In this episode, Kelly and I chat about our favorite books that published in April through June 2026.
Our shared top reads:
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff
Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan
The Top of the World by Ethan Joella
Kelly’s remaining top reads:
Start at the End by Emma Grey
Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead by Mai Nguyen
Good Joy, Bad Joy by Mikki Bramer
The Fine Art of Lying by Alexandra Andrews
Five by Ilona Bannister
The Brunswick by Callie Murray
Leave and Come Back by Lavanya Lakshmi
Keep Them Close by David Ellis
Cindy’s remaining top reads:
Land by Maggie O’Farrell
Whistler by Ann Patchett
Retro by Jessica M. Goldstein
The Yankee Sphinx by Mark Frost
The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
The Midnight Show by Lee Kelly and Jennifer Marie Thorne
Last One Out by Jane Harper
The Queen and Her Presidents by Susan Page
Connect with Kelly Hooker on Instagram.
Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 18-page Summer Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this summer - a number of books you will not see on other guides. So many fabulous books are coming out in 2026, and you can learn about a bunch of them in my guide.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2026? Check out our sixth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Sign up for my literary salon in Virginia.
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
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