These are the best books I've read in 2026 so far. See also my list of "most surprising" books." Lord willing, the lists for the entire year will be posted in December.

(Honorable mention): Doubts About Darwin, by Thomas Woodward

10. Mr. Roberts, by Thomas Heggin

9. Under God, by Toby Mac and Michael Tait

8. Conquerors, by Roger Crowley

7. John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace, by Jonathan Aitken

6. The Last Outlaws: The Lives and Legends of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, by Thom Hatch

5. What We See When We Read, by Peter Mendelsund

4. Passage to Byzantium: The Romanov-Habsburg Feud that Led to World War I

3. The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey, by Candace Millard

2. Wild Bill: The True Story of the American Frontier's First Gunfighter, by Tom Clavin

1. Leonardo da Vinci, by Walter Isaacson

Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705

Hal Hammons serves as preacher and shepherd for the Lakewoods Drive church of Christ in Georgetown, Texas. He is the host of the Citizen of Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook.