Explore even more 2026 Best Books So Far lists and add a bunch of books to your summer reads stacks with novels chosen by the NYT and a selection of books from Oprah Daily. Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more.
The Best Books of 2026 So Far Lists Out Now
The Best Books of 2026 So Far lists keep coming. We’ve already seen 2026 so far best ofs from The New York Times and The New Yorker, but we also have lists from Vogue, Esquire, and BBC. I maintain stink eye toward any publication that doesn’t have a single Black author on their Best Of (pointing it at Vogue right now). I’m intrigued by the mix on Esquire‘s best of 2026 so far, so let’s start with that publication. Books of criticism rarely receive the attention Namwali Serpell’s is getting this year, but the subject of the text is, after all, Toni Morrison, and I hear Serpell is masterful in writing about her in On Morrison. Also on Esquire’s list is one of the best literary thrillers I’ve read, Whidbey by T Kira Madden, and don’t miss Imani Thompson’s buzzy debut Honey, which Adam Morgan writes was “’fiercely fought’ over by ten different book publishers.”
At BBC‘s best books list you can glimpse the UK covers of Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (slightly better than the U.S. cover) and Transcription by Ben Lerner (underwhelming compared to the U.S. cover), both of which no one is surprised to encounter on a Best Of this year. Also predictably, Tayari Jones’ Kin made this list. Among Vogue‘s best books so far are Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash and Mary H.K. Choi’s first adult novel, Pool House.
The New York Times‘ Best Summer Novels
Yesterday, we looked at NYT’s nonfiction picks for the season and, guess what? They have a list of summer’s best novels as well. Hamnet author Maggie O’Farrell is back with Land, set in 1865 Ireland, and Jenny Jackson’s The Shampoo Effect with its beachy cover is on every summer reading list. And who would want to miss out on two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Colson Whitehead’s newest, Cool Machine, or Pulitzer Finalist Chang-rae Lee’s A Tender Age?
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Oprah’s Best Summer Reads
Still not sated? Then check out Oprah Daily‘s best summer reads. My current nightstand book and (just announced!) June’s Read With Jenna pick The Children by Melissa Albert made the list, and I am absolutely obsessed with this book halfway in. You can also find One Leg on Earth by Pemi Aguda, which I would absolutely read if I could emotionally navigate a story about imperiled pregnant women because it’s the National Book Award finalist’s debut novel.
A Reader’s Guide to Freida McFadden
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