best fiction books january 2022

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20 Best Books To Read in January

JAN. 11, 2022

by Jabari Asim

A wonder-filled novel about the power of words and stories to bring hope to the most difficult situations. Full review >

by Xochitl Gonzalez

Atmospheric, intelligent, and well informed: an impressive debut. Full review >

by Bernard MacLaverty

A fine collection by a true craftsman, thematically rich and deeply humane. Full review >

by Hanya Yanagihara

Gigantic, strange, exquisite, terrifying, and replete with mystery. Full review >

JAN. 18, 2022

by Charles J. Shields

A revealing and rewarding biography documenting the life, work, and historical relevance of a great American author. Full review >

by Kathryn Schulz

A searchingly intelligent memoir and psychological meditation. Full review >

JAN. 25, 2022

by Imani Perry

A graceful, finely crafted examination of America’s racial, cultural, and political identity. Perry always delivers. Full review >

MARCH 1, 2022

by Elie Mystal

A reading of the Constitution that all social justice advocates should study. Full review >

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT

A masterful adventure. Full review >

by Corey Ann Haydu

A compelling feminist story. Full review >

JAN. 4, 2022

by David Valdes

A great read offering entertainment, encouragement, and plenty to reflect upon. Full review >

by Abigail Hing Wen

Like a mooncake—sweet, savory, and altogether satisfying. Full review >

CHILDREN'S

FEB. 8, 2022

by Waka T. Brown

An eye-opening, inspiring story of growing up, facing obstacles, and chasing your dreams anyway. Full review >

by Gary Paulsen

A voyage both singular and universal, marked by sharply felt risks and rewards and deep waters beneath. Full review >

JAN. 1, 2022

by Nikki Shannon Smith ; illustrated by Markia Jenai

An unflinching account of the Tulsa Race Massacre seen through the eyes of a young Black girl. Full review >

by Cheryl Blackford ; illustrated by Ellen Duda

Solid, respectful scholarship tailored for mature, serious-minded young readers. Full review >

by Ruth Behar ; illustrated by Devon Holzwarth

A nostalgic glimpse at a little-known but rich culture within the broader Jewish American community. Full review >

by Virginia Zimmerman ; illustrated by Mary Newell DePalma

A timely nod to female empowerment that knits together generations of girls and women and raises a hat to activists... Full review >

FEB. 15, 2022

by Joanna Ho ; illustrated by Dung Ho

A beautifully validating book that builds on the necessary work of its predecessor. Full review >

by Mike Curato ; illustrated by Mike Curato

Imbued with understanding and overt silliness; a quietly chucklesome affirmation of introverts. Full review >

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Books | Best Sellers

Hardcover fiction - january 02, 2022.

This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only.

• Hardcover Fiction

2 weeks on the list

CALL US WHAT WE CARRY

by Amanda Gorman

A debut collection of poems on identity and history by the presidential inaugural poet who wrote “The Hill We Climb.”

• Apple Books
• Barnes and Noble
• Books-A-Million

9 weeks on the list

THE JUDGE'S LIST

by John Grisham

The second book in the Whistler series. Investigator Lacy Stoltz goes after a serial killer and closes in on a sitting judge.

7 weeks on the list

THE STRANGER IN THE LIFEBOAT

by Mitch Albom

After a ship explodes, 10 people struggling to survive pull a man who claims to be the Lord out of the sea.

11 weeks on the list

THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY

by Amor Towles

Two friends who escaped from a juvenile work farm take Emmett Watson on an unexpected journey to New York City in 1954.

12 weeks on the list

by Nicholas Sparks

Grand Central

Maggie Dawes, a renowned travel photographer, struggles with a medical diagnosis over Christmas.

4 weeks on the list

GO TELL THE BEES THAT I AM GONE

by Diana Gabaldon

The ninth book in the Outlander series. As the Revolutionary War moves closer to Fraser’s Ridge, Claire and Jamie reunite with their daughter and her family.

3 weeks on the list

WISH YOU WERE HERE

by Jodi Picoult

Diana O’Toole re-evaluates her seemingly perfect life when a pandemic disrupts her vacation in the Galápagos Islands.

CLOUD CUCKOO LAND

by Anthony Doerr

An interconnected cast of dreamers and outsiders are in dangerous and disparate settings past, present and future.

FEAR NO EVIL

by James Patterson

Little, Brown

The 29th book in the Alex Cross series. Cross fights the mastermind who has stalked him for years.

54 weeks on the list

THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY

by Matt Haig

Nora Seed finds a library beyond the edge of the universe that contains books with multiple possibilities of the lives one could have lived.

19 weeks on the list

BILLY SUMMERS

by Stephen King

A killer for hire who only takes out bad guys seeks redemption as he does one final job.

31 weeks on the list

THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME

by Laura Dave

Simon & Schuster

Hannah Hall discovers truths about her missing husband and bonds with his daughter from a previous relationship.

5 weeks on the list

by David Baldacci

The fourth book in the Atlee Pine series. Atlee discovers her twin sister survived an abduction at the age of 6.

17 weeks on the list

PROJECT HAIL MARY

by Andy Weir

Ryland Grace awakes from a long sleep alone and far from home, and the fate of humanity rests on his shoulders.

8 weeks on the list

STATE OF TERROR

by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny

Simon & Schuster, St. Martin's

In the wake of the previous administration’s mishandling of international affairs, the new Secretary of State Ellen Adams confronts interconnected global threats.

The New York Times Book Review

Sex, drugs and economics: the double life of a conservative gadfly.

The professor and social commentator Glenn Loury opens up about his vices in a candid new memoir.

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Beyond the Bookends

A Book Blog for Women and Moms who Love to Read

31 New January 2022 Book Releases by Genre

We have 31 great new January 2022 book releases. The books are organized by genre so, you can go ahead and scroll to your favorites. We have thriller, romances, historical fiction, literary fiction and more.

Not sure which book to choose? Sign up for our weekly email and you will not only get a guide to our 2022 reading challenge but you will also get our top picks for the January 2022 book releases.

*Post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through links result in a small commission to us at no cost to you. Some books have been gifted. All opinions are our own.

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Table of Contents

Thriller Book Releases for January 2022

Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins

Genre : Gothic Thriller

Plot: Six Twenty-somethings on a journey to a beautiful and desolate island. When one goes missing and another is dead, the rest of the group wonders what other dark secrets are hidden away.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Tiffany Brooks

Genre : YA Thriller

Plot: Riley is dropped onto a deserted island with 19 other teens in search for a millions dollar treasure rumored to be on the island. Six people have dies in the past, who will be number 7?

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

Genre : Thriller

Plot: Chloe is a psychologist who is preparing for her wedding when girls from her town start to go missing. Chloe starts to see parallels to twenty years ago when six girls went missing and her father has confessed to the crimes.

Anthem by Noah Hawley

Genre : Literary Thriller

Plot: A band of unlikely heroes set out to find a man known as The Wizard to save an innocent woman who is being held captive. The journey is a look at America as it is now.

All I Want by Darcey Bell

Plot: Emma and Ben decide to leave their one bedroom apartment in NYC and move to large, Victorian, fixer-upper in upstate New York. With a baby on the way it seems like the perfect choice until their disintegrating marriage and dark history of the house takes its toll.

One Step Too Far by Lisa Gardner

Plot: Frankie Elkin, a missing person expert is sent to look for a young man who disappeared without a trace. Soon, her own survival is threatened.

Good Rich People by Eliza Jane Brazier

Plot: A wealthy couple invites self-made success stories to live in their guesthouse so they can ruin in their lives in a sick and twisted game. Demi decides to take over someones life as a last stitch survival effort and winds up at the guest house. She will not go down without a fight.

Greenwich park by Katherine Faulkner

Plot: Helen and her handsome architect husband live in the idyllic Greennwich Park. With a baby on the way it all seems perfect until Helen befriends Rachel and Rachel threatens to expose old secrets.

Mystery Book Releases for January 2022

The Maid by Nita Prose

Genre : Detective Mystery

Plot: Molly Gray is a hotel maid who struggles with social skills. When he discovers a guest murdered in his bed, she becomes the suspect and her life is turned upside-down as she searches for the killer.

The Last house on the Street by Diane Chamberlain

Genre : Mystery/ Fiction

Plot: Two women, a generation apart, find themselves unexpectedly bound together from the tragedy of an unsolved, mystery.

The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczy

Genre : Mystery

Plot: “Anxious People meets the delights of bookish fiction in a stunning debut following a librarian whose quiet life is turned upside down when a priceless manuscript goes missing. Soon she has to ask: what holds more secrets in the library―the ancient books shelved in the stacks, or the people who preserve them?”

Historical Fiction Book Releases for January 2022

Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor

Genre : Classic Retelling

Plot: This classic re-telling of The Great Gatsby is told from a Women’s perspective.

The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher

Genre : Historical Fiction

Plot: A young American Woman names Sylvia Beach opens Shakespeare and Company in Paris in 1919. When James Joyce’s novel Ulysses is banned, Beach publishes it under the Shakespeare and Company name at a steep cost. Will it ruin her?

Our Kind of People by Carol Wallace

Genre : Historical fiction

Plot: Set in the Gilded age of NYC, this books is about one family’s journey from riches to ruin as one mother tires to launch her daughters into society.

Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis

Plot: A story about murder, secrets and betrayal in one of NYC’s Gilded age mansions. Lillian, a former model, takes a job at Frick mansion as a personal secretary. Fifty years later, a model Named Veronica stumbles upon information that may solve a decades-old murder.

Her Hidden Genius by Marie Benedict

Plot: “Marie Benedict’s powerful new novel shines a light on a woman who sacrificed her life to discover the nature of our very DNA, a woman whose world-changing contributions were hidden by the men around her but whose relentless drive advanced our understanding of humankind.”

Violetta by Isabel Allende

Plot: This sweeping historical fiction tells the story of the life of Violeta, a woman whose life spans 100 years and told in the form of a letter to a loved one.

Fiction Book Releases for January 2022

The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

Genre : Dystopian Fiction

Plot: Frida Liu is struggling with her family and marriage. The one thing she has is her daughter. When Frida makes one mistake, she is sent to a government reform program where she has to prove her devotion as a mother.

Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover

Genre : Women’s Fiction

Plot: After serving five years in prison, Kenna returns home hoping to reunite with her daughter. But after years of burning bridges, Kenna is having a hard time building a future and healing.

The Good Son by Jacquelyn Mitchard

Genre : Fiction

Plot: Thea’s son has just been released from prison after murdering his girlfriend. Now, he is released into a society in which he is the symbol for white privilege but, is there more going on? Thea suspects she has never truly known her son.

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xóchitl González 

Genre : Family Drama

Plot: This is a family drama in which a status-driven wedding planner must juggle her social ambitions, absent mother and her Puerto Rican roots. Set in NYC in the wake of Hurricane Maria, this book looks at what it means to weather a storm.

Literary Fiction Book Releases for January 2022

No Land to Light on by Yara Zgheib

Genre : Literary Fiction

Plot: A young Syrian couple living in Boston are torn apart when Hadi needs to fly to Jordan the night before his visa Hearing. When he doesn’t get off the plane to come home, Sama tries desperately to find a way back to the man she loves.

To Paradise by Hanya Yangihara

Plot: Spanning three centuries, this is a story set in 1893, 1993 and 2093 that examines love, family and the promise of a Utopia.

January 2022 Romance Book Releases

Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Genre : Romance

Plot: A TV meteorologist and a sports reporter scheme to reunite their divorced bosses with unforecasted results in this electrifying romance . From the Author of the Ex Talk.

Bad Luck Bridesmaid by Alison Rose Greenberg

Genre : Romantic Comedy

Plot: Zoey has been a bridesmaid three times and each time, the wedding never happened. When her best friend gets engaged and informs Zoey that she will be bridesmaid, Zoey begins to wonder how to secure her own happiness.

Anatomy: A Love story by Dana Schwartz

Genre : YA Historical Fiction/ Romance

Plot: Hazel wants to be a surgeon but is kicked out of lectures for being the wrong gender. Jack is a man who digs up bodies for a living. The two of them must work together to uncover secrets buried deep in Edinburgh society.

How to Love your Neighbor by Sophie Sullivan

Plot: Enemies-to-lovers meets HGTV in this frothy, effervescent romantic comedy from Sophie Sullivan, author of  Ten Rules for Faking It.

The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley

Plot: Katrina and Nathan were literary cowriting stars until they ended the partnership on bad terms and have not spoken since. Now, they have been forced to partner for one last book to fulfill their contract. Stuck together while writing a romance isn’t easy when you are not talking to each other.

New Fantasy Book Releases for January 2022

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

Genre : Fantasy

Plot: A fantasy inspired by the legend of the Chinese moon goddess, Chang’e , in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm and sets her on a dangerous path—where choices come with deadly consequences, and she risks losing more than her heart.

Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves by Meg Long

Genre : YA Fantasy

Plot: Sena must flea with her prize fighting wolf, Iska. In order to flee her frozen planet, she must win the sled race that killed her mother.

A Letter to Three Witches by Elizabeth Bass

Genre : Magical Realism

Plot: Gwen’s family has been forbidden from doing witchcraft for a century because of an errant spell. Now, Gewn’s sister has cast a spell and cousin Trudy is so stressed, she accidentally enchants her cupcakes. Can the family take control of their powers? Can Gwen determine if her feelings for Jeremy are real or a result of the cupcakes?

What are your favorites? Which January 2022 book release are you looking forward to reading the most?

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• Pingback: 95 Fantastic New Winter 2022 Book Releases -

Fantastic reading inspiration here. Nita Prose’ The Maid is probably my top pick of the January new releases but I am very intrigued by Sequoia Nagamatsu’s debut How High We Go in the Dark also. Happy new reading year Jackie and Kirsten!

The Best Books to Read This January

Our picks for the eight standout new releases of the month.

Every item on this page was chosen by a Town & Country editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

This month, dive into a memoir about life at boarding school, immerse yourself in the history of one of Hollywood's greatest directors, tear into one of the year's most anticipated novels, investigate the life of one of journalism's most recognizable names, or read some of the lesser-known works of one of America's most famous writers.

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The Best Books for January 2022

Let’s welcome a new year with these exciting reads.

Every item on this page was chosen by a Shondaland editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

What better way to start the new year than building a glorious to-read pile? January has something for everyone. The literary offerings of 2022 are starting off strong with a delightful and genuine memoir from a beloved writer, a romance written by a couple married in real life, a thriller featuring sociopathic rich people, and more.

I Came All This Way to Meet You

In this new memoir from New York Times best-selling author Jami Attenberg — her first work of nonfiction — readers learn more about the storied writer. Attenberg, the daughter of a traveling salesman, always found solace on the road. And with her independent spirit and passion for writing, she traveled across the globe, where she landed unfulfilling jobs and embarked on crushing book tours. In I Came All This Way to Meet You , Attenberg explores her most defining moments and what it means to dedicate yourself to your art, while approaching these heady topics with honesty and humor.

30 Things I Love About Myself

With a bit of inspiration from the author’s personal experiences, 30 Things I Love About Myself is an entertaining and heartwarming story about a 30-year-old named Nina Mistry. After a crushing breakup, a move back to her parents’ house, and some setbacks in her career as a journalist, it’s safe to say Nina is struggling. It only gets worse when she celebrates her 30th birthday as most hope not to do: in a jail cell. But while in jail, Nina stumbles upon a self-improvement book and decides that by her next birthday she will have found 30 things she loves about herself. What follows is a hilarious and unpredictable story that only being young and trying to figure your life out can offer. After spending a night in jail herself, Sanghani has turned a negative situation into a book that feels deeply hopeful as we learn to love ourselves for who we are.

Good Rich People

If you are looking for the ultimate sinister thriller, then Good Rich People is for you. Meet Lyla and Graham, a married couple who are annoyingly rich. It’s like their money has money. Graham is as evil as it gets, as is his mother, Margo, who lives on the top floor of the family’s massive, sterile mansion. The most bearable character in this entire novel is without a doubt the dog. Graham and his mother have a family tradition, a concept that they call “the game.” The game is simple: rent their guesthouse to someone rich — but less rich, a gauche, had-to-work-for-it kind of rich — and slowly but intensely ruin their lives. Lyla is desperate to please her stunning husband, so this is her round, and their new tenant is a woman named Demi. But little do the couple know, Demi is far more powerful than they think, and their menacing plan goes awry. With writing that truly embodies the raw evil of greed, Brazier crafts cunning characters whom readers will be so excited to hate.

The Roughest Draft

Who wouldn’t want to read an adult romance novel written by an actual married author duo? And, best of all, the book is about a pair of writing-partner authors who have since stopped working together for reasons the public doesn’t know. In The Roughest Draft , readers meet best-selling author duo Katrina Freeling and Nathan Van Huysen, who have written wildly popular, beloved, and successful books together. But now the pair ostensibly refuses to work together anymore after a falling out years prior, leading to major speculation. But despite their marital woes, they still have one more book to write together per their contract, so they’re forced to face the past and possible future of their relationship. The Roughest Draft has it all: Romance, rumor, and intrigue, and you won’t want to put it down.

Anatomy: A Love Story

January generously graces readers with this unique and entertaining addition from Dana Schwartz, an author, writer, and the creator of the top-charting podcast Noble Blood . Her new novel is set in early-1800s Edinburgh and follows Hazel Sinnett, who has big dreams of becoming a surgeon. In her pursuit to become a surgeon, she realizes that her gender is going to be a great barrier in her career aspirations. But her teacher informs Hazel she will be allowed to enroll in surgery lectures if she can pass her exam on her own. However, in order to be a surgeon, Hazel will need bodies to study, and this is where gravedigger Jack Currer comes in. As Hazel and Jack grow closer, they get a bit more than they bargained for, slowly discovering the secrets behind disappearing residents and beyond. With Anatomy , Schwartz has crafted a novel that will get readers right in the chest.

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Want to read more in 2022? Here are 4 books to get you started

If your New Year's resolution is to read more, you're probably not alone. While you my have the Read With Jenna January 2022 pick to get your reading list started, a few more picks to build your reading list for the month — or even the year — won't hurt.

Jason Mott, author of the July 2021 Read with Jenna pick , "Hell of a Book," joined the 3rd hour of TODAY to share four recommendations to read this month. From an engaging work of fiction to a timeless motivational read, Mott's picks cover a range of interests.

Keep reading to get a glimpse behind the cover of each book, as well as Mott's thoughts on these titles.

Books to read in January 2022

Best fiction read, "small world," by jonathan evison.

"Small World"

This title won't be released until Jan. 11, but you can pre-order it right now. Mott says he's a fan of "highly imaginative stories and story structure," and this book has both of those elements. It chronicles 170 years of American nation-building and asks whether the United States has fulfilled its promises by highlighting injustices both big and small.

Best non-fiction read

"all that she carried," by tiya miles.

"All That She Carried"

Mott says he was curious to see how Miles accomplished the "magic" of carrying this book. In the book, historian Tiya Miles uncovers the story of an enslaved woman, Rose; her daughter, Ashley, who was separated from her and sold at 9 years old; and her graddaughter, Ruth. By unearthing their stories, she is able to craft a singular history of the experience of slavery by so many women and families like them.

Best read for young adults

"last night at the telegraph club," by malinda lo.

"Last Night at the Telegraph Club"

This novel won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2021, and Mott says he didn't want to miss out on it any longer. It centers around 17-year-old Lily Hu, who can't quite remember when a certain feeling blossomed inside of her, but she knows it only keeps growing. Her desire to fall in love with another girl, Kathleen Miller, in America in 1954 means having to take risks in order for their relationship to continue, amidst the Red Scare and the threat of her father's deportation.

Best motivational read

"meditations: the annotated edition," by marcus aurelius and edited by robin waterfield.

"Meditations: The Annotated Edition"

Mott first read this text in his early 20s and says it changed and influenced his life from that point on. "Meditations" is a series of personal writing from the former Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. These writings, which consist of private notes to himself and his ideas on Stoicism, acted asa means for his own self-improvement.

For more book recommendations, check out:

• Jenna Bush Hager picks 'captivating' dystopian drama for January 2022
• 5 books to read after 'Bright Burning Things' by Lisa Harding
• All of Jenna Bush Hager's book club picks

Subscribe to our Stuff We Love and One Great Find newsletters, and download our TODAY app to discover deals, shopping tips, budget-friendly product recommendations and more!

Jillian Ortiz is the Editorial Operations Manager at Shop TODAY. 

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The 10 Best Fiction Books of 2022

These are independent reviews of the products mentioned, but TIME receives a commission when purchases are made through affiliate links at no additional cost to the purchaser.

T he best fiction released this year reminded us to value our relationships with one another, no matter what form they take. These books emphasized how we are shaped by the people who surround us, as well as those who are no longer physically present but whose memories we continue to carry. They are stories about friendship and love, growing up and growing older, loss and living, all centered on characters reckoning with how their people do and do not show up for them. There’s a bruising portrait of grief told through an adult daughter remembering her mother, a gritty account of a young woman who forms a community at the depths of her loneliness, a celebration of friendship between two creative geniuses, and more. Here, the top 10 fiction books of 2022.

10. Signal Fires , Dani Shapiro

Signal Fires , Dani Shapiro ’s first novel in 15 years, begins with a horrible ending. It’s 1985 and three intoxicated teenagers go for a car ride that proves fatal. The details of the accident are kept secret—and will haunt one family forever. Decades later, the doctor who ran to the scene of the accident befriends his 11-year-old neighbor, right near the spot where it happened. As Shapiro draws connections between seemingly disparate threads, she creates a moving portrait of guilt, grief, and fate. And she shows, in aching terms, how life is made up of random moments—missed opportunities and curious circumstances—and that it only takes a second for everything to change.

Buy Now : Signal Fires on Bookshop | Amazon

9. Trust , Hernan Diaz

In 1920s New York, everyone who’s anyone knows Benjamin and Helen Rask, the wealthy couple sitting pretty at the top of the financial world. But how exactly did they accumulate so much power and wealth? That question is the driving force of the immensely popular 1937 novel Bonds —one of four distinct texts within Hernan Diaz’s Trust . The story of the Rasks (or the Bevels, depending which book-within-the-book you’re reading) contains mysterious multitudes. Their relationship and their privilege are undermined, examined, and rewritten as Diaz spins a dazzling story about subjectivity and greed.

Buy Now : Trust on Bookshop | Amazon

8. Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century , Kim Fu

The 12 stories that make up Kim Fu’s bold collection feature characters dealing with scenarios that border between reality and fantasy. In the spaces where lines blur, Fu reveals quietly profound commentary on the intersections of technology, love, and loss. In one narrative, a girl mysteriously sprouts wings, a development that forces her friend group to consider their ever-changing adolescent bodies. In another, an insomniac grows dependent on sporadic visits from a strange man made of sand who might be the secret to her finally falling asleep. And in a wildly twisted tale, a couple kills each other, over and over again, to keep their relationship alive. These stories, surreal and clever, all point to crises that sit below the surface. Fu brings magical realism to exciting heights, positioning her characters’ relatable emotional battles within wonderfully constructed worlds.

Buy Now : Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century on Bookshop | Amazon

7. Young Mungo , Douglas Stuart

Douglas Stuart’s follow-up to his 2020 Booker Prize-winning debut Shuggie Bain is every bit as crushing as his first novel. Young Mungo is another visceral depiction of 20th-century working class Glasgow, this time centered on the impossible first love between two teenage boys. Homophobia and violence surround them, and the sensitivity that the young men possess is not welcome in their world of hostile masculinity. Through rich dialogue and rhythmic prose, Stuart brings to life a captivating portrayal of 1990s Scotland and the struggles faced by queer men who are learning how to live in the face of it all.

Buy Now : Young Mungo on Bookshop | Amazon

6. If I Survive You , Jonathan Escoffery

The first entry in Jonathan Escoffery’s lyrical and kaleidoscopic debut If I Survive You introduces the character at the short story collection’s center: Trelawny, the sole American-born member of a Jamaican family. In the seven linked narratives that follow, Escoffery follows Trelawny as he grapples with his identity as the son of Black immigrants living in Miami, where he never feels Black enough. Escoffery writes with urgency and heart as he illustrates his protagonist’s struggles to fit in, especially as his family falls apart in the wake of a devastating hurricane and recession. If I Survive You , longlisted for a 2022 National Book Award, is a timeless story of a young person wrestling with big questions about race and class, captured in intricately drawn scenes of everyday life.

Buy Now : If I Survive You on Bookshop | Amazon

5. Vladimir , Julia May Jonas

The protagonist of Julia May Jonas’ electric debut novel , an unnamed English professor, is grappling with the public fallout of her husband’s past affairs with students at the college where they both teach. The narrator is more annoyed than anything else—she and her husband had an open marriage—and she is quite preoccupied with an extramarital activity of her own: crushing hard on her department’s latest recruit. As the professor grows closer to her young new colleague, her desire festers into gnawing obsession. Jonas’s explosive novel asks timely questions about power and campus politics.

Buy Now : Vladimir on Bookshop | Amazon

4. All This Could Be Different , Sarah Thankam Mathews

In Sarah Thankam Mathews’ tender debut novel All This Could Be Different , a finalist for a 2022 National Book Award, recent college graduate Sneha has just moved to Milwaukee and started an awful job as a corporate consultant. Though the work is soul-crushing, there’s a recession swirling and the money keeps Sneha afloat. Plus, she can send some of it to her parents in India. But Mathews’ contemplative protagonist is desperately lonely in this new life, despite a burgeoning romance with an older ballet dancer named Marina. As Sneha questions why she finds it so difficult to open up to others, she is forced to confront the inescapable trauma that she’s buried deep inside. Mathews explores this tension, and the community that Sneha builds for herself in the Midwest, in an incisive and surprising coming-of-age narrative.

Buy Now : All This Could Be Different on Bookshop | Amazon

3. The Book of Goose , Yiyun Li

Agnès has just heard the news that her childhood best friend, Fabienne, is dead. Now an adult living in America, Agnès reflects on growing up in France with Fabienne by her side and a decision Fabienne made that changed both their lives: when they were kids in the war-ravaged countryside, Fabienne wrote a fictional account of their experiences, and published it under Agnès’ name. The move catapulted Agnès to literary fame—and to a London finishing school where she suffered tremendously without Fabienne nearby—and now, she’s finally ready to tell her version of the events that defined her adolescence. Yiyun Li dissects the girls’ achingly intimate and, at times, unsettling friendship, and asks if Agnès ever really knew the person she was so devoted to. In detailing the answer, she unveils a cutting portrait of girlhood.

Buy Now : The Book of Goose on Bookshop | Amazon

2. The Hero of This Book , Elizabeth McCracken

An unnamed writer arrives in London for a trip. She feels her recently deceased mother’s absence—and presence—everywhere she goes. As she walks around the city, she’s reminded of her mother’s complicated life, the memories they shared, and the curious, ever-evolving relationship between child and parent. But, the unnamed writer repeats, even though she’s constructing a deeply felt tribute to her mother, this is, in no way, a memoir. Her mother hated those. And so goes Elizabeth McCracken’s latest work of fiction, poking holes in the very idea of fiction itself as the story unfolds. The prolific author, whose own mother shared many similarities with the one described in the book, delivers a potent meditation on processing loss. Along the way, she makes startling revelations about what it really means to write, and how fiction can help us understand the most challenging parts of life.

Buy Now : The Hero of This Book on Bookshop | Amazon

1. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow , Gabrielle Zevin

In his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur runs into Sadie Green on a subway platform. They’ve known each other since childhood, when they first bonded over a shared love of video games, but a rift set them apart. In Gabrielle Zevin’s inventive and sweeping novel, the estranged friends reconnect and rebuild their relationship, becoming creative partners on a video game that shoots them to fame before they turn 25. As Sam and Sadie wrestle with their growing ambitions over the years, they cultivate a friendship much more meaningful than any romance. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a celebration of the narratives, in video games and in life, that reinforce just how important connection really is. In following Sam and Sadie’s journey from Massachusetts to California and into the imagined worlds of their games, Zevin writes the most precious kind of love story.

Buy Now : Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow on Bookshop | Amazon

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Write to Annabel Gutterman at [email protected]

The best new fiction of 2022 so far, from fantasy sequels to highly anticipated thrillers

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• We gathered the top-rated and best-selling fiction books of 2022 so far.
• These picks include new historical fiction, romance, fantasy, and sci-fi books.
• For more great books, check out the best books of 2022 so far , according to Goodreads.

Every year brings new and amazing books to shelves everywhere, but it can be overwhelming to sort through hundreds of titles to find a book that truly stands out from the rest. Fortunately, with reviews from readers, bookshops, and editors, the most memorable new titles still rise to the top. 

To create this list of recommendations, we pulled readers' favorite new fiction books from a variety of sources including top-ranking titles on Goodreads , bestseller lists on Audible and Libro.fm , and books readers can't stop talking about on social media. From fantasy sequels to heart-pounding historical fiction, here is some of the best new fiction of 2022 so far.

The best fiction books of 2022 so far:

"black cake" by charmaine wilkerson.

Available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $17.81

Insightful, memorable, and masterfully written, " Black Cake " is a transportive and expansive novel that begins as Byron and Benny inherit a traditional Caribbean black cake and a voice recording in the wake of their mother's passing. In this story of heritage, memories, and history, the siblings must unravel their mother's story to create a new and deeper understanding of her, their family, and themselves.

"All My Rage" by Sabaa Tahir

Available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $12.99

Salahudin and Noor were more than best friends until a terrible fight destroyed their bond, leaving each of them to face their familial and personal challenges alone. As Sal tries to hold his family and their business together after his mother's passing and Noor attempts to avoid her uncle's wrath as she applies to college against his wishes, the two must decide the value of their friendship and what they need to move forward.

"Book Lovers" by Emily Henry

Available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $12.82

Emily Henry's latest beach-read romance follows Nora Stephens, an NYC literary agent whose own love life is far from perfect. When her sister, Libby, suggests a trip for just the two of them to a storybook-like town in North Carolina, Nora agrees in the hopes of becoming the heroine of her own story but almost immediately runs into Charlie Lastra, a brooding book editor — and her greatest rival. 

"Violeta" by Isabel Allende

Available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $22.84

" Violeta " is an epic new historical fiction novel about Violeta del Valle, born in 1920 in South America to a family of sons. Told in the form of a letter, Violeta's life spans a century of extraordinary events, from personal heartbreak and great triumphs to the fight for women's rights and two terrible pandemics.

"True Biz" by Sara Nović

Available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $18.91

At the River Valley School for the Deaf, Charlie is a new transfer student, Austin is the school's "golden boy," and February is their headmistress, fighting to keep the school open while juggling personal challenges of her own. " True Biz " follows the students and the school as they are rocked by personal, political, and familial unrest over a tumultuous year that will change their lives forever.

"House of Sky and Breath" by Sarah J. Maas

Available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $17.74

" House of Sky and Breath " is the highly anticipated sequel to Sarah J. Maas' " House of Earth and Blood ," both of which are loved by readers for the spellbinding magic systems, their deep care for the characters, and the exhilarating, suspenseful plot that keeps them invested for 800 pages. In this sequel, Bryce and Hunt have saved Cresent City and are looking for a moment of peace but as the rebels slowly chip away at the Asteri's power, the two know they cannot stay silent while others are oppressed.

"Lessons in Chemistry" by Bonnie Garmus

Available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $18.48

In this story set in 1960s California, Elizabeth Zott is a chemist whose male coworkers see her as little more than a woman in the way. When her career takes a sharp turn and she finds herself the star of a beloved American cooking show, people still aren't happy, as she not only takes a unique approach to cooking, but in many ways is teaching women to defy the status quo in this funny and feminist historical fiction read. 

"How High We Go in the Dark" by Sequoia Nagamatsu

Available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $17.99

As humanity is challenged with rebuilding after a climate plague reshapes life on Earth, this science fiction novel bends to follow linked narratives of those affected in a vast variety of ways, from a scientist searching for a cure to a painter and her granddaughter looking for a new home planet. Loved for its intricate and imitate connections between characters, themes, and stories, " How High We Go in the Dark " is a tale of compassion, resiliency, and hope.

"Daughter of the Moon Goddess" by Sue Lynn Tan

Available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $23.49

Inspired by the legend of the Chinese moon goddess, Chang'e, " Daughter of the Moon Goddess " is about Xingyin, who grew up on the moon, unaware that she is being hidden from the Celestial Emperor until her magic reveals her existence and she's forced to flee her home and leave her mother behind. To save her mother, Xingyin disguises her identity, learns mastery and magic alongside the emperor's son, and sets off on a dangerous quest of magic, honor, and betrayal.

"Young Mungo" by Douglas Stuart

Available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $23.99

Born into different religions, Mungo and James should be sworn enemies yet find safety in each other as their close friendship blooms into love. When Mungo is sent on a fishing trip with two of his mother's friends from AA, darker intentions arise in this story of masculinity, queerness, division, and violence. 

"This Time Tomorrow" by Emma Straub

Available for pre-order on Amazon and Bookshop , from $21.99

When Alice wakes up on the morning of her 40th birthday, she seems to have been transported back in time to 1996 to relive her 16th birthday. Though her father is ailing in the present day, she's reunited with her younger, full-of-life dad and, armed with decades of experience, relives the day with a new perspective, bringing new meaning to memories and leaving Alice wondering if she could — or should — change anything about that day.

"Reminders of Him" by Colleen Hoover

Available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $9.57

" Reminders of Him " is a Colleen Hoover story of redemption as Kenna Rowan returns to her town after a five-year prison sentence, hoping to reunite with her young daughter, though all those who knew her determinedly shut her out. Turning to the local bar owner, Ledger Ward, Kenna finds a remaining link to her daughter, but when the two form a deeper connection, romance brings greater risk and Kenna must find a way to fix the past in order to solidify a better future.

"Memphis" by Tara M. Stringfellow

Available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $18.28

During the summer of 1995, 10-year-old Joan moves with her mother and younger sister into their mother's family home in Memphis, fleeing their father's violence, though the home is marked by a history of violence all its own. In her grief, Joan begins to create portraits of the women in North Memphis and unravels a past, present, and future of matrilineal tradition, healing, and curses from the stories of those she encounters.

"Sea of Tranquility" by Emily St. John Mandel

Available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $16.25

Part time travel epic and part pandemic literature, " Sea of Tranquility " is a science fiction novel that spans centuries from an airship terminal in the Canadian wilderness in 1912 to a moon colony 300 years in the future to tell a story of humanity and the many ways we are impacted by a pandemic world. Unique, profound, and memorable, this new novel combines speculative and literary elements to take readers on a fast-paced journey.

"Four Treasures of the Sky" by Jenny Tinghui Zhang

Available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $18.69

Though Daiyu never wanted to be like the tragic heroine for which she was named, everything changes when she's kidnapped and smuggled from China to America. " Four Treasures of the Sky " is a story of self-discovery, Chinese history and folklore, and the ways in which Daiyu had to continuously change herself to survive.

"The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea" by Axie Oh

Available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $16.99

In Mina's homeland, the people believe the Sea God curses their land with terrible storms and war so they sacrifice a beautiful maiden in the hopes their choice will one day be his "true bride" and end their suffering. When Shim Cheong, Mina's brother's beloved, is chosen as the sacrifice, Mina throws herself into the water in her place and is swept away to the Spirit Realm. There, she sets out to wake the Sea God and end her home's suffering once and for all.

"Brown Girls" by Daphne Palasi Andreades

Available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $16.31

In Queens, New York, young girls and women of color are growing up in the center of vibrant culture, learning to balance their immigrant heritage with the American world around them. " Brown Girls " reads like a literary poem dedicated to the young women who experience this unique crossroads as they make their own place in the world, a story that continues to resonate with many readers.

"Peach Blossom Spring" by Melissa Fu

Lily desperately wants to understand her family's heritage, but her father refuses to speak about his childhood and his story of fleeing his family home with his mother in 1938 as the Japanese army encroached on their land. " Peach Blossom Spring " is a powerful story of war, migration, and heritage that jumps across continents and centuries to convey the importance of telling our stories.

"Don't Cry for Me" by Daniel Black

Available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $22.48

As Jacob lays on his deathbed, he knows there are many truths he must share with his son, Isaac, though the two have not spoken in many years. Through letters, Jacob reveals ancestral stories, long-buried secrets, and hopeful explanations for his reaction to Isaac's being gay. " Don't Cry for Me " is an emotional historical fiction novel about reckoning, reconciliation, and healing.

"Take My Hand" by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $18.90

" Take My Hand " is a new historical fiction novel inspired by true events that begin with Civil Townsend in 1973 as she takes a job fresh out of nursing school at the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic in Alabama. In her first week, she encounters 11- and 13-year-old sisters whose situation raises alarms for Civil. Decades later, Civil is ready to retire when history returns in this story of bravery, institutional racism and classism, and the ways Black communities have been targeted and attacked throughout history.

"The Diamond Eye" by Kate Quinn

Available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $17.87

Though Mila Pavlichenko's life in 1937 Ukraine revolves around her library job and her son, everything changes when Hilter invades and she's sent into war with a rifle, quickly becoming one of the deadliest snipers known to the Nazi regime. When her 300th kill makes national news, she's pulled from the war for a goodwill tour in America until an old enemy and new foe pull Mila into a battle deadlier than the war.

"Kaikeyi" by Vaishnavi Patel

Available on Amazon and Bookshop , from $21.99

" Kaikeyi " is a beautiful new retelling of "The Ramayana," an ancient Indian epic. In this retelling, Kaikeyi is raised in her father's kingdom, taught to revere and respect the gods yet never receives the help she needs. When Kaikeyi discovers the magic inside her, she transforms into a warrior and queen with the power to change the world for women until her past, destiny, and present collide and force her to weigh the consequences of resistance.

• Main content

Den of Geek

Top New Fantasy Books in January 2022

A falling moon, an anti-refuge for portal fantasy children, and an epic quest for sisters are among January 2022's fantasy offerings. Happy New Year!

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A falling moon, an anti-refuge for portal fantasy children, and an epic quest for sisters are among January 2022’s fantasy offerings. Happy New Year!

The Starless Crown by James Rollins

Type: Novel Publisher: Tor Books Release date: Jan. 4

Den of Geek says: Sigma Force author James Rollins turns his decades of thriller experience to epic fantasy, with the start of the Moon Fall series.

Publisher’s summary: An alliance embarks on a dangerous journey to uncover the secrets of the distant past and save their world in this captivating, deeply visionary adventure from #1  New York Times  bestselling thriller-master James Rollins.

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A gifted student foretells an apocalypse. Her reward is a sentence of death.

Fleeing into the unknown she is drawn into a team of outcasts:

A broken soldier, who once again takes up the weapons he’s forbidden to wield and carves a trail back home.

A drunken prince, who steps out from his beloved brother’s shadow and claims a purpose of his own.

An imprisoned thief, who escapes the crushing dark and discovers a gleaming artifact—one that will ignite a power struggle across the globe.

On the run, hunted by enemies old and new, they must learn to trust each other in order to survive in a world evolved in strange, beautiful, and deadly ways, and uncover ancient secrets that hold the key to their salvation.

But with each passing moment, doom draws closer.

Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!

Buy The Starless Crown by James Rollins.

Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire

Type: Novella Publisher: Tordotcom Publishing Release date: Jan. 4

Den of Geek says: We love it when an author inverts their own premise, which is exactly what is at play in the seventh Wayward Children novella: a school for the children of portal fantasies that may end their adventures instead of prolong them…

Publisher’s summary: In  Where the Drowned Girls Go , the next addition to Seanan McGuire’s beloved Wayward Children series, students at an  anti- magical school rebel against the oppressive faculty.

“Welcome to the Whitethorn Institute. The first step is always admitting you need help, and you’ve already taken that step by requesting a transfer into our company.”

There is another school for children who fall through doors and fall back out again. It isn’t as friendly as Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children. And it isn’t as safe.

When Eleanor West decided to open her school, her sanctuary, her “Home for Wayward Children,” she knew from the beginning that there would be children she couldn’t save; when Cora decides she needs a different direction, a different fate, a different  prophecy , Miss West reluctantly agrees to transfer her to the other school, where things are run very differently by Whitethorn, the Headmaster.

She will soon discover that not all doors are welcoming…

Buy Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire.

The Beholden by Cassandra Rose Clarke

Type: Novel Publisher: Erewhon Books Release date: Jan. 18

Den of Geek says: Cassandra Rose Clarke’s penchant for inventive, poignant speculative stories makes for an intriguing tale of sisters settling divine debts while holding on to the destinies they’ve negotiated for themselves.

Publisher’s summary: Two sisters, a pregnant aristocrat and a scholar-magician, and themselves at the center of a conflict between the immortal being Decay and the Emperor himself…

Orphaned as young women, Celestia and Izara De Malena are land-rich but destitute, with only a failing rainforest acreage, Celestia’s perfect manners, and Izara’s nascent magic to their aristocratic names. With their money running out, Izara summons the Lady of the Seraphine to demand a favor: a husband for Celestia, one rich enough for the sisters to keep their land and restore their family name. But a favor from the river goddess always comes at a cost…

Five years later, as war and disease spread across the land, the Emperor calls Celestia’s husband away on a secret mission and the Lady returns to collect her due. Izara is forced to leave the academy where she studies to become a mage; Celestia is pulled from her now-flourishing farm while pregnant with her first child.

Together, they must repay their debt—embarking on an impossible quest that pits them against Celestia’s husband, the Emperor, and a god even more powerful than the Lady of the Seraphine. Gorgeous, compelling, and utterly captivating, The Beholden follows Celestia and Izara as they journey from lush rainforest to frozen desert to find a god who doesn’t want to be found, and prevent the end of the world.

Buy The Beholden by Cassandra Rose Clarke.

Natalie Zutter | @nataliezutter

Natalie Zutter is a playwright, audio dramatist, and pop culture writer living in Brooklyn. She writes what she loves reading/seeing: space opera, feminist epic fantasy, time…

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The Best Fiction Books » Historical Fiction

The best historical fiction of 2024, recommended by katharine grant.

The judges of the Walter Scott Prize aim to highlight the very best new historical novels, and in 2024 they have settled on a varied shortlist featuring a Trinidadian tragedy, a Vatican-based thriller, and a charming coming-of-age tale from 1960s Middle England. We spoke to Katharine Grant , chair of the judging panel, to find out more.

Interview by Cal Flyn , Deputy Editor

The New Life: A Novel by Tom Crewe

Hungry Ghosts: A Novel by Kevin Jared Hosein

My Father's House: A Novel by Joseph O'Connor

In the Upper Country: A Novel by Kai Thomas

Absolutely and Forever by Rose Tremain

The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng

1 The New Life: A Novel by Tom Crewe

2 hungry ghosts: a novel by kevin jared hosein, 3 my father's house: a novel by joseph o'connor, 4 in the upper country: a novel by kai thomas, 5 absolutely and forever by rose tremain, 6 the house of doors by tan twan eng.

L et me begin our discussion of the six historical novels shortlisted for the 2024 Walter Scott Prize by asking you, the chair of the judging panel, whether it has been a good year for historical fiction ?

What do the Walter Scott Prize judges look for in a historical novel?

Let’s step through each of the 2024 shortlisted historical novels in turn, starting with Tom Crewe’s The New Life . It’s a highly acclaimed debut, a book about the gay liberation movement in Victorian London. Tell us more.

Fundamentally, beneath the story itself, this is a book about loneliness, in particular the loneliness of gay life in the 1890s. It’s the story of a brave attempt to rationalise sexual behaviour, and thus remove the stigma attached to homosexuality. Tom Crewe has used, quite loosely, the lives of two men, John Addington Symonds and Havelock Ellis who, in the book, become John Addington—a single-minded man who wants to create a world in which everybody is free to live as their nature dictates, but who is also flawed and selfish; and Henry Ellis, a shy, fragile, clever man who wants the same thing. Both these men personify that high Victorian belief that if only one could educate people, people would understand and accept. So, by proving that homosexuality has always been a part of human life and human nature, they hoped it would become ordinary, as indeed has happened now in the UK. But what happens when principle, rational thinking and hope crash into reality? Will they succeed or themselves face ruin? That’s the great tension at the heart of the book.

There’s a rare honesty in the writing of this book. It’s written so directly, the sex graphic yet unsensational. Tom Crewe is a true craftsman.

Absolutely. I’ve read some responses to this novel that argue that it speaks to something in our contemporary culture as well—that it feels timely. Would you agree.

I would, although I’m not a great believer in always drawing parallels from the past to the present. But there are certainly parallels in this case. The New Life also reminds us, though, that change isn’t only about protesting in the streets. There’s a place for quiet, rational argument.

In this book, the two men have a wonderful optimism and courage, and perhaps in order to change anything there needs to be an element of selfish single-mindedness although that selfishness causes suffering not just in the lives of these men, but also in the lives of the people they were attached to.

Like the wives of closeted men?

The second novel on your 2024 historical fiction shortlist is Kevin Jared Hosein’s Hungry Ghosts, set towards the end of colonial rule in Trinidad. I liked what The Times had to say about it: “like a Greek tragedy relocated to a gothic Caribbean setting worthy of Jean Rhys.”

It’s a great quote, and true. Hungry Ghosts is a tragedy, and we’re swept into it by writing that conjures a whole physical, emotional and natural world of Trinidad; you get a sense of a burgeoning place, almost overwhelmed by vegetation. Hosein write with what one critic has called “sensory maximalism”. The colours are bold. The smells waft from the page. When you close the book, you’re surprised to find yourself still at home.

Hungry Ghosts is the story of a man, Hans Sharoop, born into poverty, who hopes for better things, who is optimistic, and who gets an opportunity—which he takes—but then falls prey to all kinds of temptations. His family is destroyed as a result, but he’s not a bad man, only weak. If you’re born into abject poverty, it’s hard not to fall for a dream.

It’s also a book about absence, with the absent Dalton Changoor, whose business is shadily successful and who employs Hans, hanging over this book like a sinister cloud. Absent also is Hans and his wife Shweta’s dead daughter, whose name they never utter yet who is always present between them. Kevin Jared Hosein’s absences aren’t just absences, they’re characters in their own right.

“At least the label is no longer pejorative. People are now proud to be writers of historical fiction”

The third historical novel on the 2024 shortlist is Joseph O’Connor’s My Father’s House , set in occupied Rome, 1943. Its plot is based on a true story of a Vatican priest dubbed the ‘Irish Schindler.’ The book has been characterised as a literary thriller , does that sound right to you?

I suppose so, although that seems a bit cruel—as if other thrillers aren’t literary. It’s certainly a thriller. It’s tense, tense, tense. But the big thing in this novel is not just the tension, it’s the voices. Joseph O’Connor gives a masterclass in the different voices of the people gathered around the priest Hugh O’Flaherty to help him organise and run the Escape Line—the escape routes out of Italy for prisoners of war and others being pursued by the Nazis. The voices are unforgettable, their code-name ‘The Choir’ absolutely apt.

So, we have the tension and the voices, and also we have Rome. If you feel you know Rome, you’ll find much to enjoy in the twists and turns of the streets, the hidden alleys, the sudden expanses and that ever-present ‘seethe of black water’, the Tiber. It’s full Rome immersion.

But we also have a clever construction in this novel. Through a series of post-war interviews inserted at various points, we know who survives, and we know how the characters became involved in the Choir. So the tension is less about who will live and who will die amongst the characters we get to know, and much more about whether the Escape Line will succeed for the countless unnamed people secreted all over Rome. And of course there are deeper tensions about how human nature evolves during wartime. When faced with the complexities of war, what is courage? What’s the difference between courage and self-aggrandisement?

As with all the best thrillers, I felt a bit breathless at some stages reading this book! And beware if you’re reading on the bus or the underground: it’s the kind of book that can make you miss your stop.

We’ve been talking quite a bit recently on Five Books about the borderlands between genres. I suppose, say, spy fiction set during the Cold War would count as historical fiction too.

I’m not really a genre person. I don’t terribly like labels. I find them unhelpful. Like other novels, the historical novel is, fundamentally, simply a story, as a spy story is simply a story. Even with fiction featuring real figures, as is the case with much historical fiction, fiction is, by definition, a product of the imagination. It’s just fiction.

Returning to historical fiction, though, if we must use a label, at least that label is no longer pejorative, which is a good thing. People are now proud to be writers of historical fiction. Some of that pride has certainly to do with Hilary Mantel , not just what she wrote in the genre itself, but what she wrote about it, and also how she spoke about it, particularly in her Reith Lectures . If historical fiction needed its rehabilitation firmly stamped, Hilary Mantel was that stamp, moving the argument on from ‘isn’t historical fiction just a, usually misconceived, facsimile of the past?’ by showing how the writer of historical fiction actually works with the past—the nuts and bolts, as it were.

That makes sense. Perhaps we could talk next about Kai Thomas’s In the Upper Country , which is set in an 18th-century Canadian town where escaped slaves from the United States have resettled. This is the fourth book on your 2024 historical novels shortlist.

First of all, this book—which is Kai Thomas’s first novel—is marvellously done, technically speaking. It’s stories-within-stories, a bit like Scheherazade . There are two women, one old, one young, telling each other stories and these stories and how they tell them are intrinsic to the book. It’s a brave construction, and very successful.

The novel is set not on the Underground Railway by which Black people fleeing from slavery crossed the border into Canada, but in the free town established at the end of the Railway. We’re in the complicated world of individuals from different communities – the Black community, the Indigenous community, the Métis community – whose histories are rich and whose choices are complex. Everybody wants ‘freedom’ but freedom is more complicated than it sounds, as we learn through the aftermath of the shooting of a slave hunter by an old woman.

In most novels, the propulsion is forward. In In the Upper Country , the energy is more flexible, flowing forwards and backwards, sweeping the reader along as if in the tide, never ceasing, but you’re not always sure exactly where you’ll find yourself. In other words, the experience of reading is more like sitting and listening to a storyteller, which is just as it should be given the construction of the book.

But don’t misunderstand me. The stories aren’t random. Each story is a small revelation, so it’s like doing a jigsaw when you haven’t got the picture on the front of the box. You’re there, in this book, piecing it all together. Particularly for a first novel, In the Upper Country is very sure of itself and confidence is such a big thing in writing, particularly in a novel like this. If the author is confident, you feel carried along.

Right. As if the author is grabbing you by the hand and leading you somewhere.

We’ve reached Rose Tremain’s Absolutely and Forever. Tremain has previously been shortlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for her historical novels Merivel: A Man of His Time and The Gustav Sonata .

Yes, Rose Tremain always offers the reader so much! Absolutely and Forever is the coming-of-age story of a girl, Marianne, from a well-to-do family—boarding school, tennis courts, ponies—who, aged 15, falls ‘absolutely and forever’ in love with a boy. It doesn’t work out. The story may not be unusual in itself but in Rose Tremain’s hands it’s so ‘funny, piercing, singular’, as one critic described it, that it turns into a small masterpiece. Marianne may be as naïve and guileless as girls of her age in the 1960s were, but her sense of herself completely bewitches the reader. And Rose Tremain keeps a tight hold of her story. The book is short and may, to some, seem slight, but every word, every detail, is carefully chosen. It’s a book you can read a second and a third time and still find new aspects to admire.

Charming, and indeed sad, this isn’t a tragic book. Amongst other things, it’s a book about recognising what things actually are, which, and this is so bitter-sweet, Marianne never quite does with her ‘absolutely and forever’ love.

It sounds like a grown-up I Capture the Castle .

I think that brings us to the final historical novel on the 2024 shortlist: Tan Twan Eng’s The House of Doors , which is set in the Federated Malay States, a British colony, in the 1920s.

There are a lot of different strands to this novel, one of which is secrets. But it’s also about memory and loss, and the stories we tell to ourselves and to others. Set in 1921 in the Straits Settlements of Penang, we have Somerset Maugham and his lover coming to stay with the Hamlyns: Robert Hamlyn, a lawyer, and his wife Lesley a society hostess. The visit is uneasy. Everybody has secrets, and Somerset Maugham was notoriously good at persuading people to share them, and then, barely disguising the characters, using the stories to his own authorial advantage. With great artistry, Tan Twan Eng shows us how the unravelling of secrets leads to other stories—and so, in The House of Doors , we have, through Lesley Hamlyn’s eyes, the story of Dr. Sun Yat Sen, the revolutionary, the story of Ethel Proudlock, who shot a man and was charged with murder, and the secrets of Lesley herself. Stories within stories, and all told with what has been called the ‘reverse colonial gaze’.

How interesting.

Yes, it’s a different angle. Brave! And Tan Twan Eng has a wonderful style, sharp and clear. Those painted doors! ‘They spun slowly in the air, like leaves spiralling in a gentle wind, forever falling, never to touch the earth.”

Perhaps I could draw us to a close by asking whether the process of judging so many novels has left you with a sense of optimism about the state of historical fiction today?

It has. Given the apparent strictures on novelists, whether real or imagined – accusations of cultural appropriation, for example –there’s always the worry that writers might avoid writing about anything beyond themselves. Of course, we’ll never know how many historical novels will not be written because in the climate of culture wars people are nervous, but among the novels that have arrived I think there is a brightness, yes, a kind of optimism, and a determination to write about things in which the writer is interested, and in which writers feel readers will be interested. So that’s heartening, and I’m sure I can speak for my fellow Walter Scott Prize judges when I say that we’re already looking forward to next year.

The winner of the 2024 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction will be announced at the Borders Book Festival, Scotland, on 13 June.

May 10, 2024

Five Books aims to keep its book recommendations and interviews up to date. If you are the interviewee and would like to update your choice of books (or even just what you say about them) please email us at [email protected]

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Katharine Grant

Katharine Grant is a British novelist and has been a judge for the Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction since 2017. Her novel Blood Red Horse was a Booklist Top Ten Historical Fiction for Youth and a USBBY-CBC Outstanding International Book for 2006. The sequel, Green Jasper was shortlisted for a 2006 Royal Mail Scottish Children’s book award. She has ten novels published to date. Sedition , her first novel for adults, was longlisted for the 2014 Desmond Elliott prize.

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22 best books to read on holiday: Top reads for 2023

The holiday books to add to your summer reading list .

Whether you’re heading on a sunshine holiday or a relaxing staycation, no suitcase would be complete without a great book to read. From gripping page-turners to TikTok viral romance novels, we've searched high and low for the very books to read on your next holiday - along with honest reviews from the HELLO! team.

If lighthearted reads are your holiday go-to, or you prefer a mysterious fantasy novel to escape into, scroll on to shop the best books to add to your reading list this summer...

How we chose the best holiday books

• Reviews: Some of these books have been honestly reviewed by myself or members of the HELLO! team, whilst those that haven't are either on my reading list or have received generally positive reviews from shoppers.
• Paperback/audible options: Who wants to carry around a hardback book on holiday? Certainly not me. If paperback isn't an option, Audible is available for those who prefer to listen to books rather than read them.
• Popularity:  Many of the books in the list have been a huge hit on TikTok, going viral for their popularity. So we know they're on plenty of people's wishlists, including ours.

TikTok trending books to read on holiday

Paper palace by mirander cowler heller .

£8.99 AT AMAZON

A top pick from Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club, the star described the novel as “A deeply emotional love story that follows one day in the life of Elle Bishop as she navigates the unravelling of secrets, lies and a very complex love triangle”.

Yellowface by Rebecca K. Kuang

£4.49 AT AMAZON 

Yellowface  has been dominating BookTok since its release in May, and the 'razor-sharp' read is being praised for its gripping plot and satirical humour. When successful author Athena White dies in a freak accident, failed writer June Hayward steals a manuscript and publishes it as her own, leading her to question how far she will go to keep the life she feels she deserves.

It Ends With Us  by Colleen Hoover

£5 AT AMAZON 

It Ends With Us  is a number one bestseller and is a viral sensation on Instagram and TikTok. The story revolves around Lily, a girl who hasn't always had it easy but she's determined to live the life she wants. When she meets Ryle Kincaid, he changes everything. But can her past life come back to haunt her? You'll have to read it to find out.

"When I asked my Instagram followers for holiday book recommendations, this one came up so many times. I immediately ordered and I'm so glad I did. It has been hyped up on Bookstagram and BookTok, but I now know why. It's genuinely one of the BEST books I've ever read! It's one of those books that you carry on reading through the night even though you know you've got to go to sleep, it's just an addictive read. I have now read the sequel (which is called It Starts With Us - you may as well buy both of them at the same time) and I cannot wait to see the movie which is currently being filmed in New Jersey. I resisted the urge to Google who was playing the lead stars, and now I know I can't help but think the casting doesn't match the book in the slightest. But regardless, this is a great holiday book. I will go and watch it though. It's an emotional rollercoaster - it made me laugh, it made me cry and I'm now officially in the Colleen Hoover fan club." Leanne Bayley, Director of Lifestyle & Commerce

How To Kill Your Family  by Bella Mackie

How To Kill Your Family has been a smash hit since its original release in 2022, and the Sunday Times Bestseller and debut novel from Bella Mackie is a fascinating antiheroine story described by critics as ‘addictive’. The witty, sharp novel follows Grace Bernard's dedicated mission for revenge against her family, with the protagonist's detached narration providing a unique, hilarious twist to the dark subject matter to keep you hooked throughout.

" How to Kill Your Family is unlike any other book I've read. It was so interesting to read about a dark subject matter in a desensitised way, and it had me hooked from the first few pages. I feel like this would be a great read for most people, regardless of what genres you usually reach for, as it's so unique and gripping," Sophie Bates, Commerce Writer. 

Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey

£7.50 AT AMAZON 

The debut novel of  Schitts Creek screenwriter Monica Heisey, Really Good, Actually is a sharp and hilarious read about the uncertainties of modern love, friendship and happiness. Described as, "wildly funny and almost alarmingly relatable", the raw, heartwarming novel has become an instant hit since its release. 

"I credit this book with getting me out of my reading slump. Hilarious and scarily relatable, I found it a smart, self-deprecating, delightful read that I couldn't put down on my recent holiday,"  Carla Challis, Commerce Partnerships Editor.

The Bullet That Missed  by Richard Osman 

£8 AT AMAZON

The third installment in Richard Osman's bestselling Thursday Murder Club book collection is The Bullet That Missed . The lighthearted, witty novel will make the perfect holiday read, and it's been described by the Sunday Express as: "Another witty, charming and hugely entertaining read ... his best yet." 

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow  by Gabrielle Zevin

£13.99 AT AMAZON

Everyone is talking about Gabrielle Zevin's novel Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow . It's the story of protagonists Sadie and Sam, who first meet one another in the hospital. Meeting again eight years later in a crowded train station, the spark between the pair is immediately reignited. Mail on Sunday described the book as "An immersive tale of friendship, creativity and life's messy wonders". 

Romantic comedy books to read on holiday 

Seven exes  by lucy vine.

£8.86 FROM AMAZON

Seven Exes is the witty romantic-comedy from Lucy Vine, which followers protagonist Esther's quest to reconnect with the seven exes from her past; The First Love, The Work Mistake, The Friend with Benefits, The Overlap, The Missed Chance, The Bastard and The Serious One. Warm and fast-paced, the book explores romance, friendship and nostalgia. 

My favourite type of read on holiday is a feel-good book that I can pick up and put down without losing momentum, and that's exactly what Seven Exes is. Lighthearted and funny, it was a delight to read on my sunlounger," Sophie Bates, Commerce Writer.

The Unhoneymooners   by Christina Lauren

£7.49 AT AMAZON 

Would you go on the holiday of your dreams even if it was with your nemesis? Olive's twin sister Ami is about to marry the man of her dreams, but after the entire wedding falls ill, except Olive and best man Ethan, the pair head on an all-expenses-paid honeymoon to Hawaii. Forced to play loving newlyweds, she and Ethan find themselves in closer proximity than they ever expected. Described as "a perfect feel-good romantic comedy," The Unhoneymooners will give you summer feels whether you're sat on the beach or on your sofa. 

You may also like

You and me on vacation by emily henry.

£5 AT AMAZON

Emily Henry has taken BookTok by storm with her bestselling novels Book Lovers and You and Me on Vacation - and her latest rom-com Happy Place  has proven to be just as much of a hit. Two exes take a holiday with their closest friends, though they are yet to share that they broke up six months ago. Described by Beth O'Leary as, "smart, sunny, sexy and also a gorgeous story of female friendship," it's a feel-good read perfect for enjoying in the sun.

The Italian Escape by Catherine Mangan

£8.27 AT AMAZON 

For a feel-good holiday read, we loved The Italian Escape by Catherine Mangan. After breaking up with her boyfriend and boss, Niamh agrees to a spontaneous trip to Italy with her sister Grace, bringing a joyful and romantic novel to escape in.

Thriller books to read on holiday

 rock, paper, scissors  by alice feeney.

£8.27 AT AMAZON

The story follows couple Adam and Amelia as they spend a weekend in the remote Scottish Highlands to celebrate their 10-year wedding anniversary. After the romantic trip takes a dark turn, the pair begin to wonder whether they can trust one another. The compelling thriller is a New York Times bestseller and a TikTok sensation, full of twists and turns. 

"If you like Gone Girl and similar dark thrillers, you'll love Rock Paper Scissors. It had me hooked from start to finish and I loved all the twists along the way. It usually takes me a while to get through a book but I couldn't put this down," Sophie Bates, Commerce Writer.

The Vacation by John Marrs

Full of twists and turns, this thrilling novel from John Marrs is set in Los Angeles, where eight strangers meet at a hostel to discover there is more going on than just a holiday. 

Verity by Colleen Hoover

Colleen Hoover is one of the most talked about authors right now, and her thriller Verity is a must-read if you love gripping page-turners. A struggling author accepts a job offer of a lifetime from Jeremy Crawford, the husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford. Hired to complete the remaining books of Jeremy's injured wife, Lowen never expected to uncover Verity's unfinished autobiography that she never intended for anyone to read. Verity has been a hit across social media, and Holly Willoughby has raved about it , too. 

"I don't think I've ever read a book as quickly as I read Verity. I literally couldn't put it down. The suspense keeps you guessing the whole way through, and I had no idea how the story would end. If you need to get yourself out of a book rut, Colleen Hoover is the author to do it. Suspenseful, creepy and sexy, I wish I could read it with fresh eyes again." Sophie Bates, Commerce Writer.

One of the Girls  by Lucy Clarke

£14.74 AT AMAZON

Described as gripping and "utterly addictive", One of the Girls is a crime-thriller set in Greece bringing the perfect balance of escapism and mystery needed from a holiday read.

Young Adult books to read on holiday

We were liars  by e. lockhart.

£4.95 AT AMAZON 

 A YA suspense novel and TikTok phenomenon, We Were Liars is a gripping page-turner from New York Times bestselling author E. Lockhart. The suspenseful plot will keep readers on their toes throughout, and the unexpected twist makes it an unforgettable read.

One of Us is Back by Karen M. McManus  

£7.49 AT AMAZON

After the global success of One of Us is Lying and One of Us is Next , Karen M. McManus just released the highly-anticipated third and final installment in the Bayview High trilogy. Described as a "fantastic murder mystery, packed with cryptic clues and countless plot twists," the explosive final book perfectly rounds off the bestselling series. 

Non-fiction books to read on holiday

The invisible kingdom: reimagining chronic illness by meghan o’rourke.

£19.99 AT AMAZON 

Documenting years of research from doctors, patients and researchers as well as drawing on her own experiences, Meghan O’Rourke explores the complex struggle of chronic illness in America. It’s fascinating, complex and empathetic. 

The Unexpected Joy of Being Single: Locating Unattached Happiness by Catherine Grey

£6 AT AMAZON 

Described as “Brave, witty and brilliantly written”, Catherine Gray gives a refreshing take on what it means to be single - and it’s the perfect empowering read for your next girl's holiday. 

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

£11.95 AT AMAZON 

Though published in 2011, Thinking Fast and Slow has made a comeback online. For a factual read that will keep you interested with its complexities, this International Bestseller by psychologist Daniel Kahneman is a must. Exploring how we make decisions and offering a fresh take on how the human mind works, it’s an intriguing read that encourages new perspectives.

Fantasy books to read on holiday

The midnight library  by matt haig.

£13.29 AT AMAZON

One of Matt Haig's many must-read novels, The Midnight Library is a touching fantasy novel about life and death, which The Sunday Times labelled as: "A beguiling read, filled with warmth and humour, and a vibrant celebration of the power of books to change lives".

The City Inside  by Samit Basu

£17.94 AT AMAZON 

This dystopian sci-fi tells a story of a near-future reality, described by critics as "funny, relatable, supremely clever and deeply political". It will get you thinking about how far from our current reality the story really is. 

READ:  10 Best audiobooks to listen to on your sun lounger this summer

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Essential LGBTQ+ Books to Read for Pride (and All Year Long)

From graphic novel and romance, to nonfiction and memoir, there’s something for everyone.

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I started writing queer books because I couldn’t find stories that reflected the genderqueer/trans and gritty queer experiences of my communities. There have been few experiences more powerful for me as an author than visiting high school and college classrooms and hearing queer students reflect on how meaningful it was to see their lives and stories on the page. This is what makes the current wave of book bans targeting queer books even more dangerous. When we don’t see ourselves in books and other media, it’s hard to believe that we are valid and have a right to exist.

During Pride month , a lot of attention turns to LGBTQ+ culture, including its artists, creators and authors. For one colorful month, products as diverse as t-shirts and bagels are reimagined in a rainbow motif in a nod toward supporting (and earning money from) the LGBTQ+ community . But this largely corporate visibility during Pride month, known as rainbow washing , shouldn't be a 30-day limited engagement, especially as our rights are under attack. Instead of just reading gay books during Pride, challenge yourself to expand the diversity of books you read all year long.

This list contains books by gay, lesbian, trans and queer authors as well as fantastic reads with characters from across the LGBTQ+ rainbow of identities. These books inspire us, give us hope and show that our literary worlds can (and should!) be as beautifully diverse as the one we live in.

So whether you’re a fan of thrillers and crime, romance novels , humor, classics or new releases and literary fiction, we’ve got you covered. Add them all to your own TBR list, or pick up a handful as the perfect gift for the book-lover in your life. And once you're done here, head on over to the GH Book Club to check out even more feel-good reads.

Additional reporting by Lizz Schumer

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous: A Novel by Ocean Vuong

In this poetic novel, a son writes a letter to his mother, who cannot read. It explores his love for her and unpacks the deepest secrets of masculinity, race and class. This tough but tender novel is about understanding yourself and queerly demanding to be heard.

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson

For anyone who has ever grappled with the complexities of sexual orientation within a religious context, this coming-out novel will feel all too familiar. The evangelical Jeanette considers herself one of God's children, but when she discovers her sexuality, it throws a wrench into her family's plans for her.

Valencia by Michelle Tea

This iconic punk dyke novel is a must-read every Pride season. The gritty novel takes you into the punk houses and bars of drama-filled queer San Francisco of the 90s. Tea brings readers into the urgency and joy of young queer love, heartbreak, community building and art. Whether you came of age, and came out reading this book, or you’re feeling some 90s nostalgia, be sure to add this to your to-read list.

Hijab Butch Blues: A Memoir by Lamya H

Did you come of age reading the queer classic Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinburg? This new story is a fresh take on the book that inspired so many of us. In this beautiful memoir, readers follow a queer Muslim immigrant coming to understand her own identity and sense of gender. The book also explores themes of desire and belonging.

Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

This best-selling and often-banned graphic novel follows comic artist Kobabe (pronouns: e/em/eir) in eir journey of self discovery and gender exploration. The book explores coming out to family, medical trauma that comes as existing as a visible trans person and coming out as asexual. Exploring your own identities or trying to explain who you are to friends or family? Consider giving them this book to read and let it open the conversation for you.

RELATED: The History of 21 Common LGBTQ+ Pride Flags and What They Mean

The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill

A great Pride read pick for readers of all ages, including adults who enjoy curling up with a gentle fantasy. This graphic novel follows a blacksmith apprentice as she meets enchanting characters and begins to learn about the tea dragons. From gay mentors, to a soft crush, this beautifully illustrated book is sure to make you feel cozy and seen. It also makes a great coffee table book.

In the Dream House: A Memoir by Carmen Maria Machado

This stunning memoir plays with structure and form as it takes us through an abusive relationship and what that does to a person. In a world where many people still believe abuse only occurs when a man is involved, Machado's work is essential.

Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women and the Rest of Us by Kate Bornstein

The re-release of this foundational book on gender is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding transgender people better, or for anyone questioning their own gender. Bornstein takes readers through a fun, fantastical and complicated journey through gender exploration into self-actualization. A self-described nonbinary diesel femme dyke, Bornstein has and continues to pave the way for all of us to find the labels that fit us best.

Hush by Tal Bauer

A federal judge running from the truth, a U.S. marshal running from his past and the world on the brink of war — the stakes couldn't be higher in this political thriller. Bauer’s romantic novel is full of the kind of intense suspense that is sure to pull you in and keep you guessing, page after page, late into the night.

Loveless by Alice Oseman

The fan-fic obsessed romantic Georgia has never been in love, never kissed anyone, never even had a crush. As she starts university with her best friends, Pip and Jason, in a new town far from home, she's determined to find romance. But when her romance plan wreaks havoc amongst her friends in the Shakespeare Society, Georgia ends up in the middle of her own comedy of errors. This is a wise, warm and witty story of identity and self-acceptance, especially perfect for those who are exploring their own attractions.

How We Fight for Our Lives: A Memoir by Saeed Jones

Selected a best book of the year by The New York Times, this powerful memoir is a coming-of-age story about a Black, gay man from the South working through his hopes, fears and desires. Jones is a celebrated poet and his distinctive lyrical voice is beautiful and clear through this vulnerable examination of the intersections of race and queerness. In this book, Jones explores his place in his family and community on his challenging journey through his gay adolescence and how it shaped him into who he is today.

Rubyfruit Jungle: A Novel by Rita Mae Brown

Molly Bolt is the adoptive daughter of a poor Southern couple who makes her own way across America, finding love of all stripes in between. It's a true, slightly steamy celebration of being true to yourself, whoever that may be.

City of Night by John Rechy

Take a trip into the underground world of gay hustlers, drag queens, and sex workers in this book that scandalized the literary world when it first came out but went on to become a must-read. It's inspired musicians like the Doors and earned the author comparisons to authors like Kerouac, so if you like either of those, pick this one up.

With Teeth: A Novel by Kristen Arnett

Parenting is hard. Queer parenting is hard. Queer parenting when you feel like you aren't in sync with your partner? Even harder. This gorgeous, starkly honest novel pulses with struggle as well as the raw beauty of finding your way through it.

Hola Papi by John Paul Brammer

Fans of the popular advice column Hola Papi will recognize the unique voice in this hilarious coming-of-age memoir in essays about the "Chicano Carrie Bradshaw." You'll find yourself chortling and nodding along as you follow JP's journey, and you'll probably even learn something along the way.

Pageboy: A Memoir by Elliot Page

Actor Elliot Page recounts his journey to understanding his gender in this New York Times bestseller. This book is full of intimate stories of his experience starring in the movie Juno , going to a queer bar for the first time, coming out as transgender and the backlash he experienced in Hollywood. This book is sure to inspire you to live authentically, regardless of what others say.

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

The book that inspired the Tony-winning musical, this graphic novel is a powerful queer coming of age story you won’t be able to put down. In college, Bechdel comes out as a lesbian, at which time she realizes that her father was also gay. This is a book about self discovery, family secrets and overcoming family trauma and legacies to build your own life.

Top Priority (The Game Series) by Cara Dee

If you’re looking for a steamy read to heat things up this Pride season, look no further than Book 1 of The Game (and the rest of the 13 books so far in the series). This is a pick for those readers who enjoy well-written realistic BDSM — none of that “fifty shades” nonsense. This is a well-written novel centering beautiful consensual kink. With a full cast of compelling gay characters, this story is one that will pull you in, and leave you literally begging for the next books in the series.

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Dead Collections by Isaac Fellman

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Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen

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The Best Sci-Fi Books of 2024 (So Far)

Posted: March 6, 2024 | Last updated: March 11, 2024

The opening page of Malka Older’s new book says simply, “There are other ways to live.” That idea carries through so many of this year’s best science fiction books, which are full of questions about how we might live differently with each other, on our troubled planet or in the furthest reaches of space. Science fiction, as Ursula K. Le Guin once wrote, is not predictive but descriptive, and what contemporary science fiction authors are so often describing is a world that seems to be less and less built for humans to thrive in it. We are still close enough to 2020 that we’re reading books that have their roots in that particularly tumultuous year—roots that dig deep into surveillance , capitalism , protest , inequity , and failures to learn from the past.

But there are other worlds, other ways to thrive—and other ways to replicate humanity’s worst failings, too. This year’s best books don’t shy away from who we’ve been, and who we are, but they also brim with a fierce curiosity about who we might become. As Martin MacInnes writes in the glorious In Ascension , “The original science-fiction story—the impossible adventure full of wonder and awe—was merely the existence of the species, all the movements she and her sister and their family and every other living person had shared.”

Below, listed in publication order, are our favorite science fiction books of the year (so far). Watch this space for updates; we’ll continue adding to our list as the year unfolds.

1) Your Utopia, by Bora Chung (translated by Anton Hur)

Bora Chung’s impressive second collection sets its tone with its title: if a utopia is yours, can it be shared? Can it be anyone else’s? There’s a melancholy and a wryness to these stories, in which lonely people (or other beings) try to connect, or protect, or simply survive. In “The End of the Voyage,” the urge to consume dooms humanity. In “A Song for Sleep,” an AI elevator does its best to care for a resident of its building. The elevator seems kind, but its knowledge of the building’s inhabitants is due to an alarming level of surveillance. Through the prism of her singular imagination, Chung looks sharply at the ways the world we’ve made doesn’t suit us: corporate greed is a frequent enemy, whether it’s focused on controlling the natural world (“Seed”) or extending its own existence (“The Center for Immortality Research”). These are stories to sit with, to read one at a time and savor.

2) The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles, by Malka Older

The second volume in Malka Older’s utterly delightful Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti series finds Mossa searching for a missing student—a case that expands to include over a dozen missing people. The mystery is satisfying, but the heart of this story is the tentative and endearing relationship between Mossa and the academic Pleiti, the Watson to Mossa’s Holmes, who narrates the bulk of their tale. Older packs a ton into barely 200 pages: academic wrangling, space libertarians, the state of the distant and troubled Earth, a visit to the moon of Io, a trip on Giant’s fascinating railcars, and so much more. This is distinctly a cozy mystery, but also a space opera in miniature. Part of what Older so beautifully illustrates is the way humanity might bring its history and culture—food, tea, language, rituals, fears—into the alien landscapes of space. You can read this one without reading the first book, The Mimicking of Known Successes , but why deprive yourself?

3) In Ascension, by Martin MacInnes

MacInnes’s third novel—longlisted for last year’s Booker Prize—is simply like nothing else I’ve ever read. In Ascension centers on Leigh, a marine biologist who spent a troubled childhood in Rotterdam before venturing far from home: to a distant island, to the depths of the ocean, to the Mojave Desert, and eventually to the stars. But that sounds so simple, and this book is expansively, engrossingly complex, meticulously observed and quietly moving. As Leigh’s work turns confidential and mysterious, involving strange phenomena that connect to her deep-sea adventure, MacInnes details her focus on algae with the same care and consideration that he uses to depict her relationship with her mother, her sister, her colleagues, and her world. This isn’t a book that offers anything approaching a tidy resolution. What it offers instead is the texture of an entire life, reflected and refracted by the lives around it. It’s as immersive and astonishing as the deep-sea dive Leigh takes, a journey through a familiar world made freshly, improbably new.

4) Those Beyond the Wall, by Micaiah Johnson

If this were a ranking of the most memorable characters of the year, Scales would be at the top. A mechanic by assignment but a killer by skill, she’s one of many lieutenants to the Emperor of Ashtown, a desert community that exists outside the walls of privileged Wiley City. Ashtown is not an easy place to live, even when you’re the Emperor’s favorite. But when mangled bodies start appearing, no one is safe, and it will take the combined efforts of Scales, her least-favorite colleague, a disgraced scientist, the Emperor, and a worldwalker to save them—all of them. Johnson’s second book, a standalone set in the same world as her The Space Between Worlds , is fueled by the rage that comes from love. When you love a people, love a place, and that people and place are treated as lesser and disposable, rage is inevitable. (As Johnson writes in the author’s note, “Rage is a beacon calling out to others.”) Complicated, deadly, and absolutely full of secrets, Scales is one hell of a narrator, and her sharp, distinctive voice propels this story though desert, city, multiverse, and her own hidden history. Those Beyond the Wall is a novel about holding tight to community in the face of devastation, and it is a triumph.

5) The Siege of Burning Grass, by Premee Mohamed

The latest work from the astonishingly prolific Mohamed (who has three books out this year alone) is a visceral yet intimate story about violence, nationalism, and war. Injured, captured, and tortured by his own side in an endless conflict, the famous pacifist Alefret is sent on a mission to infiltrate an enemy city. With him is Qhudur, a fanatic who will do anything for victory. Mohamed’s bio-technical setting is vivid and unusual—trained medical wasps, floating cities, and lightspiders dot these pages—but the heart of her story is Alefret’s moral struggle. Would killing Qhudur, an act of violence, lead to peace? When does violence become a habit that a country cannot break? How can a person hold tight to their ideals even amid suffering? How can stories and myths help sustain us? But The Siege of Burning Grass isn’t just a thoughtful consideration of war and pacifism; it’s also a feat of worldbuilding, moral complexity, and taut, precisely paced storytelling. After this, I’m ready to hunt down everything else Mohamed has ever written.

6) These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart, by Izzy Wasserstein

In post-climate disaster America, in what’s left of Kansas City, a woman named Dora investigates a death in the anarchist commune to which she once belonged. She’s certain her ex didn’t overdose, but finding out what really happened isn’t going to be easy. Wasserstein excels at the near-future details of her SF-techno-mystery, but she shines even more when it comes to the unexpected connection between Dora and the person sent to kill her—a person who is wearing her pre-transition face. These Fragile Graces is at once a stylish noir and an exploration of identity, gender, selfhood, control, consent, and intimacy. Wasserstein more than pulls it off—everything here feels lived-in and real, from the details of the commune’s processes to the corporate powers that treat people as disposable or replaceable. Dora’s distinctive, terse voice is one I keep hearing in my head, long after the last page. Maybe, if we’re lucky, she’ll find more mysteries to solve.

7) Floating Hotel, by Grace Curtis

In her second novel, Curtis makes an impeccable balancing act look easy. Floating Hotel is, on the surface, a cozy sort of tale about the staff at the titular spaceship, the Grand Abeona Hotel, which endlessly traverses the same route, catering to wealthy people among the stars. Young, miserable Carl stows away on the hotel as a kid; decades later, he’s risen to the post of manager, now a gentle charmer with a soothing word for everyone. When a peculiar academic conference converges with the search for the Lamplighter (a seditious, anti-Empire figure whose broadsides appear between chapters), the fate of the hotel—and its endearing staff—is called into question. But Curtis doesn’t let the spies, codes, and mysteries take over the story; there’s still time for illicit movie nights and anxious musical performances. Floating Hotel is rich with kindness, with big-hearted characters from every corner of the ship, but it also has teeth, a working-class sensibility, and a rebellious heart. This one is a treat.

8) Calypso, by Oliver K. Langmead

“Generation ship novel in verse” is a series of words I had never considered until I read Oliver K. Langmead’s ambitious and immersive Calypso . While the engineers slept, the crew of the Calypso experienced a schism. When Rochelle—whose role is to question Sigmund, the expedition’s leader—wakes, nothing is as she expects, and nothing goes as planned. Four narrators tell the tale: Rochelle, a woman of faith; Catherine, a biologist; the Herald, who relates the ship’s history; and Sigmund, whose narrative is largely set in his own past. Their voices take different shapes; the Herald’s words are squared off, blocky and challenging, while Catherine’s words bend and twist, branching outward more dramatically as she gets closer to the culmination of her role. In a stunning central chapter that’s part body horror and part triumphant act of creation, Catherine transforms, filling a planet with myriad forms of life. Outside of that section, Langmead’s verse creates a sense of spareness, of space unfilled, that echoes the loneliness Rochelle feels. Like so many generation ship stories, this is an elegantly told meditation on how we can’t leave ourselves behind. Any new world will be seeded with what we know, what we’ve learned, who we are, for better or for worse.

9) Lake of Souls, by Ann Leckie

This complete collection of Leckie’s short fiction contains both science fiction and fantasy stories, but the SF stories make up a full half of the book—and are unmissable. They range from flash fiction to a creation myth from the world of the Imperial Radch to “The Justified,” a haunting story about power, mortality, and choice. The title novelette follows a sentient crustacean—called a “lobster dog” by the anthropologist who crash-lands on its planet—as it leaves home, looking for answers about its world and existence. (I would read an entire novel about the lobster dogs, or about the bird-people who transmit their histories through songs.) Every one of these stories is masterfully told, but the standout is “She Commands Me and I Obey,” which depicts a moment of political turmoil through the eyes of a young monk watching a momentous sports game. Tense, affecting, and layered, it’s a perfect example of Leckie’s gift for knowing exactly the right perspective from which to tell her stories. A child, an elder, a guard on a ship’s journey through troubled space: it is a gift to spend time with these characters.

10) The Practice, The Horizon, and The Chain, by Sofia Samatar

Samatar’s latest is a breathtaking novella that resonates like a new myth made of familiar materials. Deep in the bowels of a spaceship, a boy is imprisoned, linked to others by the chain around his ankle. A professor who wears a lighter anklet works to free him, to elevate him to the level of a student, to give him an opportunity. Neither of them have names; nor do the guards, nor the prophet who encourages the boy’s art. They are individuals, but also archetypes, strong and aching, as they move through Samatar’s critical look at labor, exploitation, community, hierarchy, revolution, and worn-out narratives about acceptance and tolerance that do not allow space for real freedom. This story has its roots in academia, but it’s about any organization built to sustain itself at the expense of those who toil within it. Samatar’s gorgeous prose rings clear as a bell. There are no easy answers here, only a sense of possibility, of— as she puts it —“an invitation to exist in the cracks.''

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We've sorted through the thrillers, fantasy novels, true crime books and more to find the best options to read this summer.

Soaking up the sun while reading a book you can't put down is something to look forward to this summer. Outside of deciding which insulated tumbler to take with you for hydration in the heat and finding a comfy spot on the beach or in a hammock, the most challenging part about settling in for a riveting read is choosing the novel itself.

E-readers and overnight online deliveries have put a library of unlimited books at our fingertips. From non-fiction to science fiction genres and  celebrity memoirs to book-to-screen adaptations , there are all kinds of incredible pages to peruse this spring. One of Amazon's most anticipated releases and biggest bestsellers for May is Erik Larson's latest book about the election of Abraham Lincoln and his presidency as the Civil War started.

The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War

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The Teacher: A Psychological Thriller by Freida McFadden

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Expiration Dates: A Novel by Rebecca Serle

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A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams

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Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum by Antonia Hylton

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The Fury by Alex Michaelides

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Horse: A Novel by Geraldine Brooks

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