Cozy Up with New Reads for 2026

The long cold nights of January in Saskatchewan make the perfect excuse to slow down, get cozy and read.  As the snow piles up outside, my reading stack beckons!  The new year promises some wonderful new books.  

The Astral Library by Kate Quinn is the perfect escapism for adults who still believe stories can change us.  It follows a woman who discovers a hidden, mysterious library where every book opens a doorway to different lives and possible futures.  Matt Haig is back with The Midnight Train and it offers his signature blend of hope, reflection, and little magic – the same mix that made audiences love The Midnight Library.

With dark nights and cozy fireplaces, winter is the perfect season for falling in love on the page.  Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell brings sharp observations about love and connection while The Ripple Effect by Maggie North delivers a small-town Canadian romance that shows how small moments can ripple outward into something transformative.

There is always extra delight (and trepidation!) in watching beloved books leap from the page to the screen.  I’m excited to dig into the TV version of The Husbands by Holly Gramazio (which stars actress Juno Temple, of Ted Lasso fame). This hilariously imaginative book features a woman whose attic mysteriously produces a succession of husbands, each one from a different version of her life. With this buffet of choice, she has to decide what kind of life and love she really wants.  The Happy Place by Emily Henry is another popular romance book coming to life on the screen this year. It follows two exes who pretend to still be in love during a weeklong getaway with friends…only discover their love story might not be over.  If you’ve been binge-watching Stranger Things over the holidays, you may be eager to know that the Duffer Brothers’ next project is based on The Savage Death of Babs Dionne by Ron Currie.  Part gritty drama, part thriller, it follows the complicated Babs Dionne, criminal matriarch of her small Maine town.

Never fear, nonfiction readers; you’re not left out of the winter reading magic! When the Forest Breathes by Suzanne Simard is a quietly awe-inspiring Canadian book that invites us to see the natural world as interconnected and alive in ways that feel both grounding and profound. Wild Fire by Jesse Winter continues that Canadian lens, exploring our relationship with land and climate, while A World Appears by Michael Pollan encourages readers to slow down and really see—a perfect companion to the reflective pace of winter.

For teen readers, and the grown-ups who love great storytelling just as much, Here for a Good Time by Kim Spencer is a poignant, coming-of-age story about a young Indigenous girl in Prince Rupert, BC.  Gaslit by Megan Davidhizar leans into the delicious tension of a YA thriller, perfect for readers who like their pages turning fast and their stakes high.  Fantasy continues to be incredibly popular with teen readers, and I recommend The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith: just imagine if Bridgerton was set in a fairy world in this Victorian-inspired fantasy novel.  Lucky for us all, the sequel The Thorn Queen also comes out this spring.

This is the season to curl up, turn the page, and let yourself disappear for while.  Winter lets us be still, but reading can take us anywhere.  Adventures await!

By Tanya Rogoschewsky, Director of Community Engagement and Programming