The Stacks Unabridged

Most Anticipated Books to Start Off 2026

Host: Traci Thomas
Guests: Sara Hildreth and Cree Myles
Date: January 23, 2026

Episode Overview

In this lively annual tradition, Traci Thomas welcomes book influencers Sara Hildreth (Fiction Matters) and Cree Myles (curator of Penguin Random House’s Always Black) to share and discuss their most anticipated book releases for the first half of 2026. The trio also reflect on the previous year's uneven landscape in publishing, lamenting the lack of a clear "book of the year" in 2025, and muse about their reading habits and hopes for the coming months. The conversation is candid, humorous, and full of the joyful banter fans of The Stacks have come to expect.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: All About Anticipation

• Annual Tradition: Traci emphasizes this is one of the most highly anticipated and favorite episodes for both listeners and the hosts.
• Format Note: There's an exclusive full episode for Patreon/Substack subscribers, with this public section serving as an enticing preview.
• Guest Introductions:
  • Cree Myles: Curator of Penguin Random House’s Always Black, known for literary advocacy, rap music analysis, and her online bookish presence.
    • “Maybe you know Cree from the rap. Maybe you know Cree from the books. Maybe you know Cree from both. Maybe you know Cree from her organizer days pre all of this, back when she was black Emily Dickinson. True that.” (03:08, Traci)
  • Sara Hildreth: The mind behind Fiction Matters, an ex-English teacher, substack author, and casual podcaster with “Books That Matter.”
    • “She is by far the smartest person in this group for sure, hands down. There’s like… not even close.” (04:06, Traci)

2. Reflecting on 2025: An Anomalous Year in Books

• Lack of Consensus:
  • Sara points out how 2025 broke trends: "2025 felt like an anomaly where the pendulum...shifted to the other side...in 2024, we had so much consensus around what the best books were, and then in 2025, it felt like we had no consensus." (05:24, Sara)
• Impact on Reading Enjoyment:
  • Traci admits that the search for the "it book" of 2025 left her underwhelmed by many reads, noting that perhaps with less pressure she might have enjoyed books more. (06:32, Traci)
• Personal Highlights from the Year:
  • Cree mentions Rob Franklin’s debut and “Black Minor Figures” by Brandon as personal favorites, along with Gloria Naylor’s Linden Hills.
    • "I loved that debut. I loved Black Minor Figures by Brandon... my favorite book of the year that I read was Linden Hills by Gloria Naylor." (07:01, Cree)
• Chasing Obscurities:
  • Cree advocates for reading beyond trends: “Stop with the trends. Just find an obscure ass book that you can fall in love with and tell everybody about.” (07:16, Cree)
• The Risk of No Consensus:
  • Traci blames Sara (tongue-in-cheek) for 2025’s chaos, recalling that Sara wished for "no consensus" in the prior year's episode. "You said you didn’t want consensus. You wanted more parity." (07:57, Traci)
  • Both Sara and Traci reflect on how end-of-year lists included many books they’d never heard of, making them question their taste and industry awareness.
    • “Do I have taste anymore? Or, like, am I… Do I have awareness of even what is publishing?” (08:47, Sara)

3. Hopes and Goals for 2026

• Desire for Balance:
  • Sara articulates a hope for equilibrium, where there’s both "personal discovery" and a few universally beloved “darlings.”
    • “That’s what I’m hoping for, a little bit more equilibrium this year where I don’t feel blindsided by the list, but that there’s still room for... personal discovery.” (09:29, Sara)
  • Traci echoes this wish: “I like a year where there’s some darlings and then there’s also some randos.” (09:45, Traci)
• Cultural Parallels:
  • Traci draws a clever analogy between literary prizes and the Golden Globes, wishing for predictable nominees but surprise winners:
    • “I want the National Book Award list to have, like, five books by just like, amazing old standard... but that... the person who wins is like, you know, the Rose Byrne of whatever.” (10:03, Traci)

4. Outlooks on Reading Approaches for 2026

• Backlist vs. New Releases:
  • Cree admits she's more interested in backlist titles than new releases for 2026, intending to seek inspiration from Sara and Traci’s anticipated lists. (03:46, Cree)
  • Traci inquires about whether the peculiarities of 2025 will impact their future reading habits, leading to a brief acknowledgment from Sara about her backlist focus. (10:50, Traci)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Traci, on audience demand:

  • “My people are just… They’re so bossy to me. I’m like, listen, I invented bossy. You don’t tell me what episodes you want. I tell you what episodes I want to give you, and I want to give you this episode.” (02:30, Traci)

• Cree, on status as personality hire:

  • “I’m the personality hire on this episode for sure...” (03:30, Cree)

• Sara, on her podcast philosophy:

  • “It’s like when I feel like talking to an author that I like, which is not often.” (04:44, Sara)

• Sara, reflecting on the year’s dynamics:

  • “Especially as all of the lists were coming out, I was like, do I have taste anymore? Or, like, am I… Do I have awareness of even what is publishing? Because I felt so surprised by a lot of the lists.” (08:47, Sara)

• Cree, on reading trends:

  • “Stop with the trends. Just find an obscure ass book that you can fall in love with and tell everybody about.” (07:16, Cree)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:47] Traci welcomes Cree and Sara; playful banter about anticipation for the episode
• [03:08] Traci introduces Cree and her multifaceted literary/rapping identity
• [04:06] Traci introduces Sara and her bookish credentials
• [05:05] Discussion turns to 2025 in review: was it a good year in books?
• [05:24] Sara describes the lack of consensus and the pendulum swing in 2025
• [06:32] Traci reflects on how the lack of a "book of the year" altered her reading experience
• [07:01] Cree and Sara enumerate their favorite reads from 2025
• [07:39] Traci blames Sara for wishing away consensus and contributing to 2025 chaos
• [08:47] Sara and Traci discuss feeling out of touch with best-of lists
• [09:45] Traci and Sara express hopes for a balanced 2026 reading year
• [10:03] Traci’s Golden Globes analogy on prizes vs. surprise winners
• [10:50] Reflection on shifting reading strategies for 2026

Tone & Style

The episode is marked by playful teasing, open self-reflection, and candid critique of the current literary landscape, all delivered in the warm, humorous, and intelligent tone that characterizes The Stacks. Each participant brings their distinct personality: Traci’s boldness and humor, Cree’s offbeat energy and musical references, and Sara’s thoughtful, measured insights.

Note: The conversation ends at about 11 minutes, with the remainder available exclusively for paid supporters on Patreon or Substack.