Looking through my 2026 list of books read so far, I (Chrissie) realized that this year I’ve liked a lot of books, but I haven’t loved very many. When I love a book, I just can’t put it down or stop listening to it, and then I keep thinking about it for days afterward. I give out 5 stars sparingly, and this year I have given out very few 5-star ratings relative to the number of books I’ve read.
Jo and I try to stay on top of new releases so that we can let FabListers know our thoughts on new books to read…or to skip. I always have two books going – one that I’m listening to, and one that I’m reading. My tastes veer towards Contemporary Fiction and Historical Fiction, with some autobiographies/biographies thrown in, and once in a while, a romance novel or a mystery. Horror and scary Thrillers aren’t my thing. Almost all of what I read this year was released in 2026.
Below are my top 5 (plus a bonus pick) for 2026 so far. It’s important to note that this list comprises entirely books released in 2026. I also added 5 additional books (plus a bonus pick) that I really enjoyed that would be great vacation reads or ‘palate cleanser’ books between more weighty options.
My Top 5 Books of 2026 So Far…Plus a Bonus Book
The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett: We knew this book, written by the author of The Help, was going to be a good one, and it did not disappoint! It’s a long one, but it’s worth it. Set in Oxford, Mississippi in the 1930’s, the book follows two main characters. A bright young orphan, Meg, lives in a poorly run orphanage where the odds are stacked against her. Birdie, a young unmarried woman, comes to Oxford to ask her sister for money to help support the family. The book is about two smart, fiery, courageous women who do what they need to survive when the odds are stacked against them.
Whistler by Ann Patchett: We are big Ann Patchett fans at FabList, and her newest novel is a good one. Daphne Fuller, 53, and her husband visit the Met and bump into her former stepfather, whom she hasn’t seen since she was nine. These two shared an important event when Daphne was young, and the story of their rekindled friendship and the unfolding of how each remembers their shared past is wonderful.
Kin by Tayari Jones: This is a novel about mothers and daughters, and about breaking the cycles of how we are raised. Best friends Vernice and Annie are both raised by relatives in Honeysuckle, Louisiana. They each leave their small town to find a new life, but their paths take very different courses. One is seeking a college education, while the other is determined to find the mother who abandoned her. The book is about how their paths diverge, but cross again, and about the bonds of family and friendship.
Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser: This book totally surprised and charmed me! It is a very different take on the Cinderella story, told from the stepmother’s perspective. It’s not a fairy tale, however, but rather a wonderful story about a strong, smart woman doing whatever she must to help her daughters and stepdaughter as they approach adulthood. It’s a fun, well-written, enjoyable story that was a pleasure to read.
Contrapposto: A Novel by Dave Eggers. I loved this beautifully written book. Dave Eggers has written a ‘sweeping novel about friendship, love, and the lifelong pursuit of art’. The book follows the life of Cricket Dib, who realizes his gift in the world is his ability to draw. Raised in the Midwest by a single mother, Cricket meets Olympia Argyros, a headstrong, brilliant girl one year older than he is, who also dreams of becoming an artist. The book follows Cricket throughout his life, focusing on his relationship with Olympia. As life takes them in different directions, art keeps them tied together and guides their journeys, both alone and together.
BONUS BOOK:
Daughters of the Sun and Moon by Lisa See: Lisa See writes wonderful historical fiction, and I flew through her latest novel. Set in the 1870s in the early days of Los Angeles, it follows Petal, Moon, and Dove, three young women from China who have found themselves in this small, dusty California pueblo of 3000 people. Each has landed in LA due to various circumstances: one was sold by her family for rice money and became a prostitute, one was sold by her family to be a second wife to a Chinese merchant, and one is an educated wife of a Chinese doctor. The book is about their struggles to survive in a place where women are not valued, where they can be owned by others, and where their race is looked down upon. I knew nothing about this time in Los Angeles history, especially The Night of Horrors, a real event depicted in the novel, and reading about it from the Chinese point of view was so interesting.
5 2026 Books That Are Great Vacation/Beach Reads…Plus a Bonus Book
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth: Cantankerous 81-year-old Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick lives a quiet life in a Melbourne suburb, with chatterbox 7-year-old Persephone living across the street. All is quiet until a neighbor turns up dead. Then Elsie’s past, which she chooses to hide, comes back to the forefront and gets neighbors and the police talking. This story about the strength of secrets and the need of friendships is a wonderful read. (Note: The cover art has nothing to do with the novel, which I don’t understand!)
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke. If for no other reason, you should read this because everyone else is talking about it, and you should know what it’s about and have an opinion on it! It’s about a trad-wife influencer, how she got to be one, and how her life goes astray in an unexpected way.
Dolly All The Time by Annabel Monaghan. I had to put a summer romance beach read on the list, and this one was well-written, witty, and not too sappy, which I appreciate in a summer beach read romance! Dolly is a single mom whom everyone relied upon. She returns to her seaside hometown for the summer and takes on a ‘fake dating’ gig to make money. You know where it’s going, but the writing and the characters are good, and it’s a good one to read under a beach umbrella.
A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict: A historical novel about two unlikely women working together in 1930s Manhattan to bring down mob boss Lucky Luciano. Eunice Carter is a district attorney, the first Black woman to serve as an NYC prosecutor. Polly Adler is a madame at the highest-end brothel in NYC, catering to the upper echelon of NYC men. These women, both independent trailblazers in a man’s world, come together for a common goal.
The Encore by Juliet Izon: Pianist and singer Anna Buckley and composer wunderkind Will Pendleton meet at a prestigious music school, and they become kindred souls. But one night changes the direction of their friendship and their lives. Fast-forward twenty years, and adopted 16-year-old piano virtuoso Lottie Thomas discovers who her birth mother is, and the lives of everyone involved become tangled. The book is the story of these three people and how everyone must reconcile choices made years before. An engaging, fun read.
BONUS BOOK:
The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson: This is a great beach read that is not a romance novel, but a book about friendship and relationships. It’s about a group of childhood friends who are back living in their hometown as they enter adulthood. Some are single, some are married, and some have kids, and they have known each other forever. When a young writer, Caroline, comes to town and starts dating one of the group’s members, some are more welcoming than others, and cracks begin to appear in relationships. It’s a story of young people entering parenthood, of friends who still hold some secrets tight, and of growing up.
