January 2026 Most Anticipated

Another year is almost upon us!

January 2026 is set to kick off the literary year with an impressive lineup of new books, arriving so quickly it’s hard to believe how fast 2025 flew by. With beloved authors returning, breakout voices debuting bold new stories, and several highly anticipated sequels finally hitting shelves, the month is packed with titles already stirring excitement among readers and critics alike. From gripping fiction and boundary-pushing fantasy to thought-provoking nonfiction, these are the releases poised to define the start of 2026 and to add to your already overflowing TBRs!

I’ve already shared my Winter 2026 Most Anticipated list, but focusing more on January releases now.

The below twelve are my top picks for the month, and for your reference it was killer narrowing this list down to a dozen. I have copies of all of these and have already read Inside Mane, Wildwood, A Box Full of Darkness, and The Briars. I’ll be making my way through the rest of these over the holidays, so be sure to come back for full reviews.

Inside Man Review

Wildwood review

A Box full of darkness review

The Briars review

Inside Man: A Head Cases Novel (The Head Cases Series)

The Astral Library (Standard Edition): A Novel

Such a Clever Girl: A Tense Domestic Thriller of Hidden Secrets, Unraveled Family Mysteries, and a Race Against Time in a Town Haunted by Its Past

Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief: A Novel (The Ernest Cunningham Mysteries, 4)

Kicking off my January most-anticipated list are several books I’ve already had the chance to read. Inside Man, the second Head Cases novel, didn’t hit quite as hard for me as the first, but I still recommend the series to anyone who enjoys a good police procedural. Wildwood, the next entry in the Northwoods series, is another strong procedural installment (and my review is already up). Mystery lovers should also look out for The Briars by Sarah Crouch (another title I’ve reviewed). A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James, a moody and atmospheric release that, while not my personal favorite of hers, still delivers a solid story (review available as well).

January is especially thrilling because several of my auto-buy authors are dropping new releases. Kate Quinn returns with The Astral Library, Paula McLain has Skylark, Rachel Hawkins brings The Storm, and May Cobb releases All the Little Houses. And perhaps the biggest excitement of all: Jim Butcher is finally back with a brand-new installment in the Dresden Files series, and I am absolutely stoked.

Rounding out my top twelve are several upcoming releases that have firmly grabbed my attention: It Should Have Been You by Andrea Mara, The Last of Earth by Deepr Anapparr, The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead, ISuch a Clever Girlby Darby Kane, The Infamous Gilberts by Angela Tomaski, Such Sheltered Lives by Alyssa Sheinmel, and Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson. With so many exciting choices, January is shaping up to be an incredible month for readers.

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While those might be my top most anticipated books, there are still so many more I’m excited to read. As I always do, books are broken down by releases date. I don’t go into detail on the books below, if something catches your attention be sure to click the image for more information and the synopsis. Be sure to subscribe to get weekly updates from SPEAKING OF…, and make sure to follow us on Instagram @speakingof.books for reviews of all books I’m reading and other recommendation lists!

If you’re looking for something in particular to read, feel free to comment below or DM me on Instagram @speakingof.books , and I’d be happy to help out!