Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. In addition to my other Top Ten List of the night that looked at the best Australian novels I have so far enjoyed in 2026, I’m also going to highlight the top books from the first half of the year that I still need to read.
While I have already enjoyed a substantial number of outstanding books in 2026, there are still quite a few impressive novels from the first half of the year that I have yet to read. Many of these were on my most anticipated books lists for 2026, and while I was really excited for them, I have honestly not had a chance to check all of them out yet. Therefore, I am going to use this list to shame myself in the hope that it gets me into gear to finally check out these epic reads. This proved to be an easy list to pull together, as many of these books have been weighing on my mind for a while. All 10 novels below (plus honourable mentions) sound really, really good, and I hope I get the chance to read all of them soon.
Honourable Mentions:
The Death Row Club by V. A. Vazquez
A fun sounding thriller that I am still hoping to read.
The Arcadian by Steven Pressfield
An excellent historical fiction novel from Steven Pressfield, whose previous work has been so damn good.
The Crossroads by C. J. Box
I really need to check out The Crossroads by C. J. Box at some point, especially after having so much fun with the other books in Box’s main series.
I, Claudia by D. N. Potter
A very entertaining and comedy laden crime fiction read that I’m still hoping to check out.
Top Ten List:
First Mage on the Moon by Cameron Johnston
Let’s start this list off with a book I’m still hoping to read soon, First Mage on the Moon by Cameron Johnston. The latest unique standalone fantasy offering from Johnston (whose previous works include The Maleficent Seven and The Last Shield), First Mage on the Moon is a fantastic release I regret not checking out sooner. I’m very curious to see if the titular mage protagonist ends up making it to the moon, and I will be making a major effort to read this book before the end of the year.
After loving the rest of the books in Michael Mammay’s Planetside series (Planetside, Spaceside, Colonyside and Darkside), I’m surprised I haven’t gotten around to reading the latest entry, Blindside, yet. Set to feature another intense thriller narrative of corporate secrets and intrigue in the far future, Blindside sounds quite amazing, and I’ve been keen to read it for a while. I’m hoping to check this out at some point soon, especially on audiobook, and I cannot wait to continue this series when I get a chance.
Click by Sarah Bailey
One of the bigger Australian fiction releases of 2026 that I still need to check out is the fascinating sounding Click by Sarah Bailey. A follow-up to Bailey’s acclaimed novel, The Housemate, Click has a lot of potential to be one of my favourite Australian books of the year. I unfortunately haven’t had a chance to check it out yet, but I know I will enjoy it when I do.
Warhammer 40,000: Death Rider by Rhuairidh James
Fans of this blog know that I always try to read every new Warhammer 40,000 novel as soon as it comes out, however, with the sheer number of Warhammer books released each year this isn’t always possible. As such, one of the more intriguing debuts of the year, Death Rider by Rhuairidh James slipped through the cracks, and I haven’t had a chance to get around to reading it yet. Set to follow a commissar caught up in a military disaster, Death Rider has a fantastic premise, as the commissar’s duty requires him to convince his troops to retreat, rather than make a last stand. I have a feeling this is going to be a particularly awesome Warhammer novel, and I’m going to try and read it soon.
Another major 2026 debut I want to check out is the intriguing sounding City of Others by Jared Poon. A compelling urban fantasy set in Singapore, City of Others has been on my radar for a while, and I am very keen to read it this year. Sure to be a top read, I cannot wait to finally get into City of Others.
Mortedant’s Peril by R. J. Barker
One of the fantasy books I feel most guilty about not reading yet is Mortedant’s Peril. The new book from R. J. Barker, a fantasy author who has impressed me many times in the past, Mortedant’s Peril follows the hectic adventures of a man who talked to the wrong ghost and found out some terrible secrets about his beloved fantasy city. I really love the sound of Mortedant’s Peril’s plot and based on how good an author Barker is, I know that this is likely one of the better books of the year. I really need to try and get to Mortedant’s Peril in the next few months, and I cannot wait to see how this book turns out.
Parallax by Jeremy Robinson
I’ve done well reading some new stuff from awesome science fiction author Jeremy Robinson this year, especially his outstanding novel 30Seven (one of my favourite books and audiobooks from the first half of 2026). However, I missed out on reading one of his other new release, Parallax. A high-concept read that sees a trouble protagonist who can see things that aren’t supposed to be there, dragged into an elaborate and ancient labyrinth to uncover a terrible secret, Parallax sounds like an incredible read with some of Robinson’s more out-there ideas. I’m hoping to get to Parallax at some point this year, although whether I will have the chance before Robinson’s third 2026 novel, Settle Down, comes out, remains to be seen.
Star Wars Outlaws: Low Red Moon by Mike Chen
I always love a good Star Wars read, and as such I’m disappointed that I haven’t had the chance to read the new Mike Chen Star Wars novel, Low Red Moon. A tie-in to the Star Wars Outlaws game, Low Red Moon looks set to follow two of the games more interesting characters, and the events that led up to their dark actions in Outlaws. Set to provide some fascinating insights into the criminal underworld in the Imperial era of Star Wars lore, Low Red Moon sounds pretty awesome, and I am very much hoping to read it at some point this year. If I do, it will probably be on audiobook, as it is narrated by two of the voice actors from Outlaws revisiting their main roles from the game.
Daughter of Crows by Mark Lawrence
One of the bigger fantasy releases of 2026 I’ve so far failed to read is the new Mark Lawrence novel, Daughter of Crows, which starts his new The Academy of Kindness series. Lawrence is always an excellent author to check out, and this new novel sounds quite fun, with a dark take on the classic magical school narrative. I will have to see how I go with reading Daughter of Crows this year, but I am sure it will prove to be an outstanding novel when I finally get to it.
Warhammer 40,000: Veterans of the Fall by William Crowe
The final book from the first half of 2026 that I still need to read is the Warhammer 40,000 novel Veterans of the Fall. A collection of shorter stories combined into one novel; Veterans of the Fall follows an elite group of desperate survivors as they fight to remain on world essentially already fallen to the enemy. I have heard that this novel is an amazing and action packed read, and I am really hoping I get the chance to dive into it at some point this year. A great final entry on this list of awesome books I really need to read before the end of 2026.
Well, that is the end of this latest list. As you can see, there are a bunch of exceptional novels from the first half of the year that I need to check out. All the above books sound incredibly epic, and I am going to have to try a lot harder to start reading through them. In the meantime, let me know which books released in the first half of the year you most regret not reading in the comments below.
