Best Book Recommendations for 2026 to Help You Reach Your Reading Goals

With New Year’s Day behind us, a lot of readers are setting fresh goals and trying to read more books in 2026. If you’re anything like me, one of those goals is finally making a dent in your ever-growing to-read pile. To help with that, we’re sharing some book recommendations that can actually help you stick to your reading goals this year.

Like most readers, I still have a long list of books waiting to be read. Last year alone brought so many great new releases that it felt impossible to keep up. And that doesn’t even include all the older books that have been sitting on my list for years.

This list highlights some of the best books from the past year that critics and readers alike haven’t stopped talking about. A big part of this list comes from NPR, which compiled an impressive collection of standout reads from last year.

From that list, I narrowed things down to the books I think are truly worth your time. You can find the full list below—and hopefully a few picks that help you hit your reading goals in 2026.

Best Book Recommendations for 2026

• Audition by Katie Kitamura
• The Antidote by Karen Russell
• Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
• Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite
• The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
• Flashlight by Susan Choi
• Katabasis, by R.F. Kuang
• The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai
• The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits
• Tilt by Emma Pattee
• What We Can Know by Ian McEwan

The Antidote

I am I keep hearing good things about is The Antidote by Karen Russell. It was longlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award and has made many end of year lists. I am excited about this novel and can’t wait to sit down and read it in one sitting!

The Antidote tells the stories of many residents of the fictional town of Uz, Nebraska. The town is failing for many reasons; the Great Depression, the dust bowl, and its own violent history. Russell writes about a variety of characters as we follow their life. What one generation passes onto the next and what is lost over time.

Buckeye

A book on this list that I am eager to read in the near future is Buckeye by Patrick Ryan. It was longlisted for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize and it has been on every end of year list. I have already purchased it and can’t wait to read it and see if the hype is real.

Two families in Bonhomie, Ohio are connected because of one moment in history. And the secret that refuses to be buried. A secret affair ties two families together and change the way they see each other and what the future holds for them.

The Emperor of Gladness

I didn’t know what I was missing in my life until I read The Emperor of Gladness. It was released in 2025 and itwas one of the best books I had the pleasure of reading.

It is no surprise that it has ended up making many end of year lists and I do hope it wins many awards. This novel does a wonderful job of tackling heavy themes and you will likely cry a few times.

The story is about a nineteen-year-old teenager named Hai who is about to jump off a bridge. But before he can, an old woman named Grazina tells him to come down and he suddenly finds himself living with her as her caregiver.

The novel does a great job of making everything feel natural. The Emperor of Gladness is easily one of my favorite books of 2025. Few authors tend to understand trauma and mental health but in this novel, you can tell Ocean Young knows what he’s writing about.

Katabasis

There aren’t many novels that I am so excited about that I preorder them. When I saw that R.F. Kuang was set to release Katabasis in late 2025, I knew I had to get my hands on it as soon as possible. And I am glad because I loved every second of this book.

Alice Law is a postgraduate student at Cambridge who is practicing magic. She wants to land a great job after she finished school but knows that her only chance to do so is with a recommendation from her former professor and advisor Jacob Grimes.

But because of a simple mistake by Alice, Jacob died while doing a magic spell and now is in Hell. And Alice plans to go to Hell to bring him back to life. 

Just as Alice is about to create a magic circle to go down to Hell, her colleague and rival Peter Murdoch walks in and tells her that he is going to join her to bring back Grimes. They both descend to Hell and what follows is an adventure unlike any other.

Kuang has slowly established herself as a fantastic fantasy writer. Her world building is great and while it isn’t anything like a Brandon Sanderson novel, it has its own appeal. What makes her standout besides her writing is her magic systems that are uniquely her own and a lot of fun. Especially if you love history and writing. 

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny

There are some great novels on this list and I can’t wait t get around to reading them. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny made it onto Barack Obama’s list of the best books of the year. That alone is enough reason for me to check it out.

The novel is about two lovers who are uncertain what the future holds in store the. They are escaping their past as well as navigating all the challenges thrown at them. Their bond is complicated and their lives are woven together by many strings as they try overcome it all.

Tilt

I have heard only good things about Tilt by Emma Pattee and I can see why people love it. The book blurb alone makes this novel appealing than most. And after making numerous awards, you have to get around to reading it to see why everyone loves this book.

Anne is nine months pregnant and planning to buy a crib for the child when an earthquake hits Portland, Oregon. Now, Anne is stranded with no phone or money and unable to reach her husband. She has to walk across Portland, through the wreckage left after the earthquake hit. 

What follows is a story about a woman who witnesses the best and worst of mankind. Anne receives unexpected kindness from strangers, sees a riot at a grocery store, and makes surprising new friends. And her journey makes her question her life choices and if she survives this ordeal, she plans to make a few changes. 

Conclusion

These are the best book recommendations for 2026 to get you to read more. We included many of the biggest books of the year. This list is surely to get you to read more because all of these novels are just that good.

NPR is one of my favorites publications and I love their dedication to books. You can check the full list here for even more recommendations. The ones on this list are ones that stood out to me the most and ones I will be reading this year.

What books from this list have you read or plan to read? What other books are you planning to read in 2026? Let us know in the comments below. Until next time, happy reading!

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