- - Most anticipated books of 2026 include new Jennette McCurdy, Ann Patchett and Martha Wells

Clare Mulroy, USA TODAYDecember 29, 2025 at 12:01 AM

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Hoping to read more in 2026? You’re not alone.

As the post-holiday daze settles and you look forward to a fresh start, make a New Year's resolution to expand your knowledge or escape from real the world with a good book. Regular reading leads to positive impacts on your mental and emotional well-being, including slowing down cognitive decline, bolstering empathy and curiosity, improving your vocabulary and reducing stress. Reading can also help you get better sleep.

We’ve got some recommendations to kickstart your goals. But if you’re too impatient to wait for these new releases, we have a list of the best books of 2025 to start your reading now.

Most anticipated books of 2026

From propulsive new stories from beloved authors to enticing debuts, these are the books we’re most excited about in 2026. These books span nonfiction, literary fiction, romance, fantasy, mystery and more, so there’s a little something for everyone.

‘Half His Age’ by Jennette McCurdy (Jan. 20)

"Half His Age" by Jennette McCurdy will publish in January.

This debut novel from child star McCurdy proves her memoir “I’m Glad My Mom Died” was anything but a one-hit wonder. Brimming with teenage angst and McCurdy’s signature dark humor, “Half His Age” follows 17-year-old Waldo navigating a sexual relationship with her teacher. But this is far from a romance, and it’s not a glamorization of age gaps – it’s an analysis of consumerism, insecurity, misguided desire, class and addiction.

‘My Husband’s Wife’ by Alice Feeney (Jan. 20)

"My Husband's Wife" by Alice Feeney

From the author of “Beautiful Ugly,” “My Husband’s Wife” follows Eden, an artist who returns home from a run to see nothing is as she left it – her key doesn’t fit, and a woman who looks similar to her answers the door and says Eden’s husband is her own. Six months earlier, a reclusive woman inherits the very same house and discovers a clinic that predicts your death. Between the two women and one husband, who is telling the truth and who is hiding secrets?

‘Queen of Faces’ by Petra Lord (Feb. 3)

"Queen of Faces" by Petra Lord

This YA dark academia fantasy is set in a world where the wealthy buy and discard bodies like they’re designer bags. Anabelle is trapped in a rotting male body that she can’t afford to replace. In a desperate move, she uses her magic to try and steal a healthy new body. When the headmaster of a cutthroat magical academy catches her, he issues an ultimatum that forces her into an underworld of secrets.

‘One Bad Mother’ by Ej Dickson (Feb. 10)

"One Bad Mother" by Ej Dickson

If you want a meaty cultural deep dive in 2026, look no further than “One Bad Mother.” This book dissects the concept of the “bad mother” and who we deem as such – the stage moms, the momfluencers, the woman who can’t catch a break. Both sobering and laugh-out-loud hilarious, Dickson’s exploration of modern motherhood is one you won’t want to miss.

‘Kin’ by Tayari Jones (Feb. 24)

"Kin" by Tayari Jones

From the author of the Women’s Prize for Fiction-winning “An American Marriage,” “Kin” follows two best friends and motherless daughters from Louisiana who find each other again in adulthood. One, Vernice, leaves their town of Honeysuckle and finds a community of Black sisterhood at Spelman College. The other, Annie, remains fixated on finding her mother.

‘Whidbey’ by T Kira Madden (March 10)

"Whidbey" by T Kira Madden

Literary thriller “Whidbey” sets three women on a collision course after a murder. There’s Birdie, a woman seeking refuge on Whidbey Island on the run from Calvin, the man who abused her as a child. Former reality TV star Linzie tells her story of abuse by the same man in a bestselling memoir. And then there’s Mary-Beth, Calvin's mother who gets the call that her son has been murdered just after Birdie cracks open Linzie’s book.

‘London Falling’ by Patrick Radden Keefe (April 7)

"London Falling" by Patrick Radden Keefe

A new true crime account from the author of “Say Nothing” investigates the sudden death of 19-year-old Zac Brettler, who had a secret life posing as the son of a Russian oligarch. In “London Falling,” Keefe dives into the Brettler family’s grief, the seedy business underworld Zac was enmeshed in and the investigation to bring bad actors to justice.

‘American Fantasy’ by Emma Straub (April 7)

"American Fantasy" by Emma Straub

Enter a ‘90s nostalgia cruise with the fictional boyband of your dreams in “American Fantasy.” This novel follows newly-divorced empty nester Annie who embarks on the cruise to appease her sister. Feeling out of place, Annie soon finds herself reverting back to those teenage heartthrob days, especially when she comes face-to-face with one of the band members who is desperately in need of a friend.

‘Last Night in Brooklyn’ by Xochitl Gonzalez (April 21)

"Last Night in Brooklyn" by Xochitl Gonzalez

In “Last Night in Brooklyn,” 26-year-old Alicia is living at home with her mother, to her dismay. But one night out in her Brooklyn neighborhood changes everything, and she finds herself lured into the world of a larger-than-life fashion designer who hosts epic house parties.

‘Japanese Gothic’ by Kylie Lee Baker (April 21)

"Japanese Gothic" by Kylie Lee Baker

“Japanese Gothic” is a new horror from the author of "Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng," one of our favorite books of 2025. In it, two people in different centuries find a portal connecting them – present day Lee Turner flees New York for Japan after killing his roommate in a haze he can't remember, and young exiled samurai Sen sees a young foreign man outside her window in 1877.

‘Platform Decay’ by Martha Wells (May 5)

"Platform Decay" by Martha Wells comes out on May 5, 2026.

It’s a family road trip from hell in the latest “Murderbot Diaries” novel. Blending Wells’ signature wit and worldbuilding, “Platform Decay” follows Murderbot on a new volunteer rescue mission, realizing it will have to spend significant time with humans (especially children) that it doesn't know.

‘John of John’ by Douglas Stuart (May 5)

"John of John" by Douglas Stuart

A young, broke graduate returns from art school to the island in Scotland he grew up on in “John of John.” John-Calum Macleod must weather the disappointed eye of his sheep farmer and devoutly religious father, who is distressed by how his son has changed and grown into himself in college. This quiet literary work from the author of “Shuggie Bain” and “Young Mungo” is one to watch.

‘Score’ by Kennedy Ryan (May 19)

"Score" by Kennedy Ryan

“Score” is a second-chance romance between a screenwriter and musician. A first love college romance left Verity haunted and Monk devastated and betrayed. More than a decade later, they’re tapped to work on a Harlem Renaissance biopic together. Can they put the past behind them to collaborate on this once-in-a-lifetime project?

‘Whistler’ by Ann Patchett (June 2)

"Whistler" by Ann Patchett

Gather the Patchett fans in your life – there’s a new work from the acclaimed author out this summer. In “Whistler,” 53-year-old Daphne has a chance run-in with her former stepfather, who was only in her life for a brief, impactful year when she was 9. She hasn’t seen him since a fateful event that changed both their lives, and she has no plans to let him go again.

‘Sublimation’ by Isabel J. Kim (June 2)

"Sublimation" by Isabel J. Kim

In the vein of “Severance,” this sci-fi novel imagines a world where immigration creates a duplicate of the body, called “instances” – one copy in a new country and one trapped at home. While many opt to stay in touch with their other self, some, like Soyoung Rose, want to move on. But when she returns to Korea for a funeral, she realizes her "instance" has plans to steal her body and life.

Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY’s Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you’re reading at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Most anticipated books of 2026

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