Top new literary-fiction books out this week: 25 Jan - 31 Jan 2026
Last updated:
January 29, 2026
This week featuring new releases by George Saunders, Donna Everhart, Nikesha Elise Williams, Rachel Taff, Liz Allan and many more.
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Vigil by George Saunders
A wise, playful, electric novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling, Booker Prize–winning author of Lincoln in the Bardo, taking place at the bedside of an oil company CEO, in the twilight hours of his life, as he is ferried from this world into the next... -
![Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna Everhart]()
Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna Everhart
Accused of “promiscuity” in 1940s North Carolina, a young woman unjustly incarcerated and subjected to involuntary medical treatment at The State Industrial Farm Colony for Women decides to fight back in this powerful, shockingly timely novel based on the long-buried history of the American Plan, the government program designed to regulate women’s bodies and sexuality throughout the first half...north-america · usa · north-carolina · historical-fiction · fiction · historical · feminism · 20th-century · psychological · family -
![The Seven Daughters of Dupree by Nikesha Elise Williams]()
The Seven Daughters of Dupree by Nikesha Elise Williams
From the two-time Emmy Award–winning producer and host of the Black and Published podcast comes a sweeping multi-generational epic following seven generations of Dupree women as they navigate love, loss, and the unyielding ties of family in the tradition of Homegoing and The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois.It’s 1995, and fourteen-year-old Tati is determined to uncover the identity of her father...historical-fiction · historical · family · fiction · mystery · poc-author · female-mc · literary-fiction · black-mc · poc-mc -
![Paper Cut by Rachel Taff]()
Paper Cut by Rachel Taff
A compelling suspense debut about a woman infamous for escaping a cult as a teenager, whose future is threatened when dangerous secrets come back to haunt her—perfect for fans of Jessica Knoll and The Girls .Lucy Golden is a true-crime icon, infamous for the murder she committed while escaping a California cult twenty years ago...suspense · cults · fundamentalism · thriller · psychological · crime · coming-of-age · literary-fiction · murder · fiction -
![In Bloom: A Novel by Liz Allan]()
In Bloom: A Novel by Liz Allan
The Bastards aren't afraid of anything.It's the mid-nineties, and in the small, shitty coastal town of Vincent, four girls - each hailing from single-mother, multi-sibling families, form a band... -
