When we sit down to put this list together every year, this is more or less how it goes: one minute we all claim to have absolutely zero idea what we’re looking forward to reading in the new year, and the next we have an explosive list of titles from our staff and contributors that then needs to be narrowed down.

The bad news is my TBR is now in the shambliest of shambles, and yours is probably about to be, too. The good news is that it’s shaping up to be a dynamite year in reading. 

Some highlights:

• Novels and story collections from some of our greatest living writers, including Tayari Jones, Percival Everett, Lauren Groff, Louise Erdrich, Colson Whitehead, and George Saunders
• Retellings in many flavors, from a spacefaring Moby Dick remix and a bloody epic fantasy take on The Little Mermaid to a historical Korean romance inspired by Pride and Prejudice
• In frightful delights, we have a Sapphic gothic novel with a creeping sense of doom and a dark, bloody read on the horror of churchianity
• For nonfiction lovers, a biography of the great Judy Blume and a look at how we grieve in a culture that fears mourning
• All of that plus the latest Murderbot installment, a criminal roadtrip rom-com, a noir tale of greed and seduction in 1940s Mexico, and more

See the full list of our Most Anticipated Books of 2026 here. -VD

Start your year in reading with a change of perspective. Dig into the complicated realities of a perfect TV family, set sail with a swashbuckling feminist retelling of Moby-Dick , or laugh-cry-cringe along with a memoir about being homeschooled by a mother who really doesn’t want her son to grow up.

Also hitting shelves this week:

• 🏛️ A new translation of Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations to jumpstart your exploration of stoicism
• 🎨 An illustrated history of art that is as pleasurable to look at as it is to read
• 💌 A memoir that interrogates ambition and the idea of “good enough“
• ☎️ The official Stranger Things cookbook
• 🚀 A historical fantasy billed as “ Indiana Jones meets Hidden Figures“

🔓 Join All Access to unlock the New Release Index and track exciting upcoming books.

🔎 Calling all mystery lovers and bookworms! We’re thrilled to partner with AgathaChristie.com to give one lucky follower a chance to win a $100 Gift Card to Bookshop.org! Treat yourself to some new reads and support independent bookstores.

By entering the sweepstakes, you’ll also be signing up for the official Agatha Christie monthly newsletter that features reading lists, activities, quizzes, and adaptation news, plus the latest editions, games, and merchandise from the Queen of Mystery.

Louisa May Alcott didn’t want to write Little Women.

Much like her star character Jo March, Alcott had literary aspirations that exceeded the lurid thrillers and “short and spicy” romances that were popular in the mid-19th century. (The more things change...) When her publisher asked for a moralistic “girls’ story,” Alcott took the gig because she needed the money.

Little Women , which has never been out of print in the more than 150 years since its publication, was an instant sensation. That was great for Alcott’s bank account, but honestly, pretty deadly for her artistic ambition. Success was a double-edged sword that pigeonholed Alcott into a mode of fiction for which she had little respect.

“Sorry you could find nothing better to read. I write that rubbish because it sells, and ordinary people like it.“ That’s Jo on the page, but it’s Alcott speaking through her. Lucky for us, she wrote it anyway.

🎧 Hear our conversation about why Little Women continues to resonate on the latest episode of Zero to Well-Read.

Every January 1st , a new class of creative work enters the public domain. This is not one of those years where a whole body of work from a landmark author becomes free to use, but there are a handful of notable books that are now loosed from copyright. All titles are linked to their new freely usable versions on archive.org.

• The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper (1930)
• As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner(1930)
• The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (1930)

And perhaps most interestingly, the first appearance of Miss Marple in The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie.

You can browse a full list of works now in the public domain at the fabulous Center for the Study of the Public Domain at Duke University. (If you had a dream of making a Betty Boop musical featuring the music of George and Ira Gershwin, boy do I have good news for you). - JO

Level up your reading life with Book Riot All Access! Join today to unlock exclusive deep dives, community features, and the full Read Harder Challenge—plus, the first 100 new annual members get a FREE copy of Good Intentions by Marisa Walz, a twisted thriller about a woman’s dangerous obsession with a grieving stranger. Sign up for All Access today!

Forty percent of Americans did not pick up a single book in 2025. That’s according to a new, wide-ranging survey of adult reading habits across the country published by YouGov. Over 2,200 people, representing American demographics as closely as possible, took part in the survey. Among the findings:

• 10% of Americans read two books, while 7% read three books, and an additional 7% read between 10 and 14 books
• 36% of adults read at least once per week
• 51% own a public library card
• Physical books are preferred nearly 2:1 to digital or audiobooks
• The most popular genres are mystery and crime, followed by historical
• Most Americans don’t organize their bookshelves in any way but report having no problem finding the titles they’re looking for

It’s a fascinating study, with plenty of insights into into what adults are (and are not) reading, and it’s also a reminder that counting books is but one means by which to account for what constitutes “reading.” 

The data also seems to point a finger back at adults who wonder why young people may not be scrambling to pick up a book to read and why literacy levels are continuing a downward slide. 

📈 Dig into the findings, as well as a link to the raw data, here. - KJ

Chris Bailey is a productivity expert and the author of Intentional: How to Finish What You Start, available today wherever books are sold.

Most of us don’t struggle because we lack goals; we struggle because our motivation fades, we procrastinate on our goals, or we lose interest halfway through (only to pick up the goal again later)! Fortunately, research offers surprisingly practical ways to finish more of what we start. 

1. Do a weekly goal review : We tend to think of goals as 95% action and 5% planning, but the ratio is closer to 80% action and 20% planning (or higher!). Once a week, sit down and review all of the goals you’re in the middle of achieving. Then, consider how you’ll act on them in the week ahead. Schedule time to take action. 

2. Remember: You have four focus hours in you each day : You already know this: focusing on complex tasks all day can be a recipe for exhaustion. Many goals, such as writing a novel or planning a wedding, require sustained focus. We’re all different, and we all do different types of work, but on average, we have about four focused hours. For this reason, I’ll typically limit my daily “deep work” time to four or four-and-a-half hours, doing admin work and less cognitively intense work outside of that time.

• Keep in mind that your focus-intensive personal goals also count toward this limit.

3. Connect with the 12 values that motivate everything you do: The key to becoming more motivated is to align your goals with your values. The science of values indicates that we all share 12 values to varying degrees. Knowing which ones are strongest for you helps you shape your goals so they align with what truly motivates you. The 12 values that we all share to some degree are:

• Self-direction
• Stimulation
• Pleasure
• Achievement
• Power
• Face (preserving our image and avoiding humiliation)
• Security
• Tradition
• Conformity
• Humility
• Universalism (understanding, appreciating, and protecting people and nature)
• Benevolence (being devoted and reliable to others)

From this list, pick your top two values. When reviewing your goal list, ask: How can you align your biggest goals with these values?

• For example, if you have a goal to “write a novel this year,” you could align this with self-direction and pleasure. So, it might become: “Experiment with three writing rituals to find the most pleasurable one.” Similar goal, but now it’s aligned with what motivates you to do the work.

Book Riot is partnering with Twisted Comics to bring you an incredible giveaway: a 1-year subscription to Kindle Unlimited! One of the most beloved Black Mirror episodes is getting turned into a graphic novel. Take a nostalgic journey through time, love, and the promise of forever. Sign up for the waitlist and be the first to get notified when Twisted Comics launches the Kickstarter.

🎒 Pack your books in style with the Renew Transit Backpack from Everlane.**

📚 Stack ’em high with Barnes & Noble’s most anticipated books of 2026.

👩‍💻 This is the year you finally write your novel. One writer’s advice: rip up the rulebook.

🤝 In New York? Meet up for a book swap hosted by the NYPL.

🖼️ Start ’em young. These are Lit Hub’s most anticipated children’s books of the year.

_{**This is a product recommendation from the Book Riot team. When you buy through these links, we may earn a commission.}

Written by Rebecca Schinsky, Jeff O’Neal, Vanessa Diaz, and Kelly Jensen. Thanks to Vanessa Diaz for copy editing.

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