My Most Anticipated 2026 Releases, Part 1
70 new books releasing between January and June 2026.
Buckle up, this is going to be a LONG post. I thought, oh okay, I’ll find what, 5-7 books per month? How many books could possibly come out in a year?
A LOT.
So below is a whopping 70 books that are being released in the first half of 2026 that I personally think sound really dang good. I’m going to have to up that Goodreads challenge goal… Without further ado, here are alllllll my picks for January through June 2026.
January
Sheer by Vanessa Lawrence
Literary Fiction | Jan. 13th
Told over nine charged days, Sheer is the gripping tale of a controversial beauty mogul’s insatiable ambition and the slippery ground between empowerment and abuse of power.
I Could Be Famous by Sydney Rende
Essays | Jan. 13th
From a magnetic new voice in fiction “made for this moment and for those coming of age within it” (Jonathan Dee), a debut story collection following ten ambitious women and one male superstar as they pursue their desires – however deluded – for more.
Is This a Cry for Help? by Emily Austin
Fiction | Jan. 13th
Emily Austin, the bestselling “queen of darkly quirky, endearingly flawed heroines” (Sarah Haywood, author of The Cactus), returns with a luminous new novel following a librarian who comes back to work after a mental breakdown only to confront book-banning crusaders in an empowering story of grief, love, and the power of libraries.
Dandelion Is Dead by Rosie Storey
Literary Fiction | Jan. 13th
A woman answers a message on her late sister’s dating app profile, and impulsively decides to meet him on what would have been her sister’s fortieth birthday. When the two of them actually hit it off, she realizes she’s developing real feelings for this man under false pretenses – he still think she’s her dead sister.
The Infamous Gilberts by Angela Tomaski
Fiction | Jan. 20th
The Remains of the Day meets The Royal Tenenbaums in this darkly funny debut novel about a wealthy, eccentric family in decline and the secrets held within the walls of their crumbling country manor.
Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy
Literary Fiction | Jan. 20th
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of I’m Glad My Mom Died comes a sad, funny, thrilling novel about sex, consumerism, class, desire, loneliness, the internet, rage, intimacy, power, and the (oftentimes misguided) lengths we’ll go to in order to get what we want.
Fruit of the Flesh by I.V. Ophelia
Horror | Jan. 20th
Behind the glamour of Gilded Age New York, a marriage of convenience between an artisan and a ballerina masks their shared appetite for revenge in this darkly seductive gothic romance.
The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead
Fiction | Jan. 20th
Perfect for fans of Daisy Jones and the Six and In Five Years—a beautiful, powerful, and transportive new novel about a music executive desperately trying to bring a rock band back from the brink, from bestselling author Ashley Winstead. A novel about sisterhood, friendship, and the ghosts that haunt us, The Future Saints is “a mesmerizing look at grief, love, and the music industry that’s so raw and emotional, you’ll want to play it on repeat.” (Laura Hankin, author of One-Star Romance).
Just Watch Me by Lior Torenberg
Literary Fiction | Jan. 20th
Fleabag meets Big Swiss in this bold debut about a charismatic misfit who livestreams her life for seven days and nights to raise money to save her comatose sister—a poignant and darkly funny exploration of grief, forgiveness, and redemption.
Loon Point by Carrie Classon
Fiction & Romance | Jan. 27th
Set against the rugged beauty of the northern woods, the heartwarming first novel by columnist Carrie Classon explores how chosen family can sweeten bitterness into surprising joy.
The Unwritten Rules of Magic by Harper Ross
Magical Realism | Jan. 27th
For fans of The Midnight Library and In Five Years , The Unwritten Rules of Magic is a spellbinding novel that blends magic and memory in an unforgettable journey through love, grief, and the hidden cost of perfection across three generations of women.
Notes on Heartbreak by Annie Lord
Memoir | Jan. 27th
With the incisive wit and depth of Dolly Alderton and Sally Rooney, a fierce, funny, and unflinching memoir about the exhilaration of love and the pain of its ending, from an acclaimed British Vogue writer.
Burn Down Master’s House by Clay Cane
Historical Fiction | Jan. 27th
Inspired by true, long-buried stories of enslaved people who dared to fight back, a searing portrayal of resistance for readers of Colson Whitehead, Jesmyn Ward, and Percival Everett, from Clay Cane, award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author of The Grift.
Paper Cut by Rachel Taff
Mystery & Thriller | Jan. 27th
A page-turning suspense debut about a woman infamous for escaping a cult as a teenager, who finds her future threatened when dangerous secrets come back to haunt her—perfect for fans of Jessica Knoll and The Girls.
Vigil by George Saunders
Literary Fiction | Jan. 27th
A wise, playful, 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.
Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna Everhart
Historical Fiction | Jan. 27th
Accused of “promiscuity” in 1940s North Carolina, a young woman unjustly incarcerated and subjected to involuntary medical treatment at The State Industrial Farm Colony for Women decides to fight back in this powerful, shockingly timely novel based on the long-buried history of the American Plan, the government program designed to regulate women’s bodies and sexuality throughout the first half of the 20th century.
February
Little One by Olivia Muenter
Mystery & Thriller | Feb. 3rd
This searing novel from the bestselling author of Such a Bad Influence, follows a young woman whose life is upended when a journalist uncovers her hidden past as the daughter of an insidious cult leader.
Books & Bewitchment by Isla Jewell
Cozy Romantasy | Feb. 3rd
In this cozy, witchy romcom, a young woman works to turn a run-down small-town video store into the bookshop of her dreams, only to discover a powerful magic that’s been lying dormant—and a forbidden love she can’t resist.
One Bad Mother by EJ Dickson
Nonfiction | Feb. 10th
For fans of the witty and evocative writing of Anne Helen Petersen and Amanda Montell, a sharply clever exploration of what it means to be a “bad mom” by delving into the world of momfluencers, stage moms, trad wives, and more.
The Jills by Karen Parkman
Mystery & Thriller | Feb. 10th
In this propulsive debut, a Buffalo Bills cheerleader will stop at nothing to solve the disappearance of her best friend and teammate, navigating the dark underbelly of a hardscrabble city, the grime and glamour of professional cheerleading, and her own tangled family history.
This Is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman
Literary Fiction | Feb. 10th
A kaleidoscopic portrait of a modern American family—steadfast, complicated, begrudging, and loving—from the bestselling author of Isola.
The Found Object Society by Michelle Maryk
Sci-Fi | Feb. 10th
An atmospheric speculative suspense novel following a mysterious society offering its members the chance to relive the death of another person whenever they want—and the self-destructive woman determined to uncover its secrets.
Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett
Cozy Fantasy | Feb. 17th
A woman who runs a cat rescue in 1920s Montreal turns to a grouchy but charming wizard to help save the shelter in this heartwarming cozy fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of the Emily Wilde series.
Kin by Tayari Jones
Fiction | Feb. 24th
A magnificent new novel from the bestselling, award-winning author of An American Marriage—Tayari Jones has written an unforgettable novel that sparkles with wit and intelligence and deep feeling about two lifelong friends whose worlds converge after many years apart in the face of a devastating tragedy.
One of Us by Elizabeth Day
Mystery & Thriller | Feb. 24th
Pineapple Street meets Anatomy of a Scandal in this juicy, fast-paced ensemble drama about old friends, dazzling wealth, and the secrets the upper crust will keep—as long as they’re on your side.
March
The Encore by Juliet Izon
Fiction | March 3rd
In 2003, a chance encounter sparks an inimitable friendship between pianist and singer Anna Buckley and composer Will Pendleton. As they strive toward careers as professional musicians, their bond deepens. But soon after graduation, one night forever alters the trajectory of their lives, destroying their relationship in the process.
Twenty years later, sixteen-year-old piano virtuoso Lottie Thomas is grappling with the rigors of her elite prep school and the confounding disappearance of the woman who gave her up at birth. When Lottie suddenly discovers the startling truth of her identity, the revelation catalyzes a chain of events that not only reunites Lottie with her birth parents, but forces them together on a rock tour-bus for a careening cross-country journey.
Turn Off the Light by Jacquie Walters
Horror | March 3rd
Two women living centuries apart are bound by the same dark secret in this haunting horror novel by Jacquie Walters, author of Dearest.
Where the Girls Were by Kate Schatz
Fiction | March 3rd
In this electrifying historical novel about coming of age in tumultuous 1960s San Francisco, a pregnant teenager reckons with womanhood and agency after being sent to a home for unwed mothers.
The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives by Elizabeth Arnott
Mystery & Thriller | March 3rd
A remarkable trio whose lives have been cracked wide open by their husbands’ crimes unite to catch a serial killer in this dazzlingly captivating novel.
Repetition by Vigdis Hjorth
Literary Fiction | March 3rd
In a Norwegian November, when it is dark at waking and dark at sleeping, a novelist in her sixties sits next to a teenaged girl at the opera, and through their padded jackets feels a dreadfully familiar tension conducted from the parents seated on her far side. She thinks back to her sixteenth year. The year she first got drunk and the year she first had sex with a boy. A year of being circled by an anxious, hawkish mother and, at a notable distance, her silent father. The year her family made an unspoken decision, and an unspeakable sacrifice.
No Matter What by Cara Bastone
Romance | March 3rd
After a traumatic accident threatens the foundations of their happy marriage, a young couple tries to rebuild and find their way back to each other, and themselves, in this tender, slow-burn romance by the author of Ready or Not and Promise Me Sunshine.
Whidbey by T Kira Madden
Mystery & Thriller | March 10th
A stunning literary achievement and portrait of three women connected through one man in the aftermath of his murder—the explosive and highly anticipated debut novel from beloved and award-winning memoirist, T Kira Madden.
Spoiled Milk by Avery Curran
Horror | March 10th
The untimely death of a student at a girls’ boarding school turns out to be the first in a haunting series of escalating supernatural events. A thrilling debut novel about teenage repression, queer desire, and the everyday horror of coming of age.
Darkening Song by Delphine Seddon
Fiction | March 10th
For fans of Daisy Jones and the Six, Euphoria, and Luckiest Girl Alive, Darkening Song is a fiercely feminist debut about two young women; one a recording artist failed by the industry which made her an idol, and the other her ambitious manager, forced to make an impossible choice between friendship and power.
You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom by Vincent Tirado
Horror | March 10th
Demons clash with inheritance claims as secrets unfold and violence is unleashed over twelve harrowing hours trapped in a house with the worst thing imaginable: family.
Westward Women by Alice Martin
Fiction | March 10th
It starts with an itch. In homes across the country, women ages eighteen to thirty-five begin to slow down. Tired. Blank. Restless. Drawn to the Pacific Ocean like it’s calling them home. They abandon their lives—jobs, families, their very selves. And once they reach the West, they vanish forever.
At the center of the story are three young women caught in the pull of something unstoppable. Aimee follows the trail of her missing best friend to a man called the Piper—known for leading infected women West. Teenie, afflicted and unraveling, clings to a single memory as she looks out the window of the Piper’s van. And Eve, a former journalist, is chasing the story that might just consume her.
Strange Girls by Sarvat Hasin
Fiction | March 10th
An award-winning international author’s stunning US debut about two estranged friends who are forced to reunite over one feverish weekend and reckon with the choices that tore them apart
Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher
Horror | March 24th
Something darker than the devil stalks the North Carolina woods in Wolf Worm, a new gothic masterpiece from New York Times bestselling author T. Kingfisher.
Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal El-Mohtar
Short Stories | March 24th
With confidence and style, El-Mohtar guides us through exquisitely told and sharply observed tales about life as it is, was, and could be. Like miscellany from other worlds, these stories are told in letters, diary entries, reference materials, folktales, and lyrical prose.
A Good Person by Kirsten King
Literary Fiction | March 31st
Gone Girl meets Big Swiss in this electric, binge-of-a-debut about a millennial antihero who seeks revenge on her ex-situationship with a hex, only for him to actually, literally die.
Love Is an Algorithm by Laura Brooke Robson
Sci-Fi & Romance | March 31st
Pattern is more than just a dating app—it’s your friendly relationship coach. It will tell you whether you should invest in learning your partner’s love language (quality time!) or pull the escape hatch (red flags galore!). The latest version of Pattern includes Bug, a friendly AI chatbot guaranteed to give you bespoke relationship advice and help revitalize that spark. Take the uncertainty out of love!
Found Time by Caroline Goldstein
Romance | March 31st
In 1993, Lili and Reid lock eyes after a Jeff Buckley show at Sin-é in New York’s East Village. Their connection is immediate and intense: It cracks something open for both of them, but the pursuit of another passion cuts it short. Thirty years later, they’re both navigating midlife as single parents of teen girls when they cross paths once more. Can they find their way to each other through the complexities of adulthood better than they could during the relative simplicity of their youth?
The Adjunct by Maria Adelmann
Fiction | March 31st
From the acclaimed author of How to Be Eaten, a fresh take on the campus novel that follows an adjunct professor gigging her way through academia’s poor job market when she crosses paths with her old PhD adviser whose new novel might be about her—for readers of Worry, Vladimir, and Less.
Ruins by Lily Brooks-Dalton
Literary Fiction | March 31st
From the critically-acclaimed, bestselling author of The Light Pirate, comes a sweeping, deeply resonant novel about an archeologist in search of an ancient artifact that could not only change her life, but upend the story of civilization itself.
April
The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances by Glenn Dixon
Literary Fiction | April 7th
In a near future, where even the smallest of appliances are sentient, a young Roomba vacuum sets out to save the humans of her house from a rising technological power in this compelling, original novel.
The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke
Mystery & Thriller | April 7th
Six authors. One private island. Seventy-two hours to write the ending that will change their lives. “Smart, original and completely addictive. . . . The Ending Writes Itself is both a great locked-room thriller and a brilliant satire on the publishing industry. An absolute must-read.”—Karin Slaughter
Like This, But Funnier by Hallie Cantor
Fiction | April 7th
For fans of Dolly Alderton and HBO’s Hacks, a whip-smart, laugh-out-loud funny debut novel about faking it (and “making it”) as a writer in Hollywood.
The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer
Fantasy | April 7th
She can hop into any novel, she just can’t stay there. Come along with the book witch in this magical and inspiring love letter to reading from the USA Today bestselling author of The Wishing Game.
Love by the Book by Jessica George
Fiction | April 7th
Remy is lucky. Her three best friends have always been there for her - until the day that they’re not. One of them is moving to New York. One of them is pregnant. And one is busy with her (awful) boyfriend. Suddenly, their foursome is splitting - and it feels like a break-up.
Simone doesn’t need friends. The only people she needs are her family - but when they cut her off, she realises how alone she is. When Simone and Remy meet in a bookshop, it doesn’t go well. But they might just have bumped into exactly what they need... This isn’t a romance. But it is about love.
Morsel by Carter Keane
Horror | April 13th
Carter Keane’s Morsel is a delicious folk horror debut about learning to bite back when the world is determined to eat you alive. The Blair Witch Project meets The Ritual, with a generous helping of The Menu, perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, Cassandra Khaw, and Paul Tremblay.
Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell
Romance | April 14th
Cherry’s husband, Tom, is the creator of Thursday, a semi-autobiographical webcomic that’s become an international phenomenon. And now Tom has abandoned Cherry in Omaha to go to LA and make a film based on his creation.
Cherry hates the way Tom depicts her in the comic, but there’s no avoiding it – “Baby” looks so much like Cherry that people recognize her in public. With her soon-to-be ex-husband living it up in LA, Cherry decides to give it up for a night and go to see her favorite band perform. At the concert, she runs into an old flame who remembers Cherry fondly and better yet, knows absolutely nothing about Thursday.
Famesick by Lena Dunham
Memoir | April 14th
In this rowdy, frank reflection on illness, fame, sex, and everything in between, the remarkable mind behind the hit series Girls and the bestselling author of Not That Kind of Girl asks whether fulfilling her creative ambitions has been worth the pain.
Thrall by Rebecca Mahoney
Sci-Fi & Fantasy | April 21st
In Thrall, a young woman looking for a transformative college experience is bitten by a vampire and must team up with his other living victims to hunt him down.
Last Night in Brooklyn by Xóchitl González
Fiction | April 21st
New York Times bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez delivers a captivating story about a young woman whose life becomes ensnared in her glamorous neighbor’s secret past, laying bare the mounting tensions at play in a rapidly gentrifying, early 2000’s Fort Greene, Brooklyn.
The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer
Horror | April 21st
From Marcus Kliewer, a new “titan of the macabre and unsettling” (Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author), comes a supernatural horror about a young woman who accepts a caretaking job from Craigslist only to discover the position has consequences far greater—and more dangerous—than she ever could have imagined.
The Velvet Knife by Maureen Johnson
Mystery & Thriller | April 28th
THERE’S A NEW TRULY DEVIOUS COMING AND NO ONE TOLD ME? Actually, apparently a fifth one came out in 2022 and no one told me that either. Whoops.
Return to the world of Truly Devious as Stevie Bell and her friends travel to New York to solve a murder in the next standalone mystery from New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson.
May
Accumulation by Aimee Pokwatka
Horror | May 5th
A twisty, searing, conversation-starting novel about a filmmaker-turned-housewife who moves into her dream house and is forced to consider whether it’s the house or herself that is haunted.
Lady X by Molly Fader
Mystery & Thriller | May 5th
The search for a notorious vigilante exposes the secrets between three generations of women in this propulsive novel of female resistance and rage, sweeping from contemporary L.A. to gritty, 1970s New York.
Frida Slattery As Herself by Ana Kinsella
Literary Fiction | May 5th
A sweeping, witty, and wise novel following an actress and a writer-director—told through the plays they make together and the time they spend apart
The Good Eye by Jess Gibson
Short Stories | May 12th
Startling, spellbinding stories, in which appearances and intentions are rarely what they seem. A psychic harnesses her talent for animal communication to extract a perfect revenge. A stone appears in a woman’s pocket like a charm, only to end up lodged in her partner’s throat. A condescending artist, who considers his girlfriend too conventional, throws a dinner party where he’s served a painful and consequential truth.
A Perfect Hand by Ayelet Waldman
Historical Fiction | May 19th
A richly drawn, captivating, and endlessly amusing novel of love and subterfuge between a lady’s maid and her clandestine lover, set in the country estates of nineteenth-century England.
Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan
Romance | May 26th
A hardworking single mom returns to her seaside hometown and stumbles into a fake dating situationship with a wealthy, workaholic scion, from the New York Times bestselling author of Nora Goes Off Script.
June
The Children by Melissa Albert
Literary Fiction | June 2nd
An intoxicating, haunting new novel from New York Times bestselling author Melissa Albert, in which the estranged adult children of a legendary author, written into their dead mother’s beloved fantasy series, contend with the vine-like creep of legacy, memory, and magic.
The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden
Historical Fantasy | June 2nd
With her country’s future and her own life at stake, an orphaned duchess must journey into a world of myth and there discover a power that may be her salvation—or her demise—in this enchanting new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the Winternight Trilogy and The Warm Hands of Ghosts.
Girl’s Girl by Sonia Feldman
Literary Fiction | June 2nd
Bold, vulnerable, and sharply observant, Girl’s Girl is a sundrenched and dewy snapshot of modern girl culture set in the blaze of one suburban Midwest summer.
All the Little Ways by Laura Lekkos
Fiction | June 9th
In the vein of Pineapple Street and Such a Fun Age, a smart, heartfelt debut novel about two expecting mothers navigating motherhood, family life, and female friendship, whose bond is threatened by a shocking revelation.
Heather by Caitlin Mullen
Mystery & Thriller | June 9th
1994. In the myth-riddled woods of the New Jersey Pine Barrens, sixteen-year-old Annabelle Riley’s twin sister, Sabrina, has been having an affair with a mysterious older man, and Annabelle is determined to uncover what’s going on. Then, inexplicably, both sisters disappear.
In this same town years later, newly instated police chief Callie Hauser makes an arrest that unexpectedly resurrects details from a heartbreaking cold case. As she digs deeper, the past and the present collide, challenging everything Callie believes about right and wrong, who she is, and the town she’s always called home.
The Future Perfect by Cay Kim
Fiction | June 23rd
Told in incandescent prose, Cay Kim’s debut novel is a portrait of a brilliant young woman growing up between worlds, and a glorious love letter to girlhood, family, and the great dreams we hold for ourselves, no matter where we’re from.
Devotions by Lucy Caldwell
Short Stories | June 30th
In Devotions, “one of the finest short story writers at work today” (Wendy Erskine) explores yearning for distant pasts and unknown futures. A woman recalls the time her grandfather claimed to have met Jesus. A professional musician travels across the world and through her memories with a violin older than the United States. A young Belfast theater troupe brings its experimental production of Hamlet to New York. Transporting and profound, these are stories of love, grief, and the ways that lives can be haunted.
Six of Crows: A Darker Shore by Leigh Bardugo
Fantasy | June 30th
When I tell you I have never preordered a book so fast in my life… I love Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom. Like, I have read them about 6 times each, no joke. It was one of those series that I did not think I would like, but my friend insisted I read and guess what – life changing. Loved it. 10000/10. If you haven’t read them yet, what are you doing? (Also, for the record, I read the Grishaverse trilogy afterwards and didn’t love it nearly as much – so if you read that and weren’t a huge fan, please still try these! It’s in the same universe, but not really connected except for a couple easter eggs).
Anyways, this book is a sequel of sorts to Crooked Kingdom, told in letters found by an investigator – letters between one Kaz Brekker, crime boss extraordinaire, and an anonymous sailor aboard a vessel called The Wraith.
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SO much to add to my TBR pile and thank you for including The Encore!
scrolling this gave me heart palpitations (in a good way)