2026 reading checkpoint 📚
Not actually tagged but @bethanyactually said anyone who felt like joining in could so here I am :p
We're halfway through the year, so what is the best/your favourite book that you've read so far in 2026?
So technically it is a series but if I hadn't fallen in love with the first book I would have trusted bfs assessment that it probably wasn't one for me so I'm going with the first book of The Tyrant Philosophers: City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Because who doesn't need a book about the Perfect and Logical nation Palleseen who figured out that people are Not perfect and so need help being logical. And what is the biggest motivator behind illogical behaviour? That's right, Faith. Let's outlaw that religious bullshit.
But also, being logical about it, there had to be something There for people to flock to it, right? Could we .. could we maybe check if those deities exist? And maybe .. hear me out, tap them for energy to make more atheist weapons? In the name of logical perfection, you know.
So first book we get to follow some of the people in an occupied city:
A poor (in every definition of the word) priest and only believer of a fading God, being bullied by said deity
A young and idealistic student who thinks we need to Make A Stand about this occupation thing
An innkeeper on the edge of town and the last neutral ground
A professor with a taste for the finer things in life
A street thug in it for a good time and not a long time
The Mysterious Woods
Things are going to go great when you shake the powder-keg that is the city of Ilmar with one too many poker-games and Miracles, don't worry about it.
Throughout the series we get to see the different faces of The Sway of Perfection, from occupation, to battle fields, diplomatic endeavours, and though the gallery of characters may vary between the books they all range between Good and Great with me personally liking them in the order of 1, 4, 2, 3, but I think @magnusdidntwantablog who first read them said he ranks the first as the worst (I know he has weird taste), so please be assured that they are worth a shot even if you don't vibe with the first few characters you meet.
Tagging @krippe90 @imaginarydragonling @racke7 @tbiris @silversoulstardust @pieceofbiscuit @magnusdidntwantablog if yall wanna share some book recs?
