Welcome to Insider Reading, where the booksellers of Mr B’s give you the lowdown on new and future releases. We are very lucky as booksellers to get to read books ahead of publication, and this time of year is particularly exciting as we start receiving books due for publication in 2026!
So here is a behind-the-scenes peek into what some of our booksellers are already raving about for next year, and a few they can’t wait to get stuck into…
Soffi has already found her favourite book of 2026 with Arborescence by Rhett Davies (Jan 15), a strange tale of a near-future where people start turning into trees (yes, we know, it sounds right in her wheelhouse). Soffi says: “If Midsommar and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind had a book baby, and that baby was an eco-horror about a cult of people who believe they can turn into trees, would you read it? I’ll tell you: yes.” Pre-order now!
Lucinda has dived into This, My Second Life by Patrick Charnley (Jan 8), a novel inspired by Patrick’s own experience of a life-changing illness and a homage to his mother, Helen Dunmore, in the form of old-timer Granny Carne, who readers might remember first encountering in ‘Ingo’. Young Jago Trevarno’s life is changed forever by a sudden cardiac arrest which results in a brain injury. He moves to West Cornwall, so he can be cared for by his uncle and help out on the small family farm. The pace of life is dictated by the seasons, pared back to the bare essentials and is almost a hand to mouth existence. It is here that Jago can come to terms with the limitations of his new life and start to heal. Lucinda says: “A love letter to the beautiful and rugged Cornish landscape – and to the excellent qualities of home made cake – this gentle novel still has an undercurrent of menace in the form of neighbour Bill Sligo, who has taken an unhealthy interest in acquiring some of the farm’s land.” Pre-order now!
Tom M isn’t quite ready to start reading for 2026 just yet, but he’s already getting excited for how next year is shaping up in his proof pile. Tom says: “Vigil (Jan 27) – George Saunders‘ first novel since Lincoln in the Bardo? Tick! Tarantula by Eduardo Halfon (March 5) – a coming-of-age story set during a Latin American civil war? Tick! Lazar by Nelio Biedermann (March 26) – a wild and sweeping epic about a messed up family in Communist-era Hungary? Tick! Looks like it’s going to be a great spring for fiction.”
Liv has set her sights on two books already generating lots of buzz in the book world for 2026: “I’m a huge fan of love stories (especially ones that seem like they might emotionally devastate me!), so it makes sense that two of my most anticipated reads for next year feature illicit affairs. Minor Black Figures by Brandon Taylor (March 19) is set against the competitive Manhattan art scene, and Almost Life by Kiran Millwood Hargrave (March 12) begins in 1970s Paris – I’m ready to fall in love (and ugly cry).”
Nethmi has been a huge fan of Jennie Godfrey since her phenomenal bestselling debut novel, The List of Suspicious Things, so she literally couldn’t wait to consume her latest offering, The Barbecue at No. 9, one that Jennie revealed to us back when we hosted her for an event last year.
Nethmi says: “It’s the summer of 1985, and the residents of Delmont Close are gathering at no. 9 to celebrate what is sure to be the biggest musical event in history: Live Aid. But as the neighbourhood prepares for the big day, tensions rise and dormant secrets begin to bubble to the surface. What is Rita, the evasive new neighbour from Australia, hiding about her past? Why does Steve, a young Falklands veteran, keep a log of everything he sees from his window? Why is Hanna, the teenage daughter of the seemingly perfect Lydia Gordon, preparing to run away? And most pressingly of all, who is the mysterious figure that keeps cropping up around the neighbourhood?
An intriguing, multi-perspective drama, perfect for fans of Joanna Cannon, Liane Moriarty, and Kate Kemp.” Pre-order the Indie Bookshop Exclusive now!
Charlotte, one of our newest booksellers, hasn’t taken long to raid the bookseller proofs shelf and find a couple she’s excited to get reading. Including Motherfaker by Anna Brook-Mitchell (Feb 26), a heart-warming comedy about a woman willing to go to extreme lengths to travel the world, and Hex House by Amy Jane Stewart (April 28), which Charlotte says “combines three of my favourite things: angry women seeking revenge, a spine-tingling landscape and a truth shrouded in mystery!”
Sue has already declared she’s found the next Lessons in Chemistry (a bold claim, we know!) with Jennifer Niven‘s new novel, Meet the Newmans (Jan 15), which follows America’s favourite TV family in the 1960s. When their ratings start dwindling, the Newmans slowly unravel. Be prepared to fall hard for these characters! Pre-order here.
And as for myself, I’ve absolutely devoured Madeline Cash‘s buzzy new novel, Lost Lambs (Feb 5), a completely bonkers and darkly funny family drama like no other. It’s the kind of novel that’s so bananas you couldn’t possibly guess what will happen next – think Jonathan Franzen meets Miranda July, by way of Jeffrey Eugenides’ The Virgin Suicides. And don’t be fooled by the cute little lamb on the cover! It’s truly a reading experience like no other.” Pre-order now!
I’ve also been transported to Patagonia’s remote wilderness in the highly anticipated new novel from Daniel Wiles, The Puma (Feb 12). Far from the Black Country setting of his incredible debut Mercia’s Take (beloved by us all here at B’s), here we follow a father and son trying to make a life for themselves in an unforgiving and dying landscape. Then comes the puma and nothing will ever be the same again. With echoes of Cormac McCarthy, this is another incredible, brutal, and gut-punching read from Wiles, and undoubtedly a real highlight of 2026 for Mr B’s. Pre-order now!
Believe it or not, this is a mere glimpse into the many books we’re excited about for 2026, so keep your eyes peeled for more to come (perhaps once we’ve done the whole Christmas thing…).
Thanks for reading,
Emma