Breaking Beijing's 2026 Summer Reading
A reading (and other things) list to hold you over...
My loyal audience, you’ve only gotten one article out of me so far in 2026 (I’ve got several in draft I’ll eventually publish, don’t worry.) It’s been a busy year, and in addition to my usual writing, the WarTalk podcast I co-host with some amazing people under ChinaTalk is taking off. Meanwhile, I’m pushing hard to finish the Ex Supra sequel: Duality, in time for a late summer release. So as a consolation prize for my lack of publishing, I thought I’d kick out a summer reading list. Frankly, if you manage to make it through all of this before Labor Day, you need to get a life. Of course, this is a modern reading list, so I’ve thrown in some streaming, music, and video game recommendations as well. Enjoy!
What to Read:
Non-Fiction:
Grant by Ron Chernow: This became my go-to reading for my travels in 2025 and improves significantly on Grant’s memoirs. If there’s an award for the great American biography, I think this is it. There are perhaps few stories so American, and so relevant to our current world, than Grant’s.
The Napoleonic Wars by Alexander Mikaberidze: I am admittedly rather shallow in my knowledge of pre-20th century Europe, which feels like a crime for someone with my international relations background but this book really helped me get up to speed. Mikeberidze’s approach is less about rehashing the battle of Waterloo and more about covering all of the various strategic and political factors that led up to and emerged from the Napoleonic Wars in Europe and beyond. Understanding how those wars impacted just about every corner of the globe was really enlightening, and it’s a fairly easy read as far as hyper-detailed, globe spanning history books go. This is basically a master class in modern history.
The British are Coming/The Fate of the Day by Rick Atkinson: Famed historian Rick Atkinson is two-thirds of the way through his epic account of the American Revolution. These two books should be required reading on the subject and cover everything from the day-to-day politics of the British Empire to the many failures of Benedict Arnold. If you enjoyed his Liberation trilogy, you’ll love this. And frankly, it’s just fun American history without the propaganda by with all the passion of a historian who cares deeply for the subject.
Fiction:
A Short Stay in Hell by Steven Peck: I picked up the audiobook for a flight and was immediately engrossed. Main character wakes up in hell, which turns out to be a massive library where no one is tortured but by the mere existence of eternity. There’s a lot of philosophy in this book without it being dense. This one really pulled at my heart and my brain.
Upgrade by Blake Crouch: I could name just about any Crouch novel for this list, but this was the first of his that I picked up and couldn’t put down. I snagged it at an airport bookstore a few years back and finished it by the time I reached by destination. It’s a nightmarish tale of genetic engineering run amok with all the scientific accuracy and emotional pull that makes Crouch so effective as a novelist. Sometimes if I’m laying down at night and let my mind wander, it comes back to this book and then I really don’t sleep. It’s an outstanding beach read, trust me.
Ex Supra: Better catch up before Duality drops later this year. The debut novel I self-published back in 2022, was nominated for a Prometheus Award for best science fiction novel, and has slowly turned from science fiction into our waking nightmare. Ex Supra is what happens when the bleeding edge of technology meets the bloody reality of combat.
What to Watch:
Widow’s Bay (Apple TV): The surprise breakout hit of 2026. Matthew Rhys of The Americans fame (and husband to the wonderful Keri Russell), plays the very average and frustrated mayor of the cursed version of Totally Not Martha’s Vineyard. This show manages to play well off an 80s/90s genre of coastal town horror, throws in some very well timed humor, and leaves enough intrigue for seasons to come while remaining character driven. It scratched an itch for me for the first time since my beloved Evil went off the air. One particular episode managed to somehow recreate every childhood nightmare I’ve ever had. Incredible work. A perfect show to binge while you’re trapped at a beach house during this incredibly rainy summer.
Devil May Cry (Netflix): Season 2 dropped this spring and I’m happy to turn my brain off and enjoy smart-talking demon hunter Dante and Lady in dozens of fight sequences set to 2000s nu metal bangers. Cue the music.
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die (Amazon/Apple TV): I’m a sucker for a Groundhog Day (with a twist) type movie, mix that with an absolutely ludicrous plot, outstanding cast, and a little too-close-for-comfort stakes of stopping an artificial superintelligence, and you have an absolutely bonkers but fantastic film.
What to jam:
Dear God by The Pretty Reckless (drops June 26): The forthcoming album’s most popular single, When I Wake Up, is the band’s 9th straight chart topper and a daily requirement for my commute to work. Every single dropped for this album has been a certified banger as frontwoman Taylor Momsen continues to solidify her reign as the modern queen of rock n roll.
Satellite by Charlotte Sands: The blue-haired phenom returns with her latest album. She’s got incredible vocal range that pairs well with a mix of angst and heartbreak. New Noise mag compared her to young Avril Lavigne and I think that’s pretty accurate.
More! More! More! by Becky Hill: This is the 2026 summer pop anthem: work hard, party hard, all day until you collapse.
“'Cause I've been going for ages
I think I need a day off
But I won't ever be happy
'Cause it's just never enough”
What to Play:
007 First Light: After years of searching for a new Bond, I think we’ve found him. First Light is by far the most cinematic, smooth, and clever that Bond has been since at least Casino Royale. Patrick Gibson plays the man before he earns the “007” title and even though it’s a video game, he deserves every right to be ID’d in public as James Bond as much as Daniel Craig or Pierce Brosnan. The writing is fantastic, the gameplay fun, and the Bond atmospherics that have largely been absent from recent Craig films are back. The opening theme by Lana Del Ray is also fantastic. This is a younger, cockier Bond who still has a lot to learn. It’s Bond for the modern age, without losing any of the fun of the old films (and technically more lore accurate since this Bond has a facial scar.)