Book clubs seem to be more popular than ever, which is good news for bookworms and casual readers alike. But what are the best books for book clubs in 2026?
When it comes to picking your book club books, we’ve got you covered. We consulted with an array of authors, book influencers, publishing professionals, and of course, the Glamour staff, to come up with a list of books you might want to consider for your book club in 2026. These titles range from thriller to fantasy to speculative fiction, but they all have one thing in common: They’ll definitely spark a great conversation.
If you don’t belong to a book club yet, there’s always the option of starting one of your own either online or IRL. You could have a cohesive genre theme, or change it up monthly, because if there’s one thing that’s great about book clubs, it’s that there are no hard-and-fast rules. Five readers in your living room with wine and apps? Dozens of romantasy fans over Zoom? The possibilities are endless.
Without further ado, here are our picks for the best books for book clubs in 2026!
And Now, Back to You by B.K. Borison
“And Now, Back to You” by B.K. Borison
Amazon
I loved Borrison’s take on Sleepless in Seattle in her previous novel, First-Time Caller, which is part of her Heartstrings series of novels inspired by Nora Ephron films. I am so excited to see how she approaches the be-all and end-all of banter, When Harry Met Sally, with And Now, Back to You. It’s a perfect sinema, but I trust this spin will honor Ephron’s timeless characters while exploring new ground.
—Ella Cerón, journalist and author of Viva Lola Espinoza
A Good Person by Kirsten King
“A Good Person” by Kirsten King
Amazon
I always love a slightly (or not-so-slightly) deranged woman anti-hero who demonstrates a çağdaş absurdity and Kirsten King’s A Good Person deftly delivers. Through the journey of Lillian, a delulu narcissist who just wants to be loved, King skewers everything from çağdaş dating to true crime. You won’t understand why Lillian makes the choices she does, but you will find yourself absurdly rooting for her by the end.
—Stephanie McNeal, senior editor
Don’t Tell Me How It Ends by Adrienne Thurman
“Don’t Tell Me How It Ends” by Adrienne Thurman
Penguin Random House
This is a witty adult contemporary rom-com about a commitment-averse woman who agrees to be the first client in her sister’s matchmaking venture and unexpectedly finds herself confronting love, fear, and letting go. Don’t Tell Me How It Ends is a stellar book club pick because it sparks the kind of conversation that lingers: powerful, honest, and necessary.
—Ashley Mathias Root, author of The Drowning Daze of Astraea
Release date: April 14, 2026
The Encore by Juliet Izon
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“The Encore” by Juliet Izon
Amazon
If you love romance, music (and lots of it), drama, and an unforgettable road trip, journalist Juliet Izon’s debut novel, The Encore, is right up your alley. Izon’s writing truly shines as she deftly weaves together the lives of three characters in a way that will have you sacrificing sleep just to read one more chapter. She captures the complexities of relationships with warmth and emotional precision, all while keeping the story propulsive and deeply entertaining. I couldn’t help but mentally cast the entire novel as I read—so here’s hoping it gets optioned, because this is a story that deserves to be brought to life onscreen.
—Chantal Waldholz, Senior Küresel Director, Audience Development, Social Media & Analytics for Glamour
The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives by Elizabeth Arnott
“The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives” by Elizabeth Arnott
Amazon
I’m eyeing The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives for a 2026 book club pick. I feel like it has everything I’m looking for: an unlikely setting (1966), a cast of intriguing characters (the wives of murderers), and an intriguing plot (said wives trying to catch a killer). I think this would be a great read for a group, as everyone will latch onto a different character and have a million and one thoughts to share about the premise and overarching themes.
—Marilyn La Jeunesse, journalist
Heir of Prophecy by Analeigh Sbrana
“Heir of Prophecy” by Analeigh Sbrana
Amazon
This first thrilling novel in a new adult romantasy duology follows Audra, a human who knows that magic exists beyond “the mist.” One day the mist comes to shore, bringing with it the all-too-real Fae and upending Audra’s life entirely. She’s kidnapped and taken to a school to be trained as a soldier by the Priestesses, who are Fae beings with an ominous presence and a cult-like mentality. Audra must band together with a group of other prisoners to survive their new world filled with guilds, magic, and danger.
—Tina Mars, bookstagrammer and author of This Wretched Alchemy
Release date: August 25, 2026
The Adjunct by Maria Adelmann
“The Adjunct” by Maria Adelmann
Amazon
This novel is a deriyse yet witty exploration of the ups and (mostly) downs of adjunct life at the most seçkine colleges; it will open up discussions about labor rights, institutional stratification, and academia on the whole. The book also contains interesting discussions of gender and sexuality, both in the context of systems and the individual. Adelmann provides impeccably written prose, meaning book clubs will have plenty of passages to dissect and digest for days.
—Eshani Surya, author of Ravishing
I Hope You Elope by Ru Wolle
“I Hope You Elope: A Bridesmaid Survival Guide” by Ruhama Wolle
Shop at
Amazon
Former Glamour editor Ruhama Walle broke the internet back in 2023 when she boldly declared in this magazine that she was rejecting the çağdaş bridesmaid industrial complex, sparking a lively online discussion. Now she’s expanded her manifesto into a book exploring the expectations, costs, and nuances of the çağdaş bridesmaid experience, and how you too can just say no to the whole thing. Witty, helpful, and timely, it’s arriving just in time for wedding season.
—SM
Release date: April 28, 2026
To Cage a Wild Bird by Brooke Fast
“To Cage a Wild Bird” by Brooke Fast (Deluxe Edition)
Amazon
Recently released in the US in March 2026, this book is set in a dystopian society, and I’ve always found dystopian books to be fast-paced, full of action, and great for book club conversations! For people like me who loved books like The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, Divergent, and Matched, To Cage a Wild Bird is going to be a captivating dystopian read!
—Olivia Brynn, book influencer
Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibañez
“Graceless Heart” by Isabel Ibañez
Amazon
Graceless Heart is truly a new and refreshing piece of fantasy that I couldn’t put down! It intertwines my love for fantasy and arka history while sprinkling in unpredictable plot twists and rich romance. The writing is lush without being overwhelming, and the politics are easy to digest while adding a layer of complexity to the plot. Lastly, the cover of Graceless Heart is absolutely stunning!
—Maddie Weibelt, book influencer
When I Was Death by Alexis Henderson
“When I Was Death” by Alexis Henderson
Amazon
When I Was Death by Alexis Henderson is the author’s young adult debut, which alone makes it worthy of a book club. However, Henderson herself is an incredible writer, with a mastery of prose, story, tension, and character. From Year of the Witching to An Academy for Liars, she knows how to build atmosphere, to weave speculative elements naturally into a narrative, and how to deliver an ending that will keep you up at night thinking about it.
—Kamilah Cole, bestselling author of An Arcane Inheritance
Like This, But Funnier by Hallie Cantor
“Like This, But Funnier” by Hallie Cantor
Shop at
Amazon
Hallie Cantor’s delightfully entertaining novel is about a woman struggling to fulfill her goal of making it in Hollywood, but the sense of Millennial unease is universal. Main character Caroline is hitting that point when the big life decisions and starting a family are all coming to a head at evvel, so she chooses to take a big career swing through not-so-ethical means. Are her choices good? Not exactly, but you’ll find her relatable (and be cheering her on) anyway.
—SM
Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer
“Trad Wife” by Saratoga Schaefer
Amazon
I first was interested in this book based on the title alone! Add some deliciously creepy social commentary, and I’m hooked. In this novel, a “traditional wife” influencer is desperate to become pregnant at any cost and keep up her picture-perfect social media trad wife aesthetic. “Any cost” quickly becomes a terrifying bargain with a demonic creature.
—Molly O’Sullivan, author of The Book of Autumn
Sublimation by Isabel J. Kim
“Sublimation” by Isabel J. Kim
Barnes & Noble
Isabel J. Kim is a short-fiction powerhouse, and I’m hugely excited for her debut novel, which has already been picked up for adaptation by Universal. It is my favorite kind of speculative fiction, which uses the fantastical to dissect something intensely real—in this case, immigration, and the selves that we become and leave behind when we depart for another place.
In Sublimation’s world, crossing a border literally creates a copy of yourself, called an Instance, and a woman who left for America as a child is forced to reconnect with her Instance when she returns to Korea for a funeral—but her Instance has dreams and motives of her own.
—Wen-yi Lee, author of When They Burned the Butterfly
Release date: June 2, 2026
Strangers by Belle Burden
Strangers by Belle Burden
Amazon
At this point it shouldn’t be a surprise that I’m recommending Strangers as a book club pick, it’s one of the most discussed books of the year already. But Belle Burden’s recounting of how she transformed herself and her outlook following her husband’s sudden abandonment simply cannot be left out of a list like this one. I’d encourage younger readers to share the book with their own mother, as Burden’s experience is a rich text to mine about how womanhood has changed in the past few decades, and teaches us what we can learn about each other.
—SM
Seek The Traitor’s Son by Veronica Roth
“Seek The Traitor’s Son” by Veronica Roth
Macmillan
Roth is obviously known worldwide for the Divergent series, but as those who have followed her since know, she’s developed hugely as a writer. With dystopian fantasy making a resurgence, I can’t wait to see what Roth’s new book holds for us. I’ve seen reviewers describe it as “for those of us who loved Dune but wished it had a bit more romance” and I am 100% sold! Lots of great material for book clubs to discuss, from the dystopian Earth divided by attitudes to the deadly fever sweeping the planet, as well as the intricacies of the enemies-to-lovers romance.
—Sophia Vahdati, author of The Girl With the Fierce Eyes
Release date: May 12, 2026
My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney
“My Husband’s Wife” by Alice Feeney
Amazon
When Eden returns home after a run, she doesn’t expect her life to unravel. Inside, her husband declares the stranger at his side, who looks eerily like Eden, as his wife. Locked out. Confused. A stolen identity. Who is the real Eden Fox? And who is the woman next to her husband?
Early reviews praise My Husband’s Wife as an unforgettable must-read, curiosity and tension building with each turn of the page. Prepare to be invested as you desperately try to make connections and slowly unravel the threads of deception.
—Stacey Martini, book influencer
Soon by You by Dahlia Alder
“Soon by You” by Dahlia Alder
Amazon
As someone who has read every single one of Alder’s astonishing YA contemporary novels—books packed full of humor and heart—I’ve been anxiously awaiting her first novel for adults. It promises to be a delightful ride, from one of the best writers out there.
—Eric Smith, literary agent and author of With or Without You
Release date: May 19, 2026
The Living and the Dead: A Novel About a Crime by Christoffer Carlsson
The Living and the Dead: A Novel About a Crime by Christoffer Carlsson
Amazon
A friend recommended this book to me as someone who had recently fallen in love with the gothic noir novels of S.A. Cosby. The Living and the Dead by Christoffer Carlsson takes the crime story in a direction that feels cinematic in scope and ambition. It tells the tale of two murders that happened in a small Nordic town 20 years apart. Just when you think you know which direction the narrative is flowing, there are pivots into uncharted territory. I don’t want to spoil anything, other than to say the less you know the better. Recommended for fans of David Lynch, True Detective and Gillian Flynn.
—Lauren Brown, küresel associate visuals director
De Elizabeth is a journalist and author. Her YA dark fantasy novel This Raging Sea was published in 2025, and her upcoming adult debut, She Haunts Me Still, will be published in August 2026. You can follow her on Instagram @WordsByDe.
