The Best Books I Read in 2026, So Far!

My favorite 5 reads and the top 5 new fiction of winter/spring 2026!

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I’ve had the best year of reading … and we’re only five months into it!

My better choices are definitely thanks to conversations with fellow readers, which directed me toward books I otherwise would never have picked up.

Bookish AF readers are the best!

My Favorite Reads of 2026, So Far

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

The perfect late fall/winter read! The strong main character, Martha Ballard (based on a real woman), will stay with me forever. And that ending!

My Friends by Fredrik Backman

My heart still melts and breaks over this story. It’s so well-written! No wonder it made my list of the best books of 2025!

Weyward by Emilia Hart

I recommend listening (as I did) to the atmospheric audiobook version. (I shared about it in this note!) Emilia Hart braids the stories of three generations of witchy women expertly in this novel, with plenty of suspense!

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

This romance had a little of everything I adore in a story: heartfelt moments, a few chili peppers of spice, and secrets revealed in the end! I’ve had this book on my TBR ever since I featured it as a Reese’s Book Club May 2025 pick!

Evie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

I needed an uplifting, humorous read, and this one, which I featured on March’s 5 on Five book list, delivered! The witty banter, the heartfelt story, and the romance are so entertaining!

Top 5 New Books of the First Five Months of 2026

As someone who loves curating the latest, hottest books coming out, I had a terrible time narrowing it down to only five!

So I consulted books recently selected by the New York Times Books Staff and Goodreads’ weekly-updated Most Popular Books Published in 2026, plus a few other noteworthy lists!

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Description: Equal parts time-travel story and identity crisis, a social media influencer mysteriously wakes up decades in the past and is forced to confront who she is without the internet, her audience, or the carefully curated version of herself she built online. (*Amazon | Bookshop.org*)

Why Top 5? This bestseller is a GMA Book Club pick and chosen as one of the New York Times Best Books of the Year (So Far). The reader ratings are high. It’s getting a movie adaptation… hello, Anne Hathaway! And it’s one of those books I predict everyone will still be discussing at the end of the year.

Kin by Tayari Jones

Description: Set in 1950s Louisiana, Kin follows two childhood friends, both motherless daughters, whose lives diverge onto different paths shaped by family expectations, buried secrets, and the social pressures of the American South. As the story unfolds, old tensions resurface, and loyalties are tested. (*Amazon | Bookshop.org*)

Why Top 5? This bestseller and Oprah’s Book Club Pick also topped the New York Times Best Books of the Year (So Far) list. Readers can’t get enough of this literary, emotionally rich, character-driven story that’ll stay with you long after the last page!

Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden

Description: Debbie Mullen has spent years giving practical advice to the women who write into her newspaper column. But now her own life is falling apart, from a lost job to strange behavior from her daughters to a husband who seems to be hiding something. When she finally stops trying to be the bigger person, Debbie decides it’s time to take her own advice and get a little revenge. (*Amazon | Bookshop.org*)

Why Top 5? Dear Debbie has topped Goodreads’ most popular books list for weeks and has been “shelved” on the platform over 800,000 times! According to rave reader reviews, the chapters fly by, the twists keep escalating, the humor adds a fun element, and the characters don’t disappoint!

The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez

Description: Larissa thought a simple ride home after a concert would change her night, but it ended up changing her whole life. Now she’s in a sweet, complicated mess with two men, one rescue Yorkie, and a growing question she can’t ignore: how do you choose between what feels right and what’s truly yours? (*Amazon | Bookshop.org)*

Why Top 5? Readers are absolutely obsessed with this book. They love how Abby Jimenez balances humor and vulnerability so well that the characters feel completely real. If you love romance novels that make you laugh and cry, this one likely deserves the hype.

The Keeper by Tana French

Description: A young woman’s death sends shockwaves through the tight-knit Irish village of Ardnakelty, where old grudges and hidden power struggles run deeper than anyone wants to admit. As retired detective Cal Hooper and his fiancée Lena get pulled into the mess, they uncover a dangerous scheme that could change everything for the village … and put them both in real danger! (*Amazon | Bookshop.org*)

Why Top 5? Named a New York Times Best Book of the Year (so far) and a People Best Book of March, this bestseller brings a ton of atmosphere and literary suspense. It’s moody, quietly intense, and immersed in the Irish countryside.

**View these books and more on Bookshop.org! *(Local independent bookstores benefit from your purchases!*)

What are your top 5 books of 2026 so far?

Bookish Quote of the Week

“Love is self-sustaining. It doesn’t get weak and die when you don’t feed it.”

― Abby Jimenez, The Night We Met

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Originally published at https://bookishaf.substack.com.