From contemporary romances to historical fiction, these are the titles you'll see on the commute and around the pool this summer. The best new book releases for 2026 offer plenty of inspiration, spanning true crime, contemporary romance, and literary fiction.
Top Fiction Picks for Summer 2026
Hamnet author Maggie O’Farrell has returned with a multi-generational historical epic, Land, that begins with a father and son mapping Ireland following the Great Famine. Claire Daverley’s People In Love offers a fresh take on a love triangle, following two childhood best friends and almost-lovers. Booker Prize-winning Douglas Stuart’s acclaimed third book, John of John, follows a son returning home to his devout, conservative father on the Isle of Harris, exploring the tension between duty and desire.
Elsewhere, the esteemed American author Elizabeth Strout, who created characters such as Olive Kitteridge and Lucy Barton, has introduced a new cast in The Things We Never Say: Artie Dam is a high school teacher whose life is turned upside-down by an unearthed secret.
Non-Fiction and Bestseller Chart-Toppers
When it comes to non-fiction, Patrick Radden Keefe’s London Falling is dominating bestseller charts. An investigative piece that reads like a thriller novel, the book explores the circumstances around a teenage boy falling to his death in London. Virginia Evans’ The Correspondent is climbing back up the bestseller list following her Women’s Prize for Fiction 2026 win, while Belle Burden’s Strangers is a hit on BookTok. Recounting the fallout of the author’s husband’s affair, the movie rights have already been snapped up.
Detailed Reviews of the 10 Must-Read Books
'John of John' by Douglas Stuart
Douglas Stuart, who won the Booker Prize in 2020 with Shuggie Bain, is back with his new novel, John of John. Exploring the author's signature themes of masculinity, working-class Scottish life and family relationships, Stuart takes us away from his home city of Glasgow to the Isle of Harris. At first, the novel appears to be about the coming home of John-Callum, a 22-year-old who has just graduated from art college on the mainland. With his dyed red hair, ‘strange clothes’ and artistic leanings, Cal is at direct odds with his father John, a devout Protestant, sheep farmer and a deacon in the small community's Presbyterian church. An intimate portrait of a close-knit community in the rugged Outer Hebrides, John of John explores identity and belonging. The tension between duty and religion, and desire and love, will keep you enthralled.
'Things We Can Never Say' by Elizabeth Strout
The American author Elizabeth Strout is as beloved as her most famous fictional figures, Olive Kitteridge and Lucy Barton. Now, there’s a new character in the canon: Artie Dam. Her latest acclaimed novel, The Things We Never Say, is a standalone story set in Strout’s favourite literary location of Maine. Artie is a high school history teacher grappling with middle-aged ennui. Then, a brush with death while out on his sailing boat transforms his perspective, before a decade-long secret comes to light. The father-son relationship is particularly touching, while Strout’s political commentary on Trump America gives the book extra weight.
'London Falling' by Patrick Radden Keefe
With its pacy writing and stranger-than-fiction story, London Falling is appealing to those who don’t usually read non-fiction. Patrick Radden Keefe is the award-winning New Yorker staff writer and author of Empire of Pain, Say Nothing and Rogues. His latest book brings us to London, where a single incident unravels an insidious underworld. Zac Brettler is just 19-years-old when he falls to his death from a luxury apartment building on the Thames. Through meticulous research, London Falling recounts the investigation conducted by Zac’s parents after they suspect foul play, exploring the sinister world of Russian oligarchs in London.
'People In Love' by Claire Daverley
A contemporary romance for those who don't usually read romance, Claire Daverley’s People In Love is a charming beach read. It follows Bren and Nora, childhood best friends who grew up as neighbours. After a tragedy, Bren runs from his problems to travel the world, leaving Nora behind. More than a decade later, Bren is back for Nora’s engagement party. As secrets are unearthed and regrets revealed, their lives become intertwined once again. Daverley’s characters are richly drawn, and it’s a gentle and empathetic love triangle story.
'Land' by Maggie O'Farrell
Maggie O’Farrell’s latest novel is a gripping family saga that goes back a millennium. The multigenerational historical epic begins in 1865 with a father and son mapping the Ordnance Survey in the aftermath of the Great Famine, when an estimated one million people died of starvation. The novel is vast in scope, incorporating folklore, Celtic and ancient mythology, and the supernatural, grounded in Ireland’s devastating history. As much about the land as it is about the people, you’ll struggle to look up from Land’s pages on holiday.
'I Want You To Be Happy' by Jem Calder
Jem Calder’s debut, I Want You To Be Happy, might be slight at less than 300 pages, but it packs a punch. On the surface, it’s a story about two people dating in London, but it says so much more about the way we all live now, from late-night TikTok scrolls to work Zoom calls. Chuck and Joey meet one night at a bar and, despite the 12-year age gap, they’re united in their need for connection. The book is sharp-eyed and hilarious.
'Famesick' by Lena Dunham
Lena Dunham’s memoir Famesick is written in the same wry, self-deprecating and unapologetically candid voice that made Girls so distinctive. Charting her rise from aspiring writer-director to cultural phenomenon, the book offers a revealing look at fame, controversy, and the pressures of public scrutiny. It’s a moving portrait of a woman grappling with chronic illness, addiction and intense media attention. The audiobook, narrated by Dunham herself, is particularly worth downloading.
'Yesteryear' by Caro Claire Burke
Caro Claire Burke’s debut novel Yesteryear has dominated BookTok, and the rights have already been snapped up in an 11-way bidding war, won by Anne Hathaway, who will star in the leading role. The zeitgeisty story tackles influencer culture, trad wives, motherhood and conservative religion. The protagonist is a loathsome “trad wife” influencer called Natalie, who wakes up in 1805 and is forced to live the image of a “simple” settler life. The book charges along with flashbacks, keeping you gripped and thought-provoked.
'The Correspondent' by Virginia Evans
This year’s winner of The Women’s Prize for Fiction 2026, The Correspondent follows Sybil Van Antwerp, a 73-year-old retired lawyer in Annapolis, through a decade of letters revealing grief, ageing and unexpected connection. Still mourning the loss of her young son, Sybil keeps others at a distance, yet her wit and compassion emerge in exchanges with loved ones and strangers. Jane Fonda is set to star in the film adaptation.
'Strangers' by Belle Burden
A postmortem of the breakdown of her marriage, Belle Burden's engrossing memoir, Strangers, begins with her discovering her husband of 20 years’ affair. During the pandemic at their holiday home in Martha’s Vineyard, he leaves his wife and three children for a younger woman. The memoir has the pacing of a true crime novel, while being deeply personal and evocatively written. Burden lends her own voice to the audiobook reading, adding extra intimacy.
