24 Best Books to Read Right Now

Need a new book to read? Add these books to read to your book list and be prepared to be blown away by adventure, current events, and action. There’s something for everyone on this constantly updated list of book recommendations!

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Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been an avid reader. It’s one of the major reasons I decided to major in English at college (reading was my kind of homework) and one reasons I ran a book review blog for a long time.

Reading has always given me a way to escape from the real life stress and jump into another world that I can watch from a distance without having to be truly involved.

I used to read so much that my mom would literally ground me from reading. It’s a habit that’s stuck and I still read way more than any other hobby.

I used to be a huge fan of buying actual books but once I started traveling, I realized carrying a book or five in my bag just wasn’t practical, so I’m now an electronic reader all the way, although I still love the feel of a good book. I don’t go anywhere without my Kindle!

Or my Airpods because honestly I listen to books as much as I read actual books these days!

2026 Book list

This year I went through tons of lists on Facebook to create my must-read list for the year. I’ve already read a handful of these – the others are ones that other people have said are their top books for the year!

Since I see people regularly ask what book they should read next, I thought it might be helpful to put together a book list for people who need a new book to check out!

I tried to include a little bit of everything (other than non-fiction) since my reading tastes are eclectic so I hope you can find something you love!

Thrillers to Read

These are the books designed to keep you turning pages and hyped with anticipation. They’re called thrillers for a reason – they’ll thrill you!

1 – Alice Feeney – My Husband’s Wife

I listened to this book earlier this year and I still had no idea what was going to happen until the very end of the book. That’s rare for me – the entire thing was full of twists and turns, and I enjoyed it from the first chapter to the end.

Get it on Amazon

2 – Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

If you listen to Audiobooks, this is a great book to listen to because portions of the book are talking about a podcast and they treat it like an actual podcast in the audiobook.

Get it on Amazon (it’s also included on Kindle Unlimited right now)

3 – What Happened to Nina by Dervla McTiernan

I read this book earlier this year as well. The basic premise is that a young couple goes to a cabin and he comes home and she doesn’t. The book is all about figuring out what happened to the girl, Nina, during that weekend. It reminds me a bit of some of the actual crime stories that have been in the news in recent years, and I found it thought-provoking and easy to read.

Get it on Amazon

4 – Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson

This is a thriller that I haven’t read yet. It came out last year and was the Goodreads #1 Thriller of the year and a Good Morning America book club pick, so it’s been on my TBR ever since I heard about it. The description basically says that Jet Mason will be dead in seven days but before then, she’s going to solve her own murder. That alone sold me on it!

Get it on Amazon

Historical Fiction Books

These books are all take place during historical events. Some are based on true stories, others take liberties with the history of the times. But they all share a sense of history.

1 – The Book Club for Troublesome Women

As someone who is part of a book club and someone who lived in Northern Virginia all growing up, the description of this one sounds fascinating to me. It’s the 1960s and Margaret wants to get to know the new woman in the neighborhood so she invites a bunch of women over for a book club and this changes everything when they read the book The Feminine Mystique.

Get it on Amazon

2 – Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I loved Daisy Jones and the Six by the same author so when I saw everyone recommending Atmosphere I knew I wanted to read it. The story was beautiful, extremely well written, and focuses on women’s role in the space shuttle program as well as on family and romantic relationships. It wasn’t quite the thriller I thought it would be, but I still really enjoyed it.

Get it on Amazon

3 – Broken Country by Claire Leslie Hall

I’ve heard so many amazing things about this book that is part thriller, part romance, and part historical fiction. This is at the top of my TBR right now!

Get it on Amazon

4 – The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau by Kristin Harmel

This is the book I’ve seen recommended the most out of the entire year. Colette has been stealing jewels for years but everything goes wrong one night when her mother gets arrested, her sister dies, and a bracelet they had with them disappears. Seventy years later that bracelet reappears and the book follows what happens after it reappears.

Get it on Amazon

General Fiction Books

These books are the ones that don’t necessarily have a genre – they’re just books that come highly recommended and make you think.

1 – Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden

After reading and watching The Housemaid, I had to add Freida’s new release to my reading list for this year. Debbie has been providing advice in a column called Dear Debbie for years but when things start to unravel in her life, it’s time for her to take back control and give payback to people in her life who deserve it the most.

Get it on Amazon

2 – Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

This is probably my favorite book I’ve read in the past year. I read it early this year after seeing the trailer for the new movie adaptation starring Ryan Gosling, but I wasn’t prepared for how good it was. I laughed, I cried, and I got even more excited about watching the movie. Absolutely recommend this one!

Get it on Amazon

3 – My Friends by Fredrick Backman

This one just came up on Libby after waiting for like 3-4 months because it’s so popular. It was the Goodreads readers choice award for general fiction for 2025 and at the top of so many of my friends’ book lists from 2025. Louisa is determined to find out the story behind three friends sitting on the end of a pier in one of the most famous paintings in the world – and this is the story we get.

Get it on Amazon

4 – The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

I’m a sucker for a story that revolves about letters and this one is all about the letters written by a woman by the name of Sybil Van Antwerp and what we learn about her life and the lives around hers through those letters. This is another one that I saw on tons of peoples best of 2025 lists, and I can’t wait to read it.

Get it on Amazon

5 – Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

I’ve heard this one is just beautiful in descriptions, in settings, and in the writing. If it’s anything like the moody, brooding, and beautiful book cover – I’d guess I’ll love it. It’s about a family that lives on a remote island outside of Antarctica and what happens when a mysterious stranger washes up on their shore.

Get it on Amazon

6 – The Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean

When I read the description of this one and saw that it includes a challenge of sorts to win an inheritance, I was in. I’m also a sucker for anything that includes games (for obvious reasons) and this one follows a group of siblings as they complete a series of assigned tasks to earn their inheritance. It’s supposed to be messy, chaotic, and unputdownable.

Get it on Amazon

Beach Reads & Romance

While these books would be good to read by the pool or beach, they’re also great for reading at home or during the day. Love stories, stories that make you think, and books that might just be a great read for a beach or pool day. This doesn’t include Romantasy or fantasy, I’ve included a section for those below this!

Also, for the all of the romance books – I wish I could tell you the spice level but I skip a lot, don’t remember a lot, and really just don’t trust myself to make a judgement on that. If you’re concerned about spice, there are plenty of websites out there that will give you the rundown on specific books and spice levels.

1 – Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

I just finished this book and I loved it. It’s not your typical romance, not a ton of romance at all to be honest, but I loved that it had more of a story than just a Hallmark film. I was actually kind of shocked by some of the twists at the end of the book, which is very rare for romance. I was pretty disappointed when I realized that this book and the movie Great Big and Bold Journey were not the same thing.

Get it on Amazon

2 – And Now Back to You by B.K. Borison

This is the second book in a series (read First Time Caller first) that I adored, so I definitely want to read the second. The first book is about a radio show host and this one seems like it’ll have a similar feel but with two people who work at the TV show instead. Definitely a beach read for me!

Get it on Amazon

3 – One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

This one kept coming up on Instagram and TikTok for book recommendations as a favorite romance of the year. I’m about 75% through listening to it on audiobook and it’s one of the few books I actually recommend reading over listening to because I just haven’t enjoyed the narrators that much. It’s about a photographer who has lost her spark so she spends the summer helping out her nan in a place she spent time at in her childhood. We’ll see how it ends up but so far, it’s definitely worth a read (not a listen).

Get it on Amazon

4 – The Favorites by Layne Fargo

Call it Winter Olympics hangover but this story about an ice skating pair that includes a regular girl and a foster home boy just peaked my interest. It’s also a top romance book for Goodreads in 2025, so I’m definitely adding it to my list for the year!

Romantasy Books

This deserves its own category because if you don’t want werewolves and vampires and fae, you probably want to stick to normal romance and not romantasy. These books all include a combination of fantasy elements with romance in some way. Think ACOTAR, Fourth Wing, and Blood and Ash. Again, I don’t know the spice levels on these so know that going into reading any of these books.

1 – Secret in the Garden by Jeneane O’Riley

I first thought this was just a romantasy version of The Secret Garden then realized it said Secret in the Garden. I’m excited about this one because it’s supposed to be a dark, whimsical, standalone romance – that means I don’t have to wait for book two, three, six. It’s about a botanist who makes a gamble with a billionaire heir and agrees to restore a conservatory that’s full of magic, thorns, and disturbances that are impossible to ignore.

Get it on Amazon

2 – The Sun and the Starmaker by Rachel Griffin

I don’t know if it’s the colors of the books covers or the story in this book but it grabbed me from the moment I saw it in a local bookstore. Aurora has a powerful magic within her and when the Starmaker senses it, he demands she come and study in his castle. She spends her days exploring the castle alone while getting closer and closer to the secrets the Starmaker is hiding. Kind of reminds me of a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story but with a sun and star!

Get it on Amazon

3 – Cruel King by Rina Kent

I love a good magic school story and this one is all about the villains and secrets of the Royal Elite school. I did see that this one has quite a bit of spice so if that’s not your cup of tea, maybe skip this one. But reviews are good if you’re comfortable with spice.

Get it on Amazon

4 – The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

I’ve had this one on my list for a few years but a friend reminded me about it a few days ago so it’s going to the top of my list! It’s a second chance paranormal romance about a witch and someone she thought she’d never get the chance to love. It’s supposed to be super witty, funny, and just cute. I need cute in my life!

Get it on Amazon

5 – The Vow in the Vengeance by Jaclyn Rodriguez

This book has been all the talk on Booktok lately. It’s by an author new to the Romantasy scene and supposed to be one of the biggest hits of the year. Every year selected humans are forced to journey into the Immortal Realms but this year Rune gets herself selected and joins a cutthroat college to try and find her family. It’s supposed to be a great debut novel!

Get it on Amazon

6 – We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark

This is a slow-burn romantasy that’s set in a Roman-inspired world ruled by vampires. That in itself was enough for me to be intrigued! It’s a brand new book by the author of the popular Kingdom of Lies series and has been highly recommend by plenty of people I know who read Romantasy, so it’s on my TBR list for the year!

Get it on Amazon

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