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The Most Anticipated Book Releases of November 2026
By James Fleming, founder of AuthorPingPublished Updated
November 2026 opens with its biggest books: David Wong's There Are No Giant Crabs in This Novel: A Novel of Giant Crabs and Jennifer Lynn Barnes's Dangerous Impulses both come out on . Alex Aster's Stormside, the third most anticipated book of the month, follows on .
Those three top the 17 books coming out this month on our calendar, ranked by how many readers are waiting for them. Behind them come Rebecca Yarros, Holly Black, David Baldacci and Stephanie Plum's 32nd outing, so it's a crowded month. Here's what's coming and why people are watching.
What are the most anticipated books of November 2026?
There Are No Giant Crabs in This Novel: A Novel of Giant Crabs by David Wong
The most anticipated book of the month is the fifth instalment of John Dies at the End, out on . It ranks first of the 17 books we track for November, ahead of every romance, thriller and fantasy sequel on the list.
There's no blurb yet, which feels on brand. The title is either a promise or a lie, and anyone who has followed the series this far will have a view on which way to bet.
If you're new and wondering where to begin, the full John Dies at the End reading order is on our series page.
Dangerous Impulses by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Second on the list, and out the same day, is Book 5 of The Naturals. Plenty of readers clearly never stopped waiting for Cassie and the FBI's teenage profilers.
The blurb picks up eight months after what it calls the most twisted, traumatising case of their lives. Cassie, Dean, Michael, Lia and Sloane are still dealing with the fallout, so they decide to take on a joyful mission for once: playing matchmaker before Christmas. An emotion-reader, a lie detector, two profilers and a statistician with a database of romantic relationships against one unsuspecting couple doesn't sound like a fair fight.
This one leans on the earlier books, so if you need a refresher or are starting fresh, the The Naturals reading order is on our series page.
Stormside by Alex Aster
Third is Book 2 of Alex Aster's Starside, out on . There's no official blurb to go on yet, so all I can say for sure is that it continues the story begun in the first book, and that it ranks above Rebecca Yarros's new standalone, released the same day. That's a decent indication of how keen Aster's readers are.
What other big books come out in November 2026?
Peculiar Stars by Rebecca Yarros
Fourth on the list, and also out on , is a standalone from Yarros. Callista Moran has spent her life putting other people first, and she's just announced her engagement to Darren Knight when a sailing trip goes wrong and a cyclone leaves her stranded on an island.
She's there for eighteen months, with the crew and her fiancé's cousin Dominic, an ex-army medic. The blurb says they resist their connection at first. The blurb also says eighteen months, so you can probably work out where it's heading.
A Conspiracy of Charming Monsters: Illustrated Tales from Elfhame by Holly Black
Ranked fifth and out on , this is an illustrated companion to The Folk of the Air, with full-colour art by Frostbite Studios. It collects six tales set in Elfhame and the world of the Modern Faerie Tales.
The blurb's teasers will be familiar to fans: a reluctant king thrown into turmoil when the girl he loves to hate is stolen by the Undersea, an exiled redcap trapped in the mortal world, a mortal girl who gives up half of herself for an unworthy faerie lover, and a tiny sprite whose need to prove herself puts the High Court in danger. Two of the stories are new, including one about Madoc's inner life while in exile.
All In by David Baldacci
Sixth on the list is Book 4 of The 6:20 Man, out on . War correspondent Theresa Lee is shot on a stormy Manhattan street, and the man she was meeting, Five Eyes intelligence analyst Bill Walker, disappears.
Travis Devine, the former Army Ranger turned federal investigator, is called in to work out why a professional hit team wanted one silenced and the other taken. The trail runs from New York to Australia and into the orbit of the Woolwine family, an Australian dynasty with more money than is good for anyone in a thriller.
Split Second: Thirty-Two Switcheroo by Janet Evanovich
Stephanie Plum reaches Book 32 on , seventh in our rankings. Most series never get anywhere near 32 books.
The blurb opens with Stephanie having made "the decision of a lifetime", then adds that some lifetimes are shorter than others. Someone who isn't on her long list of enemies is sending disturbing packages and threatening notes, and bond jumper Greb Tusi, wanted after a three-hour rampage, wouldn't mind seeing her gone either. If you're catching up on 31 books first, the Stephanie Plum reading order is on our series page.
Unique: Welcome to the Multiverse, Book 12 by Sean Oswald
Book 12 of Welcome to the Multiverse is eighth on the list and comes out on . Silas is heading back to Earth, to family, friends and the people counting on him, but the blurb says he's starting to realise that many of the dangers around him are attached to him. Possibly from the inside.
The Heist Before Christmas by Lucy Score
Ninth is Book 5 of Lucy Score's Riley Thorn, also out on . There's no blurb yet, but the title makes the season clear, and it doesn't promise a silent night.
Which other November 2026 books should be on my list?
The rest of the month is a mix of sequels, companions and standalones:
- Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint (Novel), Vol. 5 by singNsong, out . The fifth volume of Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint (Novel), ranked tenth this month.
- Wildcard by Glynn Stewart, out . Book 6 of House Adamant, and the only release on our list in the month's final week. It ranks 11th.
- Dune Messiah Book 1: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Brian Herbert, out . The first part of a graphic novel adaptation of Dune Messiah, ranked 12th.
- Engaged to the Enemy by Morgan Elizabeth, out . A companion in Seasons of Revenge: Michelle Hanson swears off men, accidentally flashes her new boss on her first day, and he turns out to be a mafia kingpin who once saw her dragging a dead body into an alley. He wants a fake fiancée. She can keep a secret. Ranked 13th.
- Jane Austen's The Watsons by Claudia Gray, out . Gray takes on the novel Austen abandoned after about a hundred pages: a youngest Watson sister sent back to her struggling family, the proud Lord Osborne, and a clergyman called Mr Howard. Ranked 14th.
- The Discworld Bestiary by Terry Pratchett, out . A Discworld companion covering the care of the Terrible Man-Eating Sloth of Clup, the eating habits of the Ambiguous Puzuma and the troubling number of ominous ducks in cosmic affairs, with advice from Rincewind as Unseen University's reluctant adjunct professor of Perplexing Beasts.
- The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow, out . A new standalone from Harrow.
- Pinfeathers by Christina Henry, out . A new standalone from Henry.
When do the November 2026 books come out?
This month's releases come in clusters, so it helps to know which week is which:
- : David Wong, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Holly Black, the Dune Messiah graphic novel and the Discworld bestiary.
- : David Baldacci, Janet Evanovich, Sean Oswald, Lucy Score and Alix E. Harrow.
- : Alex Aster, Rebecca Yarros, Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, Morgan Elizabeth, Claudia Gray and Christina Henry.
- : Glynn Stewart.
That third week alone has six books on it, which is a lot of reading to fit in before the Christmas releases start crowding in.
If you'd rather not find out about any of these by accident in January, AuthorPing lets you follow the series and authors you love, tells you when they have a new book coming out and keeps a countdown to every release. It's free on iPhone and Android.
Questions readers ask
What is the most anticipated book of November 2026?
David Wong's There Are No Giant Crabs in This Novel: A Novel of Giant Crabs, Book 5 of the John Dies at the End series, ranks first of the 17 books we track for the month. It comes out on 3 November 2026.
When does the new Naturals book come out?
Dangerous Impulses, Book 5 of Jennifer Lynn Barnes's The Naturals, comes out on 3 November 2026. It's set eight months after the team's most traumatic case, with the Naturals playing matchmaker before Christmas.
When is Stormside by Alex Aster released?
Stormside, the second Starside book, comes out on 17 November 2026. It's the third most anticipated book of the month on our calendar.
What is Holly Black's new Elfhame book?
A Conspiracy of Charming Monsters: Illustrated Tales from Elfhame is an illustrated collection of six tales from the world of The Folk of the Air, with full-colour art by Frostbite Studios and two new stories, one about Madoc in exile. It comes out on 3 November 2026.
Is there a new Stephanie Plum book in 2026?
Yes. Split Second: Thirty-Two Switcheroo, Book 32 in the series, comes out on 10 November 2026, with Stephanie targeted by a mysterious enemy who isn't on any of her lists.
Is Rebecca Yarros's Peculiar Stars part of a series?
No, Peculiar Stars is a standalone about a newly engaged woman stranded on an island for eighteen months after a cyclone. It comes out on 17 November 2026.
James is the founder of AuthorPing. He's a lifelong reader and writer, and his goal is to help millions of readers around the world keep up with their favourite authors and series. More about AuthorPing