For a better future, study the past.
For a better future, study the past.
Books I Read in 2026 continues recent bandwagon of sharing (bragging really) about the number of books a person has read during a year. Many of the numbers I have seen for 2024 and 2025 seem highly suspect. Of course, if a reader is reading short, fluff fiction and has no job, I suppose reading 150+ books a year could be possible. Should quantity be the goal rather than quality? I think not, but for many readers it’s a chance to brag about a high (and to me pointless) number.
For the purposes of this exercise, I will be including books I have physically read whether an actual book or electronic, AND books I have listened to through Audible. I am not going to argue the semantics of what reading is. Reading and listening ARE different, however does it really matter in the mind of the consumer. I drive an hour and a half to two hours per day round trip to work and back. Often times it’s the only chance I have to get through certain books. I may not be reading in the traditional sense, but I feel it’s worth including these titles as long as they are unabridged. If it’s abridged, I will note that.
Please remember, books on this list are not all that I read. I read portions of (but seldom full) MA Thesis and Ph.D. Dissertations, numerous academic journal articles, dozens of mainstream magazine articles, and literally hundreds, if not thousands, of historic newspaper articles throughout the year.
I suppose an exercise such as this should include a goal. Let’s set it ridiculously high (remember, I read non-fiction almost exclusively, much of it academic in nature, and it just takes longer than reading most NYT bestselling fiction.) In addition, I am not a fast reader. I never have been. Let’s have a goal of 40 books; slightly over 3 per month. Realistically, let’s stick to 26; one every other week. Maybe with some effort I will surprise all of us.
I will be listing books and authors, most of which will have a link for you to learn more and purchase if you so desire. I may say something briefly about the book, especially if I really liked it. Or didn’t. If I post a separate book review, I will provide a link to that. Unless noted, these are the physical book. Books will be listed in the order read and not in alphabetical order by author or title. I may or may not own copies of these books.
And without further ado, lets kick off Books I Read in 2026!
Florida Thunder: The Marion Light Artillery 1861-1865. Written by Mike Evans
Florida regimental histories are extremely rare due to a lack of source material. This thin volume, less than 60 pages of text, relies heavily on an unpublished, partial, late war diary and several letters from Lt. Andrew Jackson Neal, held at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. Readers interested in the Florida Brigade in the Western Theater of the Civil War are referred to Jonathan Sheppard.
Florida’s New Deal Parks and Post Office Murals. Written by Keri Watson.
A short, yet heavily illustrated dive into this unique aspect of how the New Deal benefited Florida. Learn about how New Deal agencies created state parks, libraries, and the murals that were housed inside. While interesting and very appropriate for an introduction to the topic, those seeking an in-depth look might be disappointed.
On Great Fields: Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and His Fight to Save the Union. Written by Ronald C. White. Listened to using Audible.
A grossly misnamed book as it covers so much more than his Civil War service. It includes his schooling, time as Maine governor, time as Bowdoin College president, and other post-war activities. Clocking in at more than 500 pages, (having listened on Audible I don’t know how much of that is notes, bibliography, and index) this will be a time commitment, but one that all the “fans” of Chamberlain from having seen the Ken Burns series or having watched Gettysburg, should make. It appears to be solidly researched and it is well written. No shock coming from Ronald C. White. For me, however, I don’t find Chamberlain any more interesting or likable than I did before having completed this.
