12 New Releases // January 2026
A new year, and we have 12 new releases for January. There are so many new book releases every single month that it can feel impossible to keep up. Let alone having the money to buy them! With limited space (and an ever-growing TBR), I wanted to create a new monthly series that felt intentional, rather than overwhelming.
The 12 New Releases is exactly what it sounds like. A carefully curated selection of 12 books publishing each month of 2026. These are books that have caught my attention for one reason or another. They might be titles I’m personally excited about. The next book in a series I’m already invested in. And even releases that have been recommended to me by booktubers, friends, family, or through online articles and publishing newsletters.
This list is a snapshot of what’s on my radar right now. Think of it as a highlights post rather than a complete catalogue. If even one of these books ends up on your TBR, then this series has done its job.
Below are January’s 12 new releases, spanning fantasy, romance, cosy reads, literary fiction, and mystery. A little bit of everything, just the way I like it.
I have included the title, author and synopsis of the books in the image above, below:
A War of Wyverns by S. F. Williamson
“Vivien Featherswallow never meant to start a war. By translating the secret language of dragons, she has ignited a civil conflict that has torn Britain apart, with dragons and humans divided on both sides. After toppling a powerful enemy and escaping capture, Vivien becomes the unwilling symbol of a rebellion while living as the most wanted criminal in the country. Forced into hiding, she questions her role and the future she once believed was hers. Searching for purpose and a way to end the violence, Vivien journeys to the remote Scottish Isles in pursuit of a long forgotten species of dragon. What she discovers there could change the course of the war and determine whether peace is still possible.”
The Charmed Library by Jennifer Moorman
“The public library in Blue Sky Valley looks ordinary, but it holds a secret that could change everything. Fictional characters can step off the page and into real life. Assistant librarian Stella Parker has no idea. Grieving her father and recovering from heartbreak, she feels stuck and uncertain about her future. When she burns her cherished journal, the world around her begins to change. Stella has always seen words, floating, shifting, revealing hidden truths. Now they grow urgent and painful, demanding her attention. After hours in the library, Stella encounters a man she never expected to meet in real life, the hero of her favourite book. As she uncovers the library’s magic, she learns that stories come with rules and consequences. With time running out, Stella must decide what she is willing to risk for love, meaning, and the power of words.”
Picnics and Promises at Strawberry Fields by Victoria Walters
“Daisy Connor never expected to spend her wedding day at Birch Tree Farm, but after leaving her fiancé at the altar, it becomes the only place that feels safe enough to breathe. Returning to her cousin’s farmhouse, Daisy hopes the quiet will help her rediscover herself. Blake Daniels arrives at the same farm carrying his own heartbreak, seeking distance after a painful betrayal. As strawberry season approaches, the rhythm of farm life offers a welcome distraction from their shared uncertainty. When their exes appear uninvited and demanding answers, Daisy and Blake make a spontaneous decision to pretend they are together. What begins as a simple solution soon grows complicated as attraction builds and boundaries blur. Amid sun soaked days and unexpected sparks, they must decide whether their connection is only an act or the start of something real.”
The East Wind by Alexandria Warwick
“Min of Marles spends her days brewing potions in a ruthless apothecary, where immortal beings are imprisoned and harvested for their power. Trapped under her employer’s control, Min keeps her head down until one act of mercy changes everything. Eurus, the East Wind, has endured years of torment. When Min sets him free, he takes her with him to a remote island, driven by vengeance against the gods who betrayed him. Desperate to reclaim her freedom, Min strikes a dangerous bargain to help him reach his enemies. To succeed, they must enter the City of Gods, a place of deadly trials and ruthless ambition. Forced to rely on each other, mistrust gives way to temptation. With danger closing in from every side, Min and Eurus must decide whether survival is possible without betrayal.”
All the Little Houses by May Cobb
“In mid 1980s Longview, Texas, beauty, wealth, and reputation rule. Nellie Anderson has been raised to believe she deserves everything she wants, and her mother Charleigh has made it her life’s work to ensure she gets it. Charleigh fought her way out of poverty and obscurity, building a flawless social empire through charm and calculation. When a seemingly perfect new family arrives in town, her carefully controlled world begins to fracture. Old insecurities resurface, rivalries ignite, and the cost of belonging becomes impossible to ignore. As tensions rise and facades crack, Longview becomes a battleground for status and survival. When the dust settles, only one question remains. Who will still be standing?”
The Room in the Attic by T. M. Logan
“Adam and Jess think they have found their dream home when they move into a sprawling Victorian villa with their three children. It stretches their finances but promises the fresh start they have been craving. Soon after moving in, Adam uncovers a hidden door concealed behind a fitted wardrobe, leading to a secret room filled with abandoned personal belongings. While Jess urges him to leave the past alone, Adam becomes increasingly obsessed with the mystery of who left them behind and why. As curiosity deepens into fixation, long buried secrets begin to surface. What starts as a harmless discovery slowly threatens to unravel everything Adam and Jess are trying to protect, placing their family in far greater danger than they ever imagined.”
How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days by Jessie Sly
“When Pansy, a halfling, and Ren, a goblin, both believe they have inherited the same cottage, they strike an uneasy bargain to share the home until one of them gives up their claim. Forced to live side by side, misunderstandings and long held prejudices quickly surface. As differences give way to connection, an unexpected bond begins to form. But when the cottage and the wider community are placed in danger, Pansy and Ren must decide whether trust is worth the risk. Together, they face a growing threat that challenges old divisions and asks whether unity might be stronger than tradition. A warm and whimsical fantasy romance about home, belonging, and choosing to stand together.”
How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder by Nina McConigley
“Summer 1986. In rural Wyoming, sisters Georgie Ayyar and Agatha Krishna welcome extended family newly arrived from India into their home. What begins as an ordinary act of family obligation slowly unravels into something far more unsettling. Told through Georgie’s sharp and witty voice, this is a story shaped by sisterhood, secrecy, and the weight of history carried across continents. As childhood games and teenage rituals collide with buried trauma, the sisters are forced to reckon with identity, loyalty, and the forces that shaped their family long before they were born. By turns playful and piercing, this novel blends humour with darkness to explore belonging, memory, and what it means to grow up caught between cultures.”
The Re-Do List by Denise Williams
“After a very public breakup with her high school sweetheart, Willow is determined to reclaim the moments that once defined her. While dog sitting for her brother during his deployment, she creates a bold Re Do list and gets unexpected support from his best friend, Deacon. Deacon promised to protect Willow and keep his distance, but helping her rediscover confidence feels harmless at first. As innocent do overs turn into something deeper, the connection between them becomes impossible to ignore. With Willow’s time in town limited and Deacon torn between loyalty and love, both must decide whether what they have is only temporary or worth fighting for. When the list runs out, the biggest question remains can they choose each other anyway.”
The Winter Witch by Jennifer Chevalier
“Two sisters leave Normandy aboard a bride ship, hoping a new life in seventeenth century New France will free them from scandal and fear. Élisabeth Jossard believes she is cursed, and she places her faith in distance, devotion, and the promise of a fresh beginning. When her prayers go unanswered, Élisabeth is drawn to Jeanne Roy, a mysterious woman whose beliefs challenge everything she has been taught. As doubt and conviction collide, buried truths begin to surface, forcing the sisters to confront their past and the dangerous power of fear. Inspired by the history of Canada’s Filles du Roi, The Winter Witch explores how faith, superstition, and misunderstanding can spark suspicion and turn communities against their own.”
Night Rider by Sloane Fletcher
“A hundred reasons to run. One reason to stay. After a terrifying ordeal, Hollywood starlet Nina Keller flees the spotlight in search of safety and a chance to rediscover herself. Hunt Ranch offers the quiet escape she desperately needs, until she meets Maverick Hunt. Steady, patient, and impossible to ignore, Maverick makes Nina feel safe in a way she hasn’t felt in a long time. As she settles into ranch life and grows close to Maverick and his young daughter, Nina begins to imagine a future far from the fame she left behind. But the past isn’t so easily escaped. When old threats resurface, Nina and Maverick must decide whether to walk away, or face what’s coming together.”
Murder by the Book by M. R. G. Davies
“Nothing is deadlier than an angry reader. When the manager of The Quaint Bookshop is found dead among the shelves, four members of the shop’s reading group decide to put their favourite murder-mystery knowledge to the test. The police may be leading the investigation, but these crime-loving readers are determined to find the truth themselves.”
And those are the 12 new releases for January 2026 I am excited for! Some of these are already on my pre-order list. Which you can find in My Reading Plans For 2026 post.
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As always, thanks for reading…
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