By Ruben Montané · Updated June 2026

Best Books of 2026

Last updated: June 2026 · Updated throughout the year

2026 is shaping up to be a landmark year for fiction — with high-profile debuts, anticipated sequels, and the usual crop of literary prizes driving conversation. Here are the best books published so far in 2026, plus the most-anticipated titles still to come.

Published in 2026 — Highlights So Far

Intermezzo — Sally Rooney (mass market)

Sally Rooney · 2026 mass market paperback

Now in paperback

Rooney's most emotionally direct novel — two brothers grieving their father, two unexpected relationships — reaches its widest format in 2026. If you haven't read it yet, the mass market edition is the moment. Widely considered her best book.

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James — Percival Everett (international editions)

Percival Everett · 2025–26 international rollout

Pulitzer Prize · National Book Award

The 2024 double award winner — Pulitzer and National Book Award — continues to reach new readers in 2026 as international editions roll out. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn told from Jim's perspective. If there is one book from 2024–26 to read, it's this one.

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The Empyrean Book 4 — Rebecca Yarros

Rebecca Yarros · 2026 (anticipated)

Forthcoming

The fourth book in the Fourth Wing / Onyx Storm series. Yarros has confirmed Book 4 is in progress. Expected to be the biggest genre release of 2026 if published this year. Pre-orders available; publication date not yet confirmed at time of writing.

Empyrean series on Amazon →

Great Big Beautiful Life — Emily Henry

Emily Henry · 2026 paperback

Paperback

Henry's fifth novel — two journalists competing for access to a reclusive heiress — arrives in paperback in 2026. Her most structurally complex book and the one most likely to outlast the BookTok cycle. Read it this summer.

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Most Anticipated Remaining 2026 Releases

Red God — Pierce BrownTBD 2026 — The seventh and final Red Rising novel. Brown has confirmed it's in progress. If published in 2026, it will be the most significant sci-fi event of the year.
Empyrean Book 4 — Rebecca YarrosTBD 2026 — No confirmed date but Yarros has been working on it since Onyx Storm. The romantasy event of 2026 if it lands.
The Thursday Murder Club #6 — Richard OsmanAutumn 2026 — Osman's annual instalments have been among the most reliable reads in British fiction. Book 6 expected late 2026.
Stormlight Archive Book 6 — Brandon Sanderson2026+ — Arc 2 begins. Sanderson has outlined this but has not confirmed a timeline. 2026 is optimistic; 2027–28 is more realistic.
New Emily HenrySpring 2026 — Henry publishes annually. Her sixth novel has been announced; details forthcoming.

Nonfiction Highlights of 2026

Nexus — Yuval Noah Harari (paperback)

Yuval Noah Harari · 2026 paperback

Harari's history of information networks — from early writing to AI — reaches paperback in 2026. His most urgent and timely argument: what happens when AI becomes part of our information infrastructure? Essential reading for understanding the current moment.

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Award Season Preview

Booker Prize 2026: The longlist is typically announced in July; the winner in October. We'll update this page with shortlist and winner as announced. Historically, the Booker winner is the best single indicator of the year's most important literary fiction.

Books from 2025 Worth Reading in 2026

If you're catching up on last year, don't miss: Onyx Storm (Yarros), The Women paperback (Kristin Hannah), Creation Lake (Kushner), The Familiar (Bardugo), and Great Big Beautiful Life (Emily Henry).