[0:00]Hi guys, it's Reagan, and welcome back to another video. I'm so excited for today's video because it's a collection of recommendations that I'm always thrilled to put together every single year.
[0:10]That's right, friends, today I'm going to be recommending books that are perfect to binge read.
[0:14]books, plots, and stories you truly cannot put down, a series that's going to absolutely suck you in, a book that's going to destroy your reading slump, all books that once you start, you will not be able to stop.
[0:24]And also, I've personally enjoyed each one immensely, but before we dive into the book recommendations themselves, first a word from this video's sponsor.
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[1:43]And then, of course, a classic is Mario Kart World, which also has so many incredible new gameplay modes, including the knockout mode, which is Clay's and I's favorite.
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[2:18]So, when it comes to binge-worthy books, I feel like I have a few different categories.
[2:22]One, books and series that are so plot forward, you won't be able to put them down.
[2:26]Short and snappy reads that are incredibly engrossing and kind of can get you back into the reading swing of thing.
[2:32]And then a genre that I always feel like is a reading slump buster.
[2:35]So let's go ahead and dive right into some of my core series I want to recommend.
[2:40]The first series should absolutely not be a surprise, and in a lot of ways, is the inspiration to this iteration of this video because I'm currently binging it.
[2:48]And that is the Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman.
[2:51]I'm obsessed with this. I started this series in November, and I have not been able to stop.
[2:56]Every time I finish a book in this series, I immediately start the next one.
[3:00]The plot, the characters, everything about this world is so engaging.
[3:04]And every book, which is rare to say, has gotten better and better and better.
[3:08]Over the last like four months, I have read like six and a half books, thousands upon thousands of pages of this Dungeon Crawler world, and it has been an absolute blast.
[3:17]I'm honestly mourning the day when I don't have Dungeon Crawler Carl books to read because it's just the perfect recipe of a book series that you're just not going to want to put down.
[3:26]This is a lit RPG, fantasy post-apocalyptic inspired tale.
[3:30]And essentially, Earth has been taken over by aliens.
[3:33]They have destroyed everything, forcing the remaining survivors to compete in this intergalactic survival reality TV show inspired by Dungeon Crawler video games.
[3:42]We find our main character Carl in book one entering this dungeon, and his only companion is his ex-girlfriend's cat, who is now talking, and her name is Princess Donut.
[3:54]And from there, we watch him have to survive various floors, overcome obstacles, upgrade his character with loot, and obviously leveling up various skill sets.
[4:01]It's honestly bananas to reflect back on the plot and story of book one, given how much this series has expanded both in like the plot progression itself, but all the characters and different storylines that have been introduced throughout the story.
[4:14]I will also say one of the reasons why this series is just so hard to put down is because every book is inspired by a new floor within this dungeon.
[4:22]And a lot of times we have some context to what those next floors are going to kind of look like.
[4:30]Creating a situation where every book and floor kind of has a freshness to it because the author can add and change things as we progress through this dungeon, but we also can begin to anticipate certain installments based on knowledge that we have, which is very applicable to my life right now because I'm currently on book seven, and I have been waiting to get to this floor since I started book one.
[4:49]It's a series that feels like it would be incredibly surface level, and I think when you start it, it kind of gives that impression initially, but slowly and then all at once, you fall in love with the characters, the politics get much more complex, and just like some of the best combat writing I have read.
[5:05]And I really, really, really want to specifically highlight the audiobooks to this series.
[5:09]The audiobooks might be my favorite I have ever listened to, and I feel like just really bring this world, this dungeon, all the characters, the influences of the isolation of the story just completely to life.
[5:21]I just can almost guarantee you're going to get sucked into this, and I went into this thinking I was going to hate it.
[5:25]I thought this was going to be way too dudebro for me. I didn't think I was going to like the main character, the narration, and I like begrudgingly began to like Carl, and then I fell in love with everyone in this book, including Carl, and of course, Princess Donut.
[5:37]It's just so good, and again, the audiobooks, next level.
[5:40]I promise you will not be able to put this down.
[5:43]Like you're going to be occupied for months if you pick this up, which honestly has been a delight.
[5:48]Another very long series that's also incredibly plot focused is the Expanse series by James SA Corey.
[5:54]Another fantastic option if you just want to read something you're going to fall head first into.
[5:58]Every book expanding the plot, but also offering something new.
[6:02]A series that also completely sticks the landing.
[6:05]This is nine books and nothing's worse than putting that much time and energy into a series to just be disappointed by the end, so great news, this is good through and through.
[6:14]If you're not familiar, the Expanse series is a hard sci-fi space opera tale that also has influences of mystery and political thriller.
[6:21]It's another series that's absolutely going to eat you up and spit you back out.
[6:25]Until I read the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, I had not read anything that was so plot forward aside from the Expanse, and now I have two epic long series to recommend.
[6:35]This story opens up with our main character Jim Holden, and he is essentially a ship captain, and at the beginning of this book, he and his crew stumble upon a piece of ancient alien technology that thrusts them into the center of intergalactic politics, specifically Earth, the Moon, Mars, and a series of space stations called the Belt, have been kind of having a Cold War standoff now for generations, but this one discovery sort of heats up this conflict in ways no one could have anticipated.
[7:00]But again, this is a nine book series, so the plot progression is so bananas.
[7:06]I do not know how James SA Corey was able to keep me on the edge of my seat, keep the plot so fresh and interesting through and through.
[7:14]But I think a big part of why this series is so successful is that we have like a core cast of characters you're going to fall in love with.
[7:19]Jim and so many of his crewmates are just fantastic.
[7:23]And there's also other characters sort of added to this core throughout the series.
[7:28]But every book also tends to offer a new location and a new like central plot line to follow that's unique to that book.
[7:34]Giving us both like macro level politics that carry over throughout the series, but also micro problems that are specific to each installment.
[7:42]This recipe was just incredibly successful.
[7:45]And I would also say that this series has some of the best space combat I have ever read.
[7:50]I feel like combat, especially in an intergalactic setting, can get hectic and kind of hard to follow quickly.
[7:55]But that was not the case for this.
[7:58]I feel like the combat and just all the different interactions, the political aspect of this was so intriguing.
[8:04]And it's by far one of the most high octane series I've ever read, again, alongside Dungeon Crawler Carl.
[8:10]Honestly, both of these series would be a great pick up if you're looking for just like plot, plot, plot and characters to love throughout 2026.
[8:16]You will be busy with both of these.
[8:19]Next is a great recommendation if you're looking for something plot forward, but is a standalone, and that is Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.
[8:26]Also great time to pick this up because the movie is obviously coming out soon.
[8:31]And similar to what I said with Dungeon Crawler Carl, this is another great one to listen to if you're into audiobook.
[8:36]The audiobook experience of Project Hail Mary elevates everything about the plot and story.
[8:41]It is so good, so listen to it if you can.
[8:44]This is a story where I feel like going in knowing as little as possible also aids the reading experience, so I'm going to be as vague as possible.
[8:52]But the story itself opens up with our main character alone on a space station far from Earth.
[8:57]He is the last remaining survivor of his crew.
[9:00]He doesn't remember who he is, why he's there, what he's even supposed to be doing, and in the immediate sense, he's trying to survive, see if he's an immediate danger, and also kick off the project he's supposed to be there to do again if he can remember what that is.
[9:14]But alongside those present day chapters, we also reflect into his past as he begins to recall who he is and what in the world is going on.
[9:22]I loved this book. This was such a surprise for me.
[9:27]Obviously, I really enjoy Andy Weir's writing. I think he writes some of the best hard sci-fi. He has such a talent for talking about very complex scientific principles, but delivering them in a way where I the reader feel like I'm really understanding and following everything that's going on, almost to the point where it gives me like undue confidence.
[9:44]I'm like, should I get my PhD in astrophysics? Maybe. But alongside just like a very likable and interesting main character, there's just like a whole dynamic of this story that's just so delightful and good.
[9:57]We get a very interesting picture of the human race, perseverance, and obviously, kind of like the innovative human spirit, if you will, but it even goes beyond that.
[10:06]Super engaging, very, very, very plot forward. It has like multiple mysteries happening at once. The plot is going to suck you in quite fast. And there's also a very, uh, needed urgency to everything that's happening too.
[10:16]Just truly 10 out of 10. I cannot wait to see the movie. Next up, I have some first books and some currently publishing fantasy series that just absolutely blew my mind with their plots.
[10:26]First is The Raven Scholar.
[10:29]This has some like plot dynamics that I always feel like just lend to being a quick read.
[10:33]We have a murder mystery, a trial situation where the winner gets to become the emperor of a kingdom, and a main character sort of stuck in the whirlwind of all of these things.
[10:43]This is set in an empire where basically a set of trials happen every generation, and the winner of these trials become the next emperor.
[10:50]And each of the different factions of the government have to put forth their like champion for this competition, and this competition is about to kick off.
[10:59]Our main character Nema is the high scholar of the realm, and she's part of the Raven faction, which is very like scholarly focused.
[11:06]She herself is not very popular, but she was given this very esteemed position by the current emperor, and she's very talented at her job.
[11:13]Unfortunately, though, before the competition is set to begin, one of the individuals is found murdered, and our main character Nema has to solve this mystery.
[11:22]She also now finds herself forced to participate in the competition.
[11:25]So there's just like so many different things happening to our main character all at once, and this combination of like a closed door murder mystery with the politics of this land and like literally a competition, just makes for such an entertaining read that you're just not going to be able to stop once you start.
[11:42]I can't wait for the next book to come out, which I do believe is this year, but this was such a delicious first installment to a new series.
[11:51]It also has like a romance subplot line, great characters, such a likable main character.
[11:55]Like it truly had it all.
[11:58]Another fantasy book that I truly could not put down was Red City by Marie Lu.
[12:02]This is Marie Lu's adult fantasy debut, and if this is the type of writing she is going to give us, I can't wait for all of her future books because this was outstanding.
[12:11]The setup of this is also just perfect as a concept.
[12:15]This is an urban fantasy story inspired by our world, but instead alchemy exists, and there are very powerful crime syndicates that use alchemy to create a powerful drug that they sell and leverage to not only become incredibly wealthy, but incredibly powerful.
[12:29]This story opens up with our two main characters meeting in childhood.
[12:32]They become fast friends, incredibly close.
[12:35]They basically see and understand each other in ways that no one else around them really does, and this book actually spends a lot of time developing that childhood friendship that is so beautiful, which is why it's so heartbreaking when later in life they find themselves on opposite sides of this syndicate war that is transforming from a Cold War to a hot one, and we follow these characters as they're forced to make incredibly difficult decisions.
[13:00]And you see them just agonizing left and right over what they're supposed to do.
[13:04]This series really captured this crime syndicate crime family setting so well.
[13:09]This darkness and pursuit of power at all costs, and kind of how that whole situation could be quite intoxicating.
[13:16]The alchemy aspect of this book was also super cool, and transformed itself into like different abilities that our characters had, as well as just like other characters surrounding them.
[13:24]I was on the edge of my seat the entire time reading this book.
[13:28]Like holding my breath. Oh my gosh. The stakes of the story are so high, and I felt like Marie Lu just was constantly ruining my life over and over again in the best way.
[13:38]I cannot wait for the next installment of this.
[13:42]This was definitely one of the best urban fantasy books I have read in years.
[13:45]Like this was incredible. Next up, I have some shorter reads to recommend that I feel like are not only great fast reads, but will be like quick wins if you're trying to reignite your love for reading.
[13:55]First, I have Piranesi by Susanna Clarke.
[13:59]This is a weird fantasy book that very much gives like mystery vibes as well.
[14:04]Another story where I feel like it's best to know as little as possible going in because so much of the story is reading it and just trying to figure out what in the world is going on.
[14:13]The story opens up with our main character in this very strange, magical place that appears abandoned, and he doesn't know why he's there.
[14:19]We don't know why he's there, and he's slowly piecing together the story of like what's happening around him.
[14:27]The writing of this is just stunning.
[14:30]Like the ambiance of this story is going to pull you in.
[14:34]It has this like otherworldly quality to it, and once you begin to see the hints of the mystery itself, it will hook you.
[14:39]I assure you, it has such a strangeness to it that was just utterly stunning.
[14:46]Piranesi, I read this in one sitting, I could not put it down.
[14:49]I also wanted to recommend What You're Looking For Is In The Library.
[14:53]This is a great option because not only is it short, but it also reads like a collection of short stories, so it's really easy to like pick up and put down and have that sense of accomplishment as you're making your way through.
[15:03]The setup and story of this is quite straightforward.
[15:06]We're following various strangers lives as they're kind of at a precipice in their lives.
[15:10]They're facing either insecurity or indecision, or there's just something that they're feeling is wrong, and they don't know how to go about fixing it.
[15:18]But they all go to this one library, speak to this librarian, who recommends them not only a set of books that they would assume they would need to fix the problems in their life, but also like a wild card option that's tailored to them, and we see these characters read this unexpected book, and glean meaning from it, and then ultimately make various changes to their lives.
[15:37]I really enjoyed this book because it's incredibly like down to earth, and not only the problems the characters are facing, like I found each short story to be super relatable in its own way.
[15:47]But also, the solutions are also incredibly tangible and like, yes, are very much like life lessons if you will, but also incredibly practical and applicable to anyone's life in a way that I just really enjoyed.
[16:00]This wasn't too over the top, it wasn't too saccharine.
[16:03]It was honestly just a very engaging, very inspiring story about people like making the steps to change their lives for the better, and I just really like that message to be honest.
[16:12]You can find fulfillment and happiness in some unexpected ways that aren't necessarily like transforming and overhauling everything about yourself and your life.
[16:20]So, I don't know, I just really enjoyed the message of this.
[16:23]I found it also to be a quick read, and a super engaging one as well.
[16:26]And then the last books I'm going to recommend are actually part of a series, and specifically a Romantasy series.
[16:33]For me, when I'm looking to breeze through some books and completely disconnect from reality, I tend to turn to romance.
[16:38]I find romance so much fun.
[16:41]But I would also say that over the years, I have had a hard time finding really fantastic Romantasy.
[16:46]That being said, though, I have one series I would highly recommend that has all of my favorite like romance tropes and elements with also fantastic fantasy writing, and that is The Fallen Empire series by Grace Draven.
[16:57]The first one being The Phoenix Unbound, which is an enemies to lover story.
[17:03]Every book released in this series that I've read so far is incredible.
[17:06]The romantic pacing, 10 out of 10, the slow burn, the yearning, will they, won't they between the characters.
[17:12]And it also has like such fun classic romance tropes and setups.
[17:15]Lots of these books are truly fantasy inspired, and the writing style of this series also really matches the fantasy influence too, and the setting these books take place in.
[17:23]It doesn't have like a modern feel to it, which I really appreciate.
[17:27]The first one follows our main character, who is looking to sacrifice herself for her people, but unexpectedly is like broken out of a very difficult situation by like this gruff man who she does not like, but is forced to travel with.
[17:40]They travel together and of course, develop an unexpected relationship, and it is incredible.
[17:45]The second one is called The Dragon Unleashed, and we follow our main character who is a traitor who unexpectedly comes across a mythical creature, and there's like forced proximity there, and it is truly delicious.
[17:55]It just is one of those rare instances of like wonderful fantasy, wonderful romance, wonderful combination, five out of five stars.
[18:04]Like great character writing, great banter.
[18:07]Grace Draven can do no wrong. She is the blueprint. I want more books like this in the Romantasy space.
[18:13]So if you have them, please let me know too. All righty, guys, those are some books that I feel like are perfect to binge read.
[18:19]Let me know down below if you have any recommendations for me as I would love to know.
[18:23]And big shout out again to this video's sponsor, which is Walmart.
[18:26]If you want to check out some of my tech favorites as well as just all their innovative tech, I'll have that link down below.
[18:31]But thank you so much for watching, and I will see you soon with another one soon.
