Books I Aspire to Read in Fall 2026 (And Maybe Rest of the Year?)

by Hannah

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Shelf	Publishing Industry
Date in	Sep 22, 2026
Readers	419

All the books that will hopefully be read in Fall 2026.

Books I Aspire to Read in Fall 2026 (And Maybe Rest of the Year?)

It’s been a super hot minute since I did a TBR post (back in Spring 2025! That’s almost two years!) or joined Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, so I thought it would be fun to join in for this week! In the last post, I had 8 books, and I’ve since read 5 of the books, which is a lot of progress even if part of that list was well past that spring. I’m not mad, though. Sometimes books don’t get read when I’d love to read them, and then they come back later in my life to be read.

Behold, My End of Fall 2026 TBR

I’m fairly certain this will just end up being an end of year TBR post if my past ones are any indication, but we’re going to pretend this is just for this fall and nothing beyond that. As always, this is a mix of ARCs, library holds hopelessly suspended forevermore, books from previous listings that I decided I want to get around to this time (hahaha, you sit on a book throne of lies, Hannah), and fun books I come across in my library work or out in the wild.

Kill Your Darlings by Yuvashri Harish

A fun, fast-paced YA horror about a teen girl facing the horrors of misogyny, racism, an evil witch, and her horde of monsters.

Thulasi is the perfect she’s responsible, she never breaks the rules, and she’s always willing to babysit her seven-year-old cousin. Even on Halloween night. 

But the night takes a horrifying turn when a simple playdate leads to accidentally summoning a horde of monsters out of a book of horror tales, along with her small town’s most famous author, Addison Greer—Thulasi’s literary hero. Except Addison has a more sinister scheme planned for her miraculous revenge on the family that wronged her.  

Drawn into a bloodthirsty bargain with Addison, Thulasi will have to team up with Sam, the super cute quarterback in her class, and the only other teen stuck with babysitting duty on Halloween. They only have until midnight to foil Addison’s plans—while keeping their seven-year-old charges safe—or her monsters will destroy their town and everyone they love.

I got to snag an eARC of this on Netgalley when it was on Read Now a couple months ago, and I’m about to dive into this (though by the time this post goes live, I might already have started or even finished it). What caught my attention was the title and the cover and then when I read the synopsis? It kind of reminded me of Nightbooks by J.A. White and something I’d read from a Goosebumps novel (which I was obsessed with as a kid).

I also love a good revenge story, so even if I didn’t come across it on Netgalley (since I try not to go on there too often these days), I’d probably come across it elsewhere (I’m always looking for more South Asian authors to add to my list of books for a South Asian display) and be curious.

Heirs of Infamy by Kyla Zhao

Beneath the neon glare of postwar San Francisco, Chinatown is ruled by two rival crime families. East Phoenix deals in secrets and stealth, West Dragon in fists and fear. But amid rising anti-Chinese hostility, both empires are bleeding money—and the fragile truce between them frays by the day.

As the daughter of Chinatown’s most powerful crime boss, Alexis Sung can do almost anything—except join the family business. When her first job for East Phoenix goes wrong, her father shuts her out for good. Across town, Zachary Ren—a brilliant orphan raised by West Dragon—is desperate to escape a life he never chose. Their paths weren’t meant to cross again, not after he destroyed Alexis’s one shot to prove herself.

That changes when a daring heist surfaces—one score big enough to save both families. Defying her father’s orders, Alexis seizes the chance to redeem herself by striking an uneasy alliance with Zachary.

Old wounds reopen. New sparks catch. And survival means trusting the last person she should.

Like Kill Your Darlings, Heirs of Infamy was another book I came across on Netgalley when it was on Read Now a couple months ago and I got to snag an eARC of it after the title and cover caught my attention and reading the synopsis. I’m hoping to read it after that one, but if not, whoops.

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

mistborn the final empire brandon sanderson

For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the “Sliver of Infinity,” reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler’s most hellish prison. Kelsier “snapped” and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark.

Kelsier recruited the underworld’s elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Only then does he reveal his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot.

But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel’s plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she’s a half-Skaa orphan, but she’s lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets, and gotten it. She will have to learn to trust, if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.

This saga dares to ask a simple question: What if the hero of prophecy fails?

This is me manifesting my friend’s library to move the holds list along so I can unsuspend my hold and we can finally start reading this together.

Watch us not be able to read this until next year, though.

The Wrath Gods Reap by Abigail Owen

The gods took everything from Hades. Now he’s coming to collect.

For once, I’m not the mortal condemned to face a series of deadly trials. Hades is.

To reclaim the powers that are rightfully his, the King of the Underworld must compete against the gods of Olympus—and survive a contest designed to bring even immortals to their knees.

I’ve lost count of how many impossible choices I’ve survived. I should be relieved to watch from the sidelines. Except the god I love is risking his life with every trial, and someone known only as the Deceiver is determined to destroy Team Underworld.

As ancient deception spreads across Olympus, the foundations begin to fracture from within. Hades and I must expose our hidden enemy before the gods turn against one another—and the world pays the price.

But while Hades battles the gods, I’m fighting to control the power awakening inside me. It’s growing stronger. Wilder. And I’m no closer to understanding what it wants from me.

The gods think this is another game.

They’re wrong.

This is war—and if anyone tries to take Hades from me, I’ll show them what divine wrath really looks like.

The third and final book in Abigail Owen’s Crucible trilogy is one of my most anticipated releases this fall, and I’m so excited to get my hands on a copy of it.

I’m equally as scared, though, because I mentioned in my review for The Things Gods Break the third book could just as easily backfire with the amount of characters that were introduced in the second book and there’s likely going to be even more in the third book. But Owen delivered such a brilliant sequel where the main characters aren’t overshadowed by the side characters that I honestly have faith the third book is going to be just as brilliant.

Twisted Vows by I.V. Marie

Step into the mysterious, gothic world of Blackwood Academy eighteen years prior to the events of the New York Times bestselling Immortal Consequences in this darkly enchanting prequel novella that traces the origins of fan-favorite couple August and Wren’s heated rivalry and eventual romance.

She’d hate him for the rest of eternity. She’d hate him until the very end.

When Wren Loughty finds herself dropped outside the gates of Blackwood Academy, the infamous magical boarding school located on the fringes of the afterlife, she quickly realizes that she’s dead. Worse, she’s stuck between life and death, eternally tasked with learning the magical skills required to guide lost souls to the Other Side.

And her first assignment? A class project with the boy known as the notorious “Demon of Blackwood,” Augustine Hughes.

August doesn’t do friends. He has his own reasons for wanting to get close to the new girl…reasons that are quickly becoming more complicated the more time he spends with her.

As Wren and August navigate the darkly enchanting Blackwood campus and their cutthroat fellow students, an undeniable connection grows between them. But some connections can be twisted.

And some betrayals can’t be undone.

I know I struggled with Ruinous Ends despite loving Immortal Consequences, but Twisted Vows features two of my favorite characters from the duology: Wren and August! I saw it on Netgalley when I was browsing a few months ago and resisted requesting the book, but I absolutely jumped on the hold list for it when it became available at my library. Thankfully the list isn’t as long as The Wrath Gods Reap or The Final Empire and it’s a quick read, so I’m sure I’ll get around to it quickly when it releases soon.

Under the Oak Tree, Vol. 1 by Suji Kim

Most fairytales end with a wedding and a happily-ever-after—but this is no fairytale. The updated and official translation of Under the Oak Tree, the #1 webnovel on MANTA.

Lady Maximilian is the daughter of the powerful Duke Croyso, but she is rarely allowed outside her family’s sprawling castle for fear that her stutter will tarnish their noble name. When she is forced to marry Sir Riftan, a lowborn knight caught in one of her father’s schemes, Maxi doesn’t dare hope for happiness, let alone love. Her stumbling communication and his gruff manner sour their relationship before it can begin, and Riftan leaves without a word the morning after their vows are exchanged.

Now, three years after their disastrous wedding night, Riftan has returned as a war hero. To Maxi’s surprise, despite rumors that he was offered marriage to Princess Agnes, a beautiful and renowned sorceress, Riftan still wants Maxi for his wife. And when he comes to claim her, his longing becomes a desire that bewilders Maxi, even as she is overcome by the scorching heat that Riftan’s presence ignites within her. As she learns to navigate the intricacies of her new life, Maxi will find herself and her courage, and discover that she is anything but powerless.

This volume collects chapters 1-76 of the original webnovel by Suji Kim.

Including this one to manifest me reading this at some point soon because I still have the second volume suspended on Libby and the whole point of me going on hold for that was to give me a good little kick to read the first one. This is one of my favorite webtoons on Manta (I need to catch up on Season 5, though!), and I’m excited to read the official translated version. I think the third book comes out this fall, too, with the fourth volume early next year, so maybe that will be the push I need to binge the current three volumes that have been released.

Royalslinger by Graci Kim

Graci Kim is back with the final book in her exciting and fantastical Slinger duology where dragons and phoenixes roam the skies of Seoul; meals magically appear based on your mood; and dreams literally come to life.

“A mind-blowingly original fantasy adventure—Graci Kim has done it again!”—Rick Riordan, New York Times #1 best-selling author of Percy Jackson and The Olympians

“A definite must-read for anyone who loves stories of found family, clever magic, and learning to embrace your true self. Also: I want a bloom dragon!”— Shannon Messenger, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of the Keeper of the Lost Cities series

After successfully passing the Annual Royal Slinger Trials, Aria is about to kick off her second year of training at the Royal League of Dreamslingers. All she and her bloom dragon, Rio, have to do is pass the final Fellowship exam and they’ll finally become fully-fledged Fellows.

But before training can begin, the king of Royal Hanguk cancels the exam, and instead commands Aria and the other novices to reclaim the Touch of Death—a powerful ancient relic that was stolen from the kingdom. And by Aria’s mother, no less.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Aria experiences a devastating loss and considers going to horrific lengths to cope . . . even potentially joining the freedom slingers—a rogue and dangerous faction of dreamslingers. How will Aria choose to deal with her grief? And will her decisions result in the end of the League?

I originally wanted to read this when the book came out in July, but I sadly never got around to it yet. My library copy is still sitting in my room collecting dust, but I guess at least it’s signaling to my library that there’s some demand for Graci Kim’s books, though! Here’s to hoping I get around to it before the end of the year — I remember really like Dreamslinger and wanting to find out what was next after the Slinger trials. I also really liked Kim’s debut trilogy (The Gifted Clans).

Kaya of the Ocean by Gloria L. Huang

Anxious thirteen-year-old Kaya has always been afraid of everything—but when she learns she is the descendant of a Chinese water goddess, she’ll have to master herself to master her powers!

“Hand to readers of the ‘Rick Riordan Presents’ series, and tell them this is even better.”—School Library Journal, Starred Review

On the surface, thirteen-year-old Kaya leads a charmed life. She lives in beautiful, beachy Lihiwai. She has ride-or-die best friends. She’s ultrasmart and killing it at school. She even works with a super-cute boy at her parents’ restaurant.

But she also has anxiety—serious anxiety, the kind that makes you scratch and pick—and she’s always had bad luck around the ocean. It’s hard to enjoy Hawaiian beaches when you’ve almost drowned more than once.

But as stranger and stranger things happen to Kaya around the sea, she realizes that—wanted or not—she has a special connection to it. Waves rise when she’s angry. Surf smooths when she’s calm. Fish come when she calls them. And when she learns the truth about her family and her divine ancestor, Mazu, she knows that she will need to connect with her most difficult emotions ASAP—or her potent powers may become dangerous to the people she loves.

Kaya of the Ocean is an exciting, fresh, and beautiful middle-grade fantasy about embracing who you really are. This heartfelt adventure of sun, surf, and sand touches on mental health, the immigrant experience, and the complexities of growing up.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
An ABA Indies Introduce Selection
“[A] fantastical debut.”—Kirkus Reviews

For a fall TBR post, Kaya of the Ocean definitely feels more fit for a summer TBR. It’s still fairly hot and humid, though, and I’m not exactly one for keeping summer vibe books for summer reading only. I was interested in this book because it features a character who deals with anxiety and as someone who was very much anxious back in middle school (and still is as an adult), I feel like it’s just really nice to have more books in middle grade that talk about mental health.

Dominion by Jean Kwok

A woman with no past. A warrior with no future. Their love could save the world-or burn it down.

In a world divided into four rival Dominions, power is everything-and Rubi Morningtail has almost none. Three years after the Annihilation destroyed her homeland and shattered her memories, she lives as an Azure refugee in the Dominion of the Silver Tyger, scraping by as a ribbon dancer and hiding her little bit of singing magic. When she wounds a massive battle-tyger on her doorstep, she draws the notice of Blake Axefire- supreme metal mage, leader of the royal tyger warriors, and the last man an Azure should trust. His sentence? Cast her into the Bonding, a brutal trial where tygers choose their riders and slaughter the rest. Surviving is unthinkable.

But survive she does. Now she’s stuck on Blake’s elite team racing to reseal the Anchors to the demon realm. With rebels striking, demons rising, and the Dominions at each other’s throats, Rubi must unlock the truth of her magic and her past…while resisting her dangerous attraction to the ruthless warrior who could be her redemption-or her ruin.

I heard this is inspired by Chinese mythology (also Fourth Wing meets Hunger Games? Interesting combo) and I am in. I also really love the cover and wanted to go to the author event when she was in St. Louis in July celebrating the release of this one but I decided to pass on going since I was in the middle of moving. (And as much as I really love supporting Asian authors when they come to my hometown while also supporting my local indie bookstores, I also don’t live in a billionaire romance who can get all the books. Tragic, I know.)

Letters from the Ginza Shihodo Stationery Shop by Kenji Ueda (translated by Emily Balistrieri)

letters from the ginza shihodo stationery shop kenji ueda

For lovers of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, a new book about the beauty of humble objects, the power of writing, and reconnecting with those you have lost.

Write your story, heal your heart . . .

Hidden away in a corner of the Ginza neighbourhood is a venerable stationery shop. To venture inside is to find everything your stationery-loving heart desires, from the most delicate paper to fountain pens that fit exactly to the shape of your hand to gorgeously coloured inks. The shop owner intuits your every need, inviting you to take a seat at a small wooden table on the top floor, where you’ll find the words flowing, helping you unlock repressed memories, secret longings and your own mysteries.

To this shop comes a young company employee, uncertain in his career and needing a connection back to his past; the hostess of an elegant club; the vice-captain of a high-school archery team, an ageing businessman and a formerly homeless sushi chef. With impeccable manners and a warm demeanour, the shop owner helps each of them with more than just their stationery needs.

Goodreads

Amazon

I first saw this book on a stationery subreddit or blog (it might have been The Well-Appointed Desk where I discovered this book? It was over a year ago, y’all), and I was so excited to see a book set in a stationery shop. I actually submitted a suggestion purchase at my local library but it ended up getting rejected sadly, and I kind of forgot about it until my brain randomly was like, “hey, heyyyyyy, what happened to that stationery shop book???” And because I forgot the title but I apparently remembered there were letters involved (you know that’s more than “it was a purple cover”) I basically started plugging words into search until I found the exact book I was looking for.

Anyway, in true library nerd form, I definitely utilized the library to request this book through Interlibrary Loans,* hehe. Manifesting that a library out there will make my little stationery shop reading dreams come true.

*This is your reminder to get a library card and support your local library. c:

Let’s talk!

It turns out there are no repeats in this round’s list (repeat authors, on the other hand…)! And I have a full list of ten! Tell me what you’re hoping to read in the next few months or if you’ve read any of the books on my list (and therefore I should absolutely prioritize the book except I’m also a mood reader, so that’s kind of a problem).