I Started a Book Club! Here's My Next Pick of 2026

As some of you might have heard, my 2026 resolution can be summed up in four words: scroll less, read more. To that end, and in an effort to hold myself accountable, I’ve started a book club! I’m so excited. My goal is to read in community, as they say, one book a month. (I’ve already passed that marker.)

I'll be talking to the chosen book authors and we'll be hosting the conversations on Substack. It’s a great platform, with the quality and collaborative features that are perfect for these kinds of interactive discussions. If you have questions for an author, you can send them to info@katiecouric.com. 

Aren’t on Substack? It's so easy to sign up — here's how to create an account:

And if you’re one of my paid Substack subscribers (let's call you "friends with benefits," get it?), you’ll be able to ask questions in real time in the comment section. There will be other fun offerings for FWB, which you’ll learn about in the future!

So…are you all in? Here are my KCBC book club selections for 2026, meeting details, and the conversations I've had with the authors so far. Want to know what book I picked for my book club this month? Jump to the month below:

Katie Couric Book Club Picks

January 2026
February 2026
March 2026
April 2026
May 2026
June 2026
July 2026
August 2026
September 2026
October 2026
November 2026

January 2026: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

The January selection was Virginia Evans's novel The Correspondent, a book that was given to me for Christmas by my good friend Carmela Ciuraru. (Carmela is an author herself, and her book about the dynamic between famous writers and their partners, called Lives of the Wives, is also fabulous!)

When I floated the idea of featuring Virginia's epistolary novel to my followers on Instagram, you were enthusiastic, to say the least.

During the inaugural KCBC meeting, Virginia revealed that what's especially exciting about the success of her book is that it’s her eighth — yes, eighth — but the first one that actually got published. (All those agents who said “no thanks” to representing her must be ruing the day.) Virginia’s experience reinforced two things I’ve always believed: “Success is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration,” and the more you work at something, the better you become. Why has this book struck such a chord with so many of us? If you have some thoughts on the “why” of it all, let me know! I’m sure many of the answers revolve around Sybil, the tenacious, occasionally taciturn letter-writing septuagenarian protagonist.

I loved talking about the characters that emerged from Virginia’s imagination. You can read more of my recap here and watch the full conversation below.

February 2026: Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

By popular demand, our second KCBC selection was Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. I was excited to dive into this novel that so many of the book clubbers requested. It was such a joy to speak to Allen about his touching New York Times bestseller about generosity, wonder, quiet kindness, and friendship. You can watch the conversation below.

March 2026: More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen

Elin Hilderbrand was raving about this book so I picked it up and was immediately hooked. But I'm not surprised — Anna Quindlen is so prolific. I've been reading her fiction and non-fiction for years; I feel like we've aged together, in a way. In fact, we've become friends and she was very excited to meet for our book club chat. For anyone who's ever been curious about their ancestry and tempted to take one of those DNA tests, this novel is for you. Between her struggles to get pregnant and tending to her ailing parents, high school English teacher Polly Goodman is at a pivotal point in her life when her book club pals give her a DNA testing kit sort of as a joke. She takes the test, and it upends everything. I was delighted to speak with Anna, and so were you. Watch the conversation below.

April 2026: James by Percival Everett

Everyone has heard of this book, and if you're like me, you've been meaning to read it. I bought James a few months ago because I heard such incredible things, and then I learned that the paperback is actually coming out later this month (on the 21st), so I figured it was a sign that this was meant to be.

For those of you who aren't familiar, James is a reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, told from Jim’s point of view. It won the National Book Award and the Pulitzer, so needless to say, it's made an impact. I finished the book just 20 minutes before talking to Percival, which made our conversation about the story's themes that much more poignant.

May 2026: The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout

I love Elizabeth Strout's books, and unsurprisingly, I devoured this one. It's about a beloved teacher who feels isolated from the world when "a chance incident that sparks a powerful realization." Grab your copy right here and use code KCBCMay26 for 15 percent off. Then check out my KCBC conversation with Elizabeth below.

June 2026: Whistler by Ann Patchett

I love Ann Patchett's books, and I was so excited to read this one, which you can get here if you're behind, and use code KCBCJune26 for 15 percent off. I spoke with Ann on my Substack about Whistler, her beautiful new novel about the people who truly see us — and how even a brief childhood connection can shape the rest of our lives. We got into the real friendship that inspired the book, why she sees friendship as its own great love story, and the surprising intimacy of showing up for someone through illness and loss. And because it’s Ann, there were also wonderfully specific detours into treadmill desks, the Met, chosen family, scary stories for children, and one very memorable 500-pound pig named Wilbur.

July 2026: Someone Else's Husband by Kimberly McCreight

For my July pick, we read Someone Else's Husband by Kimberly McCreight. I had such a fascinating conversation with Kimberly on Substack, which you can watch below. If you're behind on book club, pick up your copy here and use code KCBCJuly26 for 15 percent off. This literary thriller will have you turning the pages until the very end as it takes you from the streets of Soho to the dangerous summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. 

August 2026: Night Objects by Eli Raphael

I really wanted to feature a first-time novelist, and Eli Raphael was hard to resist. Her debut novel, Night Objects, is set at an elite boarding school, where a 15-year-old new student finds herself at the center of a murder investigation. It’s got grief, privilege, and intrigue — all the makings of hypnotizing fiction.

I loved getting to talk with Eli about the book, her path to becoming a novelist, and the story behind Night Objects. You can watch our full conversation below.

September 2026: Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult

For September, I picked Hollow Bones, the latest novel from Jodi Picoult — and if you've read her books before, you know she isn't afraid to tackle big, complicated subjects. This one follows Molly Fitzgerald, who lost her mother on 9/11 when she was just two months old and grew up determined to prepare for the worst. Now she runs Rhode Island's Department for Emergency Preparedness, planning for every crisis imaginable — until one hits much closer to home.

It's a story about mothers and daughters, grief, love, and the limits of how much we can actually protect the people we care about. I was delighted to sit down with Jodi for our October book club conversation, where we discussed her latest novel. If you missed it, you can watch our full conversation on Substack.

October 2026: Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus

I loved Lessons in Chemistry, so I was thrilled to pick Bonnie Garmus's new novel, Peck & Peck, for October. Set in the wonderfully eccentric world of a New York City poetry magazine in the 1980s, it follows a young man trying to find his place in the world — and makes a compelling case for why art, creativity, and the people who champion them matter so much.

I had a terrific conversation with Bonnie about her writing process, handling rejection, and the importance of perseverance. (She knows a thing or two about that, having published her wildly successful debut novel in her 60s!) You can watch our full conversation on Substack.

November 2026: The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

For November, I've chosen The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali, the bestselling author of The Stationery Shop. Set against decades of political and social upheaval in Iran, this beautiful novel follows two girls, Ellie and Homa, whose unlikely childhood friendship changes the course of both their lives. It's a sweeping story about loyalty, betrayal, forgiveness, and the incredible strength of women — and I think it will give us plenty to talk about.

We actually announced this pick at our first-ever in-person KCBC gathering, which was such a joy! Meeting so many of you, swapping book recommendations, and talking about our favorite reads reminded me why I started this club in the first place. If you're reading along, you can use code KCBCNov26 for 15 percent off your copy. I can't wait to discuss it with Marjan!