In my 20+ years of running Geeks Of Doom, I don’t think I’ve ever done a Book Recommendations/Reading List specifially for Spring. Usually books that are released during the Winter and Spring seasons get folded into Summer or Fall Reading Lists and/or Gift Guides. But this year, I was feeling quite inspired and actually had the time to put something together for Spring.

Below are some titles — with accompanying links to the print, ebooks, and audiobooks editions — that I am personally looking forward to checking out this Spring, most of which land in the science fiction, fantasy, horror, roleplaying, historical fiction, and non-fiction categories and their subgenres. The first list of books is listed in order of release date from January 2026 through April 2026. After this main list, I’ve included some older titles to read before their new movie/TV adaptations come out. Finally, you’ll find a bonus section featuring themed Cookbooks, Craftbooks, Guides, Coloring Books, Sourcebooks, Card Sets/Games, Journals, and Accessories that are perfect companions for your Spring reading adventures, and also make great gifts.

Continue on to check out my Spring 2026 Book Recommendations & Gifts…

Twelve Months
A Novel Of The Dresden Files (Book 18: Dresden Files)
Hardcover | Kindle | Audiobook
By Jim Butcher
Publisher: Ace Books
Release Date: January 20, 2026

Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, has always managed to save the day—but, in this powerful entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files, can he save himself?

One year. 365 days. Twelve months.

Harry Dresden has been through a lot, and so has his city. After Harry and his allies narrowly managed to save Chicago from being razed to the ground, everything is different—and it’s not just the current lack of electricity.

In the battle, Harry lost people he cared about. And that’s the kind of loss that takes a toll. Harry being Harry, he’s doing his level best to help the city and his friends recover and rebuild. But it’s a heavy load, and he needs time.

But time is one thing Harry doesn’t have. Ghouls are prowling Chicago and taking out innocent civilians. Harry’s brother is dying, and Harry doesn’t know how to help him. And last but certainly not least, the Winter Queen of the Fae has allied with the White Court of vampires—and Harry’s been betrothed to the seductive, deadly vampire Lara Raith to seal the deal.

It’s been a tough year. More than ever, the city needs Harry Dresden the wizard—but after loss and grief, is there enough left of Harry Dresden the man to rise to the challenge?

The Elsewhere Express: A Novel
Hardcover | Large Print Paperback | Kindle Edition | Audiobook
By Samantha Sotto Yambao
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: January 20, 2026

When you lose your way in life, the Elsewhere Express just might find you. Step on board the train that may take you to your life’s purpose in this wistful, Ghibli-esque fantasy from the bestselling author of Water Moon.

This deluxe first edition hardcover includes:
• Intricately designed sprayed edges
• Interactive endpapers with a scene you can color in
• A full-color illustrated book case beneath the jacket

You can’t buy a ticket for the Elsewhere Express. Appearing only to those whose lives are adrift, it’s a magical train seeming to carry very rare and special cargo: a sense of purpose, peace, and belonging.

Raya is one of those lost souls. She had dreamed of being a songwriter, but when her brother died, she gave up on her dream and started living his instead.

One day on the subway, as her thoughts wander, she’s swept off to the Elsewhere Express. There she meets Q, an intriguing artist who, like her, has lost his place in the world.

Together they find a train full of wonders, from a boarding car that’s also a meadow to a dining car where passengers can picnic on lily pads to a bar where jellyfish and whales swim through pink clouds.

Over the course of their long, strange night on the train, they also discover that it harbors secrets—and danger: A mysterious stranger has stowed away and brought with him a dark, malignant magic that threatens to destroy the train.

But in investigating the stowaway’s identity, Raya also finds herself drawing closer to the ultimate question: What is her life’s true purpose—and is it a destination the Elsewhere Express can take her to?

Dear Debbie
Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle Edition | Audiobook
By Frieda McFadden
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Release Date: January 27, 2026

A brand new twisted thriller that will have you cheering “good for her!” from the #1 New York Times bestselling and global sensation Freida McFadden, author of The Housemaid!

Sometimes, enough is enough…

Debbie Mullen is losing it. For years, she has compiled all of her best advice into her column, Dear Debbie, where the wives of New England come for sympathy and neighborly advice. Through her work, Debbie has heard from countless women who are ignored, belittled, or even abused by their husbands. And Debbie does her best to guide them in the right direction.

Or at least, she did.

These days, Debbie’s life seems to be spiraling out of control. She just lost her job. Something strange is happening with her teenage daughters. And her husband is keeping secrets, according to the tracking app she installed on his phone. Now, Debbie’s done being the bigger person. She’s done being reasonable and practical. It’s time to take her own advice.

And now it’s time for payback against all the people in her life who deserve it the most.

Star Wars Outlaws: Low Red Moon
Hardcover | Kindle Edition | Audiobook
By Mike Chen
Publisher: Random House Worlds
Release Date: February 3, 2026

ND-5 and Jaylen Vrax embark on their descent into the galaxy’s underworld in search of answers and opportunity, in this essential prequel to Star Wars Outlaws.

Jaylen Barsha, heir to his family’s immense power and wealth, had his life charted out for him neatly and meticulously by his parents, even though he suspected his neglected half-brother Sliro would be a better fit for the bright corporate future his parents envisioned. Then the Empire stripped it all away on trumped-up charges of conspiracy against his family. Before he can reach Sliro for help redeeming the Barsha name, a battle droid arrives at the family compound with a mission to kill every last member of the Barsha clan. Jaylen manages to fend off the attack as the sole survivor, but realizes the droid, who he reprograms, is his only chance to stay alive. But he can no longer be Jaylen Barsha—he’ll have to live now as Jaylen Vrax.

Former Separatist battle droid ND-5 knows he should be scrap metal, all things considered. He was a proficient contributor to the Separatist cause, but what is a soldier without a war? A trigger without aim? Loyalty is in his programming, and Jaylen, who treats him as more than just a weapon, has earned it. Perhaps, the droid thinks, with a partner he can be more. ND-5 just has to earn Jaylen’s trust.

With the threat against the Barsha clan still shrouded in mystery, the pair has no choice but to leverage the chaos and disappear. They find sanctuary in the anonymity of the underworld, building their reputation among scoundrels, bounty hunters, and crime syndicates. But when their latest score gives the first real clue in years to who sent ND-5 after Jaylen’s family, their biggest opportunity presents a new kind of risk. Do they give up this chance at the wealth and power Jaylen was denied to pursue answers? Or will ambition and the weight of the past shatter their unlikely partnership?

The Forest on the Edge of Time
Hardcover | Kindle Edition | Audiobook
By Jasmin Kirkbride
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: February 3, 2026

The Future of Another Timeline meets The Bone Clocks in this dazzling piece of time-travel climate fiction.

Recruited by the mysterious Project Kairos to change history and save the future from ecological disaster, Echo and Hazel are transported through time to opposite worlds. Echo works as a healer’s assistant in Ancient Athens, embroiled in dangerous politics and wild philosophy. Hazel is the last human alive, in a laboratory on a polluted island with nothing but tiny robots and an untrustworthy AI for company.

Both women suffer from amnesia, but when they fall asleep, their consciousnesses transcend time and they meet in their dreams. Together, they start to uncover their past – but soon discover the past threatens humanity’s survival.

If Echo and Hazel have a chance of changing the future, they must remember to forget…

THE FOREST ON THE EDGE OF TIME is a novel about family and duty and the worlds we try to save along the way.

The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop
Paperback | Kindle Edition | Audiobook
By Takuya Asakura; Yuka Maeno (Translator)
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: February 3, 2026

As the last petal falls, the final page is turned…

Welcome to The Cherry Blossom Bookshop, a haven for book lovers that only appears during the fleeting cherry blossom season. Nestled amidst the bloom of delicate petals, you’ll find a sanctuary for those burdened by regrets and past sorrows. Here, Sakura, the mysterious young owner, and her wise calico cat, Kobako, patiently await the arrival of souls in need of solace and healing.

Told over four seasons, each visitor to the bookshop holds a book that bridges their past and present, guiding them towards understanding and acceptance. Within the antique charm of the shop and the soothing aroma of freshly brewed coffee, Sakura and Kobako help their guests confront their lingering sadness through the power of stories, enabling them to move forward with renewed hope.

Dragonlance Legends
Books 1-3: Time of the Twins, War of the Twins, Test of the Twins
Hardcover
By Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman
Publisher: Random House Worlds
Release Date: February 10, 2026

Rediscover the world of Dragonlance with the second trilogy of one of the most popular fantasy series of all time—featuring a new foreword with exclusive behind-the-scenes stories from the original Dragonlance team!

The Twins: Raistlin Majere, powerful archmage. He abandons his brother to walk the paths of darkness. As his lust for power grows, he plans to challenge the gods in a battle that could destroy the world. And Caramon Majere, courageous warrior. He must find a way to stop his brother and save mankind. But first he must save himself.

Crysania, cleric of the gods of good. Her own ambitious goals blind her to the truth.

Tasslehoff Burrfoot, kender and friend to all. He tries to help with near disastrous results.

Dragonlance Legends is an epic tale of magic, love, war, and sacrifice. And the perilous journey through time that will forever change them all.

Operation Bounce House
Hardcover | Paperback (Large Print) | Kindle Edition | Audiobook
By Matt Dinniman
Publisher: Ace Books
Release Date: February 10, 2026

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A man must fight for his planet against impossible odds when gamers from Earth attempt to remotely annihilate it in this epic, fast-paced novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the smash-hit Dungeon Crawler Carl.

All colonist Oliver Lewis ever wanted to do was run the family ranch with his sister, maybe play a gig or two with his band, and keep his family’s aging fleet of intelligent agriculture bots ticking as long as possible. He figures it will be a good thing when the transfer gate finally opens all the way and restores instant travel and full communication between Earth and his planet, New Sonora. But there’s a complication.

Even though the settlers were promised they’d be left in peace, Earth’s government now has other plans. The colossal Apex Industries is hired to commence an “eviction action.” But maximizing profits will always be Apex’s number one priority. Why spend money printing and deploying AI soldiers when they can turn it into a game? Why not charge bored Earthers for the opportunity to design their own war machines and remotely pilot them from the comfort of their homes?

The game is called Operation Bounce House.

Oliver and his friends soon find themselves fighting for their lives against machines piloted by gamers who’ve paid a premium for the privilege. With the help of an old book from his grandfather and a bucket of rusty parts, Oliver is determined to defend the only home he’s ever known.

Cleopatra: A Novel
Hardcover | Kindle Edition | Audiobook
By Saara El-Arifi
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Release Date: February 24, 2026

Cleopatra tells her own story in this evocative and sensuous historical epic from the bestselling and award-winning author of Faebound and The Final Strife.

“Enchanting, smart, and subversive—this is El-Arifi’s masterpiece.”—R.F. Kuang, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Katabasis

This stunning edition includes designed endpapers and a custom case stamp.

YOU KNOW MY NAME, BUT YOU DO NOT KNOW ME.

Your historians call me seductress, but I was ever in love’s thrall.

Your playwrights speak of witchcraft, but my talents came from the gods themselves.

Your poets sing of my bloodlust, but I was always protecting my children.

How wilfully they refuse to concede that a woman could be powerful, strategic, and divinely blessed to rule.

Death will silence me no longer.

This is not the story of how I died. But how I lived.

The Red Winter
Hardcover | Kindle Edition | Audiobook
By Cameron Sullivan
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: February 24, 2026

DELUXE EDITION?the hardcover edition of The Red Winter features beautiful red sprayed edges!

A LibraryReads Pick! An Indie Next Pick!

A devastating love story. A bewitching twist on history. A blood-drenched hunt for purpose, power, and redemption.

In 1785, Professor Sebastian Grave receives the news he fears most: the terrible Beast of Gévaudan has returned, and the French countryside runs red in its wake.

Sebastian knows the Beast. A monster-slayer with centuries of experience, he joined the hunt for the creature twenty years ago and watched it slaughter its way through a long and bloody winter. Even with the help of his indwelling demon, Sarmodel – who takes payment in living hearts – it nearly cost him his life to bring the monster down.

Now, two decades later, Sebastian has been recalled to the hunt by Antoine Avenel d’Ocerne, an estranged lover who shares a dark history with the Beast and a terrible secret with Sebastian. Drawn by both the chance to finish the Beast for good and the promise of a reconciliation with Antoine, Sebastian cannot refuse.

But Gévaudan is not as he remembers it, and Sebastian’s unfinished business is everywhere he looks. Years of misery have driven the people to desperation, and France teeters on the edge of revolution. Sebastian’s arcane activities – not to mention his demonic counterpart – have also attracted the inquisitorial eye of the French clergy. And the Beast is poised to close his jaws around them all and plunge the continent into war.

Debut author Cameron Sullivan tears the heart out of history with this darkly entertaining retelling of the hunt for the Beast of Gévaudan. Lifting the veil on the hidden world behind our own, it reimagines the story of Europe, from Imperial Rome to Saint Jehanne d’Arc, the madness of Gilles de Rais and the first flickers of the French Revolution.

No Friend to This House
Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle Edition | Audiobook
By Natalie Haynes
Publisher: Harper
Release Date: March 2, 2026

A Best Book of the Year from The Observer

No Friend to This House is an extraordinary reimagining of the myth of Medea from the New York Times bestselling author of Stone Blind, Natalie Haynes.

This is what no one tells you, in the songs sung about Jason and the Argo. This part of his quest has been forgotten, by everyone but me . . .

Jason and his Argonauts set sail to find the Golden Fleece. The journey is filled with danger, for him and everyone he meets. But if he ever reaches the distant land he seeks, he faces almost certain death.

Medea—priestess, witch, and daughter of a brutal king—has the power to save the life of a stranger. Will she betray her family and her home, and what will she demand in return?

Medea and Jason seize their one chance of a life together, as the gods intend. But their love is steeped in vengeance from the beginning, and no one—not even those closest to them—will be safe.

Based on the classic tragedy by Euripides, this is Medea as you’ve never seen her before . . .

Spoiled Milk
Hardcover | Kindle Edition | Audiobook
By Avery Curran
Publisher: Doubleday Books
Release Date: March 10, 2026

A thrilling gothic debut • The untimely death of a student at a girls’ boarding school marks the first in a haunting series of escalating supernatural events, and uncovers buried truths of teenage repression, queer desire, and the everyday horror of coming of age.

“A truly impeccable novel.” —Julia Armfield, author of Our Wives Under the Sea

“This book destroyed me.” —Tamsyn Muir, author of Gideon the Ninth

In 1928, Emily Locke’s final year at the isolated Briarley School for Girls is derailed when Violet, the school’s brightest star (and a cunning beauty for whom Emily would do anything), falls to her death on her eighteenth birthday. Emily and her buttoned-up rival Evelyn are, for once, in agreement: Violet’s death was no accident. There’s an obvious culprit, the French schoolmistress with whom Violet was getting a little too close—they only need to prove it.

Desperate for answers, Emily and her classmates turn to spiritualism, hoping for a glimpse of wisdom from the great beyond. To their shock, Violet’s spirit appears, choosing pious Evelyn as her unlikely medium. And Violet has a warning for them: the danger has just begun.

Something deadly is infecting Briarley. It starts with rotten food and curdled milk, but quickly grows more threatening. As the body count rises and the students race to save themselves, Emily must confront the fatal forces poisoning the school. Emily’s fight for survival forces her to reevaluate everything she knows: about Violet, Evelyn, Briarley, and, ultimately, herself. Avery Curran channels the indelible ambience and intrigue of the classic boarding school novel while turning the beloved genre on its head in this visceral, exuberant debut.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Toward the Night
Book 4: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle Edition | Audiobook
By James Swallow
Publisher: Pocket Books/Star Trek
Paperback Release Date: March 17, 2026

The action-packed third novel in the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds series based on the thrilling Paramount+ TV show.

Captain Christopher Pike and the USS Enterprise crew venture to the edge of the Klingon Empire, where they uncover mysterious subspace echoes near a volatile “flare star” dangerously located in a disputed area of the star system. As the Enterprise diverts from its course to track the echoes, Spock leads a daring landing party to investigate the source of the subspace echoes, navigating dangerous ionic radiation that renders the Enterprise’s transporters too risky to use. What they find are city ruins and minimal life signs, but definite evidence of starship-grade metals in a single location…quite possibly a crash site.

While Uhura continues to investigate the subspace echoes, Spock and his team conduct their ground search, first finding shocking signs of alien life and later, the wreckage of an old Starfleet cargo modules from the era of the NX-01 Enterprise. Upon further investigation, they discover the USS Baldwin, an old warp-5 starship declared missing almost a century ago. No trace of the Baldwin or her fifteen crew members was ever found…until now.

Children of Strife
Book 4: Children of Time
Hardcover | Kindle Edition | Audiobook
By Adrian Tchaikovsky
Publisher: Orbit Books
Release Date: March 17, 2026

A new entry in the wildly successful Children of Time series from award-winning master of science fiction Adrian Tchaikovsky.

After Earth fell, ark ships hunted for a new home. They sought lost worlds terraformed in Earth’s forgotten past. A ship crewed by maverick humans, spiders and a spectacularly punchy mantis shrimp captain is about to rediscover one such world, and an ark.

Then human crewmate Alis wakes to discover that she, her captain and the ship’s intelligence are the only ones left on their ship.

But what happened to those who left to explore the ark … and the world below?

Children of Strife is the extraordinary next volume set in the Children of Time universe, featuring epic adventure, first contact and the nature of intelligence among the stars.

No Man’s Land
Hardcover | Kindle Edition | Audiobook
By Richard Morgan
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Release Date: March 24, 2026

A compelling standalone dark fantasy set in a gritty post-WWI Britain that has been overrun by the fae, from the award-winning author of Altered Carbon

“One of my favorite books of the year, destined to be a classic.”—Tim Lebbon, New York Times bestselling author of Secret Lives of The Dead

The Great War was supposed to be the war to end all wars—and maybe it would have been, had an even greater, otherworldly foe not risen to extinguish the conflict. Overnight, as guns blazed in France and Flanders, village after village in the quiet British countryside was swallowed by the Forest. And within the Forest lurk the Huldu—an ancient fae race, monstrous in their inhumanity, who have decided that mankind’s ascendency over the world can endure no longer.

Enter Duncan Silver. Scarred by the war, fueled by a rage deeper than the trenches in which he once fought, Duncan is determined to show the Huldu that the world is not theirs for the taking. Armed with a deadly iron knife and a cut-down trench gun filled with iron shot, Duncan will stop at nothing to return the children the Huldu have stolen to the arms of their families. No matter how many Huldu he may have to slaughter along the way.

But when he is hired by a mother to return her four-year-old daughter, Miriam—taken by the Huldu six months past and replaced with a changeling—all hell breaks loose. Miriam is a pawn in a much bigger game for dominance than Duncan ever expected, and several long-buried secrets from his past are about to be violently resurrected.

Wolf Worm
Hardcover | Kindle Edition | Audiobook
By T. Kingfisher
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Release Date: March 24, 2026

Something darker than the devil stalks the North Carolina woods in Wolf Worm, a new gothic masterpiece from New York Times bestselling author T. Kingfisher

This gorgeous hardcover edition features endpapers illustrated by the author and a foil case stamp.

“I saw the devil in these woods.”

Sonia Wilson is a talented scientific illustrator?but she is only able to follow her dream because of her father’s reputation as a renowned scientist. Such is the lot in life for a woman in science in 1899. And after his death, she is left without work, prospects, or hope.

So when the reclusive Dr. Halder offers her a position illustrating his vast collection of insects, Sonia jumps at the chance to move to his North Carolina manor house and put her talents to use.

Once there though, she encounters dark happenings in the Carolina woods, and even darker questions come to light, like what happened to her predecessor? Why are animals acting so strangely, and what is behind the peculiar local whispers about “blood thiefs?”

With the aid of the housekeeper and a local healer, Sonia discovers that Halder’s entomological studies have taken him down a twisted road. His ground-breaking discoveries come with a cost?one that Halder is paying with human flesh.

If Sonia can’t find a way to stop the monstrosity, she may be next under the knife.

The Beheading Game
Hardcover | Kindle Edition | Audiobook
By Rebecca Lehmann
Publisher: Crown
Release Date: March 24, 2026

Disgraced. Beheaded. And out for revenge . . .

We all know what happened to Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn. But what if she woke up the day after her execution and took it upon herself to seek justice?

“Fabulous! A marvelously inventive and mythic reworking of the story of Anne Boleyn. I loved it.”—Kelly Link, author of The Book of Love

“Nobody was surprised at Anne’s conviction. The world loves to put a woman in her place.”

The Beheading Game begins in the hours after Anne Boleyn’s beheading, when she wakes to find herself unceremoniously laid to rest in a makeshift coffin, her head wrapped in linen at her knees. Discarded by King Henry VIII for being unable to give him a male heir and reviled by Cromwell for being too smart for her own good, she was ultimately executed based on trumped-up charges of adultery, incest, and high treason.

Anne escapes the Tower of London, sews her head back on, then sets out on a quest to kill Henry VIII before he can marry her own lady-in-waiting Jane Seymour. The stakes are high—if Jane gives birth to a rival heir, Anne’s daughter, Elizabeth, will lose her claim to the throne. Traveling the streets of London in the guise of a commoner, with the help of a prostitute who becomes a trusted friend (and perhaps something more), Anne soon realizes how little she knew about life in the real world.

A fantastical journey through the wilds of England and Tudor history, filled with danger and magic and steeped in Arthurian legend, The Beheading Game is a prescient reminder that “mouthy” women have always been punished. Now, thanks to debut novelist Rebecca Lehmann, nearly five hundred years after Anne Boleyn’s death, one of history’s most maligned women finally has the chance to tell her story.

The Demon King
Book 3: The Nightfall Saga
Hardcover | Kindle Edition | Audiobook
By Peter V. Brett
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Release Date: April 7, 2026

The third and final book in The Nightfall Saga, the thrilling and action-packed epic fantasy series set in the world of The Demon Cycle, from New York Times bestselling author Peter V. Brett

“Heart-wrenching, smart, and modern . . . The Desert Prince has set a new standard for fantasy.”—Wesley Chu, author of The War Arts Saga

He is known as The Prince of Lies. The Father of Demons. He is Alagai Ka, the Demon King.

Though humanity won a hard-fought victory in its war against demonkind, the Demon King has escaped in search of a new queen to restart his dark hive, and has found signs of one on a distant shore.

But pursuing him are humanity’s best hopes: Olive Paper and Darin Bales, whose legendary parents brought demonkind low once before. Olive and Darin will not rest until the demons are defeated, and so relentless is their hunt that they have followed Alagai Ka across the sea to a strange new land.

There they discover a culture unlike any they have never known, where demons live alongside humans as servants and companions. And there they meet the demon’s masters–including a seductive prince who is drawn to Olive–who seem unable or unwilling to understand the danger they are in.

Because no human is safe from the Demon King’s thirst for war–and every human must join the battle against his kingdom of death.

Don’t miss any of Peter V. Brett’s riveting Nightfall Saga:
THE DESERT PRINCE• THE HIDDEN QUEEN • THE DEMON KING

The Faith of Beasts
Book 2: The Captive’s War
Hardcover | Kindle Edition | Audiobook
By James S. A. Corey
Publisher: Orbit Books
Release Date: April 14, 2026

James S. A. Corey’s Expanse series has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide and has been translated into more than 23 languages, establishing itself as a modern masterwork of science fiction.

Now, the Hugo-award winning author returns with the second volume in their New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed space opera trilogy, The Captive’s War.

“Corey is always one of the most engaging voices in the genre.” —Adrian Tchaikovsky, bestselling author of Children of Time

The monstrous Carryx empire was built by subjugation and war. Thousands of species are bound to their Sovran’s command in an endless, blood-soaked test: be useful in the eternal conflict or be slaughtered.

Dafyd Alkhor, highest among their human captives, is feared and despised by the very people he champions. Ruthless in carving out his niche in the eternal war machine of the empire, he will reshape human nature itself as a tool for their alien masters’ use. But Dafyd’s loyalty is not what it seems.

The Swarm, an agent of the Carryx’s deathless enemy, has been smuggled into the Carryx world-palace along with the human slaves. Its mission: discover a way to bring down the empire’s eternal reign. But the longer it lives among and within humanity, the more it forgets that it is a weapon.

As the human captives spread through the battlefronts of empire, the awesome power of the Carryx becomes clear. And with it, a desperate plan for their destruction.

But empires hide secrets, and even the deathless enemy may not be what it appears …

The Captive’s War Book 1: The Mercy of Gods

The Lost Horadrim (Diablo IV)
Hardcover | Kindle Edition | Audiobook
By Matthew J. Kirby
Publisher: Random House Worlds
Release Date: April 21, 2026

In this dark fantasy adventure, journey to the Skovos Isles and uncover their mysteries: a lost expedition of mages, a dangerous monster, and a boiling political conflict—the official prequel to Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred.

An ancient brotherhood of mages and wizards sworn to defend humanity against evil is on the brink of destruction.

Their last good chance at survival is to journey to the far-off Skovos Isles and uncover the fate of a long-lost expedition sent to unlock a vault hidden deep within its lands.

But what awaits them is more than they bargained for. The Amazon warriors who call Skovos home face two dangerous threats: the rumblings of a disquieted public, and an undead creature attacking them from all sides.

The leader of the mages, Lorath, and Captain Adreona of the Amazons must band together in an unlikely alliance to unlock these mysteries . . . or else the mortal realm may be in terrible danger.

READ BEFORE YOU WATCH

Here are some books that were/are being adapted to film and television this year, so take the opportunity to read the source material before you watch.

Wuthering Heights
Movie Tie-In Edition (Movie Poster)
Paperback | Kindle Edition | Puffin In Bloom Edition Hardcover | Penguin Classics Paperback | Audiobook
By Emily Bronte
Publisher: Penguin Books
Book Release Date: February 3, 2026 (Movie Tie-In Edition)
Movie Release Date: February 13, 2026

Emily Brontë’s only novel and a gothic classic—a gripping story of obsession, revenge, and tragedy—now the feature film “Wuthering Heights” from Emerald Fennell, which captures the spirit of this epic love story and stars Margot Robbie as Cathy and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff.

Lockwood, the new tenant of Thrushcross Grange, situated on the bleak Yorkshire moors, is forced to seek shelter one night at Wuthering Heights, the home of his landlord. There he discovers the history of the tempestuous events that took place years before. What unfolds is the tale of the intense love between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw. Catherine, forced to choose between passionate, tortured Heathcliff and gentle, well-bred Edgar Linton, surrenders to the expectations of her class. As Heathcliff’s bitterness and vengeance at his betrayal is visited upon the next generation, their innocent heirs must struggle to escape the legacy of the past.

Project Hail Mary: A Novel
Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle Edition | Audiobook
By Andy Weir
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Movie Release date: March 19, 2026

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Ryan Gosling, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, with a screenplay by Drew Goddard

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone.

Or does he?

An irresistible interstellar adventure as only Andy Weir could deliver, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian—while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.

The Count of Monte Cristo
Penguin Classics
Paperback | Kindle Edition | Audiobook
By Alexandre Dumas
Publisher: Penguin Classics Books
PBS Miniseries Release Date: March 22, 2026

Alexandre Dumas’s epic tale of suffering and retribution, inspired by a real-life case of wrongful imprisonment—nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read

Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantes is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo, and he becomes determined not only to escape, but also to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration.

Robin Buss’s lively translation is complete and unabridged, and remains faithful to the style of Dumas’s original. This edition includes an introduction, explanatory notes, and suggestions for further reading.

Penguin Classics is the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, representing a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
A Song of Ice and Fire (Game Of Thrones)
Hardcover | HBO Tie-In Edition | Kindle Edition | Audiobook
Written by George R.R. Martin; Illustrated by Gary Gianni
Publisher: Random House Worlds
Book Release Date: January 13, 2026 (HBO Tie-In Edition)
HBO Series Season 1 Premiere Date: January 18, 2026

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NOW AN HBO ORIGINAL SERIES

Taking place nearly a century before the events of A Game of Thrones, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms compiles the three official prequel novellas to George R. R. Martin’s ongoing masterwork, A Song of Ice and Fire.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY LOS ANGELES TIMES AND BUZZFEED

These collected adventures recount an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living consciousness. Before Tyrion Lannister and Podrick Payne, there was Dunk and Egg. A young, naïve but ultimately courageous hedge knight, Ser Duncan the Tall towers above his rivals—in stature if not experience. Tagging along is his diminutive squire, a boy called Egg—whose true name is hidden from all he and Dunk encounter. Though more improbable heroes may not be found in all of Westeros, great destinies lay ahead for these two . . . as do powerful foes, royal intrigue, and outrageous exploits.

Featuring more than 160 illustrations that artist Gary Gianni created specifically for this book, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a must-have collection that proves chivalry isn’t dead—yet.

COOKBOOKS, COLORING BOOKS, CRAFTS, GUIDES & GIFTS

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House Coloring Book
Official Tie-in to Dream Harbor Book 4: The Strawberry Patch Pancake House
Paperback
By Laurie Gilmore
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: December 2, 2025

The official tie-in coloring book of the viral 4th book in the Dream Harbor series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Laurie Gilmore!
Welcome to the Strawberry Patch Pancake House…

THIS COZY COLORING BOOK FEATURES:
– 37 hand-drawn romance and spring seasonal aesthetic designs
– Cozy, escapist coloring pages for stress release and relaxation
– Individually printed pages to prevent bleed-through
– Featuring cozy hygge scenes for relaxation and fun

80 pages; Dimensions: 7.28 x 0.2 x 9.21 inches; For Adults & Teens.

Spring Cheer Mini Coloring Book
Cute and Cozy Series
Paperback
By Gaynor Carradice
Publisher: Adams Media
Release Date: January 27, 2026

Escape into a world of adorable charm with the Spring Cheer Mini Coloring Book, featuring 45 delightful designs that spark creativity and bring stress relief wherever you go!

Cute little ducklings, baby bunnies, and all sorts of flowers!

Spring Cheer Mini Coloring Book is filled with charming illustrations of these seasonal favorites. Its small cute trim size promises big fun, making it a delightful cozy activity to ease stress and spark creativity.

This mini coloring book offers:
-45 bold and simple designs
-A compact, portable size
-High-quality paper and single-side printing
-High-resolution prints for clear, crisp images

Spring Cheer Mini Coloring Book is perfect when you want a cozy, little escape. This mini book brings big smiles!

96 pages; Book Dimensions: 4 x 0.2 x 4 inches

Fuzzy Hygge: Super Cute and Cozy Coloring Book
Book 2: Fuzzy Friends Coloring Book Series
Paperback
By Vivi Tinta
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Release Date: February 17, 2026

Savor the little joys and cozy moments of the hygge lifestyle with Fuzzy Hygge – an irresistible coloring book that will make your heart melt into a puddle of gooey cuteness.

Inside this book, you’ll join your furry friends in spending quality time with loved ones, participating in shared activities, and creating a sense of community. You’ll find joy and meaning in the small, everyday moments of their lives.

Let your imagination roam freely as you become fully immersed in the peaceful world of the Fuzzy Hygge Coloring Book!

– Super cute illustrations to add your own artistic touch.
– Single-sided pages to prevent bleedthrough.
– Creative coloring for stress relief and relaxation.
– An ideal gift for friends, family, and loved ones on holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, or special occasions.

96 pages; Dimensions: 7.99 x 0.39 x 8 inches; For Adults & Teens.

BBC Pride and Prejudice: The Official Coloring Book
Paperback
By Charlotte Rickards
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Release Date: March 24, 2026

A beautiful coloring book featuring over 45 illustrations of the most beloved characters and scenes from the BBC’s 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.

Keep your mind most agreeably engaged! Pick up your pens, markers, or pencils and step into the world of the BBC’s classic adaption of Pride and Prejudice, where you are invited to meditate on the show’s beloved scenes and characters. A celebration of the iconic series starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, this official coloring book allows you to roam the sprawling grounds of Pemberley, lounge in the drawing room with the Bennet sisters, and perhaps even decline a dance with the dashing Mr. Darcy.

With more than 45 beautiful illustrations and memorable quotes, the whimsy and witticisms of this adored story will spring to life as you color. BBC Pride and Prejudice is the perfect pastime for those moments when, like Mary Bennet, you should infinitely prefer a book…

96 pages; Dimensions: 9.84 x 0.41 x 9.76 inches; For Adults.

Bookshop Cats
Hardcover | Kindle Edition
By Daphne du Meowier
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: April 9, 2026

A celebration of international book-loving cats.

Bookshop Cats is a beautiful photographic collection of cats who have made the wise decision to live in bookshops across the world.

In these pages you will find moggies curled up amongst the memoirs, tabbies atop the shelves of the travel section, and kittens who can sniff out the next international bestsellers.

Head to Blue Cypress Books in New Orleans, Louisiana, where you’ll find Kitty Meow, who starts her day by basking in a sunbeam in the romance section. Meet Bea, the stray Moggy who now calls Shrew Books in Cornwall home, and Hugo, the most photographed cat in Southern Alberta, Canada.

This charming collection is a celebration of literature-loving cats, their doting colleagues and the havens they create together.

128 pages; Dimensions: 5.28 x 0.71 x 7.13 inches

The Official Stranger Things Cookbook
Recipes from Hawkins and Beyond
Hardcover | Kindle Edition
By Joshua David Stein
Publisher: Random House Worlds
Release Date: January 13, 2026

Pull up a chair to the Stranger Things table and enjoy over sixty recipes from the denizens of Hawkins in this first official cookbook from the hugely popular Netflix series.

Celebrate the culinary cravings of your favorite Stranger Things characters with Stranger Things: The Official Cookbook, featuring over sixty recipes from all facets of this beloved world, whether it’s ’80s mall food, a weeknight dinner at the Wheelers’, or the best Dungeons & Dragons snack.

Each recipe evokes someone in Hawkins (or the Upside Down) and is accompanied by original food photography, stills from the show, and your favorite quotes. Make the scary good Demigorgonzola Cheese Balls. Bake Eddie Munson’s favorite Hellfire Club Devil’s Food Cake. Learn the secret to Hopper’s perfect tuna melt (with mustard, dammit, and potato chips). Blow your mind with some tasty Surfer Boy Pizza.

224 pages; Dimensions: 8.35 x 0.83 x 10.24 inches

Wednesday: The Official Oracle Deck
Oracle Cards: A 52-Card Deck and Guidebook
Cards
By Amy Chase and MGM Studios
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Release Date: January 27, 2026

Unlock your inner psychic with this 52-card divination deck that is a portal into the gothic world of the hit series Wednesday.

Let the clever and quirky world of Wednesday answer any questions that you might be dying to know, with cards that will help you better understand yourself, the motives buried deep inside you, and your desires for the future. Inspired by the fantastically dark world of Wednesday, these 52 cards feature new and exclusive artwork of Outcasts, Normies, and everything in between, all organized into archetypes such as:

— Wednesday Addams—The Psychic Skeptic
— Enid Sinclair—The Optimist
— Thing—A Helping Hand
— Xavier Thorpe—The Troubled Artist
— Black Dahlia—The Unsolved Mystery
— Typewriter—A Novel Idea

This officially licensed deck also includes a booklet to guide you through the secrets of oracle readings so you may exhume the most meaning from these cards. You need only pull up a chair, ask the universe a question, and draw a card for the answer. Whether you play with friends or woes, you’ll welcome the deck as a much-needed break from social media, that “soul-sucking void of meaningless affirmation,” according to Wednesday.

52 pages; Dimensions: 4.84 x 2.04 x 6.4 inches

Dune: Bene Gesserit Tarot Deck and Guide
Oracle Cards: A 52-Card Deck and Guidebook
Cards
By Minerva Siegel (Author), Sarah Rain Hammond (Illustrator)
Publisher: Insight Editions
Release Date: January 20, 2026

See spice in the air and read possible futures in the cards with this strikingly illustrated tarot deck designed in partnership with the studio behind Dune: Part One and Part Two.

For the Bene Gesserit, plans may be measured in millennia. But your destiny is yours to choose as you enter the world of Dune through this tarot deck and guide. Whether you’re seeking perspective on a difficult decision, navigating changes in your life, or simply checking in, you can find company in major and minor arcana.

Featuring archetypal figures from the Reverend Mother to the Shai-Hulud, and set against unforgettable landscapes from Arrakis to Giedi Prime, each of the 78 cards in this deck applies the themes and motifs of Dune to tarot reading. Consult with Chani, draw on Duncan Idaho’s strength, and seek advice from Lady Jessica. With a comprehensive guide to explain card meanings, you’ll be equipped with everything you need to conduct readings for yourself, as well as any allies of your House.

128 pages; Dimensions: 3.5 x 2.2 x 5.5 inches

Dungeons & Dragons Crochet: A Book of Many Patterns
Hardcover | Kindle Edition
By Stacy King, Official Dungeons & Dragons Licensed
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Release Date: March 31, 2026

Crochet your favorite creatures, wearables, and household items with twenty patterns inspired by the Dungeons & Dragons multiverse.

Dive into a world of crochet and adventure with this delightful collection of patterns. Dungeons & Dragons Crochet gives fans and crocheters of all skill levels a chance to bring their favorite in-game elements to life. Create your own Schools of Magic’s symbols granny sqaures, arm yourself with the Gloves of Missile Snaring, and pack your belongings in the Bag of Holding. In addition to the lore-related items, you’ll find a beastiary of iconic creatures to make your own, including the dangerously cute Owlbear Cub, the menacing Mind Flayer, and the fiery Red Dragon.

Filled with gorgeous photography and step-by-step instructions with pages that lay flat when open, Dungeons & Dragons Crochet will have adventurers everywhere picking up their new favorite weapon: the crochet hook.

Crochet patterns by: Sharon Posey, Alysia Sly, Rebecca Stone, and Lydia Viatoris

160 pages; Dimensions: 8.28 x 0.65 x 10.3 inches