Welcome to Day 6 (and also the last day😢) of Five Fall Favorites, hosted by Kate at Once Upon an Ordinary and Katja at Little Blossoms for Jesus! If you have missed my previous posts, you can find them here: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5. Today, I am going to be sharing my top 5 books from 2026!
(Note: I decided not to include any of the education-related books I’ve read this year since that would take up half the list, and since it’s kind of a niche interest, I wanted to include books to would appeal to more people. However, if you are interested in education, let me know and I’d be happy to share more. 😉 I also decided not to feature re-reads because then I would include The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street, which I have probably already mentioned enough this week. :P)
NOTE: All cover images link to the books’ Goodreads pages.
1. The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold
I did not expect to love this book so much, but it was SO good! The story is about Clara Kip, an elderly lady who finds out she has cancer and moves into a hospice center, and Aidyn, a young reporter who has been assigned to write Mrs. Kip’s obituary. Throughout the story, Aidyn learns more about Mrs. Kip’s life, including her early widowhood, her work with refugees, and so much more. This story is stunningly beautiful and filled with so much wisdom. Read my review of The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip here.
2. The People Beneath the Petals by H.A. Yang
This was definitely the coziest middle grade story I’ve read this year! This non-magical fantasy is about a group of little people who live in a garden and what happens when they meet The Forest Folk. The world-building is so good and so much fun (a pet firefly that lights up the house, snail races, houses made from the notches in tree roots, etc.), and there are lovely Christian themes throughout! Read my review of The People Beneath the Petals here.
3. Letters for Victory by Kate Willis
This was such a fun semi-epistolary middle grade World War 2 homefront story! It also had strong family themes reminiscent of the Moffats or the Melendys. It was sweet seeing how the siblings worked together to write letters to their overseas soldier pen pal along with all of the other fun adventures they went on. I loved the cozy writing style, too. Read my review of Letters for Victory here.
4. Pocket Bear by Katherine Applegate
Another middle grade story (can you tell I’ve read a lot of middle grade this year?), this one is about Zephyrina, a cat, finding a stuffed teddy bear and bringing it to her home at the Second Chances Home for the Tossed and Treasured, headed by Pocket Bear, a hand-sewn mascot bear from WW1. The writing style is quite poetic, and there are beautiful themes of love and second chances. There is also some interesting real history woven into the story. Read my review of Pocket Bear here.
5. The Blossoming Summer by Anna Rose Johnson
I know I already mentioned The Blossoming Summer yesterday, but it deserves another shout-out! 😉 I greatly enjoyed reading about Rosemary moving from England to Wisconsin with her family during World War 2 as she forges new friendships and learns more about her family heritage, being part-Ojibwe. If you haven’t already, read my review of The Blossoming Summer here.
Be sure to check out the posts from the other members of Team Squirrel to find their top 5 reads from the year!
Stephanie @ Books Less Travelled
To see the whole list of bloggers participating this year and find more fun book recommendations, check out the hosts, Kate’s and Katja’s, blogs by clicking the buttons below!
Today is the last day to enter the Five Fall Favorites giveaway! The giveaway will close at 11:59:00 P.M. EDT. You can check it out here!
Thank you so much for joining me for the Five Fall Favorites party! This week has been so much fun! I hope you found some new good books to read, got some fun freebies, and just enjoyed celebrating books and fall! Leave a comment below and let me know what your favorite reads from 2026 were, or your favorite finds from Five Fall Favorites!
On Monday, I will be returning to my regular posting schedule. I will see you all then with a book review!
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