Last November, we asked the community to suggest books to be considered for One Read 2026. Earlier this year, the One Read Reading Panel met and narrowed the list of nearly 200 titles to 10, and now we have our top two finalists: “Playground” by Richard Powers and “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt.
Read on to find out more about each book being considered for One Read 2026.
“Playground” by Richard Powers
This narratively complex novel follows a friendship and its collapse, the rise of AI and the fate of the small Polynesian island of Makatea. As a boy, Todd is obsessed with both the ocean and technology, disassembling his toys to peer at their inner workings. In high school he meets Rafi, and the two bond over their love of games and bold ideas. In college, they compete for the attention of their artist classmate Ina. Todd founds a wildly successful technology company called Playground, while Rafi and Ina ultimately choose a simple life on Makatea. Technology catches up with them, though, as their community must decide whether or not to approve a project that will use their island to build and launch autonomous floating cities. A captivating and lyrical novel exploring ambition, humanity and our endangered oceans.
- Preview “Playground”
- New York Times Book Review
- Kirkus Review
- Author Interview
- Author’s Website
- Publisher’s Website
- Goodreads
“Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt
In this novel, a giant Pacific octopus named Marcellus helps a widow uncover the truth about her son’s mysterious death by drowning 30 years ago. At 70 Tova lives alone in her childhood home and cleans the local Sowell Bay Aquarium each night to keep busy and enjoy the quiet company of the sea creatures. Her story collides with that of Cameron, a chronically unemployed hard-luck case, abandoned by his mother at the age of nine, who has travelled to town in search of the father he never knew. An unlikely and charming friendship is at the center of this heartwarming novel about grief, family, navigating the life changes that come with aging and the intelligence of the animal world.
- Preview “Remarkably Bright Creatures”
- New York Time Books Review
- Kirkus Review
- Author Interview
- Author’s Website
- Publisher’s Website
- Goodreads
You can cast your vote for this year’s One Read through April 24, 2026.