“Because who wants to be known as some kind of ho-bag haunt.” Shannon Sanders’s debut novel The Great Wherever (Henry Holt 2026) might be my favorite ghost story of the year – it certainly has a couple of my favorite ghosts. The novel opens with Aubrey Lamb getting dumped. She was already floundering a bit,Continue reading “THE GREAT WHEREVER – Shannon Sanders”
Tag Archives: 2026 release
SOME PEOPLE – Parini Shroff
“We’re all just people, trying. We’re all eggshells, walking around trying not to bump into shit that will break us.” I really enjoyed Parini Shroff’s The Bandit Queens, so I was eager to read the follow-up novel, Some People (Ballantine Books 2026). While it is a very different book from The Bandit Queens, the writingContinue reading “SOME PEOPLE – Parini Shroff”
THE DAFFODIL DAYS – Helen Bain
Helen Bain’s debut novel, The Daffodil Days (Scribner 2026), would have been on my Booker Longlist predictions had I read it earlier. (It would likely have replaced A Beautiful Loan.) And while it’s too late for me to change those predictions, I will stand ten toes down behind this novel. Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon RiverContinue reading “THE DAFFODIL DAYS – Helen Bain”
SHOULD THE WATERS TAKE US – Stephanie Soileau
I love a family saga, and when the publisher sent me Stephanie Soileau’s Should the Waters Take Us (Doubleday 2026 – thanks for the copy! I wish I’d gotten this out sooner – the book was released 7/14/2026!), I was thrilled. Family saga spanning centuries and set primarily in the Louisiana bayou? Yes, please. Let’sContinue reading “SHOULD THE WATERS TAKE US – Stephanie Soileau”
CHILDREN OF THE WILD – Kevin Powers
Based on the premise and the reviews, I thought I was sure to enjoy Kevin Powers’s Children of the Wild (Harper 2026). Color me wrong. I was so disappointed in this book. And quite honestly mad at myself for finishing it. But where did it go wrong? Historical fiction set in 1917, isolated rural valleyContinue reading “CHILDREN OF THE WILD – Kevin Powers”
LAND – Maggie O’Farrell
“And when we die, we surrender our bodies to the earth and we become earth. It is the end of one story but the beginning of another.” “So now she waits. She finds herself to be the woman in all stories, in all ballads and myths, waiting for her man to return – from battle,Continue reading “LAND – Maggie O’Farrell”
THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY – Elizabeth Strout
“A page had been turned. It was that quiet and that simple, but Artie – having almost died – no longer wanted to.” Elizabeth Strout is a talented writer, I’d just previously decided I don’t really like her leading characters. To be fair, I’ve only read Oh William! and I said the following regarding it:Continue reading “THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY – Elizabeth Strout”
RASPUTIN SWIMS THE POTOMAC – Ben Fountain
Ben Fountain is a born, bred and dead Carolina kid. (I’ll ignore the Duke years.) While he spent much of his legal career in Texas, he was born and raised in NC, educated at Carolina, and now lives in NC. And he’s written one helluva political satire in Rasputin Swims the Potomac (Flatiron 2026). I’mContinue reading “RASPUTIN SWIMS THE POTOMAC – Ben Fountain”
ALL THEM DOGS – Djamel White
A buzzy debut with some Booker-heavy blurbs, including from the first Booker prize winner to serve as chair of the award, Djamel White’s All Them Dogs (Riverhead Books 2026) has been on my radar for a bit. It’s one of two releases that I anticipated would end up on my predictions list and hoped toContinue reading “ALL THEM DOGS – Djamel White”
THE NIGHT WE MET- Abby Jimenez
As you’ll recall, while I don’t typically read genre/formula fiction, I’ll pick one up now and again as a bit of a palate cleanser. If I’m going romance, Abby Jimenez will typically fit the bill. The writing is sharp, the dialogue is typically great, hilarity often ensues, and there’s going to be a dog. Oh,Continue reading “THE NIGHT WE MET- Abby Jimenez”
A Girl Named Tommi 