Top 15 in Fiction
Week of August 17, 2026

by T.C. Boyle
WINNER OF THE PEN/FAULKNER AWARD • In this stunning novel, one man traces the tangled histories of three very different families—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Tortilla Curtain “Boyle has emerged as one of the most inventive and verbally exuberant writers of his generation.”—The New York Times Haunted by the burden of his family’s traitorous past, woozy with pot, cheap wine, and sex, and disturbed by a frighteningly real encounter with some family ghosts, Walter Van Brunt is about to have a collision with history. It will lead Walter to search for his lost father. And it will send the story into the past of the Hudson River Valley, from the 1960s back to the anticommunist riots of the 1940s to the late seventeenth century, where the long-hidden secrets of three families—the aristocratic Van Warts, the Native American Mohonks, and Walter’s own ancestors, the Van Brunts—will be revealed.

by Ayn Rand
The story of a gifted architect, his struggle against conventional standards, and his violent love affair.

by Jen Calonita
The game is far from over. In fact, it's only just begun. Having finally reached the Isle of Ever, Everly "Benny" Benedict thinks she's won the game of clues her ancestor Evelyn Terry set out for her in her will. Only she can't prove it yet--not until her new friends are safe from the curse that has kept them trapped for centuries! And now there's a new game. It turns out that Evelyn has more secrets in her diary and another task for Benny: to find the lost piece of pirate treasure needed to break the curse once and for all. It won't be easy. One of her best friends has betrayed her; the kids from the island are just discovering twenty-first- century life, and a mysterious stranger mentioned in Evelyn's diary has somehow turned up in present-day Greenport. Benny has to figure it all out in just a few days. If time runs out, someone else can claim the inheritance, and the Isle of Ever will disappear again for another two hundred years!

by Steve Foxe
Meet Mario and his friends in the first-ever Super Mario(TM) Little Golden Book! It's game on for even the youngest gamers who love Super Mario when they meet Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and all their friends from the Mushroom Kingdom! Featuring stunning illustrations and beloved characters, this Little Golden Book is perfect for Nintendo, Super Mario--and Little Golden Book--fans of all ages. Mario first appeared in 1981 in the classic arcade video game Donkey Kong, and has since gone on to star in many adventures, allowing him to evolve into the beloved icon he is today. He is a video-game sensation, appearing across all genres--from action-platformers to sports to kart-racing and beyond.

by Virginia Evans
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Discover the word-of-mouth hit hailed by Ann Patchett as “A cause for celebration”—an intimate novel about the transformative power of the written word and the beauty of slowing down to reconnect with the people we love. “The Correspondent is this year’s breakout novel no one saw coming.”—The Wall Street Journal “I cried more than once as I witnessed this brilliant woman come to understand herself more deeply.”—Florence Knapp, author of The Names In development as a major motion picture starring Jane Fonda LONGLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE, THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL, AND THE WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTION • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: NPR, The Washington Post, Boston Globe, Elle, Christian Science Monitor, She Reads “Imagine, the letters one has sent out into the world, the letters received back in turn, are like the pieces of a magnificent puzzle. . . . Isn’t there something wonderful in that, to think that a story of one’s life is preserved in some way, that this very letter may one day mean something, even if it is a very small thing, to someone?”

by Nikolái V. Gogol
Feroces, crueles, valientes y apasionados, los cosacos hacen temblar la estepa bajo los cascos de sus caballos. Y entre ellos se encuentra Taras Bulba, un anciano lleno aún de fuerza e inteligencia que junto a sus hijos, Ostap y Andrí, avanzará por tierras polacas con intención de vengar su fe ortodoxa burlada por los católicos. Ninguna guarnición, ciudad amurallada o iglesia podrán detenerlos, hasta que la desgracia se cierna sobre ellos y el apuesto y enamoradizo Andrí haga que su padre maldiga el día en que lo engendró. Taras Bulba, una anomalía entre la obra más conocida de Gogol, es una aventura trepidante, una sinfonía en perpetuo crescendo, en la que cada capítulo es más intenso y sorprendente que el anterior. un fresco tan afinadamente dibujado y tan vívido que resulta absolutamente intemporal.

by Colleen Hoover
In this twisty thriller from New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a frustrated author looks for her muse in a remote hideaway, but what she finds defies all expectations...and reality. Her words used to set the page on fire. But a viral backlash over her latest film adaptation forced Petra Rose to take a hiatus, resulting in missed deadlines and an overdue mortgage. Branded a fraud and fame-hungry opportunist, she learned the hard way what happens when the internet turns on you. And she's been uninspired to write ever since. Now, with her next suspense novel outlined and savings nearly gone, she retreats to a secluded lakeside cabin, hoping to find inspiration. It's Petra's last-ditch attempt to save her career--and herself. Then he shows up. Detective Nathaniel Saint arrives with disturbing news, his presence igniting a creativity in her she thought long since burned out. Petra's words return in a rush, and her fictional cop character begins to mirror the very real cop who's becoming her muse. Their "research" sessions blur the lines between fantasy and reality. Each glance, every touch pulls Petra deeper into a world she thought she'd never lose herself in again. She's never felt more alive. But inspiration this powerful comes at a cost. When Saint starts taking his role in her career a little too seriously, Petra's forced to confront the chaos she created. But doing so could cost her more than the reputation she's been trying to salvage. The reputation the world wrote for her--the reputation only she can reclaim.
by Danny Lopez
After being laid off from his job as a newspaper reporter in a coastal Florida town, Dexter Vega meets a wealthy retiree who hires him to find his daughter who is supposed to be attending the local college. When Vega visits his client to inform him that his daughter is in Mexico, he discovers the man has been murdered. And Vega's prints are all over the murder weapon.As the police build a case against him, Vega flies to Mexico City to locate his client's daughter, hoping she will help him find the murderer and thus clear his name. But when he finds the woman, she tells him a very different story—nothing is as it seems. Beaten by thugs and ordered to leave Mexico, Vega returns home to find himself immersed in a web of blackmail, greed, and revenge. Still pursued by the cops, but now a target of evil predators.
by John Buchan
A young Scot stumbles upon a plot involving espionage, murder, and the future of Britain itself. This classic of suspense served as the basis for one of Hitchcock's most famous films.

by Pierce Brown
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Pierce Brown’s relentlessly entertaining debut channels the excitement of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. “Red Rising ascends above a crowded dystopian field.”—USA Today ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR—Entertainment Weekly, BuzzFeed, Shelf Awareness “I live for the dream that my children will be born free,” she says. “That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them.” “I live for you,” I say sadly. Eo kisses my cheek. “Then you must live for more.” Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he toils willingly, trusting that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children. But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and lush wilds spread across the planet.

by America's Test Kitchen Kids (COR), America's Test Kitchen
"100+ recipes that you'll love to cook and eat!"--Front cover.

by Rachel Reid
The epic enemies-to-lovers hockey romance from USA TODAY bestselling author Rachel Reid--book two in her fan-favorite Game Changers series. Nothing interferes with pro hockey star Shane Hollander's game. Now that he's captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, he won't let anything jeopardize that--definitely not the sexy rival he loves to hate. Boston Bears captain Ilya Rozanov is everything Shane's not. The self-proclaimed king of the ice, he's as cocky as he is talented. No one can beat him--except Shane. Publicly, they're enemies. Privately, they can't stop touching each other. The smart thing to do? Walk away, once a few secret hookups turn into a struggle to keep their relationship out of the press. The truth could ruin them both. But for Shane and Ilya, secrecy is soon no longer an option... Game Changers Book 1: Game Changer Book 2: Heated Rivalry Book 3: Tough Guy Book 4: Common Goal Book 5: Role Model Book 6: The Long Game
by Chanel Miller
What's the deal with middle school, anyway? Newbery Honor-winning author and artist Chanel Miller explores the glorious mess that is middle school—and the way growing up, finding friends, and discovering who you are can be both awkward and empowering. At the beginning of seventh grade, Luna knows who she is: an observant, quiet girl who loves writing and making zines with her best friend, Scott. But when one of their zines takes off, somehow Luna is swept up into the popular group and learns just how much of herself she's going to have to compromise to stay there. Will she give up her writing? Her best friend? What about her own beliefs about who she is and what she stands for? In a contemporary novel that feels like today’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Newbery Honor winner and bestselling author Chanel Miller explores what it means to lose and then find yourself again in the middle of middle school.

by Jennifer A. Nielsen
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Iceberg and The Free State of Jax comes the harrowing story of the fight for survival during the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 and the desperate race to find survivors. San Francisco, 1906. When Cora leaves her house in the early morning hours of April 18th, she expects trouble to find her, like it somehow always does. But as she makes her way to the San Francisco docks to look for her father, the earth begins to shake and suddenly, Cora realizes that she's not just in trouble--she's in danger. Soon after, the last thing Cora remembers seeing is a tall building swaying overhead, before everything goes dark. When Cora wakes up, she's trapped underground with Zhi, whom she met by accident on the way to the docks. They're running short on air and time, when miraculously, Cora's friend Oliver pulls them from the rubble. Once she's above ground again, Cora is shocked to find herself in a city that has been decimated by a massive earthquake. Together, Cora, Zhi, and Oliver begin a desperate search for their families, all the while trying to evade terrifying fires that are tearing through the wreckage and a gang of thieves who are pursuing Cora and a valuable secret she holds. From beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen comes a thrilling, suspenseful story about courage, friendship, and the strength it takes to survive one of the most terrible natural disasters this country has ever seen.

by Katherine Applegate
From #1 New York Times bestelling author, Katherine Applegate, here is a stunning tale of kindness and second chances. For fans of Odder, Wishtree, Willodeen, and The One and Only Ivan. Thimble-born from tip to toe, Pocket Bear remembers every moment of his becoming: the glimmering needle, the silken thread, the tender hands as each careful stitch brought him closer to himself. Born during the throes of WWI, he was designed to fit into the pocket of a soldier’s jacket, eyes sewn a bit higher than normal so that he always gazed upward. That way, glancing at his pocket, a soldier would see an endearing token of love from someone back home, and, hopefully, a good luck charm. Now, over a century later, Pocket serves as unofficial mayor of Second Chances Home for the Tossed and Treasured, where stuffed toy animals are refurbished and given a fresh opportunity to be loved. He and his best feline friend Zephyrina, known far and wide as “The Cat Burglar,” have seen it all, and then some. An unforgettable tale of bravery, loyalty, and kindness, Pocket reminds us all that love comes in many forms (sometimes filled with fluff), and that second chances are always possible.