A non-negotiable for the cozy season is a good read — ideally, hundreds. The best books published in January 2026 can certainly fulfill this cold-weather requirement.
Whether you’re relaxing on the couch in your apartment or nursing a cup of tea at a NYC book cafe, you’ll want to make sure to have a great story at hand. We found five of them across all genres.
Don’t forget: the Secret Book Club on Fable is waiting for you to join the literary fun!
Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy
After readers were blown away by her raw yet darkly comical memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died — which sold over 3 million copies worldwide — former Nickelodeon star Jennette McCurdy is stepping into, quite literally, the next chapter of her career — a writer.
Her first fiction release, Half Is Age, is a tantalizing look at what happens when a student falls for her creative writing professor with literary swag, artsy references, a home…and a family.
The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave
Laura Dave, the Queen of Thriller, returns with a story about a mother and step-daughter duo who are trying to pick up the pieces after their husband and father, Owen, disappeared.
Life in SoCal is far from sunny for Hannah and Bailey when Owen reappears years later, just when everything was starting to feel “normal” again.
Will they be able to outrun him and the danger he carries along for the ride, or is redemption in order? (Psst: start with The Last Thing He Told Me before diving into The First Time I Saw Him.)
My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney
Spyglass is an eerie, unusual name for a home. Despite the moniker, two women make themselves comfortable within its walls.
Budding artist Eden Fox goes for a quick lap around the Hope Falls neighborhood one day, but when she returns home to Spyglass, she’s unable to get in. Much to her surprise, a woman and her husband answer the door, and said husband thinks Eden is his spouse. (Talk about a memorable run!)
Rewind six months and a woman named Birdy, who is sadly facing problematic health issues, inherits Spyglass from her grandmother. When she finds a clinic in the neighborhood that predicts death dates, some twists come into play for Birdy.
So: What’s really going on at Spyglass?
The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead
With glimmers of Daisy Jones & The Six and A Visit From the Goon Squad comes a new fictional love story focused on the music biz — and it’s the January pick of the month at the Strand.
Future Saints, and its lead singer, Hannah, are going off the deep end after the sudden death of their manager. Theo steps in to help give them a final chance to show their stuff — and takes a special interest in Hannah — but will the band’s mourning period be too much to bear?
Buy on Bookshop.orgA Vow in Vengeance by Jaclyn Rodriguez
Why not kickstart 2026 with a new romantasy read — and a series debut?!
The first of the “Immortal Desires” series sees Rune Ryker trying to reclaim everything that’s been taken from the Immortals, mainly her family.
When she makes her way to the Forge, a college for the Immortal druids’ tarot magic, she’s paired with fellow wielder, Prince Draven. He’s not the only one to pick up on her magic — it becomes problematic and even dangerous.
When the druids threaten to start a war over her powers, can Prince Draven step in to protect her?