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A running ranking of the year's best books


Best Books of the Year: 2026
A running tally of the books that I have reviewed this year, updated and reranked after each book that I finish. Explore the latest reviews and discover hidden gems with insights from BarlinsBooks, your literary companion for top new releases.

Greg Barlin
5 days ago1 min read


Crooks
★★★★☆ A short story collection masquerading as a novel, it follows the exploits of a family who consistently find themselves on the fringe of honest society.

Greg Barlin
6 days ago2 min read


Anatomy of an Alibi
★★★★☆ A two-tiered whodunit focused on the murder of a prominent Baton Rouge lawyer and its potential connection to a hit-and-run from a decade prior.

Greg Barlin
Jan 12 min read


Detour
★★★☆☆ An interesting start to a series, but be warned that this is purely setup for a broader story with no resolution in this first installment.

Greg Barlin
Jan 13 min read
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