3 Best 2026 Books To Read Before the Year Ends

The article recommends three 2026 books for readers hoping to fit in more reading before the year ends. Its choices span romantic fantasy, non-fiction about artificial intelligence and democracy, and a contemporary novel that reworks themes from *The Great Gatsby*.

*Sea of Charms* by Sarah Beth Durst follows supplier runner Marin and composer Dax, who pretend to be a couple during a festival; the 384-page novel combines romance, fantasy and a sea adventure. Harvard historian Jill Lepore’s *The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State* examines how systems intended to support democracy have been used for surveillance and categorisation. *Last Night in Brooklyn* by Xochitl Gonzalez is set in 2007 and centres on 26-year-old Alicia Canales Forten, exploring class and racial struggles against the backdrop of the coming financial crisis.