The most anticipated books of 2026 | Beyond the Next Chapter Podcast

0 January 13, 2026 16:19

It’s officially 2026 and we’re in for another great year of reading! In this episode we’re joined by Ali Jaksich, a book buyer for the Changing Hands Bookstore with locations in Phoenix and Tempe. She chats about how she picks books for the store, how she became a book buyer and how you can read more in 2026.

From cookbooks, to horror and other fiction reads, here are Ali’s most anticipated books of the year: "Operation Bounce House", by Matt Dinniman, "Ending Writes Itself" by Evelyn Clarke, "Crux" by Gabriel Tallent, "And Now Back to You" by B.K. Borison, "Fabulous Bodies" by Chuck Tingle, "Cooking con Claudia: Celebración!" by Claudia Regalado, "A Girl Like Her" by Talia Hibbert, "Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age" by Ibram X. Kendi, "Seasons of Glass and Iron" by Amal El-Mohtar, and "Half His Age" by Jennette McCurdy.
00:00 Introduction
00:27 Meet Ali: The Dream Job of a Book Buyer
00:48 The Exciting World of Book Buying
01:19 Ali’s Reading Preferences
02:20 Popular Genres and Trends
03:38 Anticipated Reads of 2026
03:53 Spotlight on ‘Crux’ by Gabrielle Talent
05:53 Nonfiction Highlight: Cooking Con Claudia
07:37 Romantic Reads: ‘And Now Back to You’ by BK Boris
09:29 Sci-Fi Adventure: ‘Operation Bounce House’ by Matt Denman
10:35 Jeanette McCurdy’s Fiction Debut: ‘Half His Age’
14:23 Mystery and Collaboration: ‘The Ending Writes Itself’
16:51 Advice for Aspiring Readers
18:14 About Changing Hands Bookstore
18:59 Conclusion and Farewell
#arizona #books #reading #literature #podcast