2026, here we go! With the new year just around the corner, it’s time to start focusing on something that really matters… NEW! BOOK! RELEASES!  We’ve rounded up some highly anticipated  books from a range of genres releasing between the months of January and June 2026.

So far the year promises new releases from Jennifer Niven, Jennette McCurdy, Jim Butcher, Heather Fawcett, Kerri Maniscalco, Edward Ashton, T. Kingfisher, Richard K. Morgan, Rainbow Rowell, TJ Klune, Katherine Center, Julie Murphy, Katherine Arden, Melissa Albert, and many more, plus some dazzling debuts!

You’ll find quite a few exciting new reads within this list and be sure to check out our other January to June 2026 lists, which we’ll be releasing over the next month! This article will also get updated with those links so you can easily find them, including our Anticipated Romance Reads, Anticipated Fantasy and Sci-Fi Books and Anticipated YA Reads… We apologise in advance to your TBR pile and wallet!

JANUARY 2026 BOOK RELEASES

Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Funny, big-hearted, and deeply moving, Meet the Newmans is a rich family story about the dual lives we lead. Because even when our lives aren’t televised weekly, we all have a behind-the-scenes.

The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Perfect for fans of Daisy Jones and the Six and In Five Years—a beautiful, powerful, and transportive new novel about a music executive desperately trying to bring a rock band back from the brink, from bestselling author Ashley Winstead.

The Poet Empress by Shen Tao

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Debut author Shen Tao introduces readers to the lush, deadly world of The Poet Empress, a sweeping, epic and intimate fantasy perfect for fans of The Serpent & the Wings of Night, The Song of Achilles and She Who Became the Sun.

Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of I’m Glad My Mom Died comes a sad, funny, thrilling novel about sex, consumerism, class, desire, loneliness, the internet, rage, intimacy, power, and the (oftentimes misguided) lengths we’ll go to in order to get what we want.

My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
My Husband’s Wife is a tangled web of deception, obsession, and mystery that will keep you guessing until the last page. Prepare yourself for the ultimate mind-bending marriage thriller and step inside Spyglass – if you dare – to experience a story where nothing is as it seems.

If All the Stars Go Dark by S. G. Prince

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
An out-of-this-world queer space opera (aka: sci-fi with magic) complete with a murder mystery, a prison break, and heist during which time the fate of the universe may or may not hang in the balance – and made even more exciting by the swoon worthy will-they-won’t-they romance.

Twelve Months by Jim Butcher

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, has always managed to save the day—but, in this powerful entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files, can he save himself?

Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of First Lie Wins, a tense, feverish thriller about two women’s lives that are forever intertwined when a murder threatens to expose them both.

Last First Kiss by Julian Winters

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Sparks fly in this second chance m/m rom com when an unlucky-in-love event planner realizes the man-of-honor at the high profile wedding he’s planning is the same man who broke his heart.

A War of Wyverns by S. F. Williamson

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Rebellion happens in the shadows. In the sequel to the New York Times bestseller A Language of Dragons, language is the greatest weapon in a war between humans and dragons—and one translator has the power to change the world. 

Vigil by George Saunders

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
An electric novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling, Booker Prize–winning author of Lincoln in the Bardo, taking place at the bedside of an oil company CEO in the twilight hours of his life as he is ferried from this world into the next.

Is This a Cry for Help? by Emily R. Austin

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A luminous new novel following a librarian who comes back to work after a mental breakdown only to confront book-banning crusaders in an empowering story of grief, love, and the power of libraries.

FEBRUARY 2026 BOOK RELEASES

Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A woman who runs a cat rescue in 1920s Montreal turns to a grouchy but charming wizard to help save the shelter in this heartwarming cozy fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of the Emily Wilde series.

The Girls Before by Kate Alice Marshall

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the bestselling author of What Lies in the Woods, No One Can Know, and A Killing Cold, a new novel about a search & rescue expert, a kidnapped woman, and the lost girls who haunt them both.

Cleopatra by Saara El-Arifi

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Cleopatra tells her own story in this evocative and sensuous historical epic from the bestselling and award-winning author of Faebound and The Final Strife.

The Astral Library by Kate Quinn

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From New York Times bestselling author Kate Quinn comes a gorgeously written fantastical adventure which poses the question: Have you ever wished you could live inside a book? Welcome to the Astral Library, where books are not just objects, but doors to new worlds, new lives, and new futures.

Game, Set, Match by Jennifer Iacopelli

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
She’s a tennis superstar on the rise. He’s the bad boy champ who broke her heart. When they meet on the court, their competition is hot—but their chemistry is even hotter.

Throne of Nightmares by Kerri Maniscalco

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
In this action-packed standalone fantasy romance from New York Times bestselling sensation Kerri Maniscalco, a book of dangerous magic draws two readers into a perilous quest to find it—and their own happy ending.

It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Two families at a secluded lake resort are at the center of a chilling crime in this twisty thriller from the bestselling author of Local Woman Missing.

Stolen Midnights by Katherine Quinn

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
This magical new YA romantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of To Kill a Shadow will steal your heart. Set in Andalay, a world where the ruling Fates bestow gifts among the favored, a thief must join forces with the palace darling after he unwittingly steals a necklace with the power to change everything.

After The Fall by Edward Ashton

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Part alien invasion story, part buddy comedy, and part workplace satire, After The Fall by Edward Ashton, author of Mickey7 (inspiration for the film Mickey 17), asks an important question: would humans really make great pets?

Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the New York Times bestselling co-author of Illuminae and Aurora Rising comes a high-stakes, high-chemistry, sci-fi romp about a stowaway girl and the richest boy in the galaxy, racing the clock to outwit a gang of mercenaries.

How To Kill A Guy In Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A humorous, swoony, and downright terrifying slasher rom-com in which a cinephile gets caught in the middle of a murder spree at a speed-dating event and must use her encyclopedic knowledge of the romance and horror genres to make it as a real-life Final Girl.

Half City by Kate Golden

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Crescent City meets Buffy, the Vampire Slayer in the first installment of a pulse-pounding dark academia fantasy series from USA Today bestselling author Kate Golden.

MARCH 2026 BOOK RELEASES

The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Say You’ll Remember Me comes a beautiful, compelling novel that revels in laughter, friendship, and the messy choices life can throw our way.

Bloom by Robbie Couch

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the New York Times bestselling author of If I See You Again Tomorrow comes a delightful and heartwarming novel about family, love, grief, and one precocious houseplant, that reminds us of the beauty of living a life in full Bloom.

Strangers In The Villa by Robyn Harding

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the international bestselling author of The Drowning Woman, a psychological thriller about a couple rocked by infidelity who moves to a villa in Spain’s Costa Brava to rebuild their relationship, only to welcome a pair of visitors who have no intention of leaving.  

Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Something darker than the devil stalks the North Carolina woods in Wolf Worm, a new gothic masterpiece from New York Times bestselling author T. Kingfisher

The Ascension of Souls by Bronte-Marie Wesson

Publisher | Amazon | Goodreads
The first in the Broken Cycle trilogy, The Ascension of Souls is an epic fantasy with intricate worldbuilding, complex characters, political schemes and a unique magic system.

A Spell For Saints and Sinners by Emily Carpenter

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Like a gender-flipped You but dripping with Southern Gothic atmosphere, a young psychic on the verge of losing everything becomes obsessed with a wealthy, beautiful heiress in this clever, darkly atmospheric novel of psychological suspense set amid the lush, moss-draped beauty of Savannah.

Thirty Love by Tom Vellner

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Things heat up on and off the court for two tennis rivals in this steamy debut gay sports rom-com, perfect for fans of TJ Alexander and Casey McQuiston.

Wretch by Eric LaRocca

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From rising horror star and award-winning author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke comes a nightmarish, haunting, tech-Gothic thrill ride about sorrow, memory, and the unabashed complexity of love as a transgressive act.

No Man’s Land by Richard K. Morgan

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A compelling standalone dark fantasy set in a gritty post-WWI Britain that has been overrun by the fae, from the award-winning author of Altered Carbon.

One Word, Six Letters by Adib Khorram

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Two teen boys grapple with identity and accountability and set off a ripple effect within their community after a school assembly is disrupted by a shouted slur.

Vow of Eternal Night by Lily Crozier

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A gothic romantasy Beauty and the Beast retelling about a vampire prince and the captive bride who will do anything to break his curse – for fans of Naomi Novik, Heather Fawcett and Howl’s Moving Castle.

The Fourth Wife by Linda Hamilton

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas meets “Sister Wives” in a deliciously chilling, darkly romantic, historical gothic horror with a feminist slant, as a young Mormon woman is haunted by a malevolent presence in the decrepit Salt Lake City mansion she shares with her new husband and his other wives…

APRIL 2026 BOOK RELEASES

The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Fans of Agatha Christie’s locked-room mysteries and modern tales like Knives Out will fall for The Ending Writes Itself, which masterfully blends classic mystery elements with genre-bending tropes. Crafted with razor-sharp wit and a meta twist, this satirical take on the publishing world ensures readers will hang on every word, right up to its breathtaking finale.

Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
#1 New York Times bestselling author Rainbow Rowell returns with a breathtakingly honest novel about a woman who lost everything — and isn’t sure she wants it back.

Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
In this lyrical, wildly inventive horror novel interwoven with Japanese mythology, two people living centuries apart discover a door between their worlds.

The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer and rising star Tamara Moss comes a twisty thrill-ride, filled with sabotage, betrayal, and puzzles to die for.

American Fantasy by Emma Straub

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From New York Times bestselling author of This Time Tomorrow, an irresistible story about what happens when your teenage fantasy comes true after you’re already an adult.

We Burned So Bright by T.J. Klune

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A heart-wrenching standalone novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune, We Burned So Bright follows an elder gay couple on an end-of-the-world road-trip.

Last Night in Brooklyn by Xochitl Gonzalez

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
New York Times bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez delivers a captivating story about a young woman whose life becomes ensnared in her glamorous neighbor’s secret past, laying bare the mounting tensions at play in a rapidly gentrifying, early 2000’s Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

The Subtle Art of Folding Space by John Chu

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The Subtle Art of Folding Space, is the exhilarating debut science fiction novel from Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author John Chu channels unhinged physics, generational trauma, and the comfort of really good dim sum. This isn’t your usual jaunt through quantum physics.

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Told with Sally Hepworth’s twists, humor, charm, and heart, MAD MABEL is novel that weaves past and present together–through the power of justice and redemption, and all the way to its stunning conclusion.

Odessa by Gabrielle Sher

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
In a powerfully imagined Russia at the height of the pogroms, a grief-stricken family turns to ancient magic to bring their daughter back from the grave.

Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A sweeping debut inspired by the Chinese folk practice of necromancy, Deathly Fates is perfect for fans of Descendant of the Crane, The Bone Shard Daughter, and A Magic Steeped in Poison.

How to Fake It in Society by KJ Charles

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Bridgerton meets The Goldfinch in How to Fake It in Society, a stunning queer romance by rising genre star KJ Charles.

MAY 2026 BOOK RELEASES

The Shippers by Katherine Center

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
No one does summer romance quite like Katherine Center. THE SHIPPERS will take readers on the cruise of a lifetime in a story awash with romantic longing, top-notch banter, long-held secrets . . . and true love rediscovered.

The Anniversary by Alex Finlay

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Twisty, high-concept, and emotionally charged, this novel is an utterly compelling story of the hunt for a serial killer. But it’s also a heartfelt―and heartrending―novel about fate, innocence lost, and two souls who find that sometimes being broken is the only way for the light to get in. The Anniversary reaffirms Finlay as one of the leading thriller writers today.

Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Best friends have one week in paradise to fix their friendship or fall apart in this heart-stopping, utterly romantic new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After and One Golden Summer.

The Midnight Train by Matt Haig

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
When your life flashes before your eyes, where would you stop? A magical, time-travelling love story, from the world of The Midnight Library.

Student Union by Julie Murphy

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From #1 New York Times–bestselling author Julie Murphy comes a sexy rom com about a college marriage of convenience that goes way beyond chemistry 101…The first in a trilogy of romance novels that follows a group of girls as they navigate love, friendship, and new adulthood, this is perfect for fans of Elle Kennedy and Hannah Grace.

Young World by Soman Chainani

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the New York Times bestselling author of the School for Good and Evil series comes a renegade thriller, about a teenager elected President of the United States, sparking a global revolution of young leaders—until one of them is murdered and he’s the prime suspect.

The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A battle-worn corporate samurai undertakes one last mission on a merciless planet where death is always a mere breath away, in this standalone dystopian epic from the author of the modern fantasy classic Jade City. 

The Library After Dark by Ande Pliego

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A bookseller must escape the infamously haunted library that holds her darkest secrets, but with a murderer in her tour group, escaping alive is not as simple as it seems, in this twisty locked-room thriller from bestselling author of You Are Fatally Invited.

Bone of My Bone by Johanna van Veen

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Bram Stoker Award–nominee and USA Today bestseller Johanna van Veen unveils a sapphic folk-horror tour de force―perfect for fans of The VVitch and The Salt Grows Heavy. A skull’s grin is eternal…

The Dorians by Nick Cutter

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
On a remote island in the Canadian wilderness, five elderly volunteers from different walks of life are given a tantalizing offer: to stall their biological clocks or even reverse them, restoring their lost youth. 

We Dance Upon Demons by Vaishnavi Patel

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the New York Times bestselling author of Kaikeyi, a galvanizing stand-alone contemporary fantasy following a burnt-out reproductive health care worker as she fights back against escalating attacks on her clinic and the malevolent forces in hot pursuit of her newly acquired power.

The House of Now and Then by Edward Underhill

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the author of The In-Between Bookstore, the sweet, unforgettable story of a trans man in his thirties who books a Cape Cod cottage for one lonely summer—only to have its magic bring him visitors from the past and romance where he least expects it, perfect for fans of TJ Klune and Ashley Poston.

JUNE 2026 BOOK RELEASES

The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The new head gardener at the enchanting Lilymoor House stumbles upon a secret garden . . . with a mysterious man trapped inside, in the next magical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Sounds Like Love and The Seven Year Slip.

The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
With her country’s future and her own life at stake, an orphaned duchess must journey into a world of myth and there discover a power that may be her salvation—or her demise—in this enchanting historical fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale.

The Heirs by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the award-winning New York Times and Indie bestselling author of Ace of Spades comes a mystery about five teen geniuses, their billionaire father, and the aftermath of his murder―perfect for fans of One of Us is Lying, Holly Jackson, and How to Get Away with Murder!

Whistler by Ann Patchett

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The acclaimed, prize-winning #1 New York Times bestselling writer returns with a moving, luminous novel that reminds us of the sweetness and impermanence of life and the power of connection to defy time.

This Immortal Heart by Jennifer Saint

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The epic, captivating tale of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who must reconcile her mind and heart when she is drawn against all odds to Ares, the god of war, from the internationally bestselling author of Ariadne and Hera.

Shadow Reaper by Lynette Noni

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A young reaper hunter must conspire with her enemy to uproot the ancient evil that threatens her world in this heart-pounding romantic fantasy from the bestselling author of The Prison Healer.

The Children by Melissa Albert

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The haunting new novel from New York Times bestselling author Melissa Albert, in which the estranged adult children of a legendary author, written into their dead mother’s beloved fantasy series, must contend with the vine-like creep of legacy, memory, and magic

You Won’t Forget Me by Mazey Eddings

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Cubby Clark is spiralling—her band is broken, her ex is famous, and inspiration is gone. As tabloids spin a love triangle and a summer tour amplifies tensions, Cubby and her best friend Darcy must confront buried feelings or risk losing each other and the music they love.

Dearly Departed by Chip Pons

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A Hades-inspired gay rom-com, in which the former god of the Underworld turned grumpy funeral director must find a loophole in the Immortal Retirement Act that banished him to Earth, until the florist next door who sees life in full bloom begins to unravel all his carefully laid plans.

The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the author of The Bright Years, the story of April and Leo, a couple on the brink of collapse. When their house goes up in flames, family secrets and thorny histories emerge as they are forced to decide what is worth salvaging.

There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood by Rasheed Newson

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A cinematic, razor-sharp novel following a backlot fixer’s daring investigation into the suspicious death of a closeted Black actor within the glamorous world of Hollywood, from the bestselling author of My Government Means to Kill Me.

Songs of the Dead by Brandon Sanderson and Peter Orullian

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A London rocker is faced with a life-or-death choice when he realizes that a powerful society of magic wielders are the only ones keeping London safe in this deft contemporary fantasy cowritten by #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson with author and musician Peter Orullian.

What new book releases are you looking forward to picking up this year? Tell us in the comments below! And be sure to check back later in the year for our August to December picks!

The post Anticipated Book Releases Hitting Shelves In 2026 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Her second novel Lucie Yi Is Not A Romantic is out June 21 and is available at your local indie or  here. Follow her on Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter here: @HelloLaurenHo.

I love me a good, old-fashioned listicle, especially a bookish one in time for the hottest (at least in the Northern Hemisphere) quarter of the year: who has time to read chunky blocks of words when you’re zipping out to soak up the precious sun, a cold brew in one hand and aviators in another? Not you! Certainly not me either, but then again I live in the tropics, and we’re blasé about the sun. What we yearn for instead is the sweet embrace of snow, gently enveloping all the mosquitoes around us in slow, horrible, unpreventable deaths.

Anyway, where was I? Yes, for all of you anticipating summer, here’s my listicle, or an article craftily masquerading as a listicle, of all of my must-read beach reads, both current titles and backlisted ones, broken down by category with barely any plot details to help you out. So sue me, I’m a vibes girl. You’re welcome anyway.

THE LIST!

Transportive Contemporary Romance: Where We End and Begin by Jane Igharo: Lagos becomes a sizzling backdrop to a beautiful second-chance romance that also serves up a side helping of family drama.

‘Destroy me’ romance/women’s fiction: The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang: delicately wrought, beautifully fleshed out love story with a timely spotlight on burnout in the age of social media, and layered ASD rep.

Contemporary fiction featuring a woman who feels trapped by her life: Fault Lines by Emily Itami: an affair in metropolitan Tokyo unfurls to shimmering prose you can snap your fingers to. Also, Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason: Funny, poignant, layered, heartbreakingly wonderful, of a woman’s (and her family’s) experience of an unnamed mental illness.

Contemporary fiction with a polarising lead: Milk Fed by Melissa Broder. Melissa Broder’s writing, like most port-novelists, grips. Compelling, erotic and honest, it follows a young woman obsessed with her diet who becomes smitten with a froyo scooper. Bonus: Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda: a mixed-race millennial vampire dreams of eating human food—and more.

Suspenseful general adult/Women’s fiction: At Least You Have Your Health by Madi Sinha: Shady wellness business, impressionable doctor-mom, witty dialogue, Liane-Moriarty energy and pacing.

Heart-warming Fantasy: The House On The Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune: I’ve never called a book ‘delightful’ until I read this.  A cozy hug of a fantasy book.

‘Hear me Roar’ Fantasy: She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan: punchy, cinematic, brilliant.

‘Destroy me’ young adult romance: You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao: Bring tissues and cancel your weekend.

Clever, compelling middle grade murder mystery from SE Asia: Queen of The Tiles by Hanna Alkaf: Hanna, who’s Malaysian like me, is the queen of fierce, character-driven writing. Twisty and fun, with great hijabi rep.

Folkloric middle grade from SE Asia: Mist Bound by Daryl Kho: Atmospheric, touching, richly illustrated and written, featuring folktales from this part of the world.

Funny, fun contemporary romance: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. Chemistry of the best kind.

General adult/women’s fiction exploring identity and culture:  Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal.

Moving Bildungsroman:  Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart: heartrending, utterly memorable from its first line.

Thriller, ish: Girl A by Abigail Dean: suspenseful and heart-breaking, it lingers.

Quiet, meditative fiction: Brood by Jackie Polzin: Wry observational humour, surprising, tender, with no fowl play (sorry! I couldn’t resist the pun!)

Sheer chaotic genre-bending fun: Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto. She took all my Asian auntie nightmares, added murder, and somehow made it LOL. Sorcery.

Sheer romance: Seven Days in June by Tia Williams: Exuberant, sexy, funny, and just absolutely smashing. Also, The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren.

Pure joyful, romcom escapism: Twelve Days in May by Niamh Hargan: Witty, delicious Cannes escapism. Also, On a Night like this by Lindsey Kelk: Nobody writes romcom like Lindsey.

Meta beach reads: Beach Read by Emily Henry. All the feels, all the prose, the angst, the banter.

A modern classic to cherish and re-read: The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy: prepare to have the map of your literary world re-drawn.                        

Bonus category (auto-read writers): Am I even Asian if I don’t throw this in? And it’s a two-fer!

Poetry: Anything by Li-Young Lee

Short story collections: Anything by George Saunders

And if you liked my listicle and want more beach reads, you could check out my debut romcom/contemporary adult fiction novel, Last Tang Standing, about a woman in her early thirties who navigates societal and familial pressures to get married while she attempts to make partner at her law firm, or my second romcom/women’s fiction novel, Lucie Yi Is Not A Romantic, which follows a woman in her late thirties who attempts to have a family her way, platonically, and the fun and fallout of that decision.

The post The Ultimate Chaotic, Vibes-Only Beach Reads List appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

At the beginning of the year, we released The Nerd Daily 2018 Reading Challenge, consisting of 52 challenges, one for each week of the year. One of those challenges is pretty straightforward – read an audiobook. I came around to audiobooks about two years ago, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

Do you ever wish you had more time in the day to read? With audiobooks, you will! You can read during your commute, while cooking a meal, or while cleaning your house. So whether you’re new to the format or you’re already an audiobook lover, these 10 full-cast audiobooks will help you not only check off a box on The Nerd Daily’s 2018 Reading Challenge, but will also help you fit a little more reading time into your busy schedule.

Read on to discover 10 full-cast audiobooks perfect for any reader. Do you plan on giving any of these titles a listen? Did we miss any of your favorites? Let us know in the comments below!

The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials #1)  by Philip Pullman

Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins

Here lives an orphaned ward named Lyra Belacqua, whose carefree life among the scholars at Oxford’s Jordan College is shattered by the arrival of two powerful visitors. First, her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, appears with evidence of mystery and danger in the far North, including photographs of a mysterious celestial phenomenon called Dust and the dim outline of a city suspended in the Aurora Borealis that he suspects is part of an alternate universe. He leaves Lyra in the care of Mrs. Coulter, an enigmatic scholar and explorer who offers to give Lyra the attention her uncle has long refused her. In this multilayered narrative, however, nothing is as it seems.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Length: 19 hrs and 39 mins

Locked behind bars for three years, Shadow did his time, quietly waiting for the day when he could return to Eagle Point, Indiana. All he wanted was to be with Laura, the wife he deeply loved, and start a new life. But just days before his release, Laura and Shadow’s best friend are killed in an accident. With his life in pieces and nothing to keep him tethered, Shadow accepts a job from a beguiling stranger he meets on the way home, an enigmatic man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday. A trickster and a rogue, Wednesday seems to know more about Shadow than Shadow does himself. Soon Shadow learns that the past never dies . . . and that beneath the placid surface of everyday life a storm is brewing—an epic war for the very soul of America—and that he is standing squarely in its path.

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins

February 1862. The Civil War is less than one year old. The fighting has begun in earnest, and the nation has begun to realize it is in for a long, bloody struggle. Meanwhile, President Lincoln’s beloved eleven-year-old son, Willie, lies upstairs in the White House, gravely ill. In a matter of days, despite predictions of a recovery, Willie dies and is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. “My poor boy, he was too good for this earth,” the president says at the time. “God has called him home.” Newspapers report that a grief-stricken Lincoln returns, alone, to the crypt several times to hold his boy’s body. From that seed of historical truth, George Saunders spins an unforgettable story of familial love and loss that breaks free of its realistic, historical framework into a supernatural realm both hilarious and terrifying.

Meet Cute: Some People are Destined to Meet by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins

Whether or not you believe in fate, or luck, or love at first sight, every romance has to start somewhere. Meet Cute is an anthology of original short stories featuring tales of “how they first met” from some of today’s most popular YA authors. This incredibly talented group of authors brings us a collection of stories that are at turns romantic and witty, epic and everyday, heartbreaking and real.

The Handmaid’s Tale: Special Edition by Margaret Atwood

Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins

“Are there any questions?” The final line in Margaret Atwood’s modern classic, The Handmaid’s Tale, has teased and perplexed fans since the book’s original release more than 30 years ago. Now, in this Audible Original production, listeners get some of the answers they’ve waited so long to hear. Featuring an all-new interview with Professor Piexoto, written by Atwood and performed by a full cast, The Handmaid’s Tale: Special Edition is a must-listen for both fans and newcomers alike. Emmy Award winner Claire Danes (Homeland, Temple Grandin) gives a stirring performance of this classic in speculative fiction, where the message (and the warning) is now more timely than ever.

You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins

Length: 7 hrs and 14 mins

This elegant young adult novel captures the immigrant experience for one Indian American family with humor and heart. Told in alternating teen voices across three generations, You Bring the Distant Near explores sisterhood, first loves, friendship, and the inheritance of culture – for better or worse. From a grandmother worried that her children are losing their Indian identity, to a daughter wrapped up in a forbidden biracial love affair, to a granddaughter social activist fighting to preserve Bengali tigers, Perkins weaves together the threads of a family growing into an American identity.

Sour Heart by Jenny Zhang

Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins

Centered on a community of immigrants who have traded their endangered lives as artists in China and Taiwan for the constant struggle of life at the poverty line in 1990s New York City, Zhang’s collection examines the many ways that family and history can weigh us down and also lift us up. From the young woman coming to terms with her grandmother’s role in the Cultural Revolution to the daughter struggling to understand where her family ends and she begins, to the girl discovering the power of her body to inspire and destroy, these seven stories illuminate the complex and messy inner lives of girls struggling to define themselves.

The Largesse of the Sea Maiden: Stories by Denis Johnson

Length: 5 hrs and 16 mins

The Largesse of the Sea Maiden is the long-awaited new story collection from Denis Johnson. Written in the luminous prose that made him one of the most beloved and important writers of his generation, this collection finds Johnson in new territory, contemplating the ghosts of the past and the elusive and unexpected ways the mysteries of the universe assert themselves. Finished shortly before Johnson’s death, this collection is the last word from a writer whose work will live on for many years to come.

Everything Here Is Beautiful by Mira T. Lee

Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins

Two sisters: Miranda, the older, responsible one, always her younger sister’s protector; Lucia, the vibrant, headstrong, unconventional one, whose impulses are huge and, often, life changing. When their mother dies and Lucia starts to hear voices, it’s Miranda who must fight for the help her sister needs — even as Lucia refuses to be defined by any doctor’s diagnosis. Told from alternating perspectives, Everything Here Is Beautiful is, at its core, a heart-wrenching family drama about relationships and tough choices — how much we’re willing to sacrifice for the ones we love, and when it’s time to let go and save ourselves.

Nine Women, One Dress by Jane L. Rosen

Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins

Natalie is a Bloomingdale’s salesgirl mooning over her lawyer ex-boyfriend, who’s engaged to someone else after just two months. Felicia has been quietly in love with her boss for 17 years and has one night to finally make the feeling mutual. Andie is a private detective who specializes in gathering evidence on cheating husbands – a skill she unfortunately learned from her own life – and lands a case that may restore her faith in true love. For these three women, as well as half a dozen others in sparkling supporting roles – a young model fresh from rural Alabama; a diva Hollywood star making her Broadway debut; and an overachieving, unemployed Brown grad who starts faking a fabulous life on social media, to name just a few – everything is about to change thanks to the dress of the season, the perfect little black number everyone wants to get their hands on….

Any other great audiobooks you would recommend? Tell us in the comments below!

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