Best Books of 2026
30 top-rated titles
The standout reads of 2026, ranked by reader ratings and Ada's editorial assessment. From debut novels to landmark non-fiction — these are the books the year will be remembered for.

self-help
Atomic Habits
James Clear
4.8

young-adult
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
J.K. Rowling
4.7

young-adult
The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins
4.7

self-help
Man's Search for Meaning
Viktor E. Frankl
4.7

science-fiction
Project Hail Mary
Andy Weir
4.7

self-help
The Body Keeps the Score
Bessel van der Kolk
4.7

biography-memoir
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Malcolm X with Alex Haley
4.6

romance
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen
4.6

young-adult
Six of Crows
Leigh Bardugo
4.6

fantasy
The Way of Kings
Brandon Sanderson
4.6

science-nature
Braiding Sweetgrass
Robin Wall Kimmerer
4.6

business
Shoe Dog
Phil Knight
4.6

self-help
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
Lori Gottlieb
4.6

young-adult
The Hate U Give
Angie Thomas
4.6

historical-fiction
The Nightingale
Kristin Hannah
4.5

biography-memoir
Becoming
Michelle Obama
4.5

fantasy
The Name of the Wind
Patrick Rothfuss
4.5

mystery-thriller
Educated
Tara Westover
4.5

biography-memoir
Born a Crime
Trevor Noah
4.5

science-fiction
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Douglas Adams
4.5

self-help
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Daniel Kahneman
4.5

science-fiction
All the Light We Cannot See
Anthony Doerr
4.5

self-help
Daring Greatly
Brené Brown
4.5

science-nature
The Emperor of All Maladies
Siddhartha Mukherjee
4.5

true-crime
Say Nothing
Patrick Radden Keefe
4.5

lgbtq
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Taylor Jenkins Reid
4.5

fantasy
The Final Empire
Brandon Sanderson
4.5

business
Poor Charlie's Almanack
Charles T. Munger
4.5

science-fiction
The Martian
Andy Weir
4.4

historical-fiction
The Book Thief
Markus Zusak
4.4
Ranked by aggregate reader ratings across all 30 titles