New Releases I'm Excited to Read in 2026!

A new reading year! I always love looking ahead at what I might be reading in the coming year and one of my favorite ways to do that is to look at what new books are coming out. There are a lot of great new books slotted for publication in 2026 (as well as some books that came out in the last few months) that I'm really excited to read.

Here are the new releases I am looking out for this year:

2025

There were a few new releases that came out last year that I haven't gotten to yet that I very much want to read. On my new releases page, I do count books that were released in the last year, so that includes 2025.

Tailored Realities by Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson is one of my top auto-buy authors. Tailored Realities came out in December of 2025 and I haven't gotten to it yet (though I do own the audiobook already). This is a short story collection of his science fiction stories (non-Cosmere) and includes a new one that he hadn't published yet, Moment Zero. I am really excited to revisit some of my favorite stories by Sanderson and to read the new one!

The Steps by Wendelin Van Draanen

Wendelin Van Draanen is one of my favorite authors (she's very famous for Flipped, which I really like, but my favorite by her is Sammy Keyes, though her two newest books, The Peach Rebellion and Mr. Whiskers and the Shenanigan Sisters are both up there for me too). The Steps came out in September of 2025 and I had so many other books I was trying to finish before the end of the year (along with not realizing until it came out that it was coming out) that I didn't end up reading it. Draanen is an autoread author for me, though, and I can't wait to get to it.

The Steps is a YA mystery thriller, one of my favorite genres. The main character—a chess whiz named Ruby—is from a wealthy family. Following the death of her mother and aunt, her father remarries (the "steps"), her cousin/BFF is no longer allowed around, and strange and dangerous things start happening. Ruby has to put up a fight and break some rules to both get her cousin back and beat her new step family at their own game.

The Ivory City by Emily Bain Murphy

Emily Bain Murphy is another author I've really enjoyed (and underrated in my opinion), especially her book Splinters of Scarlet. The Ivory City is a historical mystery set at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. It released in November of 2025. It follows two cousins, Lillie and Grace who have been friends since birth who attend the World's Fair (or the "Ivory City") together. When one of their party is killed, however, Lillie's brother is the top suspect. They must do all they can to clear his name despite the danger it poses to themselves.

Giant by Judith McQuoid

One more from last year--Giant released in June of 2025 (so awhile ago). I heard about this book from Sarah at Read Aloud Revival. It is a magical retelling of CS Lewis's childhood, following Jack (or CS Lewis) and a fictional boy named Davy, who meet when Davy comes to work at Jack's household. Even though it came out earlier in 2025, it sounds magical and I don't want to miss it.

2026

And now for the new releases coming out this year!

Room to Breathe by Kasie West

Room to Breathe came out just a little while ago on January 6. It is a YA friends to lovers contemporary romance following Indy, a girl whose life falls apart in a way she can't share with anyone, even her friends. That creates distance between her and her friend group, especially one boy in particular, until she gets trapped in a bathroom with him and they have to try to makeup in order to get out. Kasie West writes clean YA romances that are always fun and light (she's also coming out with an adult romcom this year, but her adult books that she's started writing recently have explicit sex scenes in them). Room to Breathe sounds like it will be a good one!

Europa by James Ponti

Europa, the next book in the City Spies series, comes out in February of this year. City Spies follows a group of kids who live like family as they work together for a spy operation. In Europa, the group of kids are working to prevent a dangerous criminal from escaping prison. I'm sure we'll also learn more about Mother's kids and wife, as that has been a plotline threaded throughout the series. I am excited to continue this series with my kids.

Snapshots of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons

Snapshots of Sunlight, coming out in February, is the sequel to Abbie Emmons book 100 Days of Sunlight. Both are YA contemporaries following two high school students, Tessa and Weston. I haven't actually read 100 Days of Sunlight yet, but I'm excited to. I did read The Otherworld (her stand alone novel) and loved it. I am excited to read this series this year!

Read Between the Lies by Jesse Q Sutanto

Read Between the Lies is also coming out in February this year. It is a psychological suspense thriller following Fern, who is finally becoming a published author. Because of the pandemic, she becomes part of an online author community, where tensions are high and everyone (including her) has secrets. I have loved some of Jesse Q Sutanto's books in the past and am excited to read a thriller about authors!

Magnitude by Jennifer A. Neilsen

Magnitude is a middle grade historical fiction coming out in March. Jennifer A. Neilsen is my favorite middle grade historical fiction author and this one is about the Great San Francisco earthquake of 1906, which is not something I know very much about. I'd love to read this one with my kids, who also love Jennifer A. Neilsen.

Heiress of Nowhere by Stacey Lee

Stacey Lee has recently become one of my favorite authors and her new release, Heiress of Nowhere, is coming out in March. This book is a YA historical mystery following an orphan named Lucy. Lucy washed up on the shore of an island when was a baby and 18 years later, she is about to leave the island for college when her employer is found dead--and she has to find the real killer before she takes the fall. This one sounds different from some of her other books, but I'm sure her writing style and characters are going to be amazing as always.

A Kingdom of Shadows (Lightseekers) by Emily Bain Murphy

A Kingdom of Shadows comes out in March. It is the first of a series called Lightseekers and is a middle grade fantasy about a group of kids who have to fight the shadows that have been slowly taking over their land. It sounds like a book both myself and my kids will enjoy. After having enjoyed others of Emily Bain Murphy's books in the past (she's the one who also had Ivory City come out last year), I'm especially excited, even if this is a different genre than her other books.

Last One Out by Jane Harper

I have loved every single Jane Harper book so far and I can't wait for this new release by her coming out in April. Last One Out is a slow burn mystery set in a ghost town following a woman named Ro whose son went missing five years earlier, but now is wondering if something was overlooked in his case. Jane Harper's books are always atmospheric, character-driven, slow thrillers that draw me in and I am expecting this to be similar.

In the Spirit of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge

In the Spirit of French Murder is the fourth in a series and comes out in April. Colleen Cambridge writes fun, historical adult murder mysteries that I've loved (my favorite are her Phyllida Bright mysteries). This series follows a woman who lives in Paris and is best friends with Julia Child before she became a famous chef. She keeps stumbling onto dead bodies (a new one for each book) and helping solve the mystery of who killed them. I am actually reading the third book in the series right now and was very excited when I saw that there will be a new one soon!

The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss

While I have enjoyed some of Marissa Meyer's books, she is not an auto-read author for me. The Escape Game--coming out in April--looks like my kind of book and I'm excited for it. The setting of the book is an escape room television show, where season four ended with someone's murder. Now they're filming season five--not only are they trying to play the game on the show, but now they're trying to solve the murder as well. This YA mystery book sounds really fun!

Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q Sutanto

Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block, coming out in April, looks like it is going to have a similar feel to Vera Wong. It follows a nearly divorced woman who starts culinary school in an attempt to win her husband back, but then a disappearance of her only friend there leads her to start investigating. I love the sound of this book and am very excited for a new Sutanto book!

The Shippers by Katherine Center

Katherine Center is one of my favorite romcom authors (always clean and hilarious). The Shippers comes out in May and is a friends to lovers on a cruise ship destination wedding. The main character JoJo is ready to woo a fellow wedding guest with her childhood friend as a wingmate--but of course, I'm fully expecting her to start having feelings for her wingmate instead. This one sounds so fun, I can't wait.

Songs of the Dead by Brandon Sanderson and Peter Orullian

Brandon Sanderson has been cowriting a lot more lately, so that he can still write a lot of the fun projects he has planned while also focusing on his Cosmere books. I've really enjoyed quite a few of his cowritten books so far. Songs of the Dead, cowritten with Peter Orullian, comes out in June and is a fantasy sci-fi that combines magic and rock music.

Make Your Story Matter by Abbie Emmons

Make Your Story Matter is a nonfiction written by Abbie Emmons (mentioned above for the novel Snapshots of Sunlight) and comes out in August. Abbie Emmons has an amazing YouTube channel (which is where I first discovered her) teaching people how to improve their writing and now has come out with this book. I love her channel and expect the book to be very helpful and accessible.

An Edge Sharp Enough by Jesse Q Sutanto

Another book by Jesse Q Sutanto! An Edge Sharp Enough is very different from her other books--it is a dark fantasy following an assassin, a scholar, a con man, and a guard who are all working together to save the world. I'm very interested to see what her writing style and characters will be like in a fantasy world. It comes out in August.

The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar

Louis Sachar most famous book is Holes, a childhood favorite of mine. As an adult, I also read his YA sequel to Holes, which was very different from the first book, but I loved it. The Magician of Tiger Castle is, again, very different in that it is an adult fantasy book. A princess named Tullia is facing an arranged marriage that will save her struggling kingdom when she falls in love with a lowly scribe. There's a disgraced magician, alchemy, and forbidden love. I have loved this author's writing style in the past and am excited to read this one!

Dream Big by Shannon Hale

Dream Big is the sequel in a middle grade contemporary graphic novel duology (the first is Dream On). It comes out in September. The duology follows a girl who hopes to win a magazine sweepstake, thinking it will solve all her life problems if she does. My girls and I love Shannon Hale's other middle grade graphic novel series, Best Friends, and I am looking forward to this duology (and if I love it, I will share it with my girls!).

The Unusuals by Gail Carson Levine

Gail Carson Levine has been a favorite author since I was a child (I still love Ella Enchanted!) and her new book, The Unusuals, comes out in September. The Unusuals is a middle grade historical fiction set in Midieval England. Two young Jews and a Christian, already an unusual group of friends, meet and befriend a starving outlaw. When two murders in their families take place, they come up with a plan to find the culprit. I love the sound of this book and am very excited.

Death Down the Aisle by Colleen Cambridge

Death Down the Aisle is the next book in the Phyllida Bright series, a series that I have been loving. Phyllida Bright is the (fictional) housekeeper for Agatha Christie and, using Poirot as an example, helps to investigate crimes and murders that keep occuring in her vicinity. This one comes out in October, just in time to read it for fall.

Liar in the Hollow Court by Bethany Atazadeh

Liar in the Hollow Court is a fae fantasy book following Brynn, a girl who never believed in fairies until her mother and then family was stolen by one. As she investigates, she ends up in Hollow Court, the fae kingdom. I have really enjoyed Bethany Atazadeh's other books. I am not sure how I will like this book, as fae isn't my favorite, but I'm excited to give it a try. This book is likely to come out in 2026, but I haven't seen a release date for it yet.

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Volume 9

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion was one of my favorite series in 2025 and I'm very excited for volume 9 to come out in (hopefully!) 2026. As far as I've heard, the actual release date has not been announced yet. The series follows Emma M. Lion, who has amazing friends as well as some archenemies the reader loves to hate and is always getting herself up to the most ridiculous and fun to read antics.

Those are the new releases I am most excited for this year! What new book are you looking forward to in 2026? Have you read any of these authors or series? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below and we can chat about books!