Brea and Mallory discuss their most anticipated books for the start of 2026! Plus, they talk to Danika Ellis from Book Riot about their 2026 Read Harder Challenge! Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com! Reading Glasses Merch Recommendations Store The Reading Glasses Book! Sponsors - Apron Notebooks www.apronnotebooks.com CODE: GLASSES GreenChef www.greenchef.com/GLASSESGRAZA CODE: GLASSESGRAZA Links - Reading Glasses Facebook Group Reading Glasses Goodreads Group Wish List Newsletter Libro.fm To join our Discord channel, email us proof of your Reading-Glasses-supporting Maximum Fun membership! www.maximumfun.org/join 2026 Read Harder The Lesbrary Danika Ellis Read Harder Newsletter Books Mentioned - Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll Love in Exile by Shon Faye Joy to the Girls by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick Really Cute People by Markus Harwood Jones Lu and Ren’s Guide to Geozoology by Angela Hsieh January Call Me Ishmaelle by Xiaolu Guo Literary fiction, feminist retelling of Moby Dick The Hitch by Sara Levine Magical realism, funny, woman trying to help nephew who is possessed by a dead corgi Is This a Cry for Help? by Emily Austin Literary fiction, queer, lesbian, librarians fighting book banners If I Ruled the World by Amy Dubois Literary fiction, late 1990s, hip hop, magazine industry Scavengers by Kathleen Boland Literary fiction, dysfunctional mother-daughter team looking for buried treasure The Charmed Library by Jennifer Moorman Magical realism, books about books, small town, librarian protagonist, book magic The Jills by Karen Parkman Thriller, Buffalo Bills cheerleader solving the murder of a fellow cheerleaders The Unwritten Rules of Magic by Harper Ross Fantasy, magic typewriter, grief, three generations of women, family history Dandelion is Dead by Rosie Storey Contemporary romance, woman sets up a date on her dead sister’s dating app The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead Literary fiction, music executive trying to bring band back from the brink, sisters, friendship Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash Literary fiction, humor, family dysfunction The Old Fire by Elisa Shua Literary fiction, translated, family drama in a crumbling house in the French countryside Sheer by Vanessa Lawrence Literary fiction, beauty industry, female mogul, secrets, queer How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder by Nina McConigley Literary, historical, 1980s, murder mystery, Indian-American tween protagonist who murders her uncle but she blames it on the British The Seven Daughters of Dupree by Nikesha Elise Williams Literary, multi-generational epic family saga, secrets The Last of Earth by Deepa Anappara Historical, 1800s Tibet, journey, Indian schoolteacher spying for the empire, English lady explorer disguising herself as a man The Bookbinder’s Secret by A.D. Bell Historical fiction, thriller, bookbinder finds confession hidden in a burned book and hunts a story of murder and love Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna Everhart Historical fiction, 1940s North Carolina, a young woman subjected to involuntary medical treatment fights back Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven Historical fiction, behind the scenes drama on a 1960s family sitcom Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward Horror, Peter Pan inspired, gothic, two fleeing siblings find sanctuary at mysterious ranch Definitely Maybe Not a Detective by Sarah Fox Mystery, romcom, woman’s fake detective agency accidentally hired to solve a real murder Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies by Jenny Elder Moke Mystery, romcom, rich people behaving badly All the Little Houses by May Cobb Thriller, 1980s Texas, mean girls and mean moms, family secret My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney Thriller, mind-bending psychological marriage mystery The Storm by Rachel Hawkins Thriller, Alabama, hurricane, old hotel, gothic, old murder Missing Sam by Thrity Umrigar Thriller, queer, lesbian, missing wife, suburban dread Humboldt Cut by Allison Mick Horror, eco-horror, northern California, dark humor, bark monsters Hollow by Celina Myers Horror, paranormal romance, romantasy, vampires, found family On Sundays She Picked Flowers by Yah Yah Scholfield Horror, southern gothic, Georgia, ghosts, haints A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James Horror, siblings returning to childhood home after being called by dead brother This House Will Feed by Maria Tureaud Historical horror, 1840s Ireland, haunted house, gothic, suspense Nine Goblins: A Tale of Low Fantasy and High Mischief by T. Kingfisher YA fantasy, novella, humor, band of hapless goblins on a quest A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang by Lee Onhwa, translated by Slin Jung Fantasy, Korean, cozy, woman who inherits magical bakery The Poet Empress by Shen Tao Romantasy, epic fantasy, historical, hot evil prince, poetry magic Through Gates of Garnet and Gold by Seanan McQuire Next Wayward Children book We Who Have No Gods by Liza Anderson Romantasy, witches, gothic, dark academia, magic academy, secret societies Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibañez Romantasy, historical, renaissance Italy, competition hosted by secret immortal family The Wolf and His King by Finn Longman Queer retelling of Bisclavret the werewolf, historical, 12 century, court intrigue A Vow in Vengeance by Jaclyn Rodriquez Romantasy, tarot, magic, dark academia, enemies to lovers, forced proximity The Book of Blood and Roses by Annie Summerlee Romantasy, sapphic, paranormal, vampires, mysterious university The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotta Yambao Cozy fantasy, train that takes you to your life’s purpose Two Left Feet by Kallie Emblidge Queer romance, MLM, contemporary sports romance, British premier league football Most Eligible by Isabelle Engel Contemporary romance, journalist sneaks onto a reality TV dating show The Shop on Hidden Lane by Jayne Ann Krentz Paranormal romance, romantic suspense, psychic dangers, warring paranormal families Greta Gets the Girl by Melissa Marr Contemporary sapphic romance, forbidden romance, publishing The Lust Crusade by Jo Segura Contemporary romance, librarian and archaeologist fake dating, Greek mythology Last First Kiss by Julian Winters Queer romance, contemporary, MLM, second chance, rom com Ain’t Nobody’s Fool: The Life and Times of Dolly Parton by Martha Ackmann Nonfiction The Royal Insider: My Life with the Queen, the King, and Princess Diana by Paul Burrell Nonfiction, memoir Fly, Wild Swans: My Mother, Myself, and China by Jung Chang Nonfiction, memoir, three generations of women The Flower Bearers by Rachel Eliza Griffiths Nonfiction, memoir, grief, death of a sister, friendship, marriage Blood Bible: An American History by DaMaris Hill Nonfiction, history, racism, slave trade history, national identity, personal identity Winter: The Story of a Season by Val McDermid Creative nonfiction, history of winter community events, Scotland When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America’s Black Botanical Legacy by Beronda L. Montgomery Nonfiction, history of Black botany through seven trees Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy Literary fiction, drama, age gap romance, Catch Her if You Can by Tessa Bailey Romance, contemporary, sports, baseball, marriage of convenience Vigil by George Saunders Literary fiction, magical realism, eco-drama, dying oil CEO Fruit of the Flesh by I.V. Ophelia Historical fantasy, gothic romance, marriage of convenience, dark appetites The Bones Beneath My Skin by T.J. Klune Queer thriller, MLM, 1990s, gay couple helping little girl with powers Football by Chuck Klosterman Nonfiction about football Cry Havoc by Rebecca Wait Historical mystery, 1980s failing English boarding school, dark academia, funny, strange contagion among students Hemlock by Melissa Faliveno Literary, gothic, queer, woman investigating mother’s disappearence February Laws of Love and Logic by Debra Curtis Literary fiction, love triangle - first love vs devoted husband One of Us by Elizabeth Day Literary thriller, drama between old friends and wealth, murder Everything Lost Returns by Sarah Domet Literary fiction, historical, twin timelines, 1910s and 1980s, friendship Where the Wildflowers Grow by Terah Shelton Harris Literary fiction, fugitive hides out at rural Alabama flower farm, found family Bad Asians by Lillian Li Literary fiction, friend group saga I Hope You Find What You’re Looking For by Bsrat Mezghebe Literary fiction, historical, 1990s Washington DC, Ethiopian immigrant community This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page Literary fiction, woman receives books recommended by her dead husband Royal Spin by Robin Benway and Omid Scobie Literary fiction, workplace drama inside Buckingham Palace Superfan by Jenny Tinghui Zhang Literary fiction, popstar and his superfan collide, fandom, loneliness Belgrave Road: A Love Story by Manish Chauhan Literary fiction, two young immigrants in a forbidden romance This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman Literary fiction, funny, multi generational family drama, grief Rebel English Academy by Hanif Mohammed Literary fiction, Pakistan, political power, language, friendship The Secret of Snow by Tina Harnesk, translated by Alice Menzies Literary fiction, elderly couple crosses paths with two twentysomethings and discovers surprising shared history The Renovation by Kenan Orhan Literary fiction, woman discovers her bathroom has been remodeled into a prison cell Messenger Cat Cafe by Nagi Shimeno, translated by M. Jean Magical realism, cozy, cat in the afterlife who must deliver 5 messages to people on earth before he can see his beloved owner again A Crown of Stars by Shana Abé Historical fiction, retelling of the last days of the Lusitania The Fourth Princess by Janie Chang Historical fiction, gothic, 1910s Shanghai, crumbling mansion, secrets Cleopatra by Saara El-Arifi Historical fiction, retelling of Cleopatra’s life from her POV Book of Forbidden Words
