NewsBooks and authorsTayari Jones’s ‘Kin’—a nuanced portrait of family, friendship, and race—comes in at No. 1 from Amazon’s wide selection of books released so far this year.Written by Erin Kodicek, Amazon Books5 min readKey takeawaysTayari Jones's Kin, a coming-of-age story set in the Jim Crow South, is the Amazon Editors' No. 1 pick for the best book of 2026 so far.The full list spans literature and fiction, biographies, history, mystery, romantasy, and a new Book Club Picks category.Tune in to Amazon Live on Wednesday, June 10, at 9 a.m. PDT for a conversation with Tayari Jones.Each month, the Amazon Editors reveal our picks for the Best Books of the Month. As summer reading season approaches, we revisit these selections to discuss, debate, and vote on the standouts for the first half of the year.Many of the Best Books of 2026 So Far feel both timely and timeless, exploring the cultural zeitgeist while telling stories that will resonate for years to come, including our No. 1 pick: Tayari Jones’s Kin. Set in the Jim Crow South, it’s a moving coming-of-age story that touches on themes of motherhood, chosen family, and identity.Jones’s latest is just one of several books from literary luminaries who did not disappoint. Readers will also discover unforgettable debuts from authors who are destined to become household names.Our full list of the Best Books of 2026 So Far has something for everyone across popular categories, including biographies and memoirs, literature and fiction, history, mystery, and romantasy. And new this year, we’ve added a Book Club Picks category.Explore our top 20 picks below, and tune in to Amazon Live on Wednesday, June 10, at 9 a.m. PDT (12 p.m. EDT) for a conversation with Tayari Jones.Page overviewKin1Kin2London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth3Yesteryear 4 Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage5Night Objects6Land7American Men8Cherry Baby9Nothing Tastes as Good 10Crux11Transcription: A Novel12Famesick: A Memoir13A Far-Flung Life 14Five15Into the Blue 16John of John 17Mad Mabel: A Novel18The Calamity Club 19Homebound20Lady Tremaine1.Kinby Tayari JonesKin is the story of two cradle friends who are haunted by the loss of their mothers, and who, despite their diverging paths, continue to be each other’s comfort and salvation. A nuanced portrait of family, friendship, and race, the novel sings on every page. —Erin Kodicek, Amazon EditorLearn more2.London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truthby Patrick Radden KeefeIlluminating and unforgettable, Patrick Radden Keefe's latest delivers another knockout narrative nonfiction, this time telling the shocking story of how a young boy got caught up in the dangerous and powerful world of Russian oligarchs and landed at the bottom of the Thames. —Al Woodworth, Amazon EditorLearn more3.Yesteryear by Caro Claire BurkeWhen a tradwife influencer wakes up to discover it's somehow the 19th century, her journey back to reality makes for a brilliant, biting novel about motherhood, fame, and faith. A reading experience like no other, this is the book I want to talk about with literally everyone I've ever met. —Annabel Gutterman, Amazon EditorLearn more4. Strangers: A Memoir of Marriageby Belle BurdenStrangers is a divorce memoir, but it's also a forensic examination of a love and a marriage gone wrong, seemingly without any warning. Burden puts words to many of our worst fears—that one day the person we love and trust the most will become an utter stranger to us. —Sarah Gelman, Editorial DirectorLearn more5.Night Objectsby Eli RaphaelThis mesmerizing suspense novel about a teenager's desperate search for belonging at her elite boarding school—where secrets swirl and danger looms large—lived in my head for days. Eli Raphael introduces herself as a writer you don't want to miss. —Annabel Gutterman, Amazon EditorLearn more6.Landby Maggie O'FarrellNever before have a 19th-century mapmaker, a scruffy, loyal dog, and a mysterious copse of trees been more enchanting. Maggie O'Farrell (Hamnet) delivers a soaring and bewitching tale of family and how the remote Irish peninsula where they live defines and shapes them, generation after generation. —Al Woodworth, Amazon EditorLearn more7.American Menby Jordan Ritter ConnThis intimate yet enormous feat of storytelling sucked me in immediately. It's a page-turning account of four very different men you will cheer for, and ache for; a refreshing reminder that there are many ways to thrive in a world where opportunities feel fleeting. I can't stop thinking about it. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon EditorLearn more8.Cherry Babyby Rainbow RowellI adored this vulnerable, sexy love story about body image, second chances, and the bone-deep ache of loss. Rainbow Rowell creates characters who are beautiful in all their flaws and complexities, and this couldn't be truer than with Cherry, who I love. This book is messy, hopeful, and so romantic. —Abby Abell, Amazon EditorLearn moreEverything to know about AudibleAudible, a premium audio storytelling service, offers membership plans designed for different listening styles, as well as more than a million titles including audiobooks, podcasts, and Audible Originals.9.Nothing Tastes as Good by Luke DumasIn his searing and very bloody page-turner, Luke Dumas holds a mirror up to our body image–obsessed world to reveal something quite unsavory in its reflection. This is body horror at its finest: uncomfortably vivid, often hilarious, and totally disturbing. My eyes have never been so glued to a book's pages. —Annabel Gutterman, Amazon EditorLearn more10.Cruxby Gabriel TallentA new addition to the canon of exceptional friendship novels, Crux is an exhilarating, tender novel about an unlikely friendship forged through a shared love of rock climbing. Dan and Tamma's bond is glorious to behold, and I feel lucky to have witnessed it. —Abby Abell, Amazon EditorLearn more11.Transcription: A Novelby Ben LernerBoth literary and accessible, uncanny and prescient, Lerner's short novel is perfect for this moment in time that finds society obsessed with recording everything on our phones. It's addictive, funny, and thought-provoking. —Al Woodworth, Amazon EditorLearn more12.Famesick: A Memoirby Lena DunhamYou don't have to be a fan of Girls to appreciate Lena Dunham's refreshing, deeply personal memoir that explores what it means to make art and lead a public life, all while navigating chronic illness. —Annabel Gutterman, Amazon EditorLearn more13.A Far-Flung Life by M.L. StedmanThis beautifully drawn novel reads like a Greek tragedy set in the Outback, with protagonists of high moral character befallen by misfortune. Readers will root for Stedman to give them the grace they deserve. —Erin Kodicek, Amazon EditorLearn more14.Fiveby Ilona BannisterThis brilliantly structured thriller about five strangers waiting for a train in London pulled me in from the very first sentence, making for an unforgettable read that broke both my brain and my heart. —Annabel Gutterman, Amazon EditorLearn more15.Into the Blue by Emma BrodieThis book will make you believe in soulmates. Sweeping in scope and yet achingly intimate, this is a love story that defies fate. It will remind you of the inescapable pull and reckless abandon of first love. —Abby Abell, Amazon EditorLearn more16.John of John by Douglas StuartSet on a remote Scottish isle, Douglas Stuart's latest novel dazzles in a story filled with moments of self-angst, but also the possibility of breaking through and being true. John of John is a soaring novel that offers big feelings and shocking secrets, and is grounded in love. —Al Woodworth, Amazon EditorLearn more17.Mad Mabel: A Novelby Sally HepworthMad Mabel manages to be sharply funny, devastatingly sad, and heartwarming all at the same time. As someone who has read all of Sally Hepworth's novels, I feel confident declaring this one her very best. —Sarah Gelman, Editorial DirectorLearn more18.The Calamity Club by Kathryn StockettSet against the backdrop of the Great Depression, this novel introduces the reader to a cast of lively and lovable women, all down on their luck, who use their cleverness, pluck, and what their mamas gave them to stay afloat. —Sarah Gelman, Editorial DirectorLearn more19.Homeboundby Portia ElanA shimmering dream machine of a novel that asks big questions about our place in the world. It's perfect for fans of David Mitchell, Emily St. John Mandel, and Erin Morgenstern. —Al Woodworth, Amazon EditorLearn more20.Lady Tremaineby Rachel HochhauserA riveting reimagining of Cinderella from the "evil" stepmother's perspective, Lady Tremaine brilliantly upends the story we know by heart. You'll recognize elements of the original fairy tale (the mice, Cinderella's ripped dress, the ball), while marveling at how Hochhauser subverts them to tell a fierce, fresh story of womanhood. Bold, transporting, and deeply satisfying, this is an ode to a mother's love and to creating your own happily ever after. —Abby Abell, Amazon EditorLearn moreNext, discover Kindle features that make reading easier and more enjoyable.More Amazon News1 / 1