26 Books to Read in 2026

*A LibraryReads Pick*

An electric novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling, Booker Prize–winning author of Lincoln in the Bardo, taking place at the bedside of an oil company CEO in the twilight hours of his life as he is ferried from this world into the next.

“A magnificent expansion of consciousness . . . Saunders has crafted a novel that feels deeply resonant, especially in these fractious times.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Watch Keynote Speaker, Author George Saunders on his new novel, Vigil.

A man must fight for his planet against impossible odds when gamers from Earth attempt to remotely annihilate it in this epic, fast-paced novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the smash-hit Dungeon Crawler Carl.

“Matt Dinniman has cooked us all up a deliciously terrifying gamer geek stew, mixing up Avatar and Ender’s Game, with a dash of The Last Starfighter and Independence Day thrown in.”—Ernest Cline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Ready Player One

A kaleidoscopic portrait of a modern American family—steadfast, complicated, begrudging, and loving—from the bestselling author of Isola.

“Goodman offers an unsparingly frank, wryly funny take on a multigenerational American family . . . Like an exquisitely baked apple cake, Goodman’s delicious and deeply perceptive novel is something to savor.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Watch Our ‘Book Club Picks’ Author Panel Featuring Allegra Goodman

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Change Your Mind, a panoptic exploration of consciousness—what it is, who has it, and why—and a meditation on the essence of our humanity.

In Pollan’s dazzling exploration of consciousness, he discovers a world far deeper and stranger than our everyday reality. Eye-opening and mind-expanding, A World Appears takes us into the laboratories of our own minds, ultimately showing us how we might make better use of the gift of awareness to more meaningfully connect with the world and our deepest selves.

A stunning, fierce collection from a master of the short story and one of the most important writers of our time.

“In the coiling dread and frank feminism of her work, this incandescent author makes clear with her newest fiction why she won the 2022 Joyce Carol Oates Prize. This audacious collection surprises readers with the vivid lives few of us notice.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

For fans of The Bear, Elizabeth Strout, and Jennifer Egan, The Reservation explores the loves and labors of an ensemble of more than a dozen restaurant workers as they strive to get a perfect meal to the table.

“[A] tender tale that seeks the ‘immeasurable satisfaction’ of an ordinary job well-done. In what is largely a light and funny novel, Kauffman nevertheless touches some of the deeper mysteries of the human condition: desire, longing, and an inchoate sense that there is something larger than our circumstances which binds us all together. A book that proves light touches can leave lasting impressions.”—Kirkus Reviews

A wondrous, deeply affecting portrait of the interlocking lives at an adult day care center in Southern California, depicting an often overlooked community with extraordinary wit and grace—by a major new literary voice hailed as a “groundbreaking debut novelist” (Publishers Weekly).

“Implosive and wonderfully inspirational, Upward Bound is acutely aware that be it indigo, autism, social class, or the gamma ray, everything and everyone is on the spectrum.”—Paul Beatty, Booker Prize–winning author of The Sellout

From the bestselling, prize-winning author of Say Nothing and Empire of Pain, a spellbinding account of a family devastated by the sudden death of their nineteen-year-old son, only to discover that he had created a secret life which drew him into the dangerous criminal underworld that lies beneath London’s glittering surface.

“Keefe, the author of some of this century’s finest nonfiction, has crafted another masterwork . . . This is powerful reporting, a potential classic about the dangerous allure of a city remade as ‘a twenty-four-hour laundromat for dirty money.’ An exemplary account of naïveté, wealth, and menace, impeccably told by a top-notch journalist.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

A recently divorced single mom returns to her family’s fixer-upper beach house and finds romance amidst the heartbreak—and truths buried under generations of lies—in this summertime romance, perfect for fans of The Beach House and Nora Goes Off Script.

This debut novel by an accomplished home design influencer is perfect for fans of HGTV shows and steamy summer romances.

A traditional American woman, a beautiful wife and mother who sells her pioneer lifestyle of raw milk and farm-fresh eggs to her millions of social media followers, suddenly awakens cold, filthy, and terrified in the brutal reality of 1855—where she must unravel whether this living nightmare is an elaborate hoax, a twisted reality show, or something far more sinister in this sensational debut novel.

“A bold and biting satire, Yesteryear examines the power of social media to spin a lie so deep, it turns ‘home sweet home’ into a prison. Page-turning and illuminating, this caustic look at the tradwife will have you cackling and gasping right to the final page.”—Nita Prose, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid series

Watch Our ‘She Writes Dangerously’ Author Panel Featuring Caro Claire Burke

Two lifelong peace activists and guides to Israel/Palestine, both of whom have lost family in the conflict, take readers on a revealing, life-changing journey across this holy, bloodstained land and discover the mythic, political, and personal history that divides but also binds them and their peoples.

Pairing unapologetic candor and inspirational prose, Sarah and Inon are sending an urgent message that the people have the power to make change. Peace is inevitable. For Palestinians, for Israelis, and for the world that awaits their example, it is not just possible—it is the future.

The New York Times bestselling author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette returns to form in her most exuberant and life-affirming novel yet with the story of one woman’s cheerful determination to live a life of the mind only to have the heart force its way in.

“Semple has created something rare in Go Gentle: a story that’s both deeply intellectual and still accessible. This novel is what happens when someone who understands trauma writes about healing. Smart, funny, and devastating in a great way. Read this book.”—Jennette McCurdy, New York Times bestselling author of I’m Glad My Mom Died and Half His Age

Watch Our ‘Book Club Picks’ Author Panel Featuring Maria Semple

In his leadership manifesto, hospitality icon David Grutman shares the importance of building relationships to drive success, with practical tips to level up your business—and your life.

“David brings the same focus and intensity to hospitality that athletes bring to the court. Take It Personal shows how consistency, resilience, and genuine care for people can turn ambition into something lasting.”—Serena Williams

“David is a talented businessman, a fearless leader, and a loyal friend—he raises the bar for everyone. In Take It Personal, his story shows how passion, creativity, and loyalty can turn any idea into a legacy.”—David Beckham

Arrival meets Wild Dark Shore in this captivating novel that follows a family over fifty years—a bold and compassionate exploration of the universe around us and what it truly means to be human.

“Alexandra Oliva is a master storyteller, her work is atmospheric, imaginative, and riveting. The Radiant Dark is a sprawling epic of the fate of one family, foretold in the stars through time and space . . . It’s all here. Mystery. Wonder. Surprise—and the power of love. An immersive read that will lead you home.”—Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of The View from Lake Como

Watch Our ‘Zando Book Club Picks’ Author Panel Featuring Alexandra Oliva

The New York Times bestselling author of Begin Again confronts America’s unfinished story in this blistering reassessment of race, freedom, and the myths that bind us.

Celebrated public intellectual Eddie S. Glaude, Jr. presents a groundbreaking analysis of the vicious cycles of American history and the country’s enduring refusal to face its true nature—especially at the moments when national anniversaries steer us back toward the mythology meant to disguise the truth.

When your life flashes before your eyes, where would you stop?

No one can change the past, but the Midnight Train can take you there.
The chance to re-live the moments that meant most.
To see what kind of person you really were.

For Wilbur his best days were with Maggie, the love of his life.
On his honeymoon in Venice. Before he gave it all away.
He wishes he could go back and live differently. But to do so risks everything. A magical, time-travelling love story, from the world of The Midnight Library.

The daughter of an automotive magnate escapes to an artistic retreat that holds more secrets—and more intrigue—than she could have ever imagined, in this Prohibition-era novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Salt to the Sea.

Detroit, 1927. A city of smoke and ambition, where glittering wealth conceals a graveyard of secrets.

Set against the crumbling grandeur of 1920s Detroit and inspired by actual, long-buried historical events, A Fortune of Sand is a haunting mosaic of glamour and grift—a novel about those who vanish, and those who demand to be seen.

The award-winning, bestselling author of Hamnet and The Marriage Portrait, returns with a soaring historical novel set in Ireland in the years before and after the Great Hunger.

Land is a novel about separation and reunion, tragedy and recovery, colonization and rebellion. It is a story of buried treasure, overlapping lives, ancient woodland, persistent ghosts, a particularly loyal dog, and how, when it comes to both land and history, nothing ever goes away. As spellbinding and varied as the landscape that inspired it, Land is, above all, a story of survival, for our times, and for all time.

Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Less, showcases his wit, sophistication, and deep knowledge of focaccia in this magical and madcap tale of a young man who takes an unspecified job with a charismatic elderly Baronessa at her crumbling villa in the Tuscan hills.

Told with the signature wit, insight, and deeply felt humanity that made Less an international phenomenon, Villa Coco is a dazzling, sun-soaked ode to life itself—a romp through a youthfully self-constructed emotional obstacle course, a meditation on what we give and take from others, and a bawdy Mediterranean ballad about becoming who you’ve always wanted to be.