Looking for your next great read? Amazon Books’ editorial team has released its annual list, highlighting the 20 titles editors say have stood out among thousands published in 2026.
Unlike a traditional summer reading list, the rankings are the product of months of reading, discussion and debate among Amazon’s seven-member editorial staff.
“We look back, we take time to think about what were all the books that stuck with us, what are the books that we still are recommending, that we’re still talking about,” said Al Woodworth, editorial director for Amazon Books. “Our top 20 is really meant to reflect … what are the best books of the moment, what are the books that really stick in your bones.”
Topping this year’s list is “” a novel by bestselling author Tyari Jones.
Woodworth described the book as “unforgettable, heartbreaking, and redemptive.” Set in the 1950s, it follows two motherless childhood friends who become one another’s chosen family as they navigate life’s challenges.
“It’s one of those books that hits you and then just stays with you,” Woodworth said. “It made it a really obvious choice for No. 1 because it’s just a book that we want to talk about all the time.”
The No. 2 overall selection is “London Falling” by Patrick Radden Keefe, whose previous works include Empire of Pain and Say Nothing. Woodworth called the true crime title “a devastating and page-turning true crime story” of a young boy who “duped the wrong men” and ended up dead in the Thames River.
“It’s a story about power, about money, about London,” she said. “You won’t be able to get [it] out of your head.”
Woodworth said Amazon editors found the book so gripping that it “reads like fiction. (I) can’t believe this is real life, but, in fact, it is.”
Beyond the overall top 20, Amazon also publishes rankings across numerous other genres, including history, romance, thrillers, science fiction and fantasy, narrative nonfiction and book club selections.
“We’re trying to find books that will appeal to all different kinds of readers,” Woodworth said. “We’re really trying to help readers discover their next read and find a book that’s right for them in the right moment.”
Among Woodworth’s recommendations for summer beach reading is “Strangers“ by Belle Burden, a memoir about a woman whose husband unexpectedly leaves his family, forcing her to rebuild her life. Mystery fans, meanwhile, may want to check out “Night Objects“ by Eli Raphael, which Woodworth compared to “The Secret History” and “God of the Woods.”
Whether readers are headed to the beach or staying home, Woodworth said the goal of the list is simple: Helping people discover books they’ll remember long after the final page.
“If you are a romance reader, a thriller reader, if you’re looking for the next great book club pick, we have the top 20 in all of these categories,” Woodworth said.
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