Favorites from the first half of 2026

We are officially halfway through 2026, so I thought I’d do a midyear check-in with some of my favorite books, games, and movies from the first half of 2026.

Books

Some of the ones that are mentioned were not released in 2026, they are books that I finished reading this year.

• Alchemy of Light and Shadow by Myosotis – Not my usual type of book, but the romance drew me into this one and the story was entertaining. My current favorite of the year.

• The Lighthouse At Bloody Point by Markemus – A fun supernatural mystery involving a lighthouse keeper and a ghost. May take the spot of my favorite read of the year.

• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir – Amaze. Amaze. Amaze. Enough said. Statement.

• The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien – A wonderous journey through the history of Middle-earth that gave me a greater appreciation for the Lord of the Rings written trilogy.

• Unhinged by K.T. Carlisle – A fitting end for K.T.’s phenomenal “What Happened to Mia Davis?” trilogy.

Games

• Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf – A worthy sequel to a game that captured my heart a few years ago.

• Pragmata – The ultimate dad simulator that has amazing graphics and an interesting story.

• Vampire Crawlers – My current pick for Game of the Year. A roguelike deck-building game that is just as fun as Vampire Survivors.

Movies

• Crime 101 – A realistic crime movie that fits in my “dark drama” category. Currently my favorite movie that I have watched this year.

• Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die – Don’t use generative AI.

• I’ll Be Seeing You – A fun romantic comedy.

• The Mandalorian and Grogu – Its Star Wars. I love Star Wars. I thought it was a fun movie.

• Project Hail Mary – Captures the heart of the book.

• Supergirl – I enjoyed the movie and Milly Alcock is fantastic as Supergirl.

There are still plenty of books to read, games to play, and movies to watch before the year is over.