Ep 445 - Most Anticipated for January and February + Danika from Book Riot!

Brea and Mallory discuss their most anticipated books for the start of 2026! Plus, they talk to Danika Ellis from Book Riot about their 2026 Read Harder Challenge! Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com!

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2026 Read Harder

The Lesbrary

Danika Ellis

Read Harder Newsletter

 

Books Mentioned -

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

Love in Exile by Shon Faye

Joy to the Girls by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick

Really Cute People by Markus Harwood Jones

Lu and Ren’s Guide to Geozoology by Angela Hsieh

January

Call Me Ishmaelle by Xiaolu Guo
Literary fiction, feminist retelling of Moby Dick

The Hitch by Sara Levine
Magical realism, funny, woman trying to help nephew who is possessed by a dead corgi

Is This a Cry for Help? by Emily Austin
Literary fiction, queer, lesbian, librarians fighting book banners

If I Ruled the World by Amy Dubois
Literary fiction, late 1990s, hip hop, magazine industry

Scavengers by Kathleen Boland
Literary fiction, dysfunctional mother-daughter team looking for buried treasure

The Charmed Library by Jennifer Moorman
Magical realism, books about books, small town, librarian protagonist, book magic

The Jills by Karen Parkman
Thriller, Buffalo Bills cheerleader solving the murder of a fellow cheerleaders

The Unwritten Rules of Magic by Harper Ross
Fantasy, magic typewriter, grief, three generations of women, family history

Dandelion is Dead by Rosie Storey
Contemporary romance, woman sets up a date on her dead sister’s dating app

The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead
Literary fiction, music executive trying to bring band back from the brink, sisters, friendship

Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash
Literary fiction, humor, family dysfunction

The Old Fire by Elisa Shua
Literary fiction, translated, family drama in a crumbling house in the French countryside

Sheer by Vanessa Lawrence
Literary fiction, beauty industry, female mogul, secrets, queer

How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder by Nina McConigley
Literary, historical, 1980s, murder mystery, Indian-American tween protagonist who murders her uncle but she blames it on the British

The Seven Daughters of Dupree by Nikesha Elise Williams
Literary, multi-generational epic family saga, secrets

The Last of Earth by Deepa Anappara
Historical, 1800s Tibet, journey, Indian schoolteacher spying for the empire, English lady explorer disguising herself as a man

The Bookbinder’s Secret by A.D. Bell
Historical fiction, thriller, bookbinder finds confession hidden in a burned book and hunts a story of murder and love

Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna Everhart
Historical fiction, 1940s North Carolina, a young woman subjected to involuntary medical treatment fights back

Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven
Historical fiction, behind the scenes drama on a 1960s family sitcom

Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward
Horror, Peter Pan inspired, gothic, two fleeing siblings find sanctuary at mysterious ranch

Definitely Maybe Not a Detective by Sarah Fox
Mystery, romcom, woman’s fake detective agency accidentally hired to solve a real murder

Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies by Jenny Elder Moke
Mystery, romcom, rich people behaving badly

All the Little Houses by May Cobb
Thriller, 1980s Texas, mean girls and mean moms, family secret

My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney
Thriller, mind-bending psychological marriage mystery

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins
Thriller, Alabama, hurricane, old hotel, gothic, old murder

Missing Sam by Thrity Umrigar
Thriller, queer, lesbian, missing wife, suburban dread

Humboldt Cut by Allison Mick
Horror, eco-horror, northern California, dark humor, bark monsters

Hollow by Celina Myers
Horror, paranormal romance, romantasy, vampires, found family

On Sundays She Picked Flowers by Yah Yah Scholfield
Horror, southern gothic, Georgia, ghosts, haints

A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James
Horror, siblings returning to childhood home after being called by dead brother

This House Will Feed by Maria Tureaud
Historical horror, 1840s Ireland, haunted house, gothic, suspense

Nine Goblins: A Tale of Low Fantasy and High Mischief by T. Kingfisher
YA fantasy, novella, humor, band of hapless goblins on a quest

A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang by Lee Onhwa, translated by Slin Jung
Fantasy, Korean, cozy, woman who inherits magical bakery

The Poet Empress by Shen Tao
Romantasy, epic fantasy, historical, hot evil prince, poetry magic

Through Gates of Garnet and Gold by Seanan McQuire
Next Wayward Children book

We Who Have No Gods by Liza Anderson
Romantasy, witches, gothic, dark academia, magic academy, secret societies

Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibañez
Romantasy, historical, renaissance Italy, competition hosted by secret immortal family

The Wolf and His King by Finn Longman
Queer retelling of Bisclavret the werewolf, historical, 12 century, court intrigue

A Vow in Vengeance by Jaclyn Rodriquez
Romantasy, tarot, magic, dark academia, enemies to lovers, forced proximity

The Book of Blood and Roses by Annie Summerlee
Romantasy, sapphic, paranormal, vampires, mysterious university

The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotta Yambao
Cozy fantasy, train that takes you to your life’s purpose

Two Left Feet by Kallie Emblidge
Queer romance, MLM, contemporary sports romance, British premier league football

Most Eligible by Isabelle Engel
Contemporary romance, journalist sneaks onto a reality TV dating show

The Shop on Hidden Lane by Jayne Ann Krentz
Paranormal romance, romantic suspense, psychic dangers, warring paranormal families

Greta Gets the Girl by Melissa Marr
Contemporary sapphic romance, forbidden romance, publishing

The Lust Crusade by Jo Segura
Contemporary romance, librarian and archaeologist fake dating, Greek mythology

Last First Kiss by Julian Winters
Queer romance, contemporary, MLM, second chance, rom com

Ain’t Nobody’s Fool: The Life and Times of Dolly Parton by Martha Ackmann
Nonfiction

The Royal Insider: My Life with the Queen, the King, and Princess Diana by Paul Burrell
Nonfiction, memoir

Fly, Wild Swans: My Mother, Myself, and China by Jung Chang
Nonfiction, memoir, three generations of women

The Flower Bearers by Rachel Eliza Griffiths
Nonfiction, memoir, grief, death of a sister, friendship, marriage

Blood Bible: An American History by DaMaris Hill
Nonfiction, history, racism, slave trade history, national identity, personal identity

Winter: The Story of a Season by Val McDermid
Creative nonfiction, history of winter community events, Scotland

When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America’s Black Botanical Legacy by Beronda L. Montgomery
Nonfiction, history of Black botany through seven trees

Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy
Literary fiction, drama, age gap romance,
Catch Her if You Can by Tessa Bailey
Romance, contemporary, sports, baseball, marriage of convenience

Vigil by George Saunders
Literary fiction, magical realism, eco-drama, dying oil CEO

Fruit of the Flesh by I.V. Ophelia
Historical fantasy, gothic romance, marriage of convenience, dark appetites

The Bones Beneath My Skin by T.J. Klune
Queer thriller, MLM, 1990s, gay couple helping little girl with powers

Football by Chuck Klosterman
Nonfiction about football

Cry Havoc by Rebecca Wait
Historical mystery, 1980s failing English boarding school, dark academia, funny, strange contagion among students

Hemlock by Melissa Faliveno
Literary, gothic, queer, woman investigating mother’s disappearence

February

Laws of Love and Logic by Debra Curtis
Literary fiction, love triangle - first love vs devoted husband

One of Us by Elizabeth Day
Literary thriller, drama between old friends and wealth, murder

Everything Lost Returns by Sarah Domet
Literary fiction, historical, twin timelines, 1910s and 1980s, friendship

Where the Wildflowers Grow by Terah Shelton Harris
Literary fiction, fugitive hides out at rural Alabama flower farm, found family

Bad Asians by Lillian Li
Literary fiction, friend group saga

I Hope You Find What You’re Looking For by Bsrat Mezghebe
Literary fiction, historical, 1990s Washington DC, Ethiopian immigrant community

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page
Literary fiction, woman receives books recommended by her dead husband

Royal Spin by Robin Benway and Omid Scobie
Literary fiction, workplace drama inside Buckingham Palace

Superfan by Jenny Tinghui Zhang
Literary fiction, popstar and his superfan collide, fandom, loneliness

Belgrave Road: A Love Story by Manish Chauhan
Literary fiction, two young immigrants in a forbidden romance

This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman
Literary fiction, funny, multi generational family drama, grief

Rebel English Academy by Hanif Mohammed
Literary fiction, Pakistan, political power, language, friendship

The Secret of Snow by Tina Harnesk, translated by Alice Menzies
Literary fiction, elderly couple crosses paths with two twentysomethings and discovers surprising shared history

The Renovation by Kenan Orhan
Literary fiction, woman discovers her bathroom has been remodeled into a prison cell

Messenger Cat Cafe by Nagi Shimeno, translated by M. Jean
Magical realism, cozy, cat in the afterlife who must deliver 5 messages to people on earth before he can see his beloved owner again

A Crown of Stars by Shana Abé
Historical fiction, retelling of the last days of the Lusitania

The Fourth Princess by Janie Chang
Historical fiction, gothic, 1910s Shanghai, crumbling mansion, secrets

Cleopatra by Saara El-Arifi
Historical fiction, retelling of Cleopatra’s life from her POV

Book of Forbidden Words by Louise Fein
Historical fiction, 1500s Paris, 1950s NYC, book banning, inspired by Voynich manuscript

The Pohaku by Jasmi ‘Iolani Hakes
Historical fiction, generations of women tasked with protecting Hawaiian history

A Slow and Secret Poison by Carmella Lowkis
Historical Gothic thriller, 1900s England, young gardener at lush manor falls for her mysterious boss

Murder Will Out by Jennifer Breedlove
Mystery, gothic, Maine, heartwarming

I’m Not the Only Murderer in My Retirement Home by Fergus Craig
Mystery, recently released from prison serial killer moves into retirement home when a murder happens and she has to prove she didn’t do it

Dirty Metal by Allison LaMothe
Historical mystery, 1990s NYC, reporter investigating two huge stories

Wolf Hour by Jo Nesbø, translated by Robert Ferguson
Thriller, Minnesota, true crime, serial killer, secrets

The Final Problem by Arturo Perez-Reverte, translated by Frances Riddle
Historical mystery, locked room, 1960s Greek island resort, washed up actor turned detective

Her Last Breath by Taylor Adams
Thriller, two friends go on a cave expedition and one gets murdered!!!

Murder Mindfully by Karsten Dusse, translated by Florian Duijsens
Thriller, lawyer finds peace through mindfulness and will do anything to protect it, even murder

Pinky Swear by Danielle Girard
Thriller, an expecting mother whose surrogate disappears days before birth

The Girls Before by Kate Alice Marshall
Thriller, search and rescue expert looking for missing woman

Paper Cut by Rachel Taff
Thriller, woman infamous for escaping a cult as a teen has secrets that come back to haunt her

Maria the Wanted by V. Castro
Horror, thriller, newly turned vampire in Mexico is on the run

Dead First by Johnny Compton
Horror, private investigator hired by mysterious billionaire to find out why he can’t die

She Made Herself a Monster by Anna Kovatcheva
Horror, gothic thriller, 1800s Bulgaria, fake vampire slayer joins forces with teen to make a monster

The Body by Bethany C Morrow
Horror, woman must survive bizarre attacks on her failing marriage

Dollface by Lindy Ryan
Horror, serial killer, 1990s, Barbie meets Scream

The Glowing Hours by Leila Siddiqui
Horror, gothic, retelling of the fabled summer Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, as told by her Indian housemaid, Mehrunissa “Mehr” Begum

Weavingshaw by Heba Al-Wasity
Fantasy, gothic, young woman who can see the dead strikes a deal with a mysterious and ruthless merchant to save her brother’s life

After the Fall by Edward Ashton
Sci fi, buddy comedy, alien invasion, humans as pets

The Fox Hunt by Caitlin Breeze
Fantasy, boarding school, secret society, girl transforms into magical beast

Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman
Fantasy, a man must fight for his planet when gamers from Earth attempt to remotely annihilate it

Sing the Night by Megan Jauregui Eccles
Fantasy, inspired by Phantom of the Opera, musical magician competition

The Hospital at the End of the World by Justin C. Key
Sci fi, near future where AI runs the world, medical student unravels family secrets

The Forest on the Edge of Time by Jasmin Kirkbride
Sci fi, Future of Another Timeline meets The Bone Clocks, time travel, cli-fi

Nightshade and Oak by Molly O’Neill
Fantasy, Iron Age goddess must grapple with becoming human, historical, magic

The Astral Library by Kate Quinn
Fantasy, book about books, magic books that are portals to worlds

The Iron Garden Sutra by A.D. Sui
Sci fi, locked room murder mystery, monk and researchers trapped on a spaceship

The Obake Code by Makana Yamamoto
Sci fi, caper, hacker forced by gangsters to take down crooked politician

The Daughter Who Remains by Nnedi Okorafor
Sci fi, She Who Knows book 3

Wicked Onyx by Debbie Cassidy
Romantasy, magical academy, girl must unravel dark family secrets, make alliances, and get revenge

Agnes Auburt’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett
Romantasy, gentle fantasy, woman running cat rescue in 1920s Montreal and a grouchy charming magician who helps save her shelter

Half City by Kate Golden
Romantasy, young demon hunter enrolls in Harker Academy for Deviant Defense

The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox by Katrina Kwan
Romantasy, a nine-tailed fox and the hunter who captured her are banished to the underworld together

The Lies that Summon the Night by Tessonaja Odette
Romantasy, world where making art is illegal, revenge, sexy monster hunter

Crown of War and Shadow by J.R. Ward
Romantasy, fated mated, magic, hot mercenary, only one bed, touch her and die

Throne of Nightmares by Kerri Maniscalo
Romantasy, librarian, dangerous book magic, perilous quest

The Ballad of Fallen Dragons by Sarah A. Parker
Moonfall, book 2

Dawn of the North by Demi Winters
Ashen, book 3

The Heir and the Spare by Harper L. Woods
A Of Flesh and Bone novella

Brawler by Lauren Groff
Literary fiction, short stories

Kin by Tayari Jones
Literary fiction, lifelong female friendship in the American South

Love and Other Brain Experiments by Hannah Brohm
Contemporary romance, academic rivals to lovers, two neuroscientists fake dating

Insignificant Others by Sarah Jio
Sci fi romance, woman stuck in time loop of one day relationships with past boyfriends

Skate It Till You Make It by Rufaro Faither Mazarua
Contemporary sports romance, female hockey player, fake dating, rom-com

The Ex-Perimento by Maria J Morillo
Contemporary romance, woman enlists her favorite musician to win her ex back, rom-com, Venezuela

Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood
Contemporary romance, novella, enemies to loves, world of video games

Get Over It, April Evans by Ashely Herring Blake
Contemporary romance, sapphic, lake town resort

And Now, Back to You by B.K. Borison
Contemporary romance, competing meteorologists, opposites attract

In Her Spotlight by Amy Spalding
Contemporary romance, sapphic, second chance, film industry

A Hymn to Life by Gisele Pelicot
Nonfiction, memoir

The Company of Owls by Polly Atkin
Memoir, chronic illness, owls

Bernie for Burlington: The Rise of the People’s Politician by Dan Chiasson
Nonfiction, biography

Starry and Restless: Three Women Who Changed Work, Writing, and the World by Julia Cooke
Nonfiction, biography of three groundbreaking female journalists

The Last Kings of Hollywood: Coppola, Lucas, Spielberg—and the Battle for the Soul of American Cinema by Paul Fisher
Biography

Leaving Home: A Memoir in Full Colour by Mark Haddon
Memoir of the author who wrote The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

Unread: A Memoir of Learning (and Loving) To Read on TikTok by Oliver James
Memoir about learning how to read as an adult

Nonviolent: A Memoir of Resistance, Agitation, and Love by James Lawson Jr & Emily Yellin
Nonfiction, posthumous memoir of Rev. James Lawson Jr, a principal architect of a nonviolent resistance movement

We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America by Norah O’Donnell
Nonfiction, history

 

I Told You So!: Scientists Who Were Ridiculed, Exiled, and Imprisoned for Being Right by Matt Kaplan
Nonfiction, science, history

A World Appear: A Journey into Consciousness by Michael Pollan
Nonfiction, science

The Price of Mercy: Unfair Trials, a Violent System, and a Public Defender’s Search for Justice in America by Emily Galvin Almanza
Nonfiction

The People Can Fly: American Promise, Black Prodigies, and the Greatest Miracle of All Time by Joshua Bennett
Nonfiction

Citizenship: Notes on an American Myth by Daisy Hernández
Nonfiction

Fear and Fury: Bernie Goetz, the Reagan ’80s, and the Rebirth of White Rage by Heather Ann Thompson
Nonfiction

On Morrison by Namwali Serpell
Nonfiction, dive into work of Toni Morrison