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Must-Read Books January 2026 |
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| The Royal Artisan by Tessa AfsharAn artisan for Queen Esther in ancient Persia, talented Sazana creates beautiful pottery while hiding her Jewishness. When a court official manipulates the king into ordering the killing of Jewish people, Sazana must reunite with the man who broke her heart in order to save her people and help the queen in this sequel to The Queen's Cook. For fans of: faith-filled biblical fiction with touches of romance. |
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Through Gates of Garnet and Gold
by Seanan McGuire
After Nancy was cast out of the Halls of the Dead and forced to enroll at Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children, she never believed she'd find her door again, and when she did, she didn't look back. She disappeared from the school to resume her place in the Halls, never intending to return. Years have passed. A darkness has descended on the Halls, and the living statues who populate them are dying at the hands of the already dead. The Lord and Lady who rule the land are helpless to stop the slaughter, forcing Nancy to leave the Halls again, this time on purpose, as she attempts to seek much-needed help from her former schoolmates. But who would volunteer to quest in a world where the dead roam freely? And why are the dead so intent on adding to their number?.
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| Huguette by Cara BlackA teenage Huguette, ill-treated by her father and others, survives the Nazi occupation of France during World War II. During the lawless aftermath, she assists a famous film director and deals in black market material. Fans of the author's acclaimed Aimée Leduc mysteries set in contemporary Paris will appreciate meeting her grandfather, a kind cop who helps Huguette, in this compelling standalone tale. Read-alike: Pam Jenoff's Last Twilight in Paris. |
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| And Then There Was You by Sophie CousensHoping to impress her more accomplished classmates (including her former best friend, film director Sean Adler) at her ten-year college reunion, stuck-in-a-rut Chloe Fairway joins an exclusive dating service to secure her perfect plus-one. Rob is everything she could have dreamed of...but he’s a robot. Will her fake romance lead to real love? For another witty and heartfelt romance with speculative elements, try Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer. |
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| Made You Look by Tanya GrantA glamorous influencer getaway in the Catskills turns lethal when a blizzard cuts off cell service and traps the group together. As egos clash and hidden scandals erupt, one guest ends up dead -- and more violence follows. With no escape, the entourage realizes the killer is likely one of them. For fans of: Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley. |
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| When the Fireflies Dance by Aisha HassanOn the edge of Lahore, Pakistan, seven-year-old Lalloo's family lives in modern indentured servitude, making bricks by hand. When his brother is murdered, Lalloo is spirited away by his father to be a mechanic's apprentice. As Lalloo grows, he makes friends and saves money, wanting to free his parents and sisters in this slow-burn, haunting debut that examines grief, hope, and family love. For fans of: Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner. |
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| Sparks Fly by Zakiya N. JamalReady to lose her virginity, 27-year-old journalist Stella Johnson tags along with her best friend to a sex club, where she has a sizzling meet-cute with Max Williams. After she gets cold feet and flees, Stella is shocked to learn that Max is none other than the CEO of a tech company her workplace is partnering with -- and that his penchant for using AI means Stella's job may be on the chopping block. Try this next: How to Sell a Romance by Alexa Martin. |
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| Best Offer Wins by Marisa KashinoFormer journalist Marisa Kashino’s debut is a darkly comic thriller about the ruthless Washington, D.C. housing market. Desperate to secure her dream home and start a family, Margo Miyake’s obsessive pursuit escalates from awkward charm offensives to manipulative, violent schemes. Sharp, satirical, and chaotic, the novel explores millennial anxieties, material obsession, and the extremes of ambition. |
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| The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie LeongNovice mage Certainty Bulrush wants to be useful to the Guild, but her lack of power hasn't made it easy for her to keep up. When she is assigned to work with chronic overachiever Aurelia, the two of them form an unlikely bond moving magical artifacts -- and may learn that magic is stronger when shared instead of hoarded. For fans of: queer romantic fantasy with charm and whimsy, such as Maiga Doocy's Sorcery and Small Magics or Rebecca Thorne's Can't Spell Treason Without Tea. |
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| Silent Bones by Val McDermidIn 2025 Scotland, a motorway landslide unearths the body of investigative journalist Sam Nimmo, who'd gone missing 11 years ago just after his girlfriend was murdered. In their compelling 8th outing, DCI Karen Pirie of Police Scotland's Historic Cases Unit and her team dig into the case that has ties to Scottish Independence, gambling, and Edinburgh's The Scotsman Steps. Try these next: Stuart MacBride's Logan McRae mysteries; Jane Casey's Maeve Kerrigan novels. |
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| The Burning Grounds by Abir MukherjeeIn 1920s Calcutta, India, by the river where the dead are burned, a popular British philanthropist is found murdered. Police detective Sam Wyndham is assigned to the case, giving him a chance to reignite the career he sacrificed to help his wrongly accused colleague, Surendranath Banerjee. Meanwhile, Banerjee has returned from Europe to look for his missing cousin, leading the two to reunite in order to help each other in their gritty, intricately plotted 6th outing. |
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Is This a Cry for Help?
by Emily Austin
Darcy's life turned out better than she could have ever imagined. She is a librarian at the local branch, while her wife Joy runs a book binding service. Between the two of them, there is no more room on their shelves with their ample book collections, various knickknacks and bobbles, and dried bouquets. Rounding out their ideal life is two cats and a sun-soaked house by the lake. But when Darcy receives the news that her ex-boyfriend, Ben, has passed away, she spirals into a pit of guilt and regret, resulting in a mental breakdown and medical leave from the library. When she returns to work, she is met by unrest in her community and protests surrounding intellectual freedom, resulting in a call for book bans and a second look at the branch's upcoming DEI programs. Through the support of her community, colleagues, and the personal growth that results from examining her previous relationships, Darcy comes into her own agency and the truest version of herself.
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| House of Day, House of Night by Olga TokarczukThis reissuing of a book first published in Polish in 1998 by a Nobel and Booker Prize winner explores life in a small village along the Polish-Czech border. Stylistically complex and using a variety of elements (stories, gossip, recipes, etc.), Olga Tokarczuk's "scattered fragments are beautifully tied together to form a unified whole" (Library Journal). Try this next: Vaim by Jon Fosse. |
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Vigil
by George Saunders
Not for the first time, Jill Doll Blaine finds herself hurtling toward earth, reconstituting as she falls, right down to her favorite black pumps. She plummets towards her newest charge, yet another soul she must usher into the afterlife, and lands headfirst in the circular drive of his ornate mansion. She has performed this sacred duty 343 times since her own death. Her charges, as a rule, have been greatly comforted in their final moments. But this charge, she soon discovers, isn't like the others. The powerful K. J. Boone will not be consoled, because he has nothing to regret. He lived a big, bold, epic life, and the world is better for it. Isn't it? Vigil transports us, careening, through the wild final evening of a complicated man. Visitors begin to arrive (worldly and otherworldly, alive and dead), clamoring for a reckoning. Birds swarm the dying man's room; a black calf grazes on the love seat; a man from a distant, drought-ravaged village materializes; two oil-business cronies from decades past show up with chilling plans for Boone's post death future.
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| Mexico: A 500-Year History by Paul GillinghamHistorian Paul Gillingham's evocative and nuanced history of Mexico's global influence chronicles the country's evolution, from Spain's colonization of the Aztec empire in the early 16th century to Mexico's role today. Further reading: America, América: A New History of the New World by Greg Grandin. |
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| Daring to Be Free: Rebellion and Resistance of the Enslaved in the Atlantic World by Sudhir HazareesinghHistorian and Black Spartacus author Sudhir Hazareesingh's thought-provoking revisionist history eschews Eurocentric notions of abolition to reveal the forgotten ways in which enslaved Africans and African Americans actively resisted their captors in thought and deed. Further reading: Brooding Over Bloody Revenge: Enslaved Women's Lethal Resistance by Nikki M. Taylor. |
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| Paper Chase by Julia Donaldson; illustrated by Victoria Sandøy When Ginger's paper airplane collides with James' book under the tallest tree in the forest, it kicks off a friendship full of joyful, imaginative play. This endearing story in verse also depicts how trees become paper, and how natural resources should be used respectfully. |
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| Xolo by Donna Barba Higuera; illustrated by Mariana Ruiz Johnson In Aztec mythology, the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl gets the credit for reviving humanity after their destruction. But in this eye-catching and emotional graphic novel, dog-headed Xolotl (god of lightning, misfortune, and death) proves himself as the real hero. For fans of: underdog characters and bright, bold artwork. |
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| There's Always Next Year by Leah Johnson and George M. JohnsonOn New Year’s Day, influencer Dom returns to Indiana hoping for viral success. Meanwhile, his cousin Andy is searching for evidence to stop gentrification in her town. As their paths collide, they must reckon with the truest versions of themselves. Read-alikes: Laura Taylor Namey’s With Love, Echo Park; Elise Bryant’s Reggie and Delilah's Year of Falling. |
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| Mindworks: An Uncanny Compendium of Short Fiction by Neal ShustermanA hot tub monster, an all-consuming virtual reality game, and a sky full of bats are just some of the things menacing the characters in this short story collection showcasing science fiction, dystopian settings, and horror. Fans of Neal Shusterman’s Arc of a Scythe series will also appreciate two new stories from that world. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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