60+ Books To Look Forward To In 2026

'Read at least 100 books in 2026' 
If your New Year's resolution looks something like this too, we have got you covered. From warm romances to nail-biting suspense, and from literary legends to emerging storytellers, the coming year promises a lineup of books and writers that will keep your reading list full and your mind engaged. 

Whether you're a lifelong book lover or just looking to dive into more pages this year, here is our curated selection of upcoming releases in 2026 that promise unforgettable characters, evocative stories, and new worlds that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.

75 Books To Look Forward To In 2026

Light and Thread - Han Kang | Maya West (Translator), e. yaewon (Translator), Paige Aniyah Morris (Translator)

It is a reflective collection of essays, poems, photographs, and diaries exploring connection, language, and the interplay between inner and outer worlds. Han Kang meditates on love, creativity, and the “gold thread” linking hearts, offering intimate insights into her life, work, and Nobel-winning perspective.

Fieldwork as a Sex Object - Meena Kandasamy

The novel follows a young Indian woman in London navigating brutal online trolling after a sex scandal, exploring themes of race, politics, sex, and sexuality. Bold and unflinching, the novel combines dark humour and incisive critique to challenge readers’ assumptions about society and themselves.

Once Elephants Lived Here - Geetanjali Shree (translated by Daisy Rockwell)

Once Elephants Lived Here explores themes of loss, resilience, and societal change, set against shifting landscapes and cultural backdrops. Through evocative storytelling and vivid imagery, the collection transcends boundaries of conventional short stories.

The Ghosts Of Small Indian Towns: A Journey Through Time - Ruskin Bond

It is an elegiac reflection on India’s disappearing small towns, capturing their charm, culture, and the lives of the people who once inhabited them. Through vivid storytelling, Ruskin Bond chronicles the effects of rapid urbanisation while celebrating the unique magic and memory of these tranquil, vanishing places.

Around India with Ruskin Uncle: A Child's Guide to the Country's Wonders with Ruskin Bond - Ruskin Bond

It is an illustrated guide for children exploring India’s monuments, wildlife, festivals, food, and culture across all states and union territories. Through engaging storytelling and vivid visuals, Ruskin Bond introduces young readers to the country’s natural wonders, traditions, and local languages, making learning about India a fun and immersive journey.

The Wives of Murderers' Wives - Elizabeth Arnott

The book follows three women in 1960s California whose husbands are notorious killers, as they navigate shame, societal scrutiny, and personal reinvention.

The Art Of Being Fabulous - Shalini Passi

A part-memoir, part-manifesto in which Shalini Passi outlines ten paths to a beautiful life. The book encourages cultivating inner strength, personal style, and empowered philanthropy, defining fabulousness as living courageously without seeking external approval.

The Sari Eternal - Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri

This book explores the history, cultural significance, and enduring legacy of the sari, India’s oldest surviving garment. Through personal anecdotes and historical insights, Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri traces the sari’s evolution, its representation in art, literature, and society, and its role as a symbol of Indian womanhood and feminine power.

Abandoning a Cat - Haruki Murakami

This book is a reflective meditation on memory, family, and personal identity, framed around a childhood incident with Haruki Murakami’s father and their cat. It explores the influences of upbringing, generational distance, and the passage of time on shaping who we become.

Arthashastra Unravelled - Ami Ganatra

Arthashastra Unravelled interprets Rishi Kautilya’s Arthashastra for a modern audience, highlighting its insights on leadership, economics, education, and geopolitics. The book offers practical applications of balancing material prosperity (Artha) with ethical and social order (Dharma), demonstrating how ancient wisdom can inform contemporary personal and professional life.

Walk Like a Girl - by Prabal Gurung

The memoir traces Prabal Gurung’s journey from a queer childhood shaped by prejudice in Nepal and India to success in New York’s elite fashion world. The book reveals how resilience, identity, and his mother’s unwavering support transformed shame into strength and fueled his rise as a celebrated designer.

The Sage Who Reimagined Hinduism: The Life, Lessons, and Legacy of Sree Narayana Guru - Shashi Tharoor

This biography chronicles the life of spiritual leader Sree Narayana Guru of Kerala, exploring his spiritual journey, social reforms, and lasting legacy, portraying him as a visionary leader who reshaped Hinduism and championed equality and education.

After Nations - Rana DasGupta

After Nations examines the decline of the nation-state system amid rising autocracies and global instability. Tracing its evolution from ancient empires to modern tech giants, the book argues for reimagining citizenship, law, and economy in an interconnected, fragile world.

It Could Have Been Her - Lisa Jewell

The thriller follows Jane Trevally, who revisits a sinister house from her past after a missing dog leads her there, uncovering dark secrets. It unravels a missing woman, a troubled family, and chilling revelations, exploring danger, suspense, and the haunting question of survival.

Ponniyin Selvan (volumes 7 to 10) - Kalki/Nandini Krishnan

This unabridged and first-rate translation of Kalki Krishnamurthy’s masterwork by Nandini Krishnan is the quintessential page-turner: full of adventure, intrigue, conspiracy and romance. The remaining four books from the Ponniyin Selvan series will likely be released in 2026, bringing the story to its completion.

Influence book - Ankur Warikoo

It offers practical insights on understanding and managing relationships, influence, boundaries, conflict, trust, and toxicity. Each page presents a standalone lesson or story, guiding readers to navigate interpersonal dynamics and personal growth.

Glorious Failure - Robert Ivermee

From war with the British to the enslavement of Indians, Robert Ivermee uncovers the dark history of France’s doomed imperial project in South Asia. This is a powerful new account of a chapter in history that is crucial to understand, yet often overlooked. From great power rivalry to informal empire and entrenched inequalities, the book tackles topics that remain vital and urgent in today’s world.

A Historian in Gaza - Jean Pierre Filiu

Jean-Pierre Filiu, acclaimed historian of Gaza, writes an unforgettable, unbearably intimate account of one month in a place shattered by Israel’s all-out war. 

A Picture of Aryan Pasha: The Girl Who Never Was - Apra Kuchal

This biography chronicles Aryan Pasha’s journey from being assigned female at birth to becoming India’s first trans man bodybuilding champion. It is a powerful story of navigating gender dysphoria, social rejection, and a hyper-masculine sport to achieve visibility, self-acceptance, and triumph.

The Constitution Is My Home: Conversations on Democratic Lawyering - Indira Jaisingh with Ritu Menon

The Constitution Is My Home is a reflective, conversational memoir by Indira Jaising, told with Ritu Menon. Tracing landmark legal battles and historic firsts, the book chronicles a life devoted to gender justice, constitutional freedoms, and the defence of democracy.

Love Sex India: Anthology - Paromita Vohra

Paromita Vohra explores a conversation often whispered behind closed doors.  Love Sex India: Anthology features powerful stories of Indians sharing their experiences with sex, desire, kinks, and expectations.

Faith and Fury - Jyoti Yadav

Faith and Fury is an Indian female journalist's first-person account of the COVID-19 pandemic in UP and Bihar. It details how the healthcare infrastructure in the hinterland collapsed, the massive exodus of migrants, anecdotes from interactions with policemen, frontline workers, and those affected in small towns and villages.

Liar, Liar: The True Story of the Social Justice Scammer Who Faked Cancer and Death - Rheea Mukherjee

This book follows a fabricated activist persona who exploited empathy, guilt, and social justice spaces to orchestrate a chilling online scam. Blending true crime with personal reckoning, the book examines deception, saviourism, and how compassion can be weaponised in the digital age.

A CEO’s Brew - Sanjiv Mehta

A CEO’s Brew traces Sanjiv Mehta’s rise from a middle-class upbringing to leading Hindustan Unilever Limited. The memoir combines personal anecdotes with leadership lessons, highlighting values and ambition in shaping a successful corporate journey.

Vyasa's Women - Anand Neelakantan

Vyasa's Women reimagines the Mahabharata from the perspectives of its women—Amba, Kunti-Gandhari, Hidumbi, Charulatha, and Dusshala—highlighting their courage, power, and heartbreak. Bold and contemporary, the book brings myth to life with emotion and relevance, revealing the untold stories behind the epic’s legendary events.

Biting Off More Than I Can Chew - Rahul Akerkar

Biting Off More Than I Can Chew chronicles Rahul Akerkar's rule-breaking journey from a home kitchen to shaping modern Indian dining. Packed with wit and candour, the memoir reveals the chaos, ambition, and resilience behind a life relentlessly chasing flavour.

The Bengal Reader - Edited and translated by Arunava Sinha

It is a comprehensive anthology of Bengali literature, spanning two centuries of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and plays. The book showcases voices from Rammohun Roy and Tagore to modern writers, reflecting Bengal’s evolving literary, cultural, and social landscape.

The Girls Club - Harnidh Kaur

The Girls Club blends essays with actionable tools—burnout protocols, salary scripts, boundary templates, and career maps—to equip women to thrive and reclaim agency in professional and personal spheres.

Rootless and Restless - Shivya Nath

The book chronicles Shivya Nath’s journeys to remote corners of the world, exploring local cultures, traditions, and environmental connections, and reflecting on how conscious travel fosters personal growth.

Majoritarianism in India - Javed Gaya

This book situates India’s present majoritarian turn within the unresolved debates of the 1940s. Constitutional discussions before Partition revolved around competing visions of liberty—embodied in universal franchise—and equality, through robust minority protections. In present-day India, neither value appears secure as democratic norms have eroded, and there is a turn towards majoritarianism.

Wild Wild East - Tanul Thakur

*Wild Wild East* exposes a vast web of human trafficking, immigration fraud, and massive wage theft involving Indian migrants in the United States. The book reveals how this exploitation devastates not only migrant workers but also American middle-class families whose lives collapse under the same system.

The Grain Kitchen - Chef Anahita Dhondy

The Grain Kitchen explores the history, culture, and future of grains like rice, wheat, and millets that have shaped Indian kitchens for centuries. Blending research, personal memory, and accessible recipes, the book reimagines familiar ingredients as sustainable, flavour-rich staples for modern cooking.

Bhagat Singh's Pistol - Jupinderjit Singh

From the author of Who Killed Moosewala comes this gripping book, which retraces the extraordinary journey to uncover the whereabouts of Bhagat Singh’s legendary pistol—the weapon that echoed through India’s freedom struggle and became a symbol of revolutionary courage. The book opens a window into Bhagat Singh’s radical mind, the networks that shaped him, and the contested memory of revolution in modern India.

Why I killed my husband and other stories - Anita Nair

A six-story collection that captures the interplay between the personal and the political while exploring the everyday existence of Indians across different social strata. The tales are set in different parts of the country and explore a range of themes, from gender violence to pandemic lockdowns and cyber fraud, fusing incisive social commentary with deeply evocative emotional truths. 

Maryam and Son - Mirza Waheed

Mirza Waheed’s latest novel tells the story of Maryam, an ordinary British woman whose only son is missing and is presumed to be the ‘Swordsman’ in Iraq. It is the story of the women who have been left behind. Through immersive, perceptive storytelling, this novel touches on themes of motherhood, loss, and empathy.

The Product Code - Shoaib Ahmed

This memoir follows the birth of Vedha Automations, one of the earliest product companies in India, way before the start-up rush we now see. It was later acquired by Tally Solutions. Shoaib Ahmed founded Vedha, then went on to head Tally after the acquisition. An insider's view of how to transform India from a services-led country to a product nation.

Two Bandra Girls Buy a Farm - Arti Dwarkadas

Arti Dwarkadas' debut book 'Two Bandra Girls Buy a Farm' (non-fiction) is a fun, quirky and empathetic account of two city-dwellers interacting with and integrating with the rural world.

The Apparition - M.G Vassanji

In The Apparition, MG Vassanji conjures a haunting and visionary fable set during the final days of the Delhi Sultanate. As the ailing Sultan Alauddin Khilji cedes power to his enigmatic vizier, Malik Kafur, court historian and Sufi poet Amir Hassan records a world slipping into chaos, spurred by the sudden appearance of a celestial phenomenon that unsettles faith, incites violence, and fractures belief.

The Longevity Code: The Science and Strategy of Resilience, Performance, and Lifelong Vitality - Pullela Gopichand and Sophia Pathai

It combines cutting-edge science and elite coaching to offer a practical guide for living stronger, healthier, and more purposefully as we age. The book provides strategies to enhance physical, mental, and metabolic resilience.

Mog Asundi - Jane Borges

In the year 1971, the Rozarios, a Goan family living in the Bombay neighbourhood of Sonapur, find themselves in the midst of startling fame. Their natural flair for theatrics and singing, bolstered by their surroundings, feeds their dreams and fuels their passions—until secrets from the past unravel and bring simmering tensions and bitterness to the surface. 

Better Every Day: The Twelve Laws of Positive Change - Arnold Schwarzenegger

Better Every Day is a 12-principle guide to continual self-improvement, drawing on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s experiences as a bodybuilder, entrepreneur, and leader.

A Flag to Live and Die For - Navtej Sarna

A Flag to Live and Die For traces the history and significance of India’s tricolour, from ancient dhvajas to its adoption as the national flag in 1947, and its symbolic meanings, role in the freedom struggle, legal codification, and continued presence in Indian life.

Why Is My Skin Brown? - Lakshmi Iyer

From the author of the celebrated book Why Is My Hair Curly?, this book follows 12-year-old Sarayu, who is sent from Charlotte to Bangalore, and now she must navigate family tensions, new friendships and biases revolving around the colour of her skin, as she discovers bravery, belonging and who she really is. It is an honest story about colour, courage and growing up in two worlds. 

Why Is My Body Different? - Lakshmi Iyer

Another book in the 'Why Is My...? series, this book traces Aliya’s life as she navigates becoming a girl, exploring her sexuality and boys, and learning about her body. It also gives her a chance to understand her mother. 

Travels in the Other Place - Pallavi Aiyar

In this memoir-travelogue, Pallavi Aiyar brings an original and insightful collection of personal essays that takes a deep dive into themes of identity and belonging across varied landscapes, both physical and metaphorical. Blending memoir, philosophy and travel writing, these are eight discrete encounters with the author at different ages, in different locations.

You Can Have It All - Gaur Gopal Das

Blending personal reflection with gentle wisdom, this book explores how perspective, self-awareness, and compassion can help balance ambition with true fulfilment. Marked by his iconic humour, deep empathy and gentle wisdom, it urges readers to develop the self-compassion we need to better navigate life.

The Other Side of Change - Maya Shankar

It explores how to navigate life’s disruptions, drawing on cognitive science and real-life stories to reveal universal lessons. Maya Shankar provides strategies to transform change from a source of stagnation or stress into an opportunity for growth, resilience, and self-discovery.

Outlaws Without In-Laws: A Badass Guide to Surviving Divorce - Preeti Prakash

Outlaws Without In-Laws by Riddhi Doshi explores India’s rising divorce wave through candid, real-life accounts of urban millennial women navigating life after marriage. Blending reportage, dark humour, and feminist storytelling, the book challenges stigma around divorce and reclaims it as a messy, lonely, and ultimately empowering journey toward selfhood.

Robinhood of Kathiawar and Other Extraordinary Tales from India's Freedom Movement - The Paperclip

This book uncovers 50 surprising, little-known stories from India’s freedom struggle, spotlighting rebels, risk-takers, and unsung heroes who shaped history in unexpected ways. Told in fast, engaging chapters, it connects global ideas, pop culture, and everyday acts - from radio to football - to reveal a bold, entertaining side of the independence movement.

The He-art of Hindutva - Brahma Prakash

This book examines how Hindutva moved from the fringes to the mainstream through everyday symbols—bulldozers, memes, music, street icons, and pop culture. Focusing on feeling, aesthetics, and belonging rather than leaders or ideology, the book decodes the cultural language shaping power and identity in contemporary India.

Wild Capital: Discovering Nature in Delhi - Neha Sinha

This book explores the hidden wilderness of Delhi, uncovering its wild creatures, layered ecological histories, and quiet moments of wonder. Blending natural history with personal reflection, the book reimagines the city as a living, breathing ecosystem.

Good Arguments - Deepika Arwind

It is a coming-of-age story following Delphi, a young woman in Bangalore discovering theatre and navigating life, relationships, and artistic ambition. Set against the backdrop of India’s 2012 gangrape protests, the novel explores questions of storytelling, agency, and the challenges of pursuing a life in the contemporary arts.

Absolute Jafar - Sarnath Banerjee

This new graphic novel follows Bhirgu and his son Jafar through a deeply personal story of exile, displacement, and fractured belonging. Blending history, memory, and contemporary reality, it is a bold tale of ideas that pushes the boundaries of storytelling and representation.

Not Quite Family: An Intimate Memoir of Bollywood - Khalid Mohamed

Film journalist Khalid Mohamed's candid memoir offers an insider’s view of Bollywood, blending sharp observation with personal candour. It features intimate, revealing portraits of icons like Smita Patil, Shah Rukh Khan, Dharmendra, and Rekha, capturing the industry’s glamour and contradictions.

The Housekeeper - Akshat Gupta 

The Housekeeper introduces Savita, a devoted wife and mother whose hidden past resurfaces when confronted by a mysterious adversary. The thriller unravels her psyche, blending suspense, identity, and secrets, and sets the stage for a trilogy exploring the depths of her fractured mind.

Monkey - Karan Madhok

Monkey follows Amit Nishani as he navigates grief and a fresh start in a Himalayan hill station, while a mysterious monkey intrudes into his life.

The Secret Eligibles of Mumbai - Anmol Malik

Secret Eligibles of Mumbai follows Dharam Ved, a charming but clueless heir, as he clashes with the McMiller sisters over a coveted sea-facing Mumbai property. Witty and heartwarming, the novel weaves romance, family dynamics, ambition, and unexpected love into a chaotic, feel-good story.

The Un-Wife Club - Akriti Tyagi

The Un-Wife Club follows five women brought together by heartbreak, who transform setbacks into strength at Mira’s café. Uplifting and deeply human, the novel explores friendship, reinvention, and the power of women supporting each other through life’s second chances.

Have You Met Me? - Andaleeb Wajid

Three cousins—Nura, Safina, and Rayhan—reunite at their grandmother’s funeral, uncovering family secrets and generational tensions. The novel explores identity, heritage, and reconciliation, showing how understanding one’s roots can coexist with staying true to oneself.

Death Comes To Matheran - Shabnam Minwalla

The book follows Tara Jhaveri as she investigates her father’s mysterious death in Matheran, questioning the official verdict of an accident. Blending suspense, fractured memories, and hidden secrets, the novel unravels a tense mystery where the past must be pieced together before tragedy strikes again.

The Return of Dharma - Thich Nhat Hanh

The book reflects on Buddhism’s journey from India to the world and back, exploring mindfulness, spiritual awakening, and collective evolution. 

Capture of PT 5770 (1999) - Lieutenant General Konsom Himalay Singh

The book recounts the capture of Point 5770 during the Kargil War, highlighting courage, endurance, and leadership in extreme battlefield conditions. Lt Gen Konsom Himalay Singh examines the enduring bond between soldiers’ duty and national resolve, offering lessons in strategy, valor, and military history.

The Fragrance of Rain - Stephen Alter

The Fragrance of Rain is a love letter to India’s monsoons, tracing its impact on landscapes, ecosystems, and human life across the country.

Hot Chocolate on Thursday - Michiko Aoyama

The book weaves twelve slice-of-life stories, framed by a woman’s ritual of ordering her regular hot chocolate at the enigmatic Marble Cafe. The novel explores everyday moments, connections, and reflections, creating a warm, contemplative narrative.