Amazon Names Kin by Tayari Jones the No. 1 Book of 2026 So Far
The Amazon Editors read, debated, and voted on the best new books from Amazon’s wide selection to deliver the perfect summer reading list.
Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced its Best Books of the Year So Far list, led by Tayari Jones’s Kin as the No. 1 pick. Amazon Editor Erin Kodicek raves that the “sentences sing” in this novel about two motherless friends who come of age in the Jim Crow South. Rounding out the top five selections are Patrick Radden Keefe’sLondon Falling, Caro Claire Burke’s Yesteryear, Belle Burden’s Strangers, and Eli Raphael’s Night Objects.
The Amazon Editors read thousands of books every year across genres to help connect readers with their next favorite book from Amazon’s broad selection of titles. Drawn from their Best Books of the Month recommendations, the Best Books of 2026 So Far list features the Editors’ most championed books from the first half of the year. Whether readers want to dive into a page-turner at the beach, unwind with an eBook on a long flight, or relax with an audiobook in a backyard hammock, there’s something for everyone this summer.
Readers will discover the Editors’ top 20 picks alongside standout selections across genres including literature and fiction, mystery and thrillers, romance and romantasy, history, nonfiction, biographies and memoirs, debuts, cookbooks, and children’s books by age group. New this year, the list includes Book Club Picks, a category spotlighting books to share and discuss with friends. Also new, readers can follow specific Editors who match their reading tastes to discover personal picks and receive monthly book recommendations.
