Amazon Names Kin by Tayari Jones the No. 1 Book of 2026 So Far
The Amazon Editors read, debated, and voted on the best new books from Amazon's wide selection to deliver the perfect summer reading list.
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced its Best Books of the Year So Far list, led by Tayari Jones's Kin as the No. 1 pick. Amazon Editor Erin Kodicek raves that the "sentences sing" in this novel about two motherless friends who come of age in the Jim Crow South. Rounding out the top five selections are Patrick Radden Keefe's London Falling, Caro Claire Burke's Yesteryear, Belle Burden's Strangers, and Eli Raphael's Night Objects.
The Amazon Editors read thousands of books every year across genres to help connect readers with their next favorite book from Amazon's broad selection of titles. Drawn from their Best Books of the Month recommendations, the Best Books of 2026 So Far list features the Editors' most championed books from the first half of the year. Whether readers want to dive into a page-turner at the beach, unwind with an eBook on a long flight, or relax with an audiobook in a backyard hammock, there's something for everyone this summer.
Readers will discover the Editors' top 20 picks alongside standout selections across genres including literature and fiction, mystery and thrillers, romance and romantasy, history, nonfiction, biographies and memoirs, debuts, cookbooks, and children's books by age group. New this year, the list includes Book Club Picks, a category spotlighting books to share and discuss with friends. Also new, readers can follow specific Editors who match their reading tastes to discover personal picks and receive monthly book recommendations.
"Our team reads across every genre and brings a wide range of tastes to the table, so it's rare for one book to unite us all. But Kin did just that," said Sarah Gelman, editorial director, Amazon Books. "Tayari Jones writes with such tenderness and precision—it's the kind of story you will carry with you long past the last page. Across the full list, readers will find stories that surprise, move, and keep them up way past bedtime. We couldn't be more excited to share these picks just in time for summer."
After learning that Kin was named the Editors' top pick, Tayari Jones said, "For me, writing a novel is like sending a message in a bottle. I ink everything I have onto the pages, then cast it into the world, hoping it washes up onto the shores of readers seeking connection. Kin being chosen as Amazon's Best Book of the Year So Far is incredibly meaningful, as the greatest honor for any writer is the gift of being read."
Jones's Kin joins previous Best Books of the Year So Far No. 1 selections, including Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy, James by Percival Everett, Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, and Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt.
Start your summer reading here. Below are the Amazon Editors' top 10 picks of 2026 so far. Explore the full Best Books of the Year So Far list at www.amazon.com/bestbookssofar and visit the Amazon Book Review for more insights and reviews.
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Kin by Tayari Jones
"Kin is the story of two cradle friends who are haunted by the loss of their mothers, and who, despite their diverging paths, continue to be each other's comfort and salvation. A nuanced portrait of family, friendship, and race, the novel sings on every page." —Erin Kodicek, Amazon Editor
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London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe
"Illuminating and unforgettable, Patrick Radden Keefe's latest delivers another knockout narrative nonfiction, this time telling the shocking story of how a young boy got caught up in the dangerous and powerful world of Russian oligarchs and landed at the bottom of the Thames." —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
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Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
"When a tradwife influencer wakes up to discover it's somehow the 19th century, her journey back to reality makes for a brilliant, biting novel about motherhood, fame, and faith. A reading experience like no other, this is the book I want to talk about with literally everyone I've ever met." —Annabel Gutterman, Amazon Editor
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Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden
"Strangers is a divorce memoir, but it's also a forensic examination of a love and a marriage gone wrong, seemingly without any warning. Burden puts words to many of our worst fears—that one day the person we love and trust the most will become an utter stranger to us." —Sarah Gelman, Editorial Director
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Night Objects by Eli Raphael
"This mesmerizing suspense novel about a teenager's desperate search for belonging at her elite boarding school—where secrets swirl and danger looms large—lived in my head for days. Eli Raphael introduces herself as a writer you don't want to miss." —Annabel Gutterman, Amazon Editor
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Land by Maggie O'Farrell
"Never before have a 19th-century mapmaker, a scruffy, loyal dog, and a mysterious copse of trees been more enchanting. Maggie O'Farrell (Hamnet) delivers a soaring and bewitching tale of family and how the remote Irish peninsula where they live defines and shapes them, generation after generation." —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
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American Men by Jordan Ritter Conn
"This intimate yet enormous feat of storytelling sucked me in immediately. It's a page-turning account of four very different men you will cheer for, and ache for; a refreshing reminder that there are many ways to thrive in a world where opportunities feel fleeting. I can't stop thinking about it." —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
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Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell
"I adored this vulnerable, sexy love story about body image, second chances, and the bone-deep ache of loss. Rainbow Rowell creates characters who are beautiful in all their flaws and complexities, and this couldn't be truer than with Cherry, who I love. This book is messy, hopeful, and so romantic." —Abby Abell, Amazon Editor
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Nothing Tastes as Good by Luke Dumas
"In his searing and very bloody page-turner, Luke Dumas holds a mirror up to our body image-obsessed world to reveal something quite unsavory in its reflection. This is body horror at its finest: uncomfortably vivid, often hilarious, and totally disturbing. My eyes have never been so glued to a book's pages." —Annabel Gutterman, Amazon Editor
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Crux by Gabriel Tallent
"A new addition to the canon of exceptional friendship novels, Crux is an exhilarating, tender novel about an unlikely friendship forged through a shared love of rock climbing. Dan and Tamma's bond is glorious to behold, and I feel lucky to have witnessed it." —Abby Abell, Amazon Editor
About the Amazon Editors
The Amazon Editors are a group of literary experts with extensive experience spanning publishing, journalism, and communications. They read thousands of books every year across genres to help customers discover their next favorite read, and put together Best Books of the Month, Best Books of the Year So Far, and Best Books of the Year lists on Amazon. To read Editor reviews, discover recommendations of new books in popular categories, and explore author interviews, visit the Amazon Book Review. You can also follow the Amazon Editors' recommendations and conversations @amazonbooks on Instagram and Facebook.
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth's Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth's Best Employer, and Earth's Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.
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