Book Riot – The Podcast

Episode: The Hot List March 2026 (March 18, 2026)

Hosts: Jeff O’Neal & Rebecca Schinsky

Episode Overview

The March 2026 “Hot List” episode brings Book Riot fans a once-Patreon-exclusive format, now available to all, rounding up the most talked about, bestselling, and culturally significant books and publishing events of the past month. Hosts Jeff O’Neal and Rebecca Schinsky take listeners through the publishing “state of play,” traversing everything from blockbuster new releases and viral preorders, to adaptation buzz, indie sleeper hits, and industry quirks. The tone is witty, informed, and reader-centric—a lively conversation between two deeply engaged book experts.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What is the Hot List?

• Purpose: Presents a snapshot of what's making waves in the publishing world, driven by sales, buzz, awards, adaptations, and online engagement—not pure speculation like the "It Books" format.
• Scope: Mix of new releases, enduring bestsellers, books getting a revival via adaptations, and even controversy-driven hits.
• Rebecca: “It’s a way of capturing like what’s trending, what’s in the zeitgeist—a companion to the IT books. ...Some of the books on the Hot List are new this month or very recent releases. Some of them aren’t out yet. Some…have had either a new relevance bump or have been sticking around for a while. So there's a little bit of everything.” (02:31)

2. Blockbuster Pre-Orders: Sarah J. Maas and ACOTAR 6 & 7

• Announcement: "A Court of Thorns and Roses" series, books six and seven, were announced at the end of a 'Call Her Daddy' podcast episode.
  • Book 6 and 7 set for release October 27, 2026, and January 12, 2027, respectively.
• Sales Phenomenon: Preorders are already dominating bestseller lists—unusually, before official release.
  • “Pre-orders are crashing lists to the point of maybe breaking them.” – Jeff (07:20)
  • Rebecca: “ACOTAR 6 and 7 were both on the USA Today bestsellers list last week and that should not happen… Not at all shocking that they have the kind of preorders to put them onto this.” (08:00)
• Critical Reflexion: Discussion about how pre-order sales are counted (or should be) on bestseller lists.
  • Jeff: “Should we do this with preorder sales? If a book’s sold, then credit it. What are we doing? …This is nuts.” (09:36)
  • Rebecca: “Maybe a separate chart would be interesting—as sort of an anticipation metric.” (10:04)

3. Upcoming Notables: Taipei’s Story by R.F. Kuang

• About: Coming-of-age novel set in Taipei; Kuang’s first realistic, non-speculative fiction with younger protagonists.
• Kuang’s Prolificacy: Continues to impress with genre range, productivity, and literary ambition.
  • Jeff: “We’re totally chill about the productivity of RF Kuang at this stage.” (12:05)
  • Rebecca: “She’s incredible. This one’s only 288 pages, which I know you love to hear.” (12:10)
• Appeal: Cover and vibe echoes cozy, culturally specific fiction—a rising trend in the U.S. market.

4. Indie Bookstore Phenomena: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

• About: Epistolary novel following a retired woman’s relationships, full of wit, warmth, and slow-building revelations.
  • Jeff: “This feels like a good old-fashioned indie like Bel Canto or The Lovely Bones...One thing we have liked recently is when people don’t tell you what’s going on. …That’s very cool.” (16:04)
• Success: Now #1 on NYT and PW hardcover fiction lists almost a year after publication; a word-of-mouth, book club and indie darling.
  • Rebecca: “Shortlisted for the Indies Choice Award…expect this will be continuing to appear on the list for several months.” (18:11)
  • “The easiest Mother’s Day purchase for someone who likes book that’s ever—I think they cooked it up in a petri dish...” (18:34)

5. Kin by Tayari Jones

• About: Lyrical, vivid novel of two best friends/nigh-sisters coming of age in the Jim Crow South.
• Highlights: Chosen for Oprah’s Book Club, expected to be on year-end and award lists.
  • Rebecca: “It is so wonderfully written…this just lives in four quadrant territory. Jones is letting herself be funnier…for all of its weight, she lets these characters have fun.” (19:33)
• Sales/Awards: Has the “runway” to remain a major presence in 2026, given few other spring lit heavyweights.

6. Everyone's Talking About: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

• Adaptation: Movie starring Ryan Gosling releases this week—major pop culture moment.
• Book’s Appeal: Beloved by readers and book clubs alike; high Goodreads rating (4.5+), excellent audiobook with unique production story.
  • Jeff: “It’s about friendship and hope and also orbital mechanics. So really it’s something for everyone.” (23:14)
  • Rebecca: “You feel smart enough to pass an astrophysics exam, and that is saying something.” (23:49)
  • Audiobook Fact: Ray Porter, narrator, sight-read the book—reacting authentically, live, as he recorded. (26:32)

7. Other Commercial & Indie “Hot List” Standouts

• Theo of Golden: Cozy, feel-good literary hit about a stranger arriving in a small Southern town; 320,000 units sold this year.
  • Rebecca: “It goes down easy...My doctor is reading this. She’s in a book club of other doctors. They’re all reading it together.” (28:35)
• Just Friends by Haley Pham: Debut contemporary romance by a popular YouTuber; social-media-fueled controversy is feeding the buzz.
  • Rebecca: “We don’t hear this a lot where someone who’s popular on social media or like on YouTube makes a fiction debut that actually goes really well. I haven’t read it...but there are some folks who are super stoked.” (29:51)
• Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt: Long-lasting indie favorite, now getting a Netflix adaptation starring Sally Field and Alfred Molina (as the octopus).
  • Jeff: “The novel is narrated by a giant octopus named Marcellus…This is when we were in our Hot Octo Summer...” (33:37)

8. Nonfiction and Memoir Buzz

• You With the Sad Eyes by Christina Applegate: Major debut memoir, #1 in both NYT and PW nonfiction, garnering strong reviews and press.
  • Rebecca: “She’s up against the big Liza Minnelli memoir…Applegate is being better received and she's had a long life in film and TV as well.” (37:00)

9. Perennial & Backlist Powerhouses

• Frieda McFadden: Multiple paperbacks on bestseller lists, especially The Housemaid, thanks to adaptation and relentless pace.
  • Discussion: Comparison to Colleen Hoover; speculation on the longevity of McFadden’s domestic thriller dominance.
  • Rebecca: “The Frida McFadden thing will be a longer, slower burnout than Colleen Hoover. …People have had decades-long careers on domestic thrillers.” (39:45)
• Let Them Theory (Mel Robbins): Continues to chart on non-fiction bestseller lists, entering the pop self-help canon, despite public controversy.
  • Rebecca: “It’s…not just this book. It's like the Mel Robbins content empire which the Internet has run the whole cycle on: from great idea to she's a bad person.” (45:44)

10. Temperature Check / Honorable Mentions

• Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy: At #3 on Amazon (03/2026), may become a durable book club and year-end pick—“real spicy.”
  • Rebecca: “You will have a hell of a book club day when your book club reads Half His Age.” (42:05)
• Alchemized by SenLinYu: Once Harry Potter “Dramione” fanfic, now big-press original, capturing the “spicy” trend in romance/fantasy crossovers.
  • Rebecca: “Everything about Dramione is just everything I know about it, I know against my will. …This feels to me like just a part of the larger story that, like, spicy is the thing right now.” (48:52)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Preorder Accounting:
  “Bestseller lists are smoke and mirrors at best.” – Rebecca (11:14)
• On Indie ‘Feel-Goods’:
  “It goes down easy…My doctor is reading this.” – Rebecca, re: Theo of Golden (28:35)
• On Audiobook Narration:
  “Ray Porter…did not read the book before he sat down to narrate it. So he’s having, like, authentic emotional reactions…” – Rebecca (26:32)
• On Genre Trends:
  “This is the pinnacle of those ley lines…It is messy. Dark. [SenLinYu] calls it not romance, but a dark horror story. …This is seems to be the pinnacle of [fanfic] ley lines coming together to form this Voltron of a phenomenon.” – Jeff (48:13)
• On Book Club Hits:
  “The easiest Mother’s Day purchase for someone who likes book…” – Jeff, re: The Correspondent (18:34)
• On Longtail Pop Success:
  “[‘Let Them Theory’ is] going to take forever to fall off.” – Jeff (45:34)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:06] — Launch of the Hot List format & philosophy
• [06:38] — ACOTAR 6 & 7 announcement and preorder debate
• [11:19] — Taipei’s Story by R.F. Kuang preview
• [14:56] — The Correspondent by Virginia Evans deep dive
• [19:13] — Kin by Tayari Jones praise and predictions
• [22:23] — Project Hail Mary adaptation hype and book impact
• [27:38] — Theo of Golden & contemporary “feel good lit”
• [29:51] — Just Friends by Haley Pham and BookTok/YouTube crossovers
• [32:57] — Remarkably Bright Creatures adaptation (Netflix)
• [36:20] — Christina Applegate’s memoir and nonfiction bestsellers
• [38:33] — Frieda McFadden & the backlist/genre blockbuster discussion
• [41:28] — Temperature check: Half His Age, Let Them Theory, Alchemized

Final Thoughts / Episode Tone

The episode is a spirited, playful, and deeply knowledgeable round-up of the books and industry stories shaping conversations in March 2026. The hosts blend reader-first enthusiasm, industry skepticism, and sharp wit, offering both a practical guide for what to pick up next and ongoing commentary on trends, weirdnesses, and fun tidbits from the world of books.

Quick Recap: What’s Hot (March 2026)

• Biggest Buzz: ACOTAR 6 & 7, Project Hail Mary’s film, Kin, The Correspondent, Taipei’s Story
• Indie & Book Club Darlings: Theo of Golden, Remarkably Bright Creatures
• Commercial Surges: Just Friends, Frieda McFadden’s thrillers
• Pop Memoir: Christina Applegate’s You With the Sad Eyes
• Durable Pop Nonfiction: Let Them Theory
• Fanfic & “Spicy” Phenomena: Alchemized

For more details, check Book Riot for show notes or the Zero to Well Read feed for deep dives and upcoming author interviews.