Adventurers and admirers gather around: there are some excellent romantasies to look out for in 2026. Romantasy, combining the fantasy and romance genres, continues to be a big hit on the shelves. Featuring a central love story with a Happily Ever After/Happily For Now ending in a fantasy world setting, the subgenre gives readers a chance to experience fantastical worlds and love simultaneously. Romantasy has a foothold in the zeitgeist, speaking to our collective longing for magic, myth, legend, and romance made manifest in novels where, although impossible odds may impede you, you will always have someone by your side, rooting for your success. Romantasy is a hope-forward subgenre that I find absolutely enchanting. One thing is for sure: in 2026, publishers are not leaving anything on the table. Now that the subgenre is more established, authors have a chance to play within the space and take chances with new ideas, from funny cozy concepts to darker plots. While there are some incredibly exciting series continuations, the market is also full of new worlds from …

Erica Ezeifedi, Associate Editor, is a transplant from Nashville, TN that has settled in the North East. In addition to being a writer, she has worked as a victim advocate and in public libraries, where she has focused on creating safe spaces for queer teens, mentorship, and providing test prep instruction free to students. Outside of work, much of her free time is spent looking for her next great read and planning her next snack. Find her on Twitter at @Erica_Eze_. View All posts by Erica Ezeifedi I’m always here for all of the most anticipated book lists that come at the beginning of the year. They follow the flood of best-of lists and mirror the hopeful energy of the new year. Turns out, this batch of the most anticipated releases is as exciting as ever. King of literary satire Percival Everett has a reissue our Executive Director of Content is looking forward to, and I’m super hype for a Black American family saga that I first learned about in person. Our writers take us …

Welcome to a brand new year in reading! It’s shaping up to be another fantastic year in books, with buzzy releases from beloved authors and exciting debuts from fresh new voices alike. Expect cozy fantasy and swoony romance, breathtaking poetry and insightful literary fiction, brilliant biographies and books for budding readers, and more. There’s something—several somethings, really—for every reader to get excited about this year. So go on and ready those preorder and library hold lists, refresh your reading logs, and prepare to add to your very manageable, not at all unwieldy TBR. We present you with Book Riot’s Most Anticipated Books of 2026! Note: Release dates are subject to change based on publisher, author, and/or supply chain considerations. A Dark and Wild Wood by Sarah Nicole Lemon Fantasy In this Bluebeard-inspired story, Sarah Nicole Lemon weaves an eerie fairytale full of dark magic and seduction. Despite her futile attempts, Salomé has never been able to control her mysterious powers or visions of spirits. Her world turns upside down when her sister Rochelle disappears, and Salomé …

Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more. The Most Anticipated Books, According to USA TODAY It’s becoming evident which books are anticipated by multiple outlets. Take, for example, Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy, which now feels as familiar to me as any book I’ve actually read and is among USA TODAY’s recent list of most anticipated books. Kin by Tayari Jones is another big repeat, and of course it is because Tayari Jones, y’all. I hadn’t come across Queen of Faces by Petra Lord, a dark academia by a trans author. If I read any dark academia next year, it’ll be that one. One of my most anticipated picks for next year also made the list, but I’ll let you guess which one it is since our own list of 2026 reads we’re excited about is still impending (keep an eye out!). Find out what else USA TODAY selected here. These Books are Entering the Public Domain A new year means …