Easter reading suggestions

Some of my favourite books of 2026

If you’re taking some time off at Easter, you might be looking for something to read. Here are some suggestions for you.

First, I’m highlighting five books I’ve paid full price for. I normally buy second-hand books, or borrow from the library, or use one of the local book swaps, but the library didn’t stock any of these.

I was happy to pay full price for these books so the authors would get their royalties. I either know them personally or have read their Substacks and want to support their work.

1. These beautiful postcards came as a bonus in the boxed set of two books (part 1/part 2) of Amie McNee ‘s ‘I Don’t Want a Job’ (published by The Pound Project).

It was a delightful surprise opening the post and handling these beautifully crafted items. Neon literary magazine (sadly folded) used to create chapbooks and items like this. In a digital age, it’s nice to see someone creating nice things (affordable, too).

Amie expresses much of what I’ve thought over the years: work sucks. It doesn’t make you lazy if you don’t want to hold down a shitty job that saps your energy and creativity.

The second book gives some great ideas about how you can live as an artist and create, promote and sell your art. I am failing to describe how this whole project enthused and delighted me.

2. 20 Hacks for the 24-Hour Athlete. Brian McCormick

I’ve known Brian McCormick for over ten years now: he’s a basketball coach and coach educator. His lessons and ideas apply to many different sports: if you are a parent of a teen athlete, he’s worth reading.

3. Six Attempts, White Lights: Kazem Panjabi.

Kazem is a fellow weightlifting coach and technical official. He has generously given me his share of samosas when they are too spicy for him. This is a handy little book about preparing for and undertaking weightlifting competitions: a bit like Brian’s, it was written for his own athletes before being published.

It needs editing and better formatting to allow the excellent content to shine through (I did tell Kazem). The section on eating before and during a competition is invaluable.

4. Class: Stephanie Land.

You may know Stephanie Land, from the TV series, ‘Maid.’ She’s an excellent writer and I recommend her Substack. Her life has been tumultuous and arduous, like many women in her position. More power to her writing elbow for sharing what life is like on food vouchers.

This is a well-written autobiography about the author's final year at college as a mature student, single-mum and house cleaner. It lacks the narrative drive of 'Maid' but it’s worth reading. (She gets bonus points for mentioning the Green Bay Packers and Seinfeld).

5.Katya Cengel: Bluegrass Baseball.

I don’t know Katya, but she was mentioned in the same Scott Bradfield YouTube show as me before Christmas.

This book is great: I have no interest in baseball, but I liked the Ron Shelton movies. I do have an interest in people striving hard to make it, and the realities of sport outside of the big time. It's well written and reminded me of 'Nomadland': delving into the life of an under-reported America.

There you have it: how I spent my disposable income helping fellow authors who have taken the time and effort to create something useful/fun/ original. Thanks to them all.

Of course, you could buy one of my books and help support me.

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The Best of the Rest.

• A Curtain of Green and Other Stories: Eudora Welty. Wonderfully descriptive and rich stories of eccentric characters in the poor, rural Southern USA.

• The Road to Middle Earth: Tom Shippey. A fantastically detailed, organised, researched and written book about the origins and backgrounds of Tolkien’s works. Shippey tackles Tolkien’s uninformed and lazy critics head-on. I couldn’t put it down.

• The Lost Traveler: Sanora Babb. Sublime novel about a family experiencing highs and lows in Kansas in the 1930s. It's semi-autobiographical, and Babb writes with clarity, passion and drive.

• I Cheerfully Refuse: Leif Enger. Excellent dystopian novel that combines great writing with an interesting plot. Moving and thought-provoking, with great descriptions of life around Lake Superior.

Do you have a favourite book you’ve read in 2026? Please share in the comments.