🎉📚Best Books of 2026 (so far) with Liz Hein

Welcome to the FictionMatters podcast. Today I’m talking about the best books of the year (so far) with my co-host Liz Hein. This year’s reading has been strange for me, but I feel very excited about the books Liz and I are sharing as well as the books we have to look forward to in the back half of the year.As always, I would love to hear your favorite books of the year so far! Drop your favorites in the comments below!Books & Links* Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash* Seek Immediate Shelter by Vincent Yu* Canon by Paige Lewis* Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel* Ply by Hernan Diaz* Under Story by Chloe Benjamin* Ruins by Lily Brooks Dalton* Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead by Mai Nguyen* Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke* The Things We Never Say Elizabeth Strout* Strangers by Belle Burden* Adult Braces by Lindy West* The Rise of Ragebait Lit by Maris Kreizman* James by Percival Everett* Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman* John of John by Douglas Stuart* The Watch Podcast* 18:40 Brawler by Lauren Groff* 22:06 Kin by Tayari Jones* The Deserters by Mathias Ennard* 26:04 Medium Rare by A. Natasha Joukovsky* The Portrait of a Mirror by A. Natasha Joukovsky* 28:46 Whistler by Ann Patchett* Tom Lake by Ann Patchett* 32:18 Departures by Julian Barnes* The Möbius Book by Catherine Lacey* 35:14 Vigil by George Saunders* Lincoln and the Bardo by George Saunders* 38:51 Transcription by Ben Lerner* Audition by Kate Kitamura* 41:14 Land by Maggie O’Farrell* Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy* 46:16 She Who Remains by Renee Karabash* The Remembered Soldier by Anjet Daanje***This post contains affiliate links. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fictionmatters.substack.com/subscribe