For 2026 we've chosen a profound work of contemporary nonfiction: Advice for Future Corpses (and Those Who Love Them) by Sallie Tisdale.

Tisdale's book isn't built on a conventional plot; instead, it unfolds as a clear-eyed, compassionate exploration of something universal yet often avoided: dying. Drawing from her long experience as a palliative-care nurse, she guides readers through the practical, emotional, and spiritual realities of the end of life. What emerges is not a manual of dread, but an invitation to look directly at mortality with honesty and even tenderness.

The magic of this book lies in Tisdale's voice. She moves with ease between intimate stories from the bedside, philosophical reflections, and grounded, often surprising advice. As she explores the fears, confusions, hopes, and small graces that accompany dying, she reveals the complex inner landscapes of patients, caregivers, and loved ones alike. Her writing is at once candid, lyrical, funny, and deeply humane.

Through these interwoven perspectives, we're offered not just practical wisdom but a rare kind of companionship on a topic many of us struggle to face. Ultimately, Advice for Future Corpses is about how to meet mortality—with clarity, courage, humility, and love—and, in doing so, how to live more fully.