Last year was a great 12 months, packed with fantastic books to keep you entertained all year. And luckily for us bookworms, 2026 looks to be no different.
It can be a little overwhelming finding something to read in a bookshop, and while it's fun browsing the shelves, it's good to know what's worth your time.
Thankfully, RadioTimes.com is on hand with our pick of the hottest fiction releases in 2026 you'll want to add to your TBR immediately.
And in good news for you, it will be updated as more fantastic books appear on the release calendar – so keep it bookmarked.
Read on for our picks of the best books in 2026.
19 best books of 2026 so far
Meet the Newmans - Jennifer NivenHalf His Age - Jennette McCurdyThe Old Fire - Elisa Shua Dusapin (translated by Aneesa Abbas Higgins)Helen of Nowhere - Makenna GoodmanGlyph - Ali SmithGreedy - Callie KazumiLost Lambs - Madeline CashOrange - Curtis GarnerSuckerfish - Ashani LewisCleopatra - Saara El ArifiGloria Don't Speak - Lucy AppsStrange Buildings - UketsuHooked - Asako Yuzuki (translated by Polly Barton)Minor Black Figures - Brandon TaylorTangerinn - Emanuela Anechoum (translated by Lucy Rand)The Ending Writes Itself - Evelyn ClarkeMy Year in Paris with Gertrude Stein: A Fiction - Deborah LevyLand - Maggie O'FarrellAgrippa - Robert Harris1. Meet the Newmans - Jennifer Niven
Released: 15/01/26
Niven's latest novel is about America's favourite TV family - but when the façade starts to crack, secrets and explosive truths come to light. This one's for fans of Lessons in Chemistry and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
Released: 20/01/26
From the bestselling author of I'm Glad My Mom Died, McCurdy is back with an equally sad and funny novel about sex, class, desire and power. Waldo is going through a range of emotions, but above all, she's desperate to have Mr Korgy, her creative writing tutor. This novel is about a 17-year-old who will disregard all obstacles to get what she wants - even if it tears apart families.
3. The Old Fire - Elisa Shua Dusapin (translated by Aneesa Abbas Higgins)
Released: 29/01/2026
In the wake of her father's death, Agathe leaves New York to return to her home in the French countryside after 15 years away. She hasn't seen her sister, Véra since and now they must empty their home before it's knocked down. The act of emptying the house brings about a wealth of memories - and resentments - to life for both sisters.
Released: 29/01/26
In the middle of the countryside, a disgraced professor is being shown around a gorgeous secluded abode. The realtor speaks not only about the home's many qualities, but also about the mystical previous owner, Helen. The man soon learns that his story isn't over as he hears about Helen's, uncovering that perhaps the simple life is how he will find peace.
5. Glyph - Ali Smith
Released: 29/01/26
Glyph follows on from Ali Smith's 2024 novel, Gliff, which tells a story hidden in the first. The less you know about it the better as you immerse yourself back into Smith's world.
Released: 05/02/2026
A reclusive billionaire is looking for a private chef - and she finds the perfect candidate with down and out Ed. However, her unusual tastes launch him into a world he can't control and can't get out of.
7. Lost Lambs - Madeline Cash
Released: 05/02/2026Bud and Catherine opened up their marriage and nothing has been quite right since with their daughters also spiralling. A local billionaire's ruthless actions in their town prompts the family to actually grow closer together.
Released: 19/02/26
In the quaint fishing village of Portscatho in Cornwall, two teenagers find an unexpected connection which neither of them can quite explain. Years later, they reconnect in London and both are in a very different space. Can their bond withstand all that's happened since they first met? If you're a fan of the tenderness of nuanced relationships found in Sally Rooney, you'll want to pick up a copy of Orange.
9. Suckerfish - Ashani Lewis
Released: 26/02/2026
Kolia may have moved on from the all-encompassing grip of her mother in her twenties. but she may have no choice but to be drawn back into her orbit in Suckerfish which makes for a complex depiction of motherhood and the connection between a mother and daughter.
Released: 26/02/2026
Everyone knows something about Cleopatra but what was it like inside her mind? Was she really a seductress? Was she really bloodthirsty? Was she involved in witchcraft? Saara El Arifi ponders all these questions within her gripping historical fiction.
11. Gloria Don't Speak - Lucy Apps
Released: 26/02/2026
Gloria has a learning disability which limits her world - she tends to go round the local parks, keep out of trouble and see her friend Jack. He needs her company, but he's unpredictable. An act of violence leaves Gloria on her own. How will she navigate her world when he gets out of prison?
Released: 26/02/26
Uketsu returns with their remarkably unique murder mystery series. Each building within this book tells a horrifying story - and each one is part of a puzzle. Look closely for the connections and see if you can work out what links it all...
13. Hooked - Asako Yuzuki (translated by Polly Barton)
Released: 12/03/26
Eriko's life might look perfect on the outside, but she's wracked by loneliness. She becomes obsessed with a blog written by Shoko, a housewife, who lives a life very different to how a typical manicured Japanese housewife's life is. Eriko, meanwhile, can't shake her obsession with Shoko and befriends her before acting very suspicious... From the author of Butter comes an exciting new thriller that you won't be able to put down.
Released: 19/03/26
Wyeth is new to New York City and struggles to fit in the Manhattan art scene. He shares a studio with his friends and starts working for a gallery - but really struggles with his own portrait painting. That changes when he meets Keating, a former priest struggling with his faith. As the men grow closer of a hot summer, they are forced to confront what they are willing to risk for love and art.
15. Tangerinn - Emanuela Anechoum (translated by Lucy Rand)
Released: 26/03/26
Mina has entered her thirties and lives in London, with little spontaneity. Her world is thrown upside down when she gets a call from her mother saying her father had died. She returns home and ends up staying in her small seaside town where the bar her dad used to ran welcomed in immigrants and those who didn't feel welcome in this new place. Mina finds her family and memories in this place as she learns to come to terms with her new world.
Released: 07/04/26
World-famous author Arthur Fletch is dead and his final novel remains unfinished - but the ending won't write itself. Six struggling authors are invited to his private Scottish island with an opportunity of a lifetime - the chance to finish the book and win a book deal and cash prize. How far would they go to get this life-changing prize?
17. My Year in Paris with Gertrude Stein: A Fiction - Deborah Levy
Released: 16/04/2026
Who is Gertrude Stein? And why does she matter? The narrator of Levy's novel has travelled to Paris to find out. What she uncovers is how to cope with life in the whirlwind of Paris, and how Stein's life had similar challenges in the 20th century as she does in the 21st.
Released: 02/06/26
Tomás and his son, Liam, are tasked by the Ordnance Survey to map the whole of Ireland. It's 1865 and the task isn't as easy as one might think in a land ravaged and emptied by the Great Hunger. But Tomás is determined that his maps will reflect what happened - no matter what.
19. Agrippa - Robert Harris
Released: 27/08/26
Julius Caesar has died and his nephew, Octavius, has been made his heir. When the time comes, he chooses to conquer the Roman Empire with his best friend Agrippa. Together they rule the world for 20 years. Now 50, Agrippa has retired to Naples and starts to write his memoirs - but stirring up the past can be very dangerous...
For all the latest RT Book Club news, interviews, Q&As with the authors, reviews of previous books and more, visit The Radio Times Book Club.
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