No author interview, no book reviews — just Philippa's most personal episode of the year: her best reads of the first six months of 2026. Twelve books, one honourable mention, and the admission that it was genuinely hard to narrow it down.
These are books Philippa read between January and June — not necessarily published this year — in alphabetical order by author surname, because she doesn't want to rank them.
🎖️ Honourable Mention
The Wedding Suit – Rachel Joyce (BBC Radio Drama)
A five-part radio serial about an eccentric elderly couple whose isolated lives are transformed by the unexpected arrival of a child. Written by Rachel Joyce, narrated by her husband Paul Venables (Yakob in The Archers). Still available on BBC Sounds — Philippa considers it essential listening.
📚 The Top 12
YesterYear – Caro Claire Burke
The trad wife book everyone's been talking about — and rightly so. A brilliant concept, word-of-mouth sensation, and genuinely hard to put down.
Body of Lies – Jo Callaghan
The fourth and final Kat and Lock book. An AI detective, a murdered MP, a cyberattack, and a taunting binary code message. Plus: Philippa gets a mention in the acknowledgements. Chef's kiss.
Solitary Agents – David Goodman
The second Jamie Tulloch spy novel. Clever concept, brilliant writing, and completely readable without the first book.
Broken Country – Claire Leslie Hall
A quiet sucker punch of a book — part courtroom, part countryside, all heart. Beautifully written and emotionally devastating.
The Drowning Place – Sarah Hilary
A Peak District crime series debut unlike anything else in the genre right now. Joseph's story is different in a way Philippa isn't willing to spoil — but can't stop recommending.
A Family Matter – Claire Lynch
Short, devastating, and extraordinary. A letter arrives. Two timeframes — 1982 and 2022. About love, acceptance, and everything in between.
Slings and Arrows – Nick McLachlan
A book about darts in the 1980s that turns out to be about friendship, marriage, health, and everything men don't say to each other. Published 2024. Beautiful.
Night Swimmers – Roisin McGuire
A coastal Northern Ireland village, a quirky swimmer called Grace, a visitor with a complicated story, and a cast of locals who made Philippa laugh out loud. The audiobook is gorgeous.
Land – Maggie O'Farrell
Starting in 1865 Ireland, this is Philippa's favourite Maggie O'Farrell yet. Exquisite writing, emotional gut-punches from nowhere, and a book that feels like the land itself is reading alongside you.
Mars One – Charlotte Robinson
A sci-fi thriller that works even if you don't read sci-fi. A one-way mission to Mars, a conspiracy, a vanished coder in Hong Kong, and his cat. Needs to be a film immediately.
The Things We Never Say – Elizabeth Strout
Philippa's first Strout & now she wants them all. A teacher named Arty handles life with quiet grace & devastating tenderness. Already pressed into multiple people's hands.
The Ballad of Smallhope and Pennyroyal – Jodi Taylor
Time travel, hijinks, chaos, and joy. A brilliant entry point into Jodi Taylor's world, and the audiobook is perfection.
💬 What were your best reads of the first half of 2026?
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