New Fiction I'm Excited To Read in January 2026

If you’re an avid reader of this blog, you may have picked up on the fact that I’m an avid reader of fiction. I keep a log of what I’ve read on Goodreads and according to my records, I read 60 books in 2025. Not my best…not my worst. I do listen to a lot of audiobooks when I walk every day, but I did switch over to listening to a number of podcasts (check out some of my favorite wellness podcasts) which put a damper on the fiction I consumed. But hey, 60 novels ain’t too shabby!

My favorite reads of 2025?

There are some books coming out this month that I’m stoked to read. A few authors I love (Rachel Hawkins, George Saunders and Paual McLain) and some that are new to me (May Cobb, Gabriella Saab and Madeline Cash). If you’re not familiar, in the book world new publications are released on Tuesdays which means four times a month I get to run to my local bookshop and grab that week’s book. Okay… so I don’t go every week but I do get excited for the Tuesday new releases. Without further ado, I’m sharing the 13 new fiction reads that I’m most looking forward to! I hope you find a great read amoungst these selections.

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Skylark by Paula McLain

Spanning centuries beneath the streets of Paris, this novel follows two lives shaped by injustice and impossible choices. In 1664, a young woman fights to survive after being unjustly confined to a brutal asylum, while in 1939 a Parisian psychiatrist risks everything to protect those targeted by the Nazis. These parallel stories intertwine into a haunting, hopeful tale of resistance, courage, and quiet heroism. Publication Date: 1/6/26 Buy Now: Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins

Set in hurricane-prone St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama, this atmospheric thriller centers on a century-old inn and the town’s most infamous resident, long accused of murder during a devastating 1984 storm. When a true crime writer arrives to revisit the case, he brings the accused woman back with him, forcing old secrets and rivalries to the surface. As another hurricane bears down on the coast, the truth proves just as dangerous as the storm itself. Publication Date: 1/6/26 Buy Now: Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Star Society by Gabriella Saab

Inspired by the fearless spirit of Audrey Hepburn, this historical novel follows two remarkable sisters reunited after World War II. From the covert world of the Dutch resistance to the glittering yet dangerous atmosphere of Hollywood during the Red Scare, their bond is tested by secrets, ambition, and the pursuit of justice. It’s a sweeping, suspenseful story of survival, loyalty, and the price of truth. Publication Date: 1/6/26 Buy Now: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven

In 1964, America’s most beloved television family is suddenly out of step with a changing world, both on screen and off. As ratings fall and secrets unravel, the matriarch recruits a young, outspoken reporter to help write the show’s final episode, forcing the family to confront who they really are beyond their polished image. Funny, heartfelt, and sharply observant, this novel explores fame, family, and the lives we hide behind the scenes. Publication Date: 1/6/26. Buy Now: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Update: I finished toward the end of the month and really enjoyed it. I listened to it on Audible vs. reading it, but it was a great story about a family. I found the focus on the matriarch and her “awakening,” so to speak, about becoming a modern woman, the most interesting part of the story. I’m forever interested in what it must have been like to be a woman in the 1960’s when so little feels like its in your control and men rule the world but awakening to the fact that women deserve an equal seat at the table.

Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash

The Flynn family is unraveling, with parents in a breaking-point open marriage and three daughters spinning into increasingly dangerous territory. When the youngest becomes obsessed with a shadowy shipping container tied to a powerful billionaire, the family is pulled into a conspiracy that threatens their small coastal town. Darkly funny and unexpectedly tender, this debut is a modern family saga about chaos, obsession, and the strange ways trouble can pull people back together. Publication Date: 1/13/26. Buy Now: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Woman Down by Colleen Hoover

After a viral backlash derails her career, a bestselling author retreats to a secluded lakeside cabin for one last chance at redemption. When a mysterious detective arrives with unsettling news, he becomes both her muse and the spark that reignites her writing, blurring the line between fiction and reality. As inspiration turns dangerous, she must confront the story she’s created before it destroys her for good. Publication Date: 1/13/26. Buy Now: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston

When two women who look nothing alike agree to trade places for one night, they hope to uncover the truth about a powerful man with dangerous secrets. But when he’s found murdered the next morning, the switch becomes a deadly liability. With only one airtight alibi between them, both women must navigate lies, suspicion, and betrayal before everything collapses. Publication Date: 1/13/26. Buy Now: Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead

When a struggling band on the brink of collapse is handed one last chance by a record executive with everything to lose, their future hinges on a bold new sound. As their raw, grief-fueled music goes viral, sudden success exposes fractures within the band, especially between its volatile lead singer and her sister. Fame arrives fast, but surviving it may cost them everything they were trying to save. Buy Now: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Crux by Gabriel Tallent

Set in the southern Mojave Desert, this coming-of-age novel follows two high school seniors bound by friendship and a shared hunger for escape. As graduation nears, differences in class, talent, and opportunity begin to pull them apart, forcing choices that carry real and dangerous consequences. Vivid and adrenaline-fueled, it’s a powerful story about friendship, risk, and the moment when youth collides with adulthood. Publication Date: 1/20/26. Buy Now: Amazon | Bookshop.org

All The Little Houses by May Cobb

In mid-1980s East Texas, a powerful mother-daughter duo rules their small town’s social hierarchy until a seemingly perfect new family threatens everything they’ve built. Driven by old humiliations and an unrelenting hunger for control, the mother will do whatever it takes to keep her daughter on top. As rivalries intensify, the question isn’t who will fall but how far she’s willing to go to win. Publication Date: 1/20/26. Buy Now: Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Infamous Gilberts by Angela Tomaski

As a once-grand English manor prepares to become a luxury hotel, its walls begin to give up their secrets. Guided by a watchful neighbor, the story traces the intertwined lives of five siblings from the eve of World War II through the turn of the twenty-first century. Gothic, witty, and atmospheric, this is a haunting family saga about memory, loss, and what survives when history moves on. Publication Date: 1/20/26. Buy Now: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden

For years, Debbie Mullen has dispensed calm, sensible advice as the voice behind New England’s beloved Dear Debbie column. But when her own life unravels: lost job, troubling secrets at home, and a husband who may be lying, she decides she’s done playing nice. Darkly funny and deliciously cathartic, this novel asks what happens when a woman finally takes her own advice and chooses payback instead. Publication Date: 1/27/26. Buy Now: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Update: I read and finished this book. This may not be a popular opinion but I’m feeling more and more like Frieda McFadden follows the same formula for her novels. When I got about 1/3 of the way into this one, it all felt really familiar and I was able to pretty much guess what was going to happen early on. But don’t get me wrong, it’s an easy entertaining read and if you’re really into twisty thrillers – you can’t go wrong with Frieda McFadden.

Vigil by George Saunders

When a seasoned soul guide arrives to escort a powerful, unapologetic billionaire into the afterlife, she quickly realizes this will be nothing like her previous assignments. As the man’s final night unfolds, a strange procession of visitors, living and dead, forces a reckoning with the life he leaves behind. Darkly imaginative and sharply satirical, this novel grapples with power, greed, and the elusive possibility of absolution. Publication Date: 1/27/26. Buy Now: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Happy Reading!

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New Fiction I’m Excited To Read in January 2026