Half his age by Jennette McCurdy
17-year-old Waldo is ravenous. Horny. Blunt. Naive. Impulsive. Lonely. Angry. Hurting. Endlessly wanting. And the thing she wants most of all is her creative writing teacher, Mr Korgy. He has the wife and the kid and the mortgage and the bills, with the dead dreams and the atrophied looks and the growing paunch. She doesn’t know why she wants him. Is it his passion or his life experience? The fact that he knows books and films that she doesn’t? Or are they actually kindred spirits, sharing the same filter with which they each take in the world around them? Or perhaps, it’s just enough that he sees her when no one else does.
Jennette McCurdy’s memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died, is so incredibly well-written. The talent she possesses is insane. Really looking forward to reading her debut fiction which should examine themes of power dynamic, grooming, desire and loneliness. If it were anyone else I would be so over the abundance of these stories, but McCurdy’s writing is going to be delicious. I also relate a lot to the ravenousness Waldo is described as having, but I felt that way in my late teens and early 20s. On a related note, I hate the name Waldo for a girl and hope it’s a nickname. It’s definitely unique, though.
Release date: 20 January 2026
A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James
Strange things are known to happen in Fell, New York: A mysterious drowning at the town’s roadside motel; the unexplained death of a young girl whose body is left by the railroad tracks. For Violet, Vail, and Dodie, the final straw was their little brother’s shocking disappearance, which started as a normal game of hide-and-seek. As their parents grew increasingly distant, the sisters were each haunted by visions and frightening events, leading them to leave town and never look back. Violet still sees dead people—spirits who remind her of the menacing presence that terrorised her for years. Now, after nearly two decades, it’s time for a homecoming because Ben is back and is ready to lead them to the answers they’ve longed for and long feared.
I demolished two of Simone St. James’ other books earlier this year. I love their eerie atmosphere and how they’re told in two different timelines, so bring on another one!
Release date: 22 January 2026
You with the Sad Eyes: A Memoir by Christina Applegate
Christina Applegate came of age on sets and stages, first gaining stardom as Kelly Bundy in the sitcom Married… with Children, though she went on to captivate a vast fandom during her five-decade long career. In You with the Sad Eyes, Applegate unveils the story of her years in the public eye and the painful moments that happened in private. She write about growing up in Laurel Canyon during the 70s and 80s, the grunge scene that defined the 90s, sparkling on set with fellow comedy icons in Anchorman, sharing her love of dance in the Broadway revival of Sweet Charity, and the standing ovation she received on the Emmy stage in 2024 following her diagnosis of MS. Applegate also dives into the darker moments underpinning he relationship with her mother who fought addiction and won, even in the wake of her father’s abandonment, the self-doubt and body dysmorphia that have plagued her from a young age, and the abuse and depression that eroded her health. But her path is lit by lifelong friends, chosen family, and her experiences as a mother. “I truly believe that books can make people feel less alone. That’s why I’m doing this,” Applegate says.
I’ve been a fan of Christina Applegate for a very long time and I love memoirs. Really looking forward to reading her story which sounds like it’s going to be emotionally moving.
Release date: 3 March 2026
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle with a charming farmhouse, a handsome cowboy husband, and six delightful children. So what if there are nannies and producers and industrial-grade ovens behind the scenes? What Natalie’s 8 million followers don’t know won’t hurt them. But one morning, Natalie wakes up in a strange, horrible version of reality. Her home, husband, and children are all familiar, but something’s off. She’s gone back in time and is expected to haul firewood and handwash clothes until her fingers bleed. Is this a hoax? A reality show? A test from God? When Natalie suffers a brutal injury in the woods, she realises two things: This is not her perfect life, and she must escape by any means possible.
A book about a horrible influencer who gets a reality check with very on-the-nose themes? This has the potential to be insufferable, but I hope it will be entertaining. I am mostly intrigued because I often think about what it would be like now if we had to go back to living like it’s 1805—the year Natalie is sent back to.
Release date: 9 April 2026 (Kindle version 7 April)
American Spirits by Anna Dorn
Thirty-eight-year-old Blue Velour has finally achieved the critical acclaim she’s long been chasing. Over the last decade, she’s released six studio albums to mixed reviews, landing her somewhere between performance artist and niche legend. But her latest album, Blue’s Beard—a cheeky reference to the subreddit fanatically dedicated to her suspected secret relationship with longtime producer Sasha Harlow—has rocket-launched her reputation. Blue hires nerdy superfan Rose Lutz as her assistant to handle the pressures of her upcoming tour. But when the pandemic shuts it down, Blue decides to hole up in the redwoods with Sasha to make another album. An aspiring singer herself, Rose is frothing at the mouth to be isolated in a cabin with these two legends, but what begins as a creative retreat spirals into a flurry of chaos and betrayal—culminating in a tragic act that changes their lives forever.
I never want to read or watch anything set during the pandemic, but I can’t pass on this one because I adore Anna Dorn’s writing. It’s so fun, entertaining, and relatable through her flawed protagonists despite them often being “unlikeable.” I love the messy, lesbian relationships, the maladjusted characters and, quite simply, the audacity.
Release date: 14 April 2026
Girl’s Girl by Sonia Feldman
Set during one suburban Midwest summer, fifteen-year-old Mina’s whole world is her two best friends, but the established dynamics between the trio quickly unravel following an unexpected kiss. Everything that was once shared openly, from clothes to secrets, now feels impossibly fragile. Loyalties shift and tensions rise across the longer days of this pivotal summer, where the girls have nowhere new to go but everything new to feel. Looking back, adult Mina traces the undercurrents of longing that shaped her first experiences of desire. The rituals of girlhood—gossip, selfies, sleepovers, and videogames—become threads in a delicate and volatile web of intimacy, in which everything feels achingly fleeting and permanently etched. Mina learns that loving one person can change the way you love everyone else, including yourself.
After reading Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth, I am seeking anything that might even be remotely like it. This sounds promising. Plus I like the theme of feeling grownup and like the world is ending at 15 and then looking back at that time as an adult and realising just how young you were, but also how impactful and influential your experiences can be at any age.
Release date: 2 June 2026
The Death Row Club by V.A. Vazquez
In this debut thriller, Nicola Fischer’s father has just been convicted of murdering five young women, including her best friend. Fired from her job and hounded by reporters, Nicola passes time by doomscrolling on her phone and drunk-dialling Greer Woods—the alluring host of the hit show, To Catch a Killer—who cracked the case that turned Nicola’s life upside down before disappearing. When an email from Greer shows up in Nicola’s inbox, there’s no apology or explanation, just a cryptic invitation to The Death Row Club—an annual weekend getaway for the adult children of serial killers. Desperate to escape her small town, Nicola accepts and finds herself forging tentative bonds with her fellow club members. But when an uninvited guest shows up at their remote wilderness retreat, everyone is put on high alert, and the next morning one of their own is dead. If the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, which one of them is the bad seed?
Ever since watching Dexter: Resurrection (which I thought was excellent), I’ve been wanting to read a book about serial killers who attend AA but for serial killing. This isn’t that, but it’s close enough. The plot intrigues me, as does the potential promise of fascinating character work. Someone write the other one for me though.
Release date: 30 July 2026
Dreamland by Olivie Blake
It’s summer in Los Angeles and girls are being murdered as the Santa Ana winds blow a strange energy into the city during wildfire season. But Anya Morris has other things on her mind, like losing the TV pilot that should have been her big break. Enter William de Witt, an ageing movie star who offers Anya an unusual opportunity: His son Jude’s rare health condition forces him to live as a recluse and, in exchange for spending time with him, William will grant Anya access to Hollywood’s most powerful circles. Wealth, influence and access are all on offer within the de Witt family mansion. However, behind the gilded veneer lie decades of bloodstained secrets. As her duties draw her deeper into their world, she wonders if the villa is cursed or if Jude himself is touched by the occult. Despite all the warning signs, there’s a dark magnetism to him that Anya can’t resist. As the city’s body count continues to rise, something’s got to give.
I’ve never read Olivie Blake before but I recently picked up Girl Dinner, so I’ll have to see if I get on with that before I consider picking this one up. I also have Alone in the Ether on my Kindle, which I haven’t read yet either. The premise of Dreamland speaks to me because I’m always drawn in by stories of fame and the darker themes that often surround it. The teased fantastical elements also feel like the cherry on top.
Release date: 20 August 2026 (Kindle version 18 August)
Which upcoming books are you looking forward to? Are any of these on your list?
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