Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday is an indie freebie. While this is an interesting topic, it’s not one that I had a lot of good examples for, so instead I’m going to use this post to look at some upcoming books. This is because it’s the start of Spring 2026, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to do my quarterly post about the best upcoming books I am looking forward to reading in Spring (Autumn for folks in the Northern Hemisphere). This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and I always love to highlight some of the most impressive sounding novels coming out in the next three months.
For this list, I have come up with ten books coming out between 1 September 2026 and 30 November 2026 that I am most excited for. There are quite a few amazing novels set for release in the next few months, so it took me a while to finalise my final top ten list, including my usual honourable mentions section. I have primarily used the Australian publication dates to reflect when I will be able to get these awesome novels, and these might be somewhat different to the rest of the world. I have previously discussed a number of these books before in prior Waiting on Wednesday articles, and I even have some early copies of a some of them (I’m hoping to read them soon). I am extremely excited for these next three months and I feel that quite a few of these upcoming reads have the potential to be some of my favourite books of 2026.
Honourable Mention:
Adam & Eve by Jeffrey Archer – 6 October 2026
The final book from the legendary Jeffrey Archer.
SHOT by Shelley Burr – 27 October 2026
A gritty and intense Australian thriller from an outstanding rising crime fiction star.
Monsters of Ohio by John Scalzi – 3 November 2026
The always highly inventive John Scalzi presents another crazy science fiction novel, with the weird but no doubt entertaining Monsters of Ohio
Absolon Creed by R. S. Ford – 10 November 2026
An upcoming fantasy novel with an excellent sounding plot and an awesome cover.
Top Ten List:
Serenity Falls by C. J. Tudor – 10 September 2026
The first book I want to feature on this list is the horror thriller Serenity Falls by C. J. Tudor. A compelling and unique standalone novel that sees a family encounter unusual behaviour and dark secrets in the supposedly tranquil town of Serenity Falls. I am extremely curious to see where Tudor takes this new story, but I’m very confident that I’m going to enjoy Serenity Falls, especially after having a blast with Tudor’s previous novel The Gathering.
Star Wars: Edge of the Abyss by Rebecca Roanhorse – 15 September 2026
I’m going to get my Star Wars fiction itch scratched in a few weeks when I get the chance to read Edge of the Abyss. The second book in the Reign of the Empire series, Edge of the Abyss serves as a sequel to The Mask of Fear and will examine the early days of the Rebel Alliance from the perspective of several key figures from the Star Wars extended universe. This second entry is written by Rebecca Roanhorse, and I cannot wait to see how Roanhorse dives into this amazing period of the Star Wars canon.
We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman – 15 September 2026
There was no way that I couldn’t include the incredible upcoming novel We Chase Shadows on this list. The next book from the hilarious Richard Osman, We Chase Shadows is a sequel to the outstanding novel, We Solve Murders (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2024) and will see the unlikely protagonists of the first book investigate a new global conspiracy. Sure to feature Osman’s trademark blend of incredible storytelling, great characters and impressive humour, We Chase Shadows will likely be one of my favourite books of the year, and I cannot wait to dive into it.
The Only Way Out is Up by Django Wexler – 29 September 2026
One of the more exciting and fun sounding books coming out in the next month is The Only Way Out is Up by the very talented Django Wexler. An intriguing progressive fantasy novel that will follow a young man and his constructed companion as they attempt to survive in an elite fighting tournament, The Only Way Out is Up has so much potential, and I know that I’m going to have a blast reading it.
King’s Ransom by Matthew Reilly – 29 September 2026
While there are some great crime fiction reads coming out in the next three months, the one I predict is going to be the most over-the-top and enjoyable is King’s Ransom by Australian author Matthew Reilly. The sequel to Reilly’s outrageous 2025 novel, The Detective, King’s Ransom will see returning protagonist, the unusual Sam Speedman, compete against several other elite private detectives to solve a particularly deranged crime. Sure to be an exceptional and highly addictive read, I cannot wait to get my hands on King’s Ransom.
The Thrice-Bound Fool by Christopher Buehlman – 13 October 2026
Possibly the most anticipated fantasy novel still left for release in 2026 is The Thrice-Bound Fool by Christopher Buehlman. The sequel to Buehlman’s beloved The Blacktongue Thief, The Thrice-Bound Fool will see the two protagonists from the first novel, a secretive thief and a deadly knight, traverse a dangerous fantasy landscape, trying to stay ahead of an array of lethal assassins. Set to be an intense and highly addictive dark fantasy read, I have no doubt The Thrice-Bound Fool is going to be something special.
Ghosts of the Void by Jonathan Maberry – 13 October 2026
A must read for me in the next three months is the final book in Jonathan Maberry’s NecroTek series, Ghosts of the Void. Following on from the exceptional first two books in the trilogy, NecroTek and Cold War, Ghosts of the Void will see a group of human scientists and their fallen comrades attempt to escape ancient space gods as they fight a seemingly unwinnable war. I cannot wait to see how this dark and powerful trilogy comes to an end, and I have no doubt that Maberry will load up plenty of twisted tragedy.
The Hollow by Michael Connelly – 3 November 2026
After already impressing this year with Ironwood, legendary crime fiction author Michael Connelly has another amazing sounding book coming out later this year with The Hollow. The first book in several years to feature his iconic protagonist, Harry Bosch, as the sole main character, The Hollow will see an older Bosch investigate a dark secret from his childhood. Set to be a particularly intense and momentous entry in Conelly’s shared crime universe, The Hollow has the potential to be a particularly impressive novel, and I look forward to reading it.
The Wolves of War by John Gwynne – 3 November 2026
Next up we have is the upcoming fantasy novel, The Wolves of War by John Gwynne. Another compelling fantasy adventure novel with a Viking-inspired story, The Wolves of War sounds like an exceptional read in a cool new world. After deeply enjoying Gwynne’s previous Bloodsworn Saga (The Shadow of the Gods, The Hunger of the Gods and The Fury of the Gods), I am very confident that I’m going to have an amazing time with this fantasy epic, which I will probably try to enjoy on audiobook.
The Sword of Rome by Simon Scarrow – 5 November 2026
The final book on this TBR list is the next entry in the always awesome Eagles of the Empire series, The Sword of Rome by Simon Scarrow. A very intriguing new addition to one of my favourite series, The Sword of Rome will see two veteran Roman officers thrown into a new chaotic battle for survival, with their families held hostage back at Rome to ensure they succeed. Sure to be a particularly epic book in an outstanding series, I cannot wait to read The Sword of Rome.
Well, that is the end of my Top Ten list. I think it turned out pretty well and it does a good job of capturing all my most anticipated books for the next three months. There are some impressive books coming out in this part of 2026, and I cannot wait to read each of them soon. Let me know which of the above you are most excited for and stay tuned for reviews of them in the next few months. In the meantime, it looks like I have quite a bit of reading to do in the near future.
