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The best books to add to your to reading list in 2026, from yearning romances to dark thrillers
The hosts of The Read Room give their verdict on the best books heading our way in 2026
2026 is going to be an undeniably excellent year for books. As the hosts of The Read Room, a literature-meets-late nights event, the ultimate perk of the job is of course: the books. While we love meeting so many new people and talking about literature - nothing beats being able to crack open a brand new novel or memoir and waiting for it to alter our worlds.
It was a brilliant year in 2025 for us at our book club, hosting authors from all over the world and connecting them with dedicated audiences, while providing our lovely attendees with free copies of the featured book. It feels surreal to imagine 2026 could be even better. But with us taking our event to London on the 22nd of January, in collaboration with Cosmopolitan UK and new state of the art rental development in Nine Elms, Moda Embassy Boulevard, we have a feeling it might be!
Beat the January blues and join us for an evening of community led book discussion, hosted in our one-of-a-kind Read Room format. Cosmo Club members will have first access to tickets (sign up here to be in the know), but for general release and information on our upcoming events please do give us a follow on @the_readroom and @embassyboulevard on instagram.
And now as we get ready for another year of excellent reading, we've rounded up the books we're most excited for in 2026.
"Belgrave Road is Manish Chauhan’s debut novel. A searing love-story set which begins with the central characters, Mira and Tahliil, meeting in Leicester. Both have immigrated to the UK, and are experiencing it vastly differently due to differences in family and community.
"Nonetheless, they find each other in the thick of it all and forge their own connection while attempting to break down the numerous barriers standing in the way of their togetherness. Huge, crashing events are replaced here in favour of small, meaningful moments that explore family, culture and expectations. A truly stunning read that will be a favourite among all fellow yearners." Out January 2026 - Kya.
"Best Offer Wins is a darkly comic domestic thriller about obsession, ambition, and the madness of the housing market. After eighteen months of failed bids in Washington, D.C., publicist Margo Miyake is desperate to buy a home and move forward with her life. When she discovers a perfect house before it officially goes on sale, Margo becomes determined to win it at any cost.
"What begins as curiosity quickly escalates into boundary-crossing, manipulation, and increasingly unhinged behaviour as she inserts herself into the sellers’ lives. Sharp, tense, and wickedly funny, the novel skewers class anxiety, entitlement, and the lengths we’ll go to for the life we think we deserve." Out January 2026 - Sophia.
"This novel from Tanya Sweeney is inspired by the author’s own experiences working in the music industry. Following the story of Esther, and her ever growing obsession (or is it love and he just doesn’t know it yet?), with actor Ted when they lock eyes for a fraction of a second in a park in London. Esther is Now Following You interrogates the blurry boundary between fandom and fixation. Set at the dawn of social media, the novel follows Esther as her life quietly unravels and she latches onto Ted Levy, a D-list Canadian actor, as her emotional anchor.
"What starts as online admiration soon intensifies: she joins Ted’s Facebook fan group, tracks down his sister, and impulsively abandons her London life for a one-way ticket to Toronto, convinced they are destined to be together. Gossipy, darkly funny, and deliciously unhinged, Esther captures the chaotic energy of early-2010s internet culture, feeling like a sharp pop-culture time capsule. Combining Fleabag’s humour, Green Dot’s obsessive longing, and the momentum of Baby Reindeer, Sweeney crafts a compulsive psychological thriller that has drawn widespread acclaim." Out January 2026 - Sophia.
"Don’t we all love and crave stories about depraved women? A lot of our 2025 bookshelves would suggest this, and This Immaculate Body is a welcome addition to the collection. The novel follows Alice, who becomes utterly infatuated with Tom, the man whose house she cleans. Going so far as to rifle through his possessions, bins and calendar - in an effort to submerge herself into his life - despite not knowing him personally at all.
"Whether you want to call it obsession, infatuation or just unadulterated delusion, Alice’s actions become more and more depraved as the novel progresses. Van Straaten’s writing is so sharp that it becomes impossible at times not to root for our problematic protagonist. It’s a ride you don’t want to end." Out in paperback February 2026 - Kya.
"Minbak will be a standout book for many people this year, taking on a huge undertaking with apparent ease. Spanning generations and taking readers between South Korea and London, this intimate and affecting book centres on the lives of three women. The threads that connect them are family, the weight of the things we don’t say, and a guesthouse - the minbak. Lee writes about migration, motherhood and belonging with a light but emotionally precise touch.
"As the pages go on, the minbak itself becomes much more than just a place to rest your head. It becomes symbolic of refuge, belonging, memory and inheritance - cementing the book’s status as something truly cathartic." Out March 2026 - Kya.
"Rosie Storey’s unputdownable first novel will have readers tearing through the pages and salivating for more. Equal parts thrilling and murky, Dandelion is Dead centres Poppy, the sister of the deceased titular character. One day, Poppy goes through her sister Dandelion’s phone, to find a message from a man, Jake, on a dating app.
"Fuelled by something readers will be teeming to understand, Poppy goes on a date as Dandelion - only to experience unbelievable chemistry with Jake. It’s all based on a lie, but she doesn’t want to let go. How far can we go to bend the truth? As you can imagine, the events that follow are compulsively readable." Out March 2026 - Kya
"The first novel from Annie Lord, the author of the beloved memoir Notes on Heartbreak, is gracing us all with its presence this year, and not a moment too soon. The book centres Daisy and Maya, who tear through London’s nightlife scene at breakneck speed. Think sex, drinks and exchanging life stories in the smoking area - interspersed with small moments of existential crises.
"An unequivocally fun way to spend your time - but with no pay off romantically. Our characters realise they are surrounded by men (or rather, boys) who just aren’t cutting the proverbial mustard. And so, they create The Project, a radically daring way to reinvent dating. Will there be unexpected variables with life-altering consequences? Well, of course." Out July 2026 - Kya
Heroes and Zeroes: Myths and Legends from the Bad Boys of Ancient Greece, Lizzy Tiffin
"Author and journalist Lizzy Tiffin returns with Heroes or Zeroes?: Myths and Legends from the Bad Boys of Ancient Greece, a fresh and humorous take on ancient Greek ‘heroes’. In this book she revisits Greek mythological figures through a modern lens, comparing legendary characters to contemporary stereotypes like the alpha male and the lone wolf, all in the witty, engaging style readers enjoyed in Bad Girls of Ancient Greece.
"Tiffin explores lesser-known ‘unsung heroes,’ overlooked sidekicks, and morally ambiguous figures, challenging what it meant to be a ‘hero’ or a ‘zero’ in antiquity. Heroes or Zeroes blends storytelling with cultural insight, prompting readers to rethink familiar myths and the qualities we celebrate in legendary figures." Out July 2026 - Sophia.
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