It doesn't seem to matter how many hundreds of unread books are loading down my bookshelves, my head still swivels when I see a shiny, new release! I haunt NetGalley and Edelweiss, always on the lookout for my next great read. If you are like me, then today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is one you've been looking forward to as well: Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2026. (As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.) Thanks to the websites mentioned above and generous publicists sending me physical ARCs, I've actually already read a lot of my most anticipated new releases for July-December, including:

Pretty Dead Things by Kelsey Cox (July 7) - ***1/2

Our Marriage is Murder by Carol Goodman (July 21) - ****

How to Kill a Crime Writer by Sarah Lotz (July 21) - ****

The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen (August 4) - ***

Time Travel for Beginners by Jaclyn Moriarty (August 4) - ***1/2

The Secret Bookstore Sleuth Society by Lindsay Currie (September 15) - ***1/2

A Map to Murder by Michelle Chouinard (September 22) - ****

The Velvet Knife by Maureen Johnson (September 29) - *** 1/2

Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong (October 6) - ****

The ones I have not been able to get my hot little hands on yet are on my list today. And because I really can't resist them, I have thirteen new releases instead of ten. #TheStruggleIsReal

1. Everything She Didn't Say by Jane Casey (July 16)—In this standalone mystery/thriller, two friends are enjoying a month-long holiday on the Irish coast. One morning, Ruth wakes up, covered in someone else's blood. Maura is nowhere to be seen. Ruth becomes the number one suspect in her friend's murder, but she's also the only witness. What happened to Maura? Does Ruth know more than she's telling?

2. The Unknown by Riley Sager (August 4)—Actress Marin Keane is stunned when she secures a role in what promises to be a blockbuster movie. The gig requires a month of research on location at New Avalon, Vermont, where five women mysteriously disappeared 100 years ago. As Marin and her castmates settle in on the island, they notice weird noises and strange symbols that seem to confirm rumors that something supernatural took the missing women. When the island's occupants are stranded there, things get even more sinister. What is happening on New Avalon? Is someone trying to sabotage the movie or is something even more nefarious at work?

3. A Thousand Little Goodbyes by Lucy Gilmore (August 11)—Gilmore's newest is receiving mixed reviews, but I'll still give it a go. It's about two lifelong friends who decide to finally take the road trip they've been planning for forever. As the journey goes on, it becomes apparent that it's about more than having fun—it's about saying goodbye.

4. My Killer Family Reunion by Dinesh Thiru (August 11)—Jayshree Devi's family reunions are never without drama. She's still shocked, though, when her wealthy Grand Mom has an accident that looks suspiciously like something much more sinister. With the help of her irritating cousins and their hot friend, Jay launches an investigation, one that will unearth long-buried family secrets on the way to finding out who was behind her grandmother's "accident."

5. My Sister is Going to Kill Me by Nina Simon (August 18)—For this year's sisters trip, Liv and Mandy Chisolm have booked a rafting excursion through the Grand Canyon. Although they will be traveling with a group of strangers, they're looking forward to bonding with each other while enjoying an incredible adventure. The two get more than they bargained for when one of their number is found dead and another body is discovered in the water. Trapped on a raging river with a killer and a bunch of people they don't know, all of whom seem to be hiding dangerous secrets, Liv and Mandy have to unmask a murderer before it's too late for all of them.

6. Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty (August 25)—The much-anticipated sequel to Moriarty's well-loved Big Little Lies, this novel is set ten years after the events of the previous book. The moms are back and all of them are dealing with their own challenges and troubles. When the principal of the high school their children attend receives a severed human finger in the mail and a strange man is spotted lurking around campus, the parents are up-in-arms. Confronting this new problem will mean facing secrets from the past, secrets they hoped their children would never have to know. But now? The stakes are too high to keep hiding...  

7. Find Me by Holly Craig (August 25)—Two years ago, Pete went missing in the Tasmanian wilderness after visiting a mysterious commune whose members enact rituals to appease a malevolent presence they say dwells in the mountains. From her deathbed, Pete's mother begged his estranged sisters to work together to find their brother. This is easier said than done as they navigate the mountain, the issues between them, and another perplexing disappearance.

8. The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon (September 8)—Inspired by a real Irish sea captain, this historical novel tells the story of Grace O'Malley, the proper daughter of an Irish clan chief who defied all the odds and became a famous pirate.

9. Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult (September 15)—After her mother died in the 9/11 tragedy, Molly Fitzgerald developed a fear of disasters. Now the director of the Rhode Island Department for Emergency Preparedness, she channels her anxiety into saving others in crisis situations. When an unexpected crisis descends on Molly and her husband, their lives turn upside down. Can she save herself from disintegrating under the pressure of her own disaster?

10. We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman (September 15)—This book is actually #1 in terms of 2026 releases I've been looking forward to. I adored We Solve Murders, so I'm stoked for this sequel. This time, Amy, Rose, and Steve team up to solve the case of a suspicious death at a private villa in the Italian hills. Everybody is hiding something. Whodunit?

11. The Undercover Bookshop by Katherine Reay (October 6)—Book lover Gemma Brown has just moved to a sleepy village in the Cotswolds, where she runs the town's first-ever bookstore. Finding it difficult to fit in, Gemma is thrilled to make friends with the enigmatic local baker. It's not long, though, before she begins to suspect that her new pal is a spy. It's 1950; anything is possible. Or is Gemma's fiction-fueled imagination running amok? Soon, she finds herself embroiled in an international intrigue the likes of which she's never seen outside of a book.

12. It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder by Ally Carter (October 13)—The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year was a super fun read. This companion novel (as far as I can tell, it's not a sequel) sounds equally as entertaining. The story revolves around a billionaire's son and the housekeeper's daughter, who have been rivals since childhood. When the former goes missing, leaving only a pool of blood behind, it's up to the latter to prove he's alive—and find the person who desperately wants him dead. Sounds confusing, but entertaining.

13. A Reunion to Die For by K.J. Whittle (October 26)—When a group of classmates gather for a reunion, talk turns to the school bully who tortured all of them with his cruel taunting. As the drinks flow, the victims joke about ways they could get revenge on the guy who made them all so miserable. The next day, the bully is found dead, killed in a way that is suspiciously similar to the hypothetical plans made by the classmates. When a recording of that conversation is given to the police, the group members become suspects. Desperate to clear their names, they scramble to solve the murder they unknowingly planned.

There you go, thirteen books releasing in the second half of 2026 that I want to read. Have you read any of them? What did you think? Which up-and-comers are you most excited about? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Caroline Payne is surprised—and thrilled—when a handsome friend from college whom she hasn't seen in years shows up unexpectedly at her workplace. She is shocked—and dismayed—when she discovers why. Mat Hammond, an adjunct history professor who researches genealogical mysteries on the side, has honed in on Caroline's family. He's investigating Caroline's great-aunt, a British woman who he says ran off with a Nazi officer during the war, disgracing her family and betraying her country. A well-known magazine is already showing interest in what could be a shocking, sensational story. Caroline's convinced he has the wrong person. Her great-aunt, her namesake, died of polio as a child. When Mat shows her compelling proof, Caroline doesn't know what to think. If there's any truth to the matter, she knows such a public airing of dirty family laundry would finish off her already cancer-ridden father. She can't let that happen.

As much as I love descriptive words, I'm just not feeling the TTT topic du jour—Top Ten Books With An Adjective in the Title. Instead, I'm going to swerve way off today's path and talk about something totally different. In sorting through all the many books on my shelves, trying to decide which to keep and which to donate in anticipation of my upcoming move, I've realized that I have quite a lot of books on one particular subject. Because of the state of the world in recent years, I've actually kind of avoided reading about it, so now I have quite the stockpile of books to read about...drumroll, please...World War II! Surprised? I doubt it. BBB regulars know I'm fascinated by this historical period. So, today, I'm going to list ten-ish (although I probably could have done 30) books about World War II that I want to read sometime soon.

If you're feeling list-y today, join in the TTT fun. Click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.

Top Ten World War II Books I Want to Read  

1. The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer—Although Elzbieta Rabinek is careful to keep her true identity hidden, she's still wary of the German soldiers who have taken over her hometown. As their vengeance against her Jewish neighbors heightens, she watches with increasing fear and anger. When she befriends a nurse living in her building, Elzbieta's careful existence quickly turns into one ripe with danger and risk. Is saving the lives of Jewish children worth losing her own?

Rimmer's The Things We Cannot Say, which is set in the same year (1942) as The Warsaw Orphan but takes place in Russia, is also one I want to read.

2. Sisters of Night and Fog by Erika Robuck—This novel tells the tale of two women from different circumstances, both of whom have risked everything to work against the Nazi regime, whose stories converge in the Ravensbrück concentration camp.

Robuck's The Invisible Woman also sounds intriguing.

3. The Winter Guest by Pam Jenoff—Helena and Ruth are sisters in war-torn Poland. As they struggle to care for their three younger sisters, they make a decision that puts all of their lives in danger. While helping a wounded American paratrooper is the right thing to do, it has dangerous unforeseen consequences for all of them.

I've read and loved a couple of Jenoff's World War II novels, but there are still a bunch on her backlist that I want to read.

4. Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook by Celia Rees—Now that World War II has finally ended, Britain has created the Control Commission for Germany. The organization hires British civilians to help rebuild the country and investigate war crimes. Bored with her provincial life, Edith Graham applies for a job with the commission, but soon finds herself acting as a spy for the Secret Service. While she's found the excitement she's been missing, it may just cost her her life.

5. The Bookseller's Secret by Michelle Gable—Based on the wartime experiences of real-life literary icon Nancy Mitford, this novel concerns a woman adrift who eagerly takes on the challenge of running a London bookstore while its owner is away. 

6. 81 Days Below Zero: The Incredible Survival Story of a World War II Pilot in Alaska's Frozen Wilderness by Brian Murphy—I always enjoy survival stories and this one sounds especially intriguing. It tells the true story of a routine flight gone horribly wrong. When their plane crashes, four Army aviators are killed, while one—a man from Philadelphia with no wilderness experience—is left alone in the freezing Yukon to wait for rescue. Or death.

7. The Night Train to Berlin by Melanie Hudson—As war rages all around them, Alex and Eliza meet by chance. The RAF pilot turned war correspondent and the war artist make a solemn vow to meet in Berlin once peace has finally been declared. Will their newly found love triumph in a time when nothing at all is certain?

Hudson's The Last Letter From Juliet, about a female World War II pilot, is also on my TBR list.

8. Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave—Although I'm not a fan of love triangles, this epic wartime romance sounds compelling. It features three people whose lives converge in an extraordinary time. As the war rages on, they'll experience friendship, love, devastation, sorrow, and triumph. 

9. The London House by Katherine Reay—Caroline Payne is shocked when a historian friend uncovers a scandalous secret about her British great-aunt. Can the woman really have betrayed her family and her country by running to Germany to marry her Nazi lover? Caroline can't believe it. Desperate to clear her great-aunt's name, Caroline travels to her family's ancestral home in London to learn the truth.

10. The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation by Rosemary Sullivan—Everyone knows the tragic story of Anne Frank and her family, but one question about their fate has never been answered: Who betrayed their whereabouts to the Nazis? Retired FBI agent Vincent Pankoke became obsessed with finding the answer. With the use of new technology, Pankoke and his team of cold case investigators pored over numerous documents and conducted scores of interviews, all of which led them to a shocking conclusion.

I eat up World War II books, but I know not everyone loves them for various and sundry reasons. What's your take? Do you love them? Loathe them? Which are your favorites? Have you read any of the ones I mentioned? What did you think? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I'll gladly return the favor on your blog.