Here are my 2026 books, in order of completion, some with a brief summary of my thoughts.
2026-02-06 Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes
2026-02-15 The Comfort Book by Matt Haig
2026-02-19 Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett
2026-02-22 A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
2026-03-22 Through Darkest Europe by Harry Turtledove.
I enjoy the occasional alternate history story, although it’s by no means my go-to genre. Most of the ones I’ve read have been by S.M. Stirling and Eric Flint, both of whom cite Harry Turtledove as an influence.
Through Darkest Europe takes place almost entirely in Italy, in an alternate timeline where Europe is the less developed part of the world. Italy stands on the brink of civil war, one that threatens to spill outward as two Christian sects struggle for supremacy. Into this environment, two diplomats from the more developed Middle East, one Muslim, one Jew, arrive, tasked with stabilizing the situation before it spirals out of control.
It’s an interesting premise, but I found Turtledove’s writing style to be somewhat pedestrian. The characters are distinct and have their own voices, yet their conversations often feel stilted and wooden. The romance subplot, in particular, feels as though it was lifted from a different story and grafted in without much regard for how it fits with the rest.
Overall, it’s an intriguing concept that could have benefited from a more deft hand in execution.