New year, new books! With so many incredible books from both established and debut authors landing on shelves in 2016, we’ve narrowed it down to 20 must-reads. While not exhaustive, this list has something for everyone: fiction, nonfiction, crime & mystery, science fiction, fantasy, young adult, and more! Now only one question remains: which book will you read first?
Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
The young adult book follows the story of 17-year old Etta Spencer, as she mysteriously wakes up on a ship in the middle of the Atlantic. Etta has been transported to 1776, courtesy of her inherited ability to travel through ‘passages.’ An epic tale ensues, as Etta must retrieve a passage device her mother has hidden in order to keep it out of the hands of a dangerous family. Adventure and YA fans alike will be eager to flip through this page-turner.
Release Date: January 5
The Past by Tessa Hadley
The story of a family coming together one summer to potentially sell their childhood home may sound like a familiar one, but Hadley is able to but a fresh—slightly darker—twist on it. Three sisters, a brother, and their children all gather at the country house, and unearth secrets, hidden passions, and the usual drama that can ensue when families get together. If you’re looking for an emotional, yet suspenseful read, this is the book for you.
Release Date: January 5
Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist by Sunil Yapa
The novel follows a 19-year old boy, Victor, as WTO protestors threaten to shut down Seattle. While Victor’s goal starts out as to sell as much marijuana as possible to buy a plane ticket out of there, he soon realizes that the protest is bigger than he thought and that the lives of so many others (including his estranged Chief of Police father) are being affected.
Release Date: January 12
My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
The author of Olive Kitteridge brings us a new story about the less than perfect relationship between a mother and daughter. While Lucy is recovering from an operation, her mother (whom she hasn’t spoken to in many years) comes to see her. They seem to get along, discussing things like hometown gossip, but underneath their civilities is tension from Lucy’s life. What ensues is a powerful story told from Lucy’s perspective.
Release Date: Jan 12
Good on Paper by Rachel Cantor
Shira Greene’s life isn’t exactly going the way she planned. A single mother with a PhD, her career as a translator hasn’t really taken off. That is, until she gets a call from a Nobel Prize-winning Italian poet who insists she’s the only one who can translate his new book. Ecstatic about how quickly her life is changing, Rachel soon realizes that the book may be impossible to translate. A great read for anyone who’s ever felt they needed a new life, Good on Paper is a novel about second chances.
Release Date: January 26
The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee
The historical fiction novel centers on Lilliet Berne: a breakout singer of the Paris Opera. When she’s offered her first original role, she finds (much to her dismay) it’s based on her hidden past. Only four people know who she once was, and she’ll have to work to find out who betrayed her and how to survive in the new world she’s created.
Release Date: February 2
Wreck and Order by Hannah Tennant-Moore
This novel takes us through the self-destructive life of Elsie, who we can all probably relate to at times. In and out of love, at a dead end job, and plagued by her ‘bad decisions,’ she decides it’s time to make a big change and travels to Paris and Sri Lanka hoping to figure it out. There she meets a man and woman who challenge her to take charge of her own life; but, the only one who she can really change for is herself.
Release Date: February 9
Shylock is My Name by Howard Jacobson
You may have heard about Hogarth Shakespeare’s modern telling of the Bard’s famous works. Man Booker Prize-winning Jacobson tells a present day version of The Merchant of Venice, begging the question ‘Who is the hero of this play and who is the villain?’ While Jacobson has expressed that ‘only a fool would think he has anything to add to Shakespeare,’ he still thinks this new version is worth telling.
Release Date: February 9
Glass Sword (Red Queen #2) by Victoria Aveyard
Victoria Aveyard’s sequel to Red Queen finds Mare running from vindictive king Maven as she discovers that there are more Red-blooded people with Silver abilities like herself. The young adult fantasy novel is definitely something to check out for readers looking for a new series to sweep them off their feet.
Release Date: February 9
Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig
Author Matt Haig writes about suffering from depression and how he gradually overcame the disease with reading, writing, and love. An inspiring account about mental illness and how everyone has been affected by it—if not suffering from it, knowing someone who has. Originally released last year in the U.K., the nonfiction title is getting its U.S. release in February.
Release Date: February 23
A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab
The second book in the A Darker Shade of Magic series picks up with Kell four months after the shadow stone fell into his possession. The fantasy novel looks at Kell’s life as things ‘get back to normal’—until he starts having dreams of ominous magical events. In his world there are different ‘Londons.’ Red London is preparing for an international magic competition, but in the meantime Black London is coming back to life…and that means one must fall.
Release Date: February 23
All the Single Ladies by Rebecca Traister
Not to be confused with a book of the same name that came out in 2015, Traister’s book is nonfiction and explores the history of unmarried women in the US who have shaped our nation. She looks at how the proportion of American women who are married has dropped below 50% and that the median age of first marriages has risen to 27. Through her research, Traister discovers that the phenomenon of single women is not a new one. A compelling read for anyone interested in history and gender studies, as well as societal trends in general.
Release Date: March 1
What is Not Yours is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi
Oyeyemi’s short stories all have one thing in common: keys. These keys are both literal and metaphorical, unlocking everything from houses to elements of the characters’ lives. The stories have the added element of being fairy tale-like, and are a great read for anyone looking for a magical short story collection.
Release Date: March 8
The Year of the Runaways by Sunjeev Sahota
The Man Booker shortlisted novel is finally coming to the U.S.! Previously published in the U.K., The Year of the Runaways hits American shelves in March. Told over the course of a year, the story explores the journey of four people (three men and one woman) as they attempt to travel from India to England to begin a new life. Their stories intertwine in this extraordinary tale.
Release Date: March 29
A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2) by Sarah J. Maas
Mass’ novel A Court of Thorns and Roses captivated audiences last year, and the release of the sequel is just around the corner. The follow up catches up with Feyre as she’s returned to the Spring Court and is having a hard time coping. Her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the Night Court is never far from her mind, and she must decide what kind of future she wants.
Release Date: May 3
Zero K by Don DeLillo
DeLillo provides us with an interesting look at life and death in Zero K. Ross, a billionaire in his sixties, is an investor in a secret compound where bodies are preserved until future biomedical advances are able to return them to a full life. When his wife’s health fails, she ‘surrenders her body’ to be preserved. While Ross feels the need to enter a new world, his son Jeffery is committed to living in this one. The discussion of our own humanity will really get readers thinking.
Release Date: May 10
Summer Days & Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories edited by Stephanie Perkins
For lovers of Stephanie Perkins’ previous collection, My True Love Gave to Me, the author is back with 12 new stories of sizzling summer romance. Perkins contributes to the collection, which includes short stories from authors like Leigh Bardugo (Six of Crows); Cassandra Clare (City of Bones); and, Veronica Roth (Divergent).
Release Date: May 17
Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler
Tess just wants to belong, and that’s what she comes to New York to do. After finding a job at a renowned Union Square restaurant, she spends a year awakening all of her senses and is pulled into a new world. Falling hard for a bartender and growing close with an older woman who she latches onto, this is a story of discovery that will appeal to anyone who’s ever wanted more.
Release Date: May 24
Modern Lovers by Emma Straub
The author of the bestselling hit The Vacationers is back with Modern Lovers. Elizabeth, Andrew, and Zoe are former college bandmates and friends who are all nearing fifty and living near one another deep in Brooklyn. As their own children reach maturity and they must ‘pass the torch,’ secrets are revealed and lives begin to unravel.
Release Date: May 31
Here I Am by Jonathan Safran Foer
The author of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close brings us his first novel in a decade (yes, really!). The story is about a troubled Jewish American family living in Washington, with a major earthquake in the Middle East and an invaded Israel in the background of the novel. The novel is not autobiographical, but reflects a lot of Foer’s life experiences.