If you’re looking for books to read, beyond the latest Read With Jenna picks, you’re in the right place. Throughout the year, authors stop by TODAY to share the books they’re reading and loving lately.
Here, you’ll find the books of 2026 that some of your favorite authors are enjoying. They’ve also including a few books that inspired buzzy screen adaptations, like “The Odyssey,” because it’s never too late to catch up.
The experts cited in this story include:
- Ana Huang, author of contemporary romances like “Twisted Love”
- Victoria Aveyard, author of the Red Queen series and the upcoming “Lyrian Sea” duology
- Harlan Coben, a thriller author whose adaptations are sweeping streaming platforms, and whose latest book is the memoir “Plot Twist”
- Brooke Averick, comedian and author of “Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It”
- Julia Quinn of “Bridgerton” fame
- Isaac Fitzgerald, memoirist and author of “American Rambler”
- Yasmine Cheyenne, wellness expert and author of “The Comeback Era”
- John Searles, the former books editor at Cosmo and the author of “Single Girls”
- Brad Thor, author of thrillers set in the world of counter terrorism including the latest “Choke Point”
- Emma Straub, a Read With Jenna author whose latest is “American Fantasy”
- Poet and author of children’s fiction Kwame Alexander, who also edited the poetry collection “This Is the Honey”
Here are the books to try this year, ranging from romance to thriller and beyond.
October 2026
Best Cozy Romance
What Ana Huang said: “A second chance romance with a touch of magical realism about a woman named Ali who inherits her family’s debt-ridden pear orchard. Little does she know, the orchard also comes with a mysterious curse, and she soon experiences all sorts of bizarre occurrences. She turns to her ex boyfriend Logan, for help, and together they try to figure out what exactly is happening with the orchard while their old romantic feelings rekindle. It has all the fall vibes, and it’s a super cozy, heartwarming read for the season.”
Best Book to Screen
What Ana Huang said: “This is a classic, as all Jane Austen books are, and there’s a new feature adaptation of it coming out soon that I’m really excited about. It follows the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne, who face sudden poverty after their father dies and leaves them with very little money. Pragmatic Elinor is the Sense; the impulsive and romantic Marianne is the Sensibility, and together they navigate love, sisterhood, and the pursuit of personal happiness in late-18th century England. Like I said, this is a gorgeous classic, and it’s definitely worth reading (or re-reading) ahead of the upcoming adaptation.”
Best Thriller
What Ana Huang said: “A thriller about a retired photographer who starts to hear the murders of women she knew during her punk rock youth days, including her best friend Sin. She’s spent decades trying to outrun her tragic past, but new developments force her to reckon with what happened, her own missing memories, and, in the process, potentially solve some long-buried crimes. It has a murder mystery, a hint of the supernatural, and some rock n’ roll elements that make it the perfect read for spooky season.”
Your shortcut to editor approved picks
Best Read for Hispanic Heritage Month
What Ana Huang said: “A modern romantasy that’s perfect for fans of Indiana Jones, The Mummy, and anyone that loves adventure and archaeology mixed with a bit of romance. At the beginning of the book, the protagonist, Santiago, finds out that his grandfather has died and that he’s the last living Guardian for a lost tomb and treasure. He sets off for Peru and teams up with a mysterious woman named Ali to find the tomb and lay his grandfather to rest. Of course, along the way, they encounter all sorts of obstacles including ancient riddles, curses, and enemies who are trying to beat them at their own game. Reading it is like watching a movie, so if you’re looking for some magic, mythology, and romance, this is for you.”
September 2026
BEST
What Victoria Aveyard says: “For fans of ‘The Gilded Age,’ this YA romantasy featuring an intrepid reporter, a rogue gentleman, and a murder. If you have a hungry teen reader at home looking for something a little different, this will feed them!”
What Victoria Aveyard says: “Kate Stayman-London’s romance is on brand for the midterm elections. It follows the 10-year relationship of two political staffers on the campaign trail through multiple elections. If you want the long term development of ‘Heated Rivalry’ meets ‘The West Wing,’ this is for you.”
What Victoria Aveyard says: “Something about fall makes me want to solve a mystery. Miss Marple returns in Lucy Foley’s continuation of the Agatha Christie heroine. ‘White Lotus ‘vibes at a glamorous mountain resort when a dead body turns up in the ski lift and a blizzard sets in.”
What Victoria Aveyard said: “John Green’s first foray into adult fiction follows two young actors grappling with newfound fame and perhaps love. It’s sharply relevant in today’s landscape of constant attention and the pressure of a public life.”
August 2026
What Brooke Averick said: “I will read anything Tarah writes, I think she’s one of the greatest romance writers out there. Her books are the perfect combination of emotional and steamy. In this book, Bea’s best friend has just died and she turns to her friend Silas for support. He offers her a place to live when she needs one, but he’s also dealing with his own form of grief as a firefighter whose been through a traumatic accident. The book is really about these two helping each other through their grief andperhaps falling in love during that process.”
Best Book-to-Screen
What Brooke Averick said: “After a flu pandemic wipes out most of humanity, a grieving pilot named Hig lives with his dog, his plane, and a hardened veteran in a small airfield. One day he receives a mysterious radio transmission that gives him hope that other survivors may still be out there. Knowing that he only has enough fuel to get him one way, Hig takes off to find whatever’s left of humanity. This is such a great story about hope and connection and I can’t wait to see how it’s adapted.”
What Brooke Averick said: “The perfect summer time thriller — it takes place on an island in the middle of Vermont where, 100 years ago, a group of women mysteriously disappeared. Now a new group of women head to the island to shoot a film based off of the very women who disappeared from there all those years ago, and history begins to repeat itself. It’s very meta. Once the women begin to disappear in the present day, we begin to find out what happened to the women who disappeared in the past. It’s a total page turner that keeps you guessing until the end.”
What Brooke Averick said: “This is about a woman named Mona whose life basically implodes. She goes from working her way up at her corporate job to being unemployed and aimless, and finds herself in the position of becoming the super for her apartment building. This is a book for people who love a quirky cast of characters, because the tenants in her apartment building that Mona has to deal with are laugh out loud funny. Aside from being funny it’s also a deeply heartwarming story about finding yourself.”
July 2026
What John Searles said: “For fans of ‘13 Going on 30’ comes Laura Marie Meyers’ sparkling and laugh-out-loud funny romantic comedy about a woman who wakes up the morning after her 35th birthday to find that she is trapped inside a game of MASH that she created in the 7th Grade. This hits the millennial sweet spot and is a fun read.”
What John Searles said: “‘Fourth Wing’ — by way of Chinese mythology — meets ‘The Hunger Games’ in a perilous world where a young woman with no memory and little magic may hold the key to uniting the Dominions and saving the mortal realm, the first in The Silk and Iron trilogy, from the New York Times bestselling author of Read With Jenna pick ‘Searching for Sylvie Lee’ and ‘Girl in Translation.’”
What John Searles said: “A successful Hollywood producer returns to her college alma mater and is reunited with her volatile, obsessive ex-boyfriend. What begins as an unsettling chance encounter spirals into a dark, twisty erotic thriller when Henry drugs and kidnaps her, forcing Faye to confront years-old secrets and the true, dangerous nature of their twisted past. Juicy and fun and full of twists.”
What John said: “It seems so surprising to me but the classic Greek poem we all had to study in college is being released as one of summer’s biggest movies, starring Anne Hathaway and Matt Damon and Tom Holland. Directed by Christopher Nolan, the film was shot entirely on IMAX cameras in breathtaking locations like Greece, Iceland and Italy. It stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Tom Holland as Telemachus, and Zendaya as Athena.”
June 2026
What Isaac Fitzgerald said: “‘Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It’ is oh so warm and deeply charming — a novel about romance, friendship, anxiety, and the strange little deadlines we invent for becoming ourselves. In this case, well, losing one’s virginity before turning 30. Laugh-out-loud funny while still being tender and big-hearted, here is a love story in the truest sense, about learning to want honestly, messily and entirely on your own terms.”
What Isaac Fitzgerald said: “Main Characters’ is a brilliant book — a captivating love story told from the margins by the people who perhaps understand us before we understand ourselves. The book follows Clara and Seb across two decades as their lives brush up against one another’s, but is told from the perspective of everyone around them. A clever concept that totally works, here is a great summer read for anyone who has ever believed in the life-changing power of truly being seen.”
What Isaac Fitzgerald said: “An incredible feat, Craig Fehrman’s ‘This Vast Enterprise’ is a wildly entertaining history of Lewis and Clark — the product of more than half a decade of rigorous and immensely impressive research — that never loses sight of the adventure at its center. Fehrman brings this legendary expedition thrillingly to life by turning our attention beyond Lewis and Clark themselves, revealing the oft-overlooked people and perspectives that made the journey possible. Expansive, compelling, and alive on every page, this is a perfect summer read for America’s 250th anniversary.”
What Yasmine Cheyenne said: “Impossible to put down, this romance winds you through love, loss and the joy thats possible on the other side of change. If you love a plot that moves you as much as it inspires you, this is your pick!’
What Yasmine Cheyenne said: “A page-turner that puts words to what so many of us quietly feel about adult friendships — the growing pains, the unexpected shifts, and the beauty of who finds you in the in-between.”
What Yasmine Cheyenne said: “A debut that somehow makes you feel more alive the deeper it pulls you into loss — an absolute love letter to a moment in history that still echoes today, with all the heart and humor to prove it.”
May 2026
What Isaac Fitzgerald said: “This is a wildly entertaining retelling of the King Arthur myth, focusing on the life of Lancelot through a lense of queer exploration. Glynn does a fantastic job blending historical elements alongside adventure and fantasy. Filled with incredible world building, Glynn’s writing shines as he explores the Arthurian era with authority, and breathes new life into these long-known legends.”
What Isaac Fitzgerald said: “’Famesick’ is the singular memoir from a singular voice — famously ‘a voice of a generation,’ as the line on her show ‘Girls’ goes — and polarizing figure in millennial culture, Lena Dunham. But you don’t have to be a GIRLS fan to enjoy this marvelous memoir. For starters, it’s rare to get a celebrity memoir this dishy and confessional, this genuinely shocking, sure. But also, you rarely if ever get them this well-written. You can feel how much care and craft went into this book, how much intelligence and skill, which is why it’s getting the response it’s getting, and why it is likely to stick around well past the news cycle.”
What Isaac Fitzgerald said: “’Burnout Summer’ follows the story of Camille Luna, a young woman who has just gotten out of a night in jail for some small crimes after losing her job and spiraling. Camille is picked up by an old friend, Danny, who whisks her off to his beachside hometown in Rhode Island, saving her for the summer from her flailing, corporate life in Washington DC. What ensues is an utterly spectacular will-they-or-won’t-they where the guy is delightfully straightforward and has his life together and the girl is the messy one. Ramirez’s sparkling writing makes the beach town come to life on the page — you can almost smell the sea salt in the air — a perfect blend of escapism and romance.”
April 2026
Stephen Fishbach survived “Survivor” twice and wrote a novel inspired by his experiences. For Straub, a “Survivor” fan, this book is all a person could ask for.
“This is a novel about a reality TV program based on ‘Survivor.’ He’s a really smart, funny writer,” Emma Straub said.
Emma Straub likens “Reservation” to “bingeing a whole season of ‘The Bear.’” It’s an “immersive novel” set over the course of one day at a small restaurant in a college town, she says. The headline news in the restaurant? John Grisham has made a reservation and everything needs to be perfect.
Vera Van Valkenburgh has returned home for the first time in 128 years. After enjoying the fruits of the fountain of youth, Vera is tired and ready for a release.
“We need more contemporary novels with fantastical elements,” Emma Straub said. “This is a debut, smart and fun. Immortality in the Hudson Valley!”
How is it possible that an apple pie could cause a years-long rift between sisters? After Sylvia and Helen Rubinstein’s sister passes away, their relationship is in turmoil, enough so that a baked good could cause a major problem.
Coben calls this his “favorite novel of the year” so far.
“The Left and the Lucky” is the latest from an author who is known for his portraits of contemporary American life. In this one, a young boy befriends his next-door neighbor, offering him an escape from his tumultuous family life.
Coben calls this book “gut-wrenching” and “compassionate,” with shades of John Steinbeck. There’s “dignity and integrity” in this working-class story, he says.
At 15, Elsie Fitzpatrick became Australia’s youngest convicted murderer. Now 81, Elsie has left that behind her — until a young girl moves in across the road and unearths her past.
“Sally Hepworth is a huge star in Australia. This is the book that’s going to make her a huge star here,” Harlan Coben said on TODAY. He calls this book “funny, twisty and suspenseful.”
March 2026
Nancy Hennessy is murdered and leaves behind a secret: The identity of a lover who nobody knew about. Not her husband. Not her friends. Not her daughter. The adaptation is soon to air on AppleTV+ starring Elisabeth Moss and Kerry Washington.
“Where the Wildflowers Grow’ opens with a harrowing scene: A prison bus crashes over a ravine leaving only one survivor. Leigh survives and runs away to a flower farm in rural Alabama, starting a tale of hope and redemption.
Fans of “The Golden Girls” will love this book inspired by the show about friendship and aging in style. Theodore Copeland’s estranged sister and her granddaughter show up at his oasis in Palm Springs, bringing secrets and disruption to his life with the “Golden Gays” (his nickname for his friend group).
Louise Erdrich, whose last book was chosen for Read With Jenna’s book club, has a new collection of short stories written from the past two decades of her storied career. According to the description from the publisher, the story collection features characters like “a tribal newsletter editor whose son tells her a story that nothing in her experience can encompass” and a girl who decides to spend her life with a stone.
February 2026
What Julia Quinn said: “I’m not saying B.K. Borison has magic powers, but it’s a little suspicious that her romance novel about two meteorologists stranded together during the storm of the century is landing in bookstores right now... as half the country is clearing out from the storm of the century. Seriously though, ‘And Now, Back to You’ is simply delightful in every way. The characters are charming and real, and the book manages to make you laugh and tug on your heartstrings. Five stars, all the way.”
What Julia Quinn said: “I love when fiction introduces me to a piece of history I never knew about, and ‘Keeper of Lost Children’ does just that by shining a light on the true story of the ‘Brown Baby Plan,’ a 1950s movement spearheaded by African-American journalist Mabel Grammer to bring biracial children of white German women and Black American GIs to the United States for adoption.’ In Keeper of Lost Children,’ Mabel has been fictionalized as Ethel Gathers, who has moved to Germany with her husband, who is an officer in the US Army. She is shocked when she discovers hundreds of biracial babies living in German orphanages and, after adopting several children herself, begins a one-woman mission to find homes for the rest. I loved everything about this book, from the impeccably researched plot to the beautifully-drawn characters.”
What Julia Quinn said: “I loved ‘The Martian,’ both on page and screen, so it was a no brainer for me to pick this up. Andy Weir puts a lot of science in his science fiction, but he also spins a terrific story with compelling characters, including our protagonist, Ryland Grace, a middle school science teacher who is somehow tasked with saving the world from a climate fueled apocalypse. Fortunately for humanity, Ryland soon teams up with Rocky, an alien life-form who’s a bit like a metallic spider (but with a heart of gold and a keen sense of sarcasm). The stakes in this novel are sky high, but Weir keeps the story grounded with geeky humor, and it’s easy to see why ‘Project Hail Mary’ is predicted to be one of the biggest blockbuster movies of 2026.”
What Julia Quinn said: “Every now and then I pick up a book solely because I’m intrigued by the title. What is a postcolonial murder? And why do I want to know how to commit one? Georgie Ayyar Creel is a 12-year-old Indian-American child, who, along with her sister Agatha, are navigating girlhood in a very white Wyoming town where ‘Indian’ usually means Native American. Their lives are upended by the arrival of their uncle Vinny, who emigrates from India with his family. Vinny molests them, repeatedly, and the two girls decide to poison him slowly with antifreeze. I thought this books would be a mystery, and in some ways it is, but is much more a tale of girlhood, and sisterhood, and all the ways a family bond can fracture. Georgie’s narration is wry and sharp, often speaking directly to the reader, and in this way, we are forced to reckon with her choices as if they were our own. ‘How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder’ is the kind of book that is difficult to describe, but so very easy to recommend.”
More 2026 Recommendations
Quinn also shared a list of books she read and enjoyed for the rest of the year:
- “And the Crowd Went Wild“ by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (February)
- “She Fell Away“ by Lenore Nash (March)
- “The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire“ by India Holton (April)
- “Annie Knows Everything“ by Rachel Wood (April)
- “The Paris Match“ by Kate Clayborn (April)
- “Anxietyland“ by Gemma Correll (April)
- “All We Have is Time“ by Amy Tordoff (June)
- “Game of Rogues“ by Julie Anne Long (June)
- “The Missed Connection“ by Tia Williams (June)
January 2026
What Brad Thor said: “Ten years after her best friend vanishes, a woman poses as a journalist to infiltrate the wealthy family connected to her disappearance. Every answer raises a worse question — was her friend a victim, or was she playing a deeper game?”
What Brad Thor said: “Like an even steamier version of the Brad Pitt movie ‘F1.’ She’s an up-and-coming Formula 1 team principal. He’s her new hotshot driver — and her childhood crush — so their careers depend on working together without blowing up the team or each other. It’s high-speed romance with stakes you instantly get.”
What Brad Thor said: “A dying man hides something priceless inside the suit he plans to be buried in — then he’s murdered for it. It’s a killer premise with a personal gut-punch payoff!”
What Brad Thor said: “Best friends, polar opposites, years of summer trips — and the one question they’ve avoided: are they actually meant to be together? Read the book now, then watch the Netflix adaptation drop January 9. It’s your perfect ‘book first, binge next’ pick.”
What Brad Thor said: “A lot of people don’t need another goal — they need to feel like they actually count. Mattering goes straight at the quiet stuff driving burnout and drift: feeling invisible, disconnected, and stuck on autopilot. Wallace lays out concrete ways to rebuild connection and purpose — so the New Year isn’t just a reset of your calendar, it’s a reset of your life.”