Welcome to 2026 and my latest reading list. Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman (February 10) is already making waves because Dinniman is one of the industry’s newest and brightest stars.
His Dungeon Crawler Carl series took the publishing world by storm, and now, everything he writes elicits interest. In Operation Bounce House, Oliver, the protagonist, runs a farm with his friends and family on an Earth Colony called New Sonora.
New Sonora’s settlers believed the government when it promised them complete freedom and autonomy. But now government has opened a transfer gate, establishing instant travel and communication between Earth and Sonora.
More than that, they have recruited Earth’s gamers to their cause, with plans to evict Oliver and his family from New Sonora. The book has fast-paced action, humour, and a surprising amount of heart.
A Forest, Darkly by A.G. Slatter (February 10) is Gothic/Dark Fantasy/Folklore. Mehrab, the protagonist, was minding her business in a cottage in a forest far from town when a girl called Rhea came to her.
Mehrab understood Rhea’s plight. Like the girl, Mehrab was a witch, but not the evil kind. However, she lived in a time when the common folk feared people like her. Mehrab was prepared to teach the girl everything she needed to know.
But then a new challenge arose. A little girl had gone missing, and the parents wanted Mehrab to find her. The witch did her best, but it was not enough. Then the little girl reappeared at her parents’ home weeks later, and Mehrab could not ignore the fact that something about her had changed.
Most of A.G. Slatter’s books take place in the same world. However, they exist independently. In other words, you don’t have to read anything else to enjoy A Forest, Darkly.
The book is an adult fairytale that many critics have compared to Little Red Riding Hood. The author’s fans adore the novel, commending the gothic setting, shocking twists, and Slatter’s beautiful prose.
The Forest on the Edge of Time by Jasmin Kirkbridge (February 3) has been categorized as ‘Time-Travel Climate Change Fiction,’ which is a term you don’t hear every day. Echo is a healer’s assistant in Ancient Athens.
Hazel lives on a polluted island in the future, the last human alive. These two women have nothing to do with each other. And yet, they both have amnesia. More importantly, whenever they fall asleep, Hazel and Echo meet in each other’s dreams.
Reviews for The Forest at the Edge of Time have been mixed. Some readers criticized the novel for not being character-driven. Others felt like it started well but dragged in the middle.
However, even with those weaknesses, the majority of critics and ordinary readers enjoyed the book. For Human Use by Sarah G. Pierce (February 10) has the craziest concept you have ever come across in a science fiction novel.
Tom is perplexed because his firm is financing Liv, a brand-new dating app. In an age when forging and maintaining human connections has become increasingly difficult, Liv matches its users not with other humans but with the dead.
Corpses can’t leave you when things go wrong. Neither do they talk back. Not only is Liv promising to ship the dead to your doorstep, but the public is playing along as well. Sarah G. Pierce’s debut novel shows how drastically the public’s idea of what’s acceptable can shift.
Some reviews have complained that Pierce does not spend enough time exploring the premise of her debut novel and instead throws the spotlight on the financial and romantic aspects of her story.
We can end on Isles of the Emberdark by Brandon Sanderson. Sanderson’s Kickstarter backers got the book last year, but the novel’s official release date is February 3, 2026. The protagonist (Sixth of the Dusk) lives on a deadly Island where people bond with supernatural birds called Aviar.
Sixth must convince his people to modernize. Otherwise, invaders from the stars will conquer them. And that should do for now. Happy Reading!
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