Author Brad Thor stopped by the 3rd Hour of TODAY on Jan. 7 to share the books he's reading and loving, and the ones he thinks you should try out next.
Thor is the author of spy fiction, with his most recent, "Edge of Honor," out last July.
Below, see his recommendations for new books to read at the top of 2026.
Best thriller
Brad says: "Ten years after her best friend vanishes, a woman poses as a journalist to infiltrate the wealthy family connected to her disappearance. Every answer raises a worse question — was her friend a victim, or was she playing a deeper game?"
Best romance
Brad says: "Like an even steamier version of the Brad Pitt movie 'F1.' She’s an up-and-coming Formula 1 team principal. He’s her new hotshot driver — and her childhood crush — so their careers depend on working together without blowing up the team or each other. It’s high-speed romance with stakes you instantly get."
Best book to screen
"Best friends, polar opposites, years of summer trips — and the one question they’ve avoided: are they actually meant to be together? Read the book now, then watch the Netflix adaptation drop January 9. It’s your perfect ‘book first, binge next’ pick."
What Brad says: "A lot of people don’t need another goal — they need to feel like they actually count. Mattering goes straight at the quiet stuff driving burnout and drift: feeling invisible, disconnected, and stuck on autopilot. Wallace lays out concrete ways to rebuild connection and purpose — so the New Year isn’t just a reset of your calendar, it’s a reset of your life."
What Brad's reading
What Brad says: "A dying man hides something priceless inside the suit he plans to be buried in — then he’s murdered for it. It’s a killer premise with a personal gut-punch payoff!"
