The Best Books of 2026: My Running Ranking
- Greg Barlin
- 5 days ago
- 7 min read
Searching for your next great read? Welcome to the definitive 2026 book ranking at Barlin’s Books. This isn't just a list of bestsellers—it’s a comprehensive, running tally of every book I’ve read in 2026, ranging from the five-star "hidden gems" to the "books better left shelved."
Whether you’re looking for the latest mystery thrillers, trending Romantasy, or literary fiction, you'll find my honest reviews and rankings here, updated after each book I finish. Bookmark this page as your 2026 literary companion for top new releases and deep-dive insights into the year's most talked-about titles.
#1 - Lady Tremaine
by Rachel Hochhauser ★★★★★
A brilliant retelling of Cinderella from the "wicked" stepmother's perspective, this witty, inventive historical drama completely reimagines a classic villain.
#2 - Yesteryear
by Caro Claire Burke ★★★★★
A "tradwife" and Instagram influencer has cultivated a seemingly idyllic life for herself and family, but it's all upended when she wakes up one day in 1805.
#3 - Five
by Ilona Bannister ★★★★★
Jaw-dropping dialogue and moral judgement set the tone for this dark exploration of five neurodiverse characters, one of which we're told will die by the end of the book.
#4 - The Bright Years
by Sarah Damoff ★★★★★
A moving generational novel that authentically captures a litany of life moments, from the highs of true love to the challenges of addiction.
#5 - We Are All Guilty Here
by Karin Slaughter ★★★★★
Two teenage girls are abducted in a small Georgia town in this mystery filled with twists and family dynamics that will keep readers guessing.
#6 - Dolly All the Time
by Annabel Monaghan ★★★★★
When a $50k debt meets a fake-dating scheme with a wealthy heir, love blooms in Annabel Monaghan's modern retelling of Pretty Woman.
#7 - The Strength of the Few
by James Islington ★★★★★
The sequel to The Will of the Many sees the footprint expand from a single world into three, an ambitious choice that is impressively executed.
#8 - One and Only
by Maureen Goo ★★★★★
When a professional matchmaker meets her "fated" match, she must choose between her prophesied destiny and an undeniable connection she has with someone else.
#9 - This Story Might Save Your Life
by Tiffany Crum ★★★★★
One half of a famous podcasting duo goes missing in this unique debut that artfully blends mystery with a will-they-or-won't-they romance.
#10 - The Calamity Club
by Kathryn Stockett ★★★★★
In her first book since The Help, Kathryn Stockett transports us to 1933 Mississippi where a female-driven cast exposes the misogynistic society of the time.
#11 - King Sorrow
by Joe Hill ★★★★★
An epic story about friendship and betrayal, this behemoth of a novel follows six college friends who make a Faustian deal with a dragon.
#12 - The Wayfinder
by Adam Johnson ★★★★☆
An immense and dense epic literary journey through the South Pacific of 1000 years ago that explores the struggle for power on Tonga.
#13 - The Children
by Melissa Albert ★★★★☆
A haunting, dual-timeline tale of estranged siblings reckoning with a traumatic childhood serves up a unique blend of family drama and dark fairy tale.
#14 - Operation Bounce House
by Matt Dinniman ★★★★☆
A war novel blended with humor and social commentary that pits peace-loving settlers of a planet against an invasion of giant robots intent on killing them.
#15 - London Falling
by Patrick Radden Keefe ★★★★☆
A gripping and fascinating piece of investigative journalism that seeks to uncover the truth behind the mysterious death of a young London man in 2019.
#16 - A Violent Masterpiece
by Jordan Harper ★★★★☆
A grisly dive into the dark underbelly of Los Angeles that blends the hunt for a serial killer with commentary on the corrupt world of the ultra-wealthy.
#17 - The Castaways
by Lucy Clarke ★★★★☆
After a flight to a remote island goes missing, a dual-timeline thriller follows two sisters—one who was on the flight and one who missed it.
#18 - A Court of Mist and Fury
by Sarah J. Maas ★★★★☆
Following the events of A Court of Thorns and Roses, the story continues in a longer and more polished follow-up that's a step up from Book 1.
#19 - A Far-flung Life
by M.L. Stedman ★★★★☆
A tragic accident on a remote sheep station eventually leads to a dark family secret in this character-driven exploration of duty and psyche in the Australian Outback.
#20 - What Happened to the McCrays?
by Tracey Lange ★★★★☆
A man returns home to Potsdam, NY to care for his father after a stroke, forcing him to confront past demons that led to his abrupt departure.
#21 - Our Perfect Storm
by Carley Fortune ★★★★☆
When a woman's fiancé leaves her on their wedding day, she ends up taking her lifelong (gorgeous, heterosexual) male best friend on her honeymoon. What could happen?
#22 - Anatomy of an Alibi
by Ashley Elston ★★★★☆
A two-tiered whodunit focused on the murder of a prominent Baton Rouge lawyer and its potential connection to a hit-and-run from a decade prior.
#23 - The Burning Side
by Sarah J. Maas ★★★★☆
A house fire is the jumping off point for this novel less about the partial loss of a home and more about the fractured relationship in it.
#24 - Starside
by Alex Aster ★★★★☆
A young woman enters a deadly competition to retrieve a goblet of magic in this romantasy that feels like the love child of The Hunger Games and Silver Elite.
#25 - When the Cranes Fly South
by Lisa Ridzén ★★★★☆
An 89-year-old Swedish man narrates as we sail along this sad journey focused on the challenges and indignities encountered at the end of life.
#26 - You With the Sad Eyes
by Christina Applegate ★★★★☆
In this unflinchingly honest memoir, Christina Applegate lays bare her life in Hollywood and her private battles with breast cancer, MS, and self-loathing.
#27 - Last One Out
by Jane Harper ★★★★☆
Set in a dying Australian mining town, Harper's latest centers around a couple trying to solve the mystery of their son's disappearance five years prior.
#28 - Sublimation
by Isabel J. Kim ★★★★☆
A thought-provoking sci-fi debut exploring identity and immigration through "instances" where a copy of a person is created when they immigrate to a new country.
#29 - Jane and Dan at the End of the World
by Colleen Oakley ★★★★☆
A heist/hostage situation at an elite restaurant is the vehicle for this novel to explore marriage and parenting as much as the heist.
#30 - People We Meet on Vacation
by Emily Henry ★★★★☆
An homage to When Harry Met Sally in which two opposites form a deep platonic friendship before eventually wondering if it could be more.
#31 - Read Your Mind
by Oz Pearlman ★★★★☆
A self-help book from the "World's Greatest Mentalist" in which he shares advice for how best to connect with people based on how the human mind works.
#32 - The Ending Writes Itself
by Evelyn Clarke ★★★★☆
Six authors compete on a remote Scottish island to finish a dead writer's final novel in this middling Clue-like send-up of the publishing industry.
#33 - The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree
by India Hayford ★★★★☆
A snake-handling drifter crosses paths with a soldier recently back from Vietnam; together they help his family escape an abusive situation.
#34 - The Book Witch
by Meg Shaffer ★★★★☆
A "Book Witch" must use her ability to teleport into books to solve a mystery in her own life when her grandfather and most prized possession go missing.
#35 - Crux
by Gabriel Tallent ★★★★☆
Two high school friends use rock climbing to try to escape a seemingly predetermined future in this emotionally heavy character study from Gabriel Tallent.
#36 - Crooks
by Lou Berney ★★★★☆
A short story collection masquerading as a novel, it follows the exploits of a family who consistently find themselves on the fringe of honest society.
#37 - This Book Made Me Think of You
by Libby Page ★★★☆☆
Six months after her husband dies, a woman finds out he left her a year of books, one per month, to help her heal and move forward.
#38 - Lake Effect
by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney ★★★☆☆
An exploration of the fallout of a 1977 affair and divorce over several decades. Despite nuanced characters, this family drama mostly missed the mark for me.
#39 - We Burned So Bright
by TJ Klune ★★★☆☆
When an encroaching "rogue black hole" gives Earth less than a month before annihilation, two men travel by RV from Maine to Washington to complete one final task.
#40 - The Toll
by Neal Shusterman ★★★☆☆
The third and concluding book the "Arc of a Scythe" trilogy answers a myriad of open questions but plods along for much of the story.
#41 - Detour
by Jeff Rake and Rob Hart ★★★☆☆
A six-person crew must man a space mission to deploy a satellite to Saturn's moon Titan in the hopes that it can be a refuge for a deteriorating Earth.
#42 - Whisper Creek
by Allison Brennan ★★★☆☆
A Texas farm family faces a massive storm, corporate threats, and a string of burglaries in this multi-layered, yet muddled, thriller.
#43 - American Fantasy
by Emma Straub ★★☆☆☆
A boy band cruise tries to offer nostalgia but fails to set sail in this disappointing look at fame and aging that lacks the heart and romance expected.
#44 - The Midnight Train
by Matt Haig ★★☆☆☆
While not exactly a sequel, Matt Haig revisits the premise of 2020's The Midnight Library with another examination of the different paths our lives can take.
#45 - The List of Suspicious Things
by Jennie Godfrey ★★☆☆☆
Two young girls try to catch the Yorkshire Ripper in 1979, but their "list of suspicious things" is just a vehicle to clumsily comment on prejudice.
#46 - Homebound
by Portia Elan ★★☆☆☆
A multi-timeline story that had me hopeful for something akin to Cloud Cuckoo Land unfortunately sputters to a disjointed and wholly unsatisfying conclusion.
