A new year is only a few weeks away, and that means it’s time to start working on a new TBR list. As you can imagine, the NetGalley team loves looking ahead to see which books are coming out next. Here’s a roundup of the books we can’t wait to pick up in 2026!
Courtney
A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman
After discovering Dungeon Crawler Carl and reading through the entire series in two months, I am eagerly anticipating the next installment. I love the ways that Dinniman has implemented video game and tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) elements into the storytelling, and I love the journey he is taking his characters on. Each new book, each new dungeon level, brings new surprises and new incredible characters. I can’t wait to see where it goes next!
Megan
Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I’ve Cried About written and narrated by Isabel Klee
As a dog lover with two wonderful rescue dogs, I’m so excited to read this book. If you’re not familiar with @SimonSits on social, Isabel Klee is a huge advocate for shelter dogs and documents her time fostering with her adorable dog Simon helping along the way. I’ve laughed and cried watching these dogs go from scared and shut down or sick, to brave and confident, and then to being adopted into their forever home. She narrates her videos beautifully, and I’m so excited to get a full book with her writing and voice. I admire her compassion, and I think reading about someone my own age sharing their life experiences and journey in New York City will be a great read.
Kelly
Hold Me Like a Grudge by Celine Ong
If I could custom-make a book of my favorite things, it might just be Celine Ong’s debut: queer romance, sports rivals, and a Fall Out Boy-inspired title. Set in the world of professional wrestling, the novel follows Asher and Caleb as they’re pitted against each other by Global Elite Wrestling. Asher originally plans to take Caleb’s World Championship title from him, but things get complicated as they spend more time together and their walls come down. I am hopelessly hopeful that the days will fly by until this book is in my hands.
The Book of Blood and Roses by Annie Summerlee
I have an undying love of vampire stories, so the second I saw there was a sapphic vampire fantasy set in the Scottish Highlands, I made room on my TBR. So many things I love are in that sentence alone! But add in a romance brewing between a vampire and a vampire hunter as they work together to solve a mystery, and there wasn’t a chance I’d miss this one. It’ll be the perfect precursor to Interview with the Vampire season three (also hopefully coming out in 2026!).
Alicia
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth, narrated by Hannah Fredericksen, Jenny Seedsman
I don’t have the words for how excited I am about this book! While this is technically a mystery/thriller, Sally Hepworth’s sense of humor is what keeps me coming back every time, and I have no doubt that this book will be the same. Our main character, Elsie, is 81 years old, pretty darn grumpy, and has lived on the same quiet street for 60 years. What her neighbors don’t know is that Elsie is actually “Mad Mabel,” and she has quite the murderous past. I cannot wait to learn how Elsie became known as Australia’s youngest killer!
Alyce
This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews
I’ve read and loved just about everything by Ilona Andrews, so this automatically went on my must-read list for 2026.
Hallie
Eureka by Victoria Chang
When I saw that Eureka was for “fans of Inside Out and Back Again, Other Words for Home, and A Place to Hang the Moon” (three of my all-time favorite middle grade books), it immediately went to the top of my anticipated-reads list! Set in 1885, Eureka follows a 12-year-old Chinese immigrant named Mei Mei and her experience during the expulsion of Chinese Americans from Eureka, California. I especially love historical fiction that is written in verse, so I have a feeling this will be one of my first reads of 2026!
Katie
Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher
I went through a T. Kingfisher spree in 2025—reading as many as I could get my hands on at my local library! I’m relatively new to the horror genre, so Kingfisher has been an excellent gateway author for me, especially since I’m more traditionally a fantasy reader and often her books toe the line of both. Plus, all of the glowing reviews on NetGalley have me even more excited!
Darcy
A Real Animal by Emeline Atwood
I’m always curious to see what Catapult is publishing and never disappointed when I pick up one of their books. Not only is the publisher putting some energy behind this debut, but it also has extraordinary advance praise from Elizabeth McCracken. Can’t wait!
Emily
Score by Kennedy Ryan
Score is the second book in Kennedy Ryan’s Hollywood Renaissance series. In the first book, Reel, we meet Monk and Verity as side characters on a film set, since they’re the composer and screenwriter, respectively. It’s clear there’s some history between them, but we only got a couple of glimpses of what went down. I’m ready to be swept away by their second-chance romance and return to the fascinating world that Kennedy Ryan established in Reel.
No Matter What by Cara Bastone
Second chance trope + Cara Bastone? Sign me up! Second-chance romances always tug at my heartstrings, and I’m waiting to be torn apart and put back together by Bastone’s words. No Matter What is about a separated, about-to-be-divorced couple, Roz and Vin, spending time together again after Vin offers to be the model for Roz’s figure drawing class practice. I’m certain it’ll offer the cozy and emotion-packed writing I love from Bastone.
Looking for even more recs?
Check out this roundup of highly-anticipated 2026 releases!
This page contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through those links (at no additional cost to you).
