I’ve had an excellent couple of weeks for books, as I was lucky enough to receive some incredible and amazing new novels from publishers and Netgalley. These novels include some truly awesome new releases, including books that have the potential to be some of my top reads of the year. I cannot wait to dive into them, and I so excited to see how they all turn out.
Antihero by Gregg Hurwitz
Let’s start this Book Haul post off strong with one of my most anticipated books of 2026, Antihero by Gregg Hurwitz. The next entry in Hurwitz’s excellent Orphan X spy thriller series, Antihero will follow on from the tragic conclusion of his previous book, Nemesis, and will follow his highly damaged vigilante protagonist as he takes on an unusual job, get justice without any violence. Sure to be one of the more heartfelt entries in this outstanding series, Antihero has a ton of potential, and I’m hoping to read it very soon.
Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman
The next new book that I want to highlight is the very awesome science fiction novel, Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman. A very fun sounding novel that sees a group of farmers living on an isolated planet attempt to protect their planet from murderous drones piloted by bored gamers on Earth, Operation Bounce House promises to be an extremely entertaining read with a ton of over-the-top content. I have been looking forward to reading Operation Bounce House ever since I became obsessed with the author’s Dungeon Crawler Carl series last year, and I have no doubt this new standalone novel from Dinniman is going to be a particularly epic read.
Dark Sanctuary by Sarah Barrie
One of the book’s I was particularly happy to recently get a copy of was the dark Australian thriller Dark Sanctuary. Written by talented Australian author Sarah Barrie, who previously impressed me with her great Lexi Winter series, Dark Sanctuary promises to be another intense and shocking read, as several desperate protagonists are drawn together. I cannot wait to read this new book from Barrie, and Dark Sanctuary has the potential to be one of the top Australian novels of 2026.
Ironwood by Michael Connelly
I was very lucky to receive an early copy of the upcoming Michael Connelly novel, Ironwood. A sequel to the author’s 2025 novel, Nightshade, Ironwood looks set to continue the compelling crime fiction adventures of a banished cop on the surprisingly crime-ridden Catalina Island, this time with an intriguing plot tied into one of Connelly’s other long-running shared crime fiction series. I have no doubt this will be an incredible novel, and I can’t wait to read it.
Redbelly Crossing by Candice Fox
The awesome Australian fiction of 2026 continues to flow into my bookshelf with the new Candice Fox book, Redbelly Crossing. Set in outback Australia, Redbelly Crossing sees two estranged cop brothers forced to work together to investigate a high-profile murder. However, it soon becomes apparent that only one sibling wants to solve the crime, while the other wants to bury the truth. Sure to be another outback thriller from one of Australia’s best crime-fiction authors, Redbelly Crossing has a ton of potential, and I cannot wait to dive into it.
The Exes by Leodora Darlington
I was very happy to get my hands on one of the more entertaining debuts of 2026 with the awesome new novel, The Exes by Leodora Darlington. A fun and gritty sounding crime fiction read about a woman with a complicated and deadly past when it comes to relationships, The Exes is going to be an awesome read and I look forward to diving into it.
Haze by Sam Elliott
I also received a copy of the cool Australian debut Haze by Sam Elliot, which features a great sounding narrative about a small-town country cop who is forced to try and find a missing child in the middle of a deadly Australian bushfire. I love the sound of this awesome book, and I have a feeling that Haze is going to be one of the strongest Australian debuts of the year.
The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan
An extremely interesting fantasy debut from another new Australian author. The Red Winter sounds like a particularly gripping read, and I’m curious to check out Cameron Sullivan’s take on a classic tale.
The Couples Retreat by Mercedes Mercie
A complex and compelling sounding Australian thriller with some interesting twists behind it.
The Ascension of Souls by Bronte-Marie Wesson
The final book I recently received was the compelling new fantasy novel, The Ascension of Souls by Bronte-Marie Wesson. The start of a cool new fantasy series, The Ascension of Souls sounds particularly fascinating, and I cannot wait to read it.
Well, that’s the end of this latest Book Haul post. As you can see I have quite a bit of reading to do at the moment thanks to all these awesome books that have come in. Let me know which of the above you are most interested in and make sure to check back in a few weeks to see my reviews of them.
The Unseen Library 