Hey there, Arrowheads! Welcome to my last blog post of the year, where I’ll be revealing my most anticipated reads of 2026!

You may notice that next year’s list is a lot shorter than this year’s list was, and that’s for a good reason. For 2025, having 24 books on my Most Anticipated list to complete before the end of the year overwhelmed me, and I came across a few that I didn’t enjoy as much as I had hoped.

In the past, I modeled my Most Anticipated Reads lists after those of some readers in the book community who made lists like “24 books I want to read in 2024” where they increase the book count each year to correspond with the last two digits of the year (ex: 25 for 2025, 26 for 2026, etc.). For 2025, I cut mine off at 24 books to not overwhelm myself, only to still struggle to fit all of the books into my TBR plans. So, for 2026, my goal is to read one of my most anticipated reads each month and only include books on the list that I have a strong five-star feeling about rather than just adding a bunch of books to a list in order to reach a certain number.

After that long-winded intro, here are those twelve books!

Note: This post does not include any new releases for 2026, only because I try to stick to my existing TBR of books I already own. So, there will be some older books, as well as books that have been released in recent years. These books are listed in no particular order.

Through Each Tomorrow (Timeless, #6) by Gabrielle Meyer

If you’ve heard of the Timeless series by Gabrielle Meyer, aka the time travel series that has taken the Christian fiction community by storm, you already know this is going to be my first read of 2026! This book includes the series’ first male main character, and I think it may also include dual POVs, so I cannot wait to see what kind of twists Meyer has come up with for this addition to one of my favorite series!

The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, #2) by J.R.R. Tolkien

*Record scratch*

You: HOLD UP. Allyson, I thought you said you didn’t like The Lord of the Rings a couple years ago. Here’s the receipt.

Me: You’re right, dear reader. When I wrote that post, after having soft DNFed The Fellowship of the Ring not just once, but twice back in the mid-2010s, I was not the biggest fan of Tolkien’s series. However, 2025 changed that. I reread The Hobbit and then gave The Fellowship of the Ring another try and ended up loving it! Ever since, I’ve also watched the movies for both works and fell in love with them too. 2015/2016 Allyson never thought she’d say this, but I’m officially in my Tolkien era now and can’t wait to dive into book two next year after book one’s wild ending!

The Summer of Yes by Courtney Walsh

Though I’m late to the Courtney Walsh fan club and (at the time of writing this post) have only read two books by her, I have adored both of them and have heard amazing things about The Summer of Yes. I love the concept of road trip stories but have only found a few I truly love. Based on my track record with her books, I know Courtney Walsh can do this type of plot justice and, if it’s anything like Everything’s Coming Up Rosie, I know it’ll be full of amazing themes and dozens of quotes I’ll want to highlight!

People Pleaser by Jinger Duggar Vuolo

Last year, I read Jinger’s previous nonfiction work, Becoming Free Indeed, and enjoyed reading her insights on not measuring up to man-made standards of Christianity. People Pleaser, as the title suggests, dives into how to break free from self-made expectations and those of others. I’m an overthinker and tend to think that people I know in real life don’t like me or are judging me for being myself, so I think this book will offer insight from a Christian perspective on how to overcome those toxic mindsets.

My Hope Next Door by Tammy L. Gray

Back in 2024, I was introduced to Tammy L. Gray’s contemporary Christian romances and fell in love with her writing. Though I regret not reading any of her books this year (I wanted to, but I was prioritizing books I’ve had on my TBR for years rather than newer ones), I’m hoping to dive back in and read some of the five others on my Kindle during 2026. The most highly recommended Tammy L. Gray book I own is My Hope Next Door, and because of what I’ve heard about Asher, this is the one that made my Most Anticipated List. Gray’s Love and the Silver Lining is a close second that I plan to read after this one!

My Fine Fellow by Jennieke Cohen

Here’s a random fun fact about me: I LOVED Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw when I had to read it for AP English. I also haven’t read it since my senior year (and I’m a Class of 2012 kid lol) but I couldn’t pass up My Fine Fellow when I realized it’s a gender-bent retelling of My Fair Lady, which is based on Pygmalion. There is also food involved in this book’s plot, so your girl is pumped to read this. I think this will be a birthday month read for me. 🙂

The Education of Dixie Dupree by Donna Everhart

In 2024, I discovered Everhart’s novel The Forgiving Kind on Prime Reading and fell head over heels for it. I couldn’t wait to read another book by Everhart, so I picked up The Education of Dixie Dupree, which is another southern historical fiction novel. While, unlike The Forgiving Kind, this book isn’t set in my home state, Dixie Dupree follows another tween protagonist, so I think the two will be similar concerning the storytelling style.

Please note that while this book has a tween protagonist, this is NOT a middle grade book! Everhart’s books are intended for adults. The Forgiving Kind contained foul language and depictions of abuse, so if you’re sensitive to content like that, please be aware of that.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Over the past couple years, I’ve heard many a BookTuber rave about the drama, twists, and turns in this classic gothic romance, and I can’t wait to learn what all the hype is about. To be honest, I had never even heard of this book until I saw it pop up in book videos, and I have little knowledge of what the book is about other than it is recommended to fans of Jane Eyre. I’m currently reading Jane Eyre and am loving it so far, so I anticipate enjoying this book just as much. I’m hoping to read this in the fall.

Note: Though I obviously haven’t read this book yet, I think it may contain strong language.

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

I know, I’m a few years late to the party on this one, but here we are. I’ve never read a Katherine Center book before, but I’ve heard she writes closed-door romcoms and that this is one of her fans’ favorites. The concept of a female bodyguard standing watch over an actor intrigues me, and this is marketed as a fake dating book, which I’ve recently discovered is one of my favorite tropes. If I end up liking this book as much as I think I will, I plan to try Hello Stranger next!

Note: Though I obviously haven’t read this book yet, I think it may contain strong language.

The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus by Jaime Jo Wright

Another author I’ve heard nothing but good things about on BookTube is Jaime Jo Wright, who writes dual timeline Christian mystery/suspense books. Though I wanted to try another one of her books first, I caught The Haunting of Bonaventure Circus on sale recently and it sounded just as interesting! Because of the Timeless series by Gabrielle Meyer, I’ve been wanting to explore more Christian historical works, and Jaime Jo’s dual timelines provide that outlet while still allowing readers to return to present day timelines. I think this will help me edge into reading more historical fiction and give me another option for authors who write addictive clean and Christian mysteries! I may be saving this one for October.

My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

As I told y’all earlier, I’m in the middle of reading Jane Eyre right now and I’m loving it. My Plain Jane is the second book in The Lady Janies series by this author trio, and after LOVING My Lady Jane a few years ago, I can’t wait to see how they’ve reimagined Jane Eyre in this one. So far, I’ve read two books by Hand, Ashton, and Meadows and have enjoyed the humor and storylines of both. I think My Plain Jane will be just as good!

You Don’t Cry Out Loud: The Lily Isaacs Story by Lily Isaacs

Y’all know I’ve got to include a memoir on this list! Earlier this year, my husband’s best friend invited us to go see The Isaacs (a bluegrass southern gospel group) in concert, and during the concert, the band explained that Lily, the band’s matriarch, is the daughter of Polish Jewish Holocaust survivors. In her book, Lily recounts the unique struggles she has faced throughout her lifetime and how those events have shaped her faith as a Christian. I know this will be an impactful and heartbreaking memoir and I can’t wait to explore the insight Lily has to offer!

Talk to Me, Arrowheads!

As far as I know, most of the books on this list are either clean, Christian, or closed door reads. Though I’ve noted content concerns I’m aware about for a few of the books, please do your own research before picking the others up in case I’ve missed anything.

Have you read any of the books on my most anticipated reads list? Which was your favorite and why?

What are your most anticipated reads for 2026? Drop yours in the comments!

Aim high, stay strong, and always hit your mark.

-Allyson 😀