January 2026 Book Releases

Crux

Author: Gabriel Tallent

Release Date: January 20, 2026

Genre: Literary Fiction

Plot

Dan and Tamma are in their last year of high school in the Mojave Desert. They seem like an unlikely duo, yet they have a strong bond that develops through shared dreams of adventure. Over the year, their friendship is put to the test as they are pulled apart. This pick from the January 2026 book releases looks like a powerful book about friendship and I cannot wait to read it.

Dandelion is Dead

Author: Rosie Storey

Release Date: January 13, 2026

Genre: Fiction

More info: Debut Author

Spice Rating:💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

When Poppy breaks her phone, she decides to go to her late sister’s apartment to get her phone. Then she decides to respond to a stranger on Dandelion’s dating app and then meet him for a date on what would have been Dandelion’s 40th birthday. But the minute she meets Jake, she feels a connection to him, almost as if she pretends to be Dandelion, then Dandelion is not really gone.

Now, Poppy is living a double life. In one, she is in a committed long-term relationship with someone who loves her. And in the other, she is Dandelion- fun, carefree, and alive. She has to determine who she really is and what kind of life she wants for herself. Can she live her life when her sister is gone?

Trigger Warnings

Death of a sibling, grief

Why Jackie loves it

This is an unforgettable book about love, grief, and finding yourself and your path. It is also beautifully written and feels like the ups and downs Poppy experiences mimic real life. I was invested in the story the entire time with these imperfect characters whom I loved. #gifted

Find this book in: Novels About Grief / Literary Romance Novels

The Future Saints

Author: Ashley Winstead

Release Date: January 20, 2026

Genre: Fiction

More info: For fans of Daisy Jones and the Six

Spice Rating:💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

The Future Saints are a California pop band whose manager died tragically. Now, Theo, a record exec, is tasked with getting them to make their next album. When Hannah, the lead singer, debuts her rock side, the album goes viral. The Future Saints have their big break if they can stay out of their own way. Hannah becomes close with Theo while grappling with her relationship with her sister.

Trigger Warnings

Alcoholism, Grief

Why Kirsten loves it

I loved this look at grief when your life is in the spotlight. We all voraciously read about celebrities, often forgetting that they are real people with problems that can be intensely difficult to navigate in the public eye. I also appreciated how the author handled Hannah’s alcoholic reaction to her grief and Theo’s compassionate growth as a manager. #gifted by Atria.

Find this book in: Novels About Music / Books About Sisters

Is this a Cry for Help?

Author: Emily Austin

Release Date: January 13, 2026

Genre: Fiction

More info: Book about Libraries

Plot

Darcy and her wife, Joy are living a life they love. Darcy is a librarian and loves her job, but when she receives news that her ex-boyfriend has died, it sends her into a downward spiral. She needs to take medical leave from the library. When she returns, she is confronted with protests from the community and calls for banning books. This is a book that not only looks at the importance of libraries but also explores the idea of community and coming of age as an adult.

Meet the Newmans

Author: Jennifer Niven

Year: 2026

Genre: Historical Fiction

More info: New York Times Bestselling Author

Age Range: 16+

Plot

The Newmans, Del, Dinah, and their sons, have been America’s Favorite Family on television for two decades. By 1964, the ratings were dropping, and the picture-perfect family seemed to be out of touch with real family life. When Del is in a car accident, Dinah has to hire someone to help write the final episode. Juliet is young and full of ideas that are very different from what Dinah envisions. Will the Newmans be able to change TV history, or will they be canceled before they have a chance?

Trigger Warnings

Sexism, Car Accident

Why Kirsten loves it

It’s hard to explain how much I loved this book. Dinah coming into her own, the kids finding themselves, even Del eventually finding his way in a new world, it all came together in a story that was thoughtful and fun. I would love to see this turned into an adaptation of some kind because of the costumes and settings alone! The narrators were wonderful and really elevated the story. Gifted by MacMillan Audio

Find this book in: Books like Lessons in Chemistry / Books Set in the 60s

The Last of Earth

Author: Deepa Anappara

Release Date: January 16th, 2026

Genre: Historical Fiction

More info: Edgar Best First Novel Award for Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line

Plot

This historical fiction novel from the January 2026 book releases follows an Indian school teacher spying for the British Empire and a “lady ” explorer as they travel to Tibet. Balram is searching for his best friend Gyan, who he believes is captive in Tibet. Katherine wants to be the first European woman to reach Lhasa. Together, they will have to face weather and the wild to survive.

The Star Society

Author: Gabriella Saab

Release Date: January 6, 2026

Genre: Historical Fiction

More info: Inspired by Audrey Hepburn

Age Range: 16+

Plot

Before Ada moved to Hollywood, Ada was fighting for the Dutch resistance. She is shocked when Ingrid, the sister she thought was dead, shows up at her house. Ingrid escaped the Nazi invasion and fled to Washington, D.C. Ingrid has been sent to rid Hollywood of communism, and her sister is on her list.

Ingrid must determine what side Ada is fighting for, but Ada has her own mission: to find the Nazi agent who terrorized her hometown and bring him down.

Why Kirsten loves it

Inspired by Audrey Hepburn’s story, Saab set out to create a tale of political intrigue against the sparkling backdrop of Old Hollywood. In the process, she wove a tale that felt eerily close to present-day society. I loved the dynamic of the sisters as they worked to rebuild their trust in one another.

I also found the narrator to be thoroughly engaging, though that’s not surprising be Saaskia is one of the best in the business! Gifted by Harper Muse and Harper Audio.

Find this book in: Book About Sisters / Old Hollywood Books

A Great Act of Love

Author: Heather Rose

Release Date: January 27, 2026

Genre: Historical Fiction

Age Range: 16+

Plot

Caroline Douglas arrived in Hobart, Australia, in 1939. She has a boy in her care, and she is determined to start a new life. But she is also searching for her father, who committed a horrible crime. The lives of Caroline, her father, and the people of Hobart come together in powerful ways.

With her family heritage in mind, Caroline purchases a plot of land and begins learning to make champagne. Set against the backdrop of a nation coming into its own while grappling with its reputation, this stunning saga is unlike anything I’ve ever read.

Trigger Warnings

Slavery

Why Kirsten loves it

Of course, I knew that Australia was originally a land turned into a prison by the British Empire, but I had no idea how those roots shaped the people and the country. In addition to a beautiful story about a daughter’s love, I enjoyed the backdrop of the Hobarts’ fight to break their reputation. The secondary characters were wonderfully vivid, each painted with such heart. It’s a lovely story worthy of savoring. #gifted by Libro.FM and Simon & Schuster.

Find this book in: Fiction Books About Wine

Bookbinder’s Secret

Author: A. D Bell

Release Date: January 13, 2026

Genre: Historical Fiction

More info: Book About Books

Plot

Lily is an apprentice to a master bookbinder in 1901. When she is given a bruend book with a hidden letter in the binding, it starts her on a pathway she could not have imagined. She becomes more intrigued with the mystery of forbidden lovers, and soon realizes the quest is more dangerous than she thought. Is finding the rest of the story worth the risk she must take?

The Charmed Library

Author: Jennifer Moorman

Release Date: January 6, 2026

Genre: Magical Realism

More info: USA Today bestselling author

Plot

Stella works in a library in Blue Sky Valley, North Carolina, where she feels frustrated, overqualified for the job, and in emotional turmoil over the loss of her father. She hasn’t yet noticed that in this library, the fictional characters jump off the page and into the real world.

When she burns her journal, everything changes. Words begin to appear to her, and she bumps into Jack Mathis, a fictional character who also happens to be Stella’s first book crush. When Stella realizes Jack only has a limited time out of his book, she will have to figure out what the words are telling her before it’s too late.

Graceless Heart

Author: Isabel Ibañez

Release Date: January 13, 2026

Genre: Fantasy Romance

More info: Adult Debut

Spice Rating:💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

Ravenna Maffei is a sculptor with a secret. When she enters a competition in order to save her brother, she discovers dark magic. Now she is captive and forced to complete a task where failure means death. She is caught between trusting an immortal and the Pope’s war against magic.

Why Kirsten likes it

I thought it was fun to read a story set in the Italian Renaissance, and the magic system was interesting – I couldn’t figure out what type of creatures Saturnino dei Luni and his family were until it was revealed. However, the story fell a little flat despite this, it might have been the narrator, but I kept finding my mind wandering at times. Still, when they finally got together, I loved Ravenna and Saturnino together. Gifted by MacMillan Audio

Find this book in: Books Set in the Italian Renaissance

Unwritten Rules of Magic

Author: Harper Ross

Release Date: January 27th, 2026

Genre: Fantasy

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 16+

Plot

Emerson Clarke feels out of control with her life. When her father dies from Alzheimer’s, she is shocked that her mother immediately makes plans to sell the house and downsize. Her mother is an alcoholic, and their relationship has been suffering for years. Emerson’s relationship with her own daughter has always been open and close, until recently. Now her daughter has completely shut her out.

Emerson decides to take her father’s vintage typewriter, his prized possession as a successful author. But when everything she writes on the typewriter starts to come true, she knows she should destroy the typewriter. But the urge to fix one more thing is very strong. Emmerson realizes that magic comes at a price. She questions her past as the family’s secrets come to light.

Trigger Warnings

Alzheimer’s, Alcoholism

Why Jackie loves it

I loved that despite some tension in the family dynamics, they put in the work to maintain relationships. The magic in this book is the perfect example of magical realism. Thank you, Harper Ross and #Macmillan Audio, for my copies of this book.

Find this book in: Magical Realism Books

The Water Lies

Author: Amy Myerson

Release Date: January 1, 2026

Genre: Thriller

More info: International bestselling author of The Book of Yesterdays

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

Tessa is pregnant with her second child when her son starts frantically calling out to a woman he is calling Gigi. Tessa has never seen her before, and the woman does not seem to know her son. When that same woman is found dead the next day outside of Tessa’s Venice Beach home, Tessa does not think this is a coincidence.

Barb Geller is estranged from her daughter. Despite her daughter’s history with substance abuse, Barb refused to believe that her daughter’s death was an accident. Now the two mothers work together to find answers.

Trigger Warnings

Infertility, substance abuse

Why Jackie loves it

This is Meyerson’s first thriller, and it is a brilliant success. The plot is fast-paced and believable. There are just enough twists to keep me guessing. I did not predict the ending at all, and I couldn’t stop reading until I reached the end.

Find this book in: Best Domestic Thriller Books

My Husband’s Wife

Author: Alice Feeney

Release Date: January 20, 2026

Genre: Thriller

More info: New York Times Bestselling Author

Spice Rating:💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

Eden Fox was out for her nightly jog when she came home to Spyglass to find that the key to her house didn’t fit in the lock. When a woman who looks like her answers the door, her husband insists that the stranger is his wife. Eden watches as the woman attends her art gallery opening with her husband. With no keys, phone, or ID, she has not idea how to prove who she really is.

Six months earlier, Birdy inherited Spyglass from a long-lost grandmother. Inside, she finds a letter addressed to her grandmother with the name of a clinic that can predict anyone’s date of death.

Trigger Warnings

Suicide, cancer, coma

Why Jackie loves it

I was so excited to read this book because I love Alice Feeney. The beginning gripped me immediately, and I hoped that the rest of the book would continue to be just as good. It did not disappoint. I absolutely loved this thriller that is filled with so many twists, turns, and secrets. The book was not predictable and did not follow a pattern (that is often the case with authors who write many books in the same genre). I think this is one of the best books Feeney has written!

Find this book in: Alice Feeney Books in Order

The Storm

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Release Date: January 6, 2026

Genre: Thriller

More info: New York Times Bestselling Author

Age Range: 16+

Plot

Geneva Corliss is the owner of the Rosalie Inn, a place famous for surviving every hurricane that comes to St Medard’s Bay, Alabama. When a writer comes to town to research a famous crime, Geneva is hopeful that it may be successful enough to get her some new business. But when August Fletcher shows up with Lo Bailey, a woman accused of murder in 1984, Geneva wonders why Lo really came back home.

Why Kirsten loves it

The dual timeline nature of this book kept me guessing as each layer of the story was pulled back, and the approaching storms (one in each timeline) heightened the tension to a truly high stakes game. It’s a perfect beach thriller, and the full cast narration made it feel truly engrossing. #gifted by MacMillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press

Find this book in: Novels About Hurricanes

The First Time I Saw Him

Author: Laura Dave

Release Date: January 6, 2026

Genre: Thriller

More info: January 2026 Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick Sequel to New York Times Bestseller The Last Thing He Told Me

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 16+

Plot

This book picks up from the epilogue of the first book. It’s been five years since Owen disappeared, and Hannah and Bailey created a new life together in Southern California. They also have a strong relationship with Bailey’s grandfather. When Owen shows himself to Hannah briefly, she is on high alert. When they receive devastating news, their lives are in danger again, and they need to disappear before they are killed.

What follows is a battle of wits. Can Hannah and Bailey escape before their past catches up with them. Will they ever be able to stop running, and can they ever be with Owen again?

Why Jackie loves it

I loved this even more than I loved the first book. It was fast-paced from the first page until the end. I loved that we had a follow-up to the first book that made this duology better than the sum of the parts! #gifted from S & S Audio

Find this book in: Domestic Thrillers / Reese Witherspoon Book Club List 2026

Dear Debbie

Author: Freida McFadden

Release Date: January 27, 2026

Genre: Thriller

More info: Bestselling author of The Housemaid

Plot

Debbie was an advice columnist for Dear Debbie. For years, women have written to her for advice after they are ignored, belittled, and made to feel less than. After Debbie loses her job, she begins to spiral. Her husband is keeping secrets and her daughters are acting strange. She decides its time to take her own advice and get some revenge!

Definitely Maybe Not a Detective

Author: Sarah Fox

Release Date: January 6, 2026

Genre: Mystery

More info: Book 1 of The Wyatt Invertigations Mysteries

Plot

Emersyn is a 28-year-old who is raising her niece and living in a seniors-only apartment complex after her ex-boyfriend stole all her money. She decides to get the money back by hiring a private investigator to prove he stole it. The cath? The PI, Wyatt, is not a real investigator. It is all made up, including fake business cards. But when the superintendent of her building turns up dead, the neighbors find the fake business cards and turn to Emersyn and Wyatt to help.

Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies

Author: Jenny Elder Moke

Release Date: January 20, 2026

Genre: Mystery Rom-Com

More info: Second book in the world of She Doesn’t Have a Clue
Spice Rating:💋💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

Juliette Winters’s entire life is consumed by her job in publishing. She has secured a book deal that will save her company from ruin. Warren Ellingham, the business tycoon, has given Juliette the rights to his memoir. But when Warren drops dead on his yacht and his memoir is stolen, Juliette suspects that someone went to a lot of trouble to stop their secrets from being exposed. Now, she needs handsome Charlie Hawkins to help her investigate whether Warren’s death was actually murder.

Why Kirsten likes it

Like Moke’s last book, this rom-cozy was such a fun read. I was laughing, swooning, and trying to solve the murder right along with Juliette. After some heavier tales, this was a breath of fresh air. #gifted by St. Martin’s Press

Find this book in: Best Boat Books

The Elsewhere Express

Author: Samantha Sotto Yambao

Release Date: January 20, 2026

Genre: Romance, magical realism

More info: Deluxe edition from the nationally bestselling author of Water Moon

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range:

Plot

Raya was born to save her brother. She dreamed of becoming a songwriter until her brother died. Since then, she has carried the guilt that she did not save him, and has been living out his dream of becoming a doctor. As she boards her train home one night, she finds herself on the Elsewhere Express, a train that appears to people who have lost their purpose.

Q is an artist who has been slowly losing his eyesight. His gift of seeing into the hearts of people is diminished daily as his sight is reduced to a pinhole. He lives with the stigma that his father committed suicide and questions his place as an artist who can no longer see.

The Elsewhere Express is a train that runs on belief and is unlike anything Raya could have imagined. She questions why she is there because she is sure her place is in medical school. When Q unexpectedly arrives on the train, the two of them must find their places or risk being lost forever. #gifted from PRH Audio, PRH

Trigger Warnings

suicide, Chronic Illness

Why Jackie loves it

This book is perfect for anyone who loved The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. The best way I can describe this is a book version of the Beatles song: Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. It is a fantasy unlike anything else I have read, not only because of the beautiful and complex magical system, but because this is actually a book about dealing with guilt, grief, loss, and finding yourself.

Find this book in: Books Set on a Train / Novels about Grief

Anne of a Different Island

Author: Virginia Kantra

Release Date: January 20, 2026

Genre: Romance

More info: For lovers of Anne of Green Gables

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 16+

Plot

Anne Gallagher sees herself in the character Anne Shirley and makes many life choices to follow her favorite character. When her father dies, she returns home to Mackinac Island for the funeral and finds that things have changed there. She no longer feels connected to her best friend, and she feels even more distant than ever from her mother. To make things even worse, her long-term boyfriend does not come with her for the funeral because of commitments he has to his patients.

When she is given a leave of absence from the teaching job that she loves, she decides to go home to Mackinac Island to regroup and decide what she wants from life.

Trigger Warnings

Mention of a heart attack

Why Jackie likes it

I love the references to Anne of Green Gables because it is one of my favorite books. I found Anne Gallagher less likable than Anne Shirley because I felt that she was much less self-assured when it came to her relationships and a little more self-centered. I was rooting for Anne to find her place.

Find this book in: Classic Retellings

The Odds of You

Author: Kate Dramis

Release Date: January 6, 2026

Genre: Romance

More info: Deluxe Limited Edition
Spice Rating:💋💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

A romance about an author in Scotland? Yes, please. Sage is a writer struggling with her second novel. When Sage meets Theo Sharpe, a famous actor, on a plane flight to Comic-Con, the paparazzi assume the two are dating. When Sage flees to Scotland to clear her head, and she bumps into Theo again, she begins to wonder if meeting twice is fate.

She’s in Scotland to get out of her writing slump, and Theo is back in his childhood home working to get over a recent loss and determine how to handle his manager dad. They quickly strike up a friendship that leads to more.

Why Kirsten loves it

You will be smiling ear-to-ear while reading this delightful story. There is one scene set at Christmas, but I would categorize it as a winter romance, not a holiday one. Scotland’s setting is just perfect for this wonderful love story!

I alternated between reading and listening to this one, and I adored the narrator! I don’t think I’ve heard her read a book before, but I look forward to her future audiobooks. #gifted by Macmillan Audio & St. Martin’s Press.

Find this book in: Books Set in Scotland

Most Eligible

Author: Isabelle Engel

Release Date: January 13, 2026

Genre: Romance

More info: Debut

Plot

Georgia is on a reality dating show called Love Shack, but not for the reasons the producers think. She is there to write an exposé. But when her one-night stand from a year ago turns out to be the show’s host, it becomes much more difficult to keep up with the drama without exposing who she really is.

Nothing Random: Bennet Cerf and the Publishing House He Built

Author: Gayle Feldman

Release Date: January 13, 2026

Genre: Nonfiction

More info: The Ultimate Book About Publishing

Plot

This is the amazing true story of Bennet Cerf, the founder of Random House. He signed some of the greatest writers of all time and made Random House into an institution in the publishing world. This is a must-read book from the January 2026 book releases.

Neptune’s Fortune: The Billion-Dollar Shipwreck and the Ghosts of the Spanish Empire

Author: Julian Sancton

Release Date: January 27, 2026

Genre: Nonfiction

Plot

This is an amazing true story of a Spanish galleon that sank off the coast of Colombia with more than one billion dollars worth of gold and silver. Roger Dooley accidentally discovered the story of the shipwreck and joined treasure hunters in a quest to find the ship and its treasure.

A Year of Nothing: AS Heard on BBC Woman’s Hour

Author: Emma Gannon

Release Date: January 22, 2026

Genre: Memoir

Plot

Emma Gannon experienced chronic burnout that left her bedbound. Emma spent a year stepping away from the business of life and embracing the small things in life to help her find happiness.

Beth is Dead

Author: Katie Bernet

Year: 2026

Genre: YA Thriller
More: January 2026 YA Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 14+

Plot

This is a retelling of Little Women with a modern thriller twist. When Beth March is found dead, the sisters vow to find her killer. But as they search for who could do such a thing, they realize that there is more than one person who would benefit from her death, including each one of the March girls. Beth’s story is told in flashbacks next to Meg, Jo, and Amy.

Why Kirsten loves it

I’ve always loved Little Women and retellings of older classics are some of my favorite books to read. The thriller aspect gave this story such a unique spin, and I did NOT see the ending coming. I was kept on my toes in the best way with this story.

Why Jackie loves it

This modern retelling of Little Women grabbed me from the first page. Like Kirsten, I did not see the ending coming at all. I loved that the characters stayed true to the original story, but with a modern edge.

Find this book in: Classic Retellings / YA Thriller Books / Reese Witherspoon Book Club List 2026 / Adult Versions of Favorite Childhood Books

Oxford Blood

Author: Rachael Davis-Featherstone

Release Date: January 13, 2026

Genre: YA Thriller

More info: Dark Academia

Plot

This dark academia pick from the January 2026 book releases is at the top of my TBR. Eva is invited to Oxford for an interview. Oxford has always been her dream, but now she is at the center of gossip on an anonymous student forum, Oxford Slays. When her best friend George is found dead, Eva knows he was murdered. She will have to find the killer before she is accused or becomes the next victim.