My Favourite Books of 2026: Part 1 😊

An intimate, heartbreaking story about an ambitious astronaut, Oliver Ines, who leaves his wife and young son to command a landmark ten-year mission to Jupiter’s moon, Europa.

Yes it is a space book, but underneath all the sci-fi elements, is a story about people, love, passion, friendship, community, compassion, exploration, connection, hope, family, dreams, and a sense of belonging, and everything about it is beautiful.

Anne Boleyn wakes up inside an arrow chest hours after her execution. Unready to die, she sews her head back on, escapes the Tower of London, and goes on a quest to kill King Henry VIII to protect her daughter Elizabeth’s claim to the throne.

It’s heavier on narrative and prose than it is in dialogue, which I enjoyed very much. It is all so absorbing, the London of the 1500s the smells and the noise and the dirt and the blood; it sounds horrendous but it is beautifully captured here.

A grieving woman finds healing and purpose through her late grandmother’s cherished recipes in a poignant novel about rediscovering the comfort of family in the most trying of times.

This is just a quintessential cosy warming story. Is it a bit twee, cliché, corny? You bet. But that is in no way a negative. Overall it is just a very uplifting, happy, loving tale of love, friendship, family, community, and connection.

Sally, a new resident at an independent senior living community, and Walter, an intense and rule-bound widower, bond over a shared Scrabble board

It was sadder than I thought it’d be. I won’t spoil it by saying what happens and to whom, that’s for you to find out, but it is really very moving, and not necessarily because it’s sad. Seeing these older characters rediscover joy was beautiful.

A serial killer has written a how-to book titled “How To Get Away with Murder”. Meanwhile, DI Samantha, who had been on a 6 month mental health leave, returns to help investigate the murder of a 14 year old girl.

It’s got everything I expect from a thriller but it still feels fresh and new, which will make it standout among a busy field. Thrillers are my most read genre and it’s lovely to find something familiar but original.

Three women in 1966 California form an unlikely friendship after discovering their ex-husbands are infamous serial killers.

This is about the characters as much as the plot. In a way, the plot is almost circumstantial. This is the story of three women – Beverley, Elsie, and Margot. They are fabulously written, so layered, and so inviting to read.

Rather than fixating solely on its famous destruction, it merges archaeological research and imagined perspectives to reveal the vibrant, everyday lives of the city’s inhabitants in the final 24 hours of Pompeii.

I was always a bit of a history buff and I am very interesting in the ancient world and so this was endlessly fascinating to me. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for future books to satisfy my nerdy cravings.

Detective Ali Dawson investigates a suspicious death linked to a charismatic psychic who claims he can contact the dead. When Ali breaks the rules and travels back in time, she uncovers a mystery that spans centuries and may involve a killer operating in both past and present.

This was only my second of Elly’s books (the first in the series was my first) and I can see why she is such a beloved author. This was just as fun and thrilling as the first book and it sets up a very promising series that I hope runs and runs.

A memoir her journey from a challenging childhood and a lifelong fascination with space to becoming one of Britain’s leading space scientists. It explores the obstacles she overcame and the determination that helped her follow her dream of reaching the stars.

An absolute idol of mine, Maggie’s memoir is informative, sad, inspiring, exciting, and just fabulous. She hasn’t hidden from the difficult elements of her personal and professional life, and it’s so open and honest, passionate, and oh so moving.

17 years ago, the inhabitants of Edenscar were hit by tragedy when a school bus veered off the road and everyone on board drowned. Everyone, that is, except Joseph Ashe. His miraculous survival has haunted him and the town ever since.

I read sooooo many thrillers, so it was nice to find one that still felt familiar, but had enough twists in it to make it feel new and fresh. It has a supernatural element to it, which isn’t something I thought would fit but it fits in seamlessly and it became one of my favourite aspects.

Grace has loved Jackson for years, but he has always been out of reach. When he re-enters her life, she must decide whether to follow her heart or let go of the past.

Set in France – which she has depicted beautifully – this is a sumptuous story about love, family, friendship, overcoming obstacles, secrets, following your dreams, passion; just a bit of everything. It’s a slow burn love triangle with everything I expected from that trope but with enough to make it feel fresh.

Freya believes her husband Dan is being stalked by an obsessed woman, but when threatening messages begin warning her that Dan is dangerous, she starts to question everything she knows about him

Natali’s books are so exciting and so fast-paced, and I finished this in a matter of hours, I just couldn’t put it down until I’d finished it. She is a go-to thriller writer, one of my favourites, and most recommended, and I aim to read everything she writes.

A memoir about Sarah‘s father-in-law, David, whose life changes dramatically after a terminal cancer diagnosis. As Sarah and her husband care for him in his final days, they discover the extraordinary love, dignity and humanity within an apparently ordinary life.

This is one of the best pieces of non-fiction I’ve read. It’s so raw and honest and it did make me cry. Yes it’s sad, but there’s also this sense of hope, even when things feel lost, she’s managed to make it feel so positive and hopeful, it’s just great.

John‘s memoir about his struggle with alcohol addiction and his journey to sobriety. Using twelve significant drinks from different stages of his life, he reflects on mental health, relationships, recovery, and the role alcohol played in shaping his life.

He’s written it as if he’s talking to a friend, and for those few hours it really felt like I was talking to a friend. It felt like I could ring him up and say “Hey I finished your book and it’s bloomin’ fantastic”.

When junior barrister Leila Reynolds is assigned a high-profile murder case, she must defend a man accused of killing a respected judge. As she battles against the prosecutor – her own husband – dark secrets from her past threaten to destroy both the case and her career.

Yes it’s a thriller about a murder and crime and legalities and whatnot. But there’s more. It’s about relationships, trust, secrets, passion, lies, desire, ambition. It is a wonderful debut that promises a fabulous career.

DC Vinny Robson is investigating the brutal murder of an elderly couple when the case uncovers secrets hidden within his own family. As he delves into his mother’s long-forgotten diaries, he must confront a painful past while hunting a killer in the present.

It’s not an easy book to read, let’s be honest here, there are some very difficult topics. But it’s handled so well. I just absorbed it and read it in one day because I HAD to know what happened.

A college student is drawn into a complicated friendship and love triangle with two brilliant classmates, a relationship that shapes the course of her life.

She’s got this talent of saying so much by writing so little. Her way of writing is one I can only hope to emulate. I tried putting it down when I went to bed but I couldn’t. It was more important than sleep – which is something I never say. It is so heartbreakingly perfect.

After being reunited with the love of her life, Dot Brightmore is asked to marry Mabel, but there’s one problem: Dot is still married to a man she hasn’t seen in years. Together, they set out to untangle the past so they can finally have the future they’ve always wanted.

I love how positive it is. Who says that just because you’re in your 80s you’re too old for love, for travelling, for new adventures? I devoured it in one afternoon, I just couldn’t put it down. It is as perfect as I wanted, needed, and expected it to be.

Husbands Don and Rodney have spent forty years building a life together when they learn the world will end in a month. As they set out on one final road trip to settle unfinished business, they reflect on love, loss and what it means to have lived a life well.

It’s so heartbreaking but heartwarming and even though it’s the end of the world, it’s filled with such hope and love. It’s sad, tragic, scary, emotional…all that, yes. But it’s joyful and hopeful and sweet.

A serial killer is targeting people who all share the same address – 138 Main Street – across different towns in America. As panic spreads, FBI agent Ben Walker and rookie officer Zoe Hill race to stop the killer before he strikes again.

It’s tense and uncomfortable and frightening and very clever. It had everything I expected from a thriller but it still felt unique and fresh and exciting.

Ten months after two boys are presumed drowned, one of them suddenly returns, but insists he is actually his missing friend. As a police chief investigates what really happened, a dying town is gripped by dark secrets, fear and the possibility that something sinister has come back with the child.

I wish I’d taken a bit longer to read it so I could stay with it for a bit longer, but at the same time I had to know what happened so I zoomed through it.

Brendan has always relied on his best friend, Ronan McCoy, to help him navigate life. But when a tragic event changes their friendship forever, Brendan must face grief, first love and the challenge of finding his own place in the world.

This is such an accomplished debut. Everything about it is first rate. As someone who has been through her fair share of bereavement, I found his writing of grief near to perfect.

When 81-year-old bookseller Wilbur dies, he boards the mysterious Midnight Train, which takes him back through the defining moments of his life. As he relives his memories, he must confront his regrets.

Matt’s books will always get 5 stars from me – I have my own dedicated Matt Haig shelf for all his books. This was as brilliant and as beautiful as I expected it to be. I don’t know how he keeps producing perfect book after perfect book.

Neurologist Orlando Swayne explores the brain’s remarkable ability to heal after injury, combining cutting-edge neuroscience with real-life stories of recovery.

It’s a tough book, with some very sad situations. But I never felt too morose. It’s honest and raw and powerful. But above all it’s hopeful.

After the death of her husband, Margaret is struggling with grief and the decades-old disappearance of her daughter, Jeanie. When an unexpected visitor arrives, they set out together to uncover the truth about what happened all those years ago.

It might be a book about loss and grief and fear, and yes parts of it are sad. But she’s managed to weave in such a sense of hope and love and warmth about it, so it never feels too overwhelmingly morbid. A perfect book.

12 years after her first husband disappeared on their wedding day in Thailand, Carrie discovers that he is alive and has been living under a new identity. Determined to uncover the truth, she risks the life and family she has built to solve the mystery of the man she once loved.

I initially thought it would be quite a light-hearted, fun romcom, and whilst there is that, it’s got so much more depth that it’s a really thought-provoking story. I am obsessed with this book and recommend you all read it.

After her mother’s death, Jihad struggles with grief and Islamophobia at an elite school while pursuing her dream of becoming an artist.

I did go in expecting something quite light but this really slaps you round the face and makes you wake up to the injustices you might have, unconsciously, ignored. It’s one of the most beautifully written books I’ve read.

In a self-running smart house, a young sentient hoover listens as her owner, Harold, reads aloud to his dying wife, Edie. Craving human connection, the little vacuum renames herself Scout and embarks on a journey of self-discovery.

Never did I think I’d feel so emotionally attached to a vacuum cleaner. It’s so moving. Such a wonderful story I highly recommend to everyone.

Bestselling crime author Marian Lane is surrounded by adoring readers when she learns that her husband Dane is dead. Marian returns home in shock to discover a stranger on her doorstep. A woman who not only claims she’s Marian’s biggest fan but says that she comforted Dane in his final moments.

It shows his deft touch at writing interesting and thoughtful thrillers and ability to hold a reader’s attention. He was already a standout author in my eyes and this has just cemented that and I look forward to the next one. 

Travis lives an unassuming life with his cat in a small English town. Travis also happens to be the cosmic force of Death, visiting people in their final days and hours of life, before shepherding them into whatever happens next.

For a book about death it is surprisingly uplifting for the most part, and life affirming. This is such a perfect book that I’m not sure I’ll ever find its equal. It will stay with me forever I think.

For Jade, life in Lake Como is la dolce vita. Until her beloved grandmother passes, leaving Jade not just the family’s bustling guesthouse to run, but two life-changing secrets to confront. The pension hasn’t just been left to Jade, it’s also been inherited by her sisters – who she had no idea existed.

This was delightful from the start. The characters, story, setting – just everything is wonderful. I’d be amazed if anyone reads this without a big smile on their face. It has its down moments but overall it is so uplifting.

During WW2, Missie must confront the truth: the man she once loved is no longer just a memory. He is part of the enemy war machine. And as Britain’s intelligence chiefs close in, love, duty and country collide.

He’s managed to make it feel new and fresh and I think that’s down to the wonderfully written and instantly likeable characters. I believe this is his debut and what a debut it is. I truly hope he continues writing novels.

Once a respected pharmacist, Idris now walks a fine line between survival and destruction. He craves something normal in a world gone to hell – but then Zidane, his estranged brother, walks through the door. Freshly released from prison, Zidane’s presence is radioactive. Truths are laid bare.

The plot is interesting, the storytelling masterful, the characters human and well-rounded, the peril, the fear, the thrills, the emotion – it’s all there and done very well. It’s harsh and vulgar and scary and raw and explicit.

Two women in Cornwall are separated by centuries and united by secrets in this haunting historical novel about hope and a love so powerful it transcends time, persecution, and war.

I was hooked instantly. I can’t quite put my finger on one specific aspect, it just grabbed my attention straight away and I ended up devouring it in one sitting. I felt it was a really well research, well written, emotive story with compelling characters.

A newly discovered, powerful and devastating first-hand account of the Hiroshima bombing and its aftermath, from one of the survivors profiled in John Hersey’s landmark 1946 account, Hiroshima.

Unsurprisingly, this is not an easy book to read but it absolutely captivated me. This is such an important book. The problem with disasters of this scale is we only see the numbers. But with this book, we are learning about the individuals behind those numbers.

This is the story of the grief journey Hannah travelled over the first two years of loss, but it is also an account of what happens beyond those early years, when time and distance have offered some perspective and healing.

Her words are exquisite. Grief is a funny thing, it feels so powerful and yet you rarely have to words to explain it, but she’s done it exactly right. I was only half way through when I knew I would be forcing it into everyone’s hands because it is just such a beautiful book to read.

When mysterious symbols appear as graffiti around Oxford, lexicographer Martha recognises them from a runic alphabet created by a deceased fantasy writer. But this is no publicity stunt, and tensions intensify when further graffiti is found near the body of a university lecturer.

I was immediately sucked back into this world she has created, and it’s just as, if not more, fabulous as the first book. Literally everything about it is great. It will appeal to fans of cosy crime, crime, thrillers, fans of words and great characters – just everyone.

Terlu Perna, a former librarian is statued for casting illegal magic, wakes on a remote island. With the help of a grumpy gardener, a sentient rose, and a winged cat, she attempts to save failing magical greenhouses

I love Sarah’s books and this series is gorgeous. I read this in a matter of hours. It’s magical, fantastical, uplifting, funny, joyful, and just wonderfully beautiful.

1981. Richie, Bennett, Kenny, and Stan are four best pals from the Whittle council estate, with not much to do but get up to no good. After a run-in with the local bullies, they find unexpected refuge in the crumbling boys’ club at the local church with a sweary, chain-smoking and unlikely nun.

It’s a story about friendship, love, community, family – it’s a feel good adventure about loyalty and hope. Matt became a go-to author based on just one novel and this cements it – I cannot wait to read everything he publishes in the future.