'Record number of votes': Whitcoulls Top 100 2026
Kiwi readers are actively embracing fresh voices and new releases, as shown in today's announcement of the Whitcoulls Top 100 Books List. 26 of the 100 titles were from Aotearoa's local authors. Whitcoulls Book Manager Joan Mackenzie says, ‘This year, we not only received a record number of votes, but the popularity of local authors is at an all-time high compared to previous years.’ She puts this down to our appetite for voices and stories which we can relate to.
Mackenzie has also never known so many newcomers to make it into the Top 100, saying, ‘this major refresh suggests readers’ dynamic engagement with books and reading.’
Rebecca Yarros’s Empyrean series of novels received the most votes for the second year in a row. Fantasy writer Sarah J. Maas claimed the number two and three spots with novels A Court of Thorns & Roses and Throne of Glass. Dr Lucy Hone got the most votes of any New Zealand author, with her bestselling book, How Will I Ever Get Through This?, claiming sixth place.
Significant placings by new, local books voted into the Top 100 include Just a Mum’s Kitchen by Anna Cameron (number 7); Māori Ora (number 13); Habits of High Performers by James Laughlin (number 23); Surviving White Island by Kelsey Waghorn (number 28); and The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey (number 50).
High-profile New Zealanders to appear in the Top 100 are Nigel Latta with Lessons on Living (number 19); Dame Jacinda Ardern with A Different Kind of Power (number 60); Barbara Dreaver with Be Brave (number 90); and Charlotte Glennie with Every Second Counts (number 97).
Fiction dominates the List with a total of 78 titles and of those, 30 are books in a series. Another notable aspect of the Top 100 is the popularity of the fantasy genre with Kiwi readers – 26 books find favour with them, including three novels by Sarah J. Maas. Romance, classics, inspiring stories, self-help and motivational titles also feature strongly.
Joan Mackenzie believes our love of books and reading is enduring, saying, ‘The 2026 Whitcoulls Top 100 Books List is an opportunity to celebrate homegrown talent, books which encourage, inform and capture our imaginations.'
