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Keep your 2026 TBR growing!
If you’ve been following my recent newsletters, you know I’m officially counting down the days until winter is over. Despite it still being cold outside, I’m thinking about my Spring Break reading list. I’ve put together a selection of the 2026 books I’m most excited to clear space for on my shelf this spring. We’re traveling from the movie sets of 1950s Hollywood to the hills of Ireland, and these April, May, and June releases are the ones I can’t wait to dive into.
Enjoy and tell me which 2026 book releases you’re adding to your list in the comments!
April 2026: New Lives and Hard Choices
In late April, we’re heading back to the American frontier with Jane Smiley’s Lidie (releasing April 21). This is actually a long-awaited sequel to her 1998 classic, The All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton. For those who remember the first book, it followed Lidie’s dangerous life in the 1850s “Bleeding Kansas” territory. This new addition to the 2026 books picks up her journey as she leaves a divided America behind for a completely new start in England. I’ve always liked how Smiley shows the gritty, honest side of history instead of making it look like a romanticized old movie. It’s a great pick if you like stories about strong women trying to find their way when the world is changing around them.
May 2026: High Stakes & Epic Adventures
In May, I’m looking forward to Álvaro Enrigue’s Now I Surrender (May 12). Enrigue gained a lot of attention for his unique book Sudden Death, and this is one of the boldest 2026 books on my radar. This is a powerful story about the final days of the Apache wars in the 1880s. But it’s not your typical Western. It connects the story of a woman trying to survive in the desert with threads from a much earlier time. Enrique covers a lot of ground and shows how different groups of people fought for their land and their lives. If you like historical novels that feel massive in scale and make you see the past in a new way, this is definitely one for your list.
June 2026: Hollywood Secrets & Irish History
June brings a fascinating new book from Natasha Lester called The Chateau on Sunset (June 2). If you enjoyed her bestsellers like The Paris Seamstress or The Riviera House, you know she is the queen of mixing fashion and history. Set in the 1950s at the famous Chateau Marmont hotel, this new addition to my 2026 books is a creative retelling of the classic story Jane Eyre. It follows a young woman in Hollywood who realizes that the sparkle of the movie business hides some dark, unsettling secrets. I’ve always loved how Lester combines Hollywood glamour with serious historical themes, and moving this classic story to a legendary hotel is such a clever idea.
Finally, I’m making time for Maggie O’Farrell’s Land (June 2). I’ve been a fan of hers for a while, especially after the huge success of her books, Hamnet and The Marriage Portrait. Her new book is set in Ireland right after the Great Famine. It’s about a father and son who are trying to map out the country while dealing with their own family heartbreaks. It’s a story about resilience and how people try to hold onto their homes even when everything is falling apart. O’Farrell has a way of making history feel incredibly personal, and I think this will be one of the stand-out books of the summer.
Which 2026 Books are you adding to your TBR?
Are you packing your bags for a trip or planning a staycation with a good book? Let me know in the comments!
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