The Best Books to Read in 2026: 25 Picks Across Every Genre | Chapterly Blog
The Best Books to Read in 2026: 25 Picks Across Every Genre Every year produces hundreds of thousands of new books. Most are forgettable. Some are genuinely worth your limited reading time. This list collects 25 books that deserve attention in 2026, mixing essential new releases with slightly older titles that remain highly relevant. These are not the most hyped books. They are the most valuable, chosen for substance, clarity of thought, and lasting impact. Nonfiction: Science and Technology 1. Co-Intelligence by Ethan Mollick Mollick, a Wharton professor who became one of the most thoughtful voices on AI, offers a practical framework for working alongside artificial intelligence rather than being replaced by it. Unlike most AI books that are either doom-saying or cheerleading, this one focuses on what you should actually do. Essential reading for anyone whose work involves thinking. 2. Determined by Robert Sapolsky Stanford neurobiologist Sapolsky makes the case that free will is an illusion, drawing on decades of research in neuroscience, endocrinology, and evolutionary biology. Whether or not you agree with his conclusion, the journey through the science of human behavior is illuminating. A challenging book that will change how you think about responsibility and choice. 3....