lofty summer reading goals! I’m a high school English teacher, so reading is more of a professional practice during the school year. Summer is my high season! First, I try to catch up on buzzy books from the year (I’m going for Yesteryear first), then I have to tackle the stack of books my mom and friends have lent me that I haven’t touched (7 books). I often try to tackle a classic I haven’t read (this year it’s Wuthering Heights) and then finish with something definitely not academic before the new school year starts. My goals are lofty and I almost never get to it all, but I love the challenge and I love flexing to my students how much I read!”

Greg B. wrote: “I'm planning on working my way through Clarice Lispector's collected stories; I've been a devotee as it were ever since college, but I've never been able to get through all of her short stories for various reasons. What makes the effort even more worth it is how I access her works, and books more generally; I'm totally blind, and prefer to read in Braille. Particularly for an author like Lispector, it brings a deeper meaning to the text. In addition to Lispector's short stories, I'll be revisiting some old favorites in audio this summer. It’s been a while since I've read Tolkien's Middle-earth narrative start to finish.”

That’s all for now. See you next week!

P.S., if a friend sent you this newsletter and you want to sign up, the place to do it is npr.org/newsletter/books. :)

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