We’re already halfway through 2026, and looking back at my reading journey so far feels a bit like flipping through a personal scrapbook. Each book I’ve picked up this year has brought something different into my life – new perspectives, unforgettable characters, comforting moments, or lessons that stayed with me long after I turned the final page.
As I paused to reflect on the first six months of the year, these books stood out. They are the ones that moved me, taught me something new, sparked my imagination, or left an imprint on my heart in one way or another. Some made me think deeply, some offered an escape, and a few reminded me why reading continues to be such an important part of my life.
So, here are the books that have made my reading journey truly special so far in 2026.
Book Review: The Book of Daily Brilliance by by Pamela Puja Kirpalani – 111 Days of Reflection, Healing, and Inner Growth
Review “Don’t dim your light to fit expectations that are long gone.” Sometimes, we need a book that reminds us that we will all have good days and difficult days,…
Book Review: No More Secrets by Lucy Score – A Heartwarming Tale of Love, Healing, and Self-Discovery
Review “Our real strength is in vulnerability, in facing and living the truth no matter who is watching. That is where we are strongest.” I wanted to read something light,…
Book Review: I Died Too Early by Sumitra Manda – A Poignant Journey Through Heartbreak, Healing & Self-Discovery
Review “Love leaves stains, not the visible kind,but the ones you find months later, in the way you hesitate before trusting again.” Some books feel like reliving the pain of…
Book Review: Girls Who Stray by Anisha Lalvani – A Haunting Story of Loneliness, Love & Belonging
Review “We don’t tell each other how lonely we are, separately and together. But still we meet, an addiction we are too feeble to kick, a bad habit too old.”…
Book Review: People We Love by Preeti Shenoy – A Heartwarming Tale of Love, Friendship & Second Chances.
Review “Sometimes, the best dreams are the ones we make real for others.” Preeti Shenoy’s books have always been comfort reads for me. One of the very first books I…
Book Review: The Chanakya Playbook by Abhiraj Gupta – Where Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Leadership
Review “True mastery is knowing when to talk, when to pay, and when to walk away.” Late Dr. Radhakrishnan Pillai introduced many of us to the timeless wisdom of Chanakya…
Book Review: The Lady Who Carried the Monk Across the River by Pawan K. Varma – A Thought-Provoking Tale of Spirituality & Self-Discovery
Review “The key question is how one interprets what the role of a monk is.” If you’ve ever wondered how differently people can interpret the same situation, The Lady Who…
Book Review: My Dead Flowers by Buku Sarkar – A Deeply Emotional and Beautiful Poetry Collection
Review “because there are always two endingsto a story,I felt I learned to lose youlong before I learned to love you.” Poetry has always been my go-to genre. I love…
Book Review: The Bodyguard Affair by Amy Lea – A Perfect Summer Read with Romance, Drama & Chemistry
Review “It’s about how bravely and passionately you put your heart into it.”“One of the biggest mistakes we can make is living life small, letting life pass us by because…
Book Review: Bloom by Aisha Sharma – Reflections on Strength, Softness & Self-Love
Review “It’s the courage to speak without editing. It’s the softness to stay, even when the voice trembles.” This book is going to stay with me for a long time. Some…
Book Review: Bhagavad Gita: Light of Divine Wisdom by Pundrik Goswamiji – A Soulful Spiritual Experience
Review “The core of Gita is not about renouncing the world but rather living in alignment with the divine purpose, and free from the shackles of attachment and ego. It…
Book Review: Hot Chocolate on Thursday by Michiko Aoyama – A Warm and Comforting Read
Review “I think we don’t get to choose to be passionate, wanting to do this, wanting to have that, or wanting to be a certain way. To desire something, it…
Book Review: The Renunciation by Pragya Agarwal – A Powerful Retelling of Sita’s Story.
Review “She was ready to step back, ready to salvage the one strong fierce Sita, the one who always had powerful resolution, a mind of her own, and the will…
Book Review: All This Light by Ashish Bagrecha – A Gentle Poetry Collection on Hope, Healing & Light.
Review “maybe,just maybe,i was madeto be unlovable.” Some authors have a way of writing words that feel like a quiet embrace. Their books become a refuge, something we return to…
Book Review: I’m Not Lazy, I’m on Energy Saving Mode by Dancing Snail translated by Clare Richards.
Review “It’s better to focus on what we can do right now. This way we stop reality from getting us down and find something to read on.” There is a…
Book Review: Bhima’s Wife by Kavita Kane – Hidimbi’s Untold Story.
Review “I make my own story, I will write it in my language, my emotions, my perspective. You would rather hear the unusual story, where I am seen as unsuitable…
Book Review: You Can Have It All by Gaur Gopal Das – A gentle, witty guide to living with peace, perspective, and purpose.
Review “Trust isn’t meant to be brittle like chocolate. It’s meant to be like dough.If it dries out, it cracks. But if you knead it, work with it, and keep…
Book Review: The Hawk’s Quest by Deepa Agarwal – A Powerful Retelling of Shakuni’s Story
Review “Never waste your strength.”“You have to remain as patient as a spider, spinning your web slowly…” If you’ve always seen Shakuni as just the villain of the Mahabharata, this…
