Cat, Deputy Editor

Fall 2019, take us away. From Margaret Atwood to Stephen King, Ta-Nehisi Coates to Erin Morgenstern, these are the 20 most anticipated works of literary fiction coming this season.

Tidelands by Philippa Gregory
Atria | August 20

The superstar author of The Other Boleyn Girl, inspired by the fact that most people’s family histories can be traced to inglorious beginnings “in a muddy field somewhere,” kicks off an epic new series with a tale set during the English Civil War in 1648. Despite being about normal people instead of Gregory's typical decadent royal subjects, the novel is full of juicy hints of witchcraft and a fascinating social history—a midwife who lives with her children in the marshy region along England’s southern coast takes center stage.

The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri 
Ballantine | August 27

Lefteri’s own backstory is doing some heavy lifting in drawing attention to her debut: She’s the daughter of Cypriot refugees, and her novel was born out of her experiences working as a volunteer at a refugee center in Athens, Greece, and from the stories told by her Arabic tutor, a Syrian refugee. But the novel stands on its own as well. It’s the story of a beekeeper and his wife who are forced to flee Aleppo and journey through Turkey and Greece toward Britain.

A Door in the Earth by Amy Waldman
Little, Brown | August 27

Former New York Times reporter Waldman left an indelible imprint on readers with her her literary debut, The Submission, which examined the fallout of 9/11 at Ground Zero. Eight years later, Waldman returns with an even more ambitious tome, which proves to be as politically provocative and challenging as its predecessor. It’s a multifaceted examination of not just the situation in Afghanistan but also the complex consequences of awakening the sleeping giant that is America and receiving its attention.

Cantoras by Carolina De Robertis 
Knopf | September 3

Freedom—its presence and absence, the longing for it—colors every page of De Robertis’ masterful, passionate and at times painful new novel set in 1970s Uruguay. It tells the story of five women who must navigate a country and a society in the grips of overwhelming oppression, at a time when being a woman who loves other women carries a sentence of at best ostracization and at worst obliteration.

Quichotte by Salman Rushdie
Random House | September 3

It’s difficult to write an open homage to one of the most famous and influential works of literature in human history, but in his insightful and wickedly funny way, Rushdie pulls it off with his new novel, a retelling of Cervantes’ Don Quixote. He explores a world obsessed with everything from reality TV to hacktivism with a tragicomic metanarrative, as the story of a daytime TV star, who has renamed himself “Quichotte,” is being told by novelist who goes by the pen name Sam DuChamp.

The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott
Knopf | September 3

Lara Prescott’s first name was inspired by her mother’s love of Doctor Zhivago, both the epic David Lean film and the 1957 Russian novel by Boris Pasternak, a love story about Dr. Yuri Zhivago and Lara Antipova that spans the Russian Revolution and World War II. Prescott always felt a connection to the tale, and she’s written an absolutely thrilling debut: a fictional account of how Pasternak wrote his Nobel Prize-winner—and how the CIA used it as political propaganda during the Cold War.

The Institute by Stephen King
Scribner | September 10

Whether King is chasing “Stranger Things” or “Stranger Things” is chasing King, the result is the same: shocking suspense and hallmark thrills, as a ragtag collection of adolescents band together against a shady organization set on exploiting children for their unique “gifts.”

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Nan A. Talese | September 10

Atwood’s highly anticipated (and highly embargoed) sequel picks up 15 years after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale. Let’s find out what’s really going on in Gilead these days.

Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
Riverhead | September 17

Woodson, who is completing her stint as National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, returns to her beloved Brooklyn for her second novel for adults, this one about an unplanned pregnancy and its effects on an African American family. Kin and community have always been of primary concern to Woodson (as in her National Book Award-winning memoir, Brown Girl Dreaming), and she masterfully combines her characters’ lives with the sounds, sights and especially music of their surroundings, creating fiction that’s deeply personal and remarkably universal.

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Harper | September 24

The cover of Patchett’s newest is simply gorgeous (it’s a painting by Nashville artist Noah Saterstrom), and the story within is perfect for readers who love family dramas and the houses at their center. Set over the course of five decades, her latest novel follows siblings Danny and Maeve, who are exiled from their family’s estate, the Dutch House, by their father’s new wife. Patchett’s characters’ voices are on point, and the pages keep turning—proving, once again, that she simply cannot write a bad book.

The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste
Norton | September 24

Readers who love World War II novels, especially tales of female spies or the roles of women during the war, should consider this one necessary reading for the year. It’s set during Mussolini’s 1935 invasion of Ethiopia, often considered one of the primary events that paved the way to World War II, and explores the stories of female soldiers who stood against the Italian army.

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
One World | September 24

The National Book Award-winning author of Between the World and Me returns with an achingly intense adventure tale that was recently longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. It’s about a young enslaved man named Hiram Walker who nearly drowns but is saved by a strange blue light. As he joins an underground war against slavery, he discovers within himself his own magical powers.

The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman
Simon & Schuster | September 24

Yes, it’s another World War II book, but this one has a golem—and so much more. The golem, Ava, is created in 1941 Berlin by a rabbi’s daughter to protect a 12-year-old Jewish girl. Both girls attempt to flee Germany, but their lives take very different paths. The story wends from a French convent that’s hiding Jews to a mountain village humming with the spirit of resistance. Love and loss, grief and motherhood—it’s all magic in Hoffman’s hands.

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Flatiron | October 1

Big-time fantasy author Bardugo, goddess of the Grishaverse, makes her adult debut with a ghostly story set among the Ivy-League elite. To begin with, the lead character’s name is Galaxy (aka Alex), and she is the sole survivor of an unsolved multiple homicide. While still in the hospital, Alex is offered a free ride to Yale—but why? And so begins a tale of secret societies, the occult and forbidden magic.

Frankissstein by Jeanette Winterson
Grove | October 1

The critically acclaimed author of Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? is back with an inventive, intelligent, bawdy novel that’s a bit like a literary playground. It has everything: Mary Shelley, A.I., sex dolls, cryogenics labs and some of the funniest writing we’ve come across this year. And of course, it’s a love story: The tale of Shelley at Lake Geneva runs parallel to that of a transgender doctor in Brexit Britain who has fallen in love with Professor Victor Stein.

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
Pamela Dorman | October 8

To be frank, we were nervous about Moyes’ newest. Stories of the Horseback Librarians of Kentucky are, it should come as no surprise, some of our favorites, but what does a Brit like Moyes know about Depression-era Kentucky? Fortunately, Moyes centers her book on Alice Wright, a British woman who travels to small-town Kentucky with her new husband and eventually joins the traveling librarians. The result is a must-read fish-out-of-water tale that capably balances its real historical backdrop. Also, it’s been optioned for film by Universal Pictures, with Ol Parker (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again) to direct.

Grand Union by Zadie Smith
Penguin Press | October 8

Smith’s novels have brilliantly and brutally observed the modern world, so her first story collection is a big deal. It includes 11 new and unpublished stories (more than half haven’t been published before) as well as several of her best loved tales from The New Yorker.

Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout
Random House | October 15

The best way we can describe our impatience for Strout’s follow-up to her Pulitzer Prize-winning Olive Kitteridge is like a click beetle desperately dancing itself across the kitchen floor while a cat tries to eat it. In short, we are ready. We need more Olive Kitteridge, and chances are, so do you. And if Strout proved anything with My Name Is Lucy Barton and its follow-up, Anything Is Possible, it’s that she knows how to continue a story with love and care.

Find Me by André Aciman
FSG | October 29

Aciman’s Call Me by Your Name, originally published in 2007, became an international bestseller due to the massive popularity of the 2017 film adaptation by Luca Guadagnino. Elio and Oliver’s story sparked an outpouring of love and heartbreak and things far more complicated, and with this new novel, readers are reunited with the two men many years later—and with Elio’s father, Samuel.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
Doubleday | November 5

The author of The Night Circus is back with a tale that is utterly enchanting, an acrobatic adventure story for lovers of words, narrative structure and hidden realms. At its heart is a young man named Zachary Ezra Rawlins, who discovers a book in the university library that holds many mysteries within it, including a chapter from Zachary’s own childhood. Soon, Zachary has followed clues to painted doorways, liminal libraries and layers upon layers of stories—about pirates and dollhouses, a starless sea and owls, the love between Fate and Time, and the conference of the moon and sun. It’s the most fun you’ll have with a book this year.

This autumn brings new releases from some of our favorite YA authors—and a few from literary greats making their YA debuts.

The Revolution of Birdie Randolph by Brandy Colbert
Little, Brown | August 20

Stonewall Book Award winner Colbert sets her latest novel in Chicago, specifically in an apartment above a hair salon, where junior high schooler Birdie grapples with love, family, secrets and the wide-ranging effects of addiction.

Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai
HarperCollins | September 3

From the award-winning author of Inside Out & Back Again comes a moving, expertly wrought story of a Vietnamese girl who journeys to Texas in search of her brother.

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
Make Me a World | September 10

Emezi blazed new ground with her adult novel, Freshwater, and this latest novel of monsters and myth, of protection and lies, promises to make a big splash.

Who Put This Song On? by Morgan Parker
Delacorte | September 24

The poet of Magical Negro and There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé explores mental health, therapy, blackness and music—oh, the music—in her debut YA novel.

The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys
Philomel | October 1

Sepetys works actual magic with historical fiction, and this time she takes readers to Spain under the fascist dictatorship of Franco.

Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby
Balzer + Bray | October 1

The Printz Medal-winning author of Bone Gap returns with a tale layered with ghosts, injustices and shadowed histories, as two sisters struggle to survive during World War II.

Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater
Scholastic | November 5

Stiefvater kicks off a new standalone trilogy set in the world of the Raven Cycle, following the adventures of the Lynch family. Yes, you need to read Stiefvater’s Raven Cycle books first—but you should probably do that anyway.

Maybe I say this every year, but I really mean it this time: 2020 looks like a fantastic year for fiction. Read on for the 30 works of literary fiction we’re most looking forward to checking out this year.

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Putnam | December 31, 2019

Sometimes it can feel like it’s simply impossible to wade into a discussion of race and class. What is the right thing to say? How much of our own prejudices will be revealed? How can we talk about potentially hurtful behavior—and maybe change it—if we can’t talk about it? As a wholly original, deeply entertaining, compassionate story of both black and white people, their blind spots, weaknesses, strengths and missteps, Kiley Reid’s debut has the power to change the world. It has our January issue’s stamp of approval—as well as Reese Witherspoon’s.

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Flatiron | January 21

In recent years, a number of authors have explored the global refugee crisis in excellent books. (Click here for some of the best immigrant and refugee novels.) With horrific events and terrifying threats on every page, Cummins’ buzzy, anxiety-inducing latest can be best described as a refugee thriller as it follows a Mexican mother and son who hop trains and skirt death in a desperate bid for the border. 

Apeirogon by Colum McCann
Random House | February 25

An apeirogon is a shape with an infinite number of sides, and the latest novel from Colum McCann conjures this prismatic structure through 1,001 short paragraphs to tell the stories of a Palestinian man, an Israeli man and their daughters over the course of a single day. It’s based on a true story and incorporates real transcripts in one of the most daring, ambitious books of the year.

Deacon King Kong by James McBride
Riverhead | March 3

Award-winning author James McBride takes us to south Brooklyn in 1969, a place filled with people you’ll never forget, from the members of the Five Ends Baptist Church to the neighborhood’s Italian mobsters, up-and-coming drug runners, local cops and all the black and Latinx neighbors caught in the middle. Amid this world of little lives, money and stolen chances, an old church deacon named Sportcoat shoots the housing project’s drug dealer—and from this opening scene spirals a mystery, a history, a chance at love, slapstick scenes, boisterous wisecracks and so much more.

The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Harper | March 3

The National Book Award-winning author digs into her own family history for her latest novel about a night watchman at a factory in North Dakota who joins with his niece to fight against the Termination Act of 1953. It’s a heartbreaker (is there a Louise Erdrich novel that isn’t?) as well as a loving depiction of the Chippewa community.

The Mirror & the Light by Hilary Mantel
Holt | March 10

In what may be the biggest book of the year, Hilary Mantel brings her bestselling trilogy (following Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, both winners of the Man Booker Prize) to an end. The book is strictly embargoed, but we know it explores the final years of Thomas Cromwell’s life, beginning in 1536—the year that shaped Henry VIII as a merciless tyrant.

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
William Morrow | March 10

This complicated #MeToo novel is one that everyone will be talking about. Through the story of a woman looking back on her teenage relationship with her much older English teacher, this debut takes on questions of responsibility, guilt and how manipulation and abuse appear from both within and outside of relationships.

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
Knopf | March 24

Station Eleven tops so many of our favorite-of-all-time lists that our office copy of Emily St. John Mandel’s latest novel is an extremely hot commodity. Books that unfold with tantalizing details don’t often work this well, but this is a masterclass of never revealing too much or too little, laying down a plot as brilliantly constructed as A Visit from the Goon Squad. Plus, the characters are unforgettable, from the financial criminal to the bartender at a secluded hotel.

Afterlife by Julia Alvarez
Algonquin | April 7

In her first adult novel in almost 15 years, Julia Alvarez offers a tale both compact and heart-heavy that brims with love of language. It’s the story of an immigrant writer who has just retired when her husband dies, and then amid her grief, her sister goes missing and a pregnant, undocumented young woman appears at her front door. 

Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles
William Morrow | April 14

We selected Paulette Jiles’ quiet historical masterpiece News of the World as our Best Book of 2016, so we’re keeping an eye out for her follow-up, set at the end of the Civil War. It follows a reluctant Confederate fiddle player with a chip on his shoulder as he travels through Texas, trying to find his way to the Irish woman who stole his heart.

Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh
Penguin Press | April 21

No one’s work inspires better discussion than Ottessa Moshfegh’s. It seems that for every person who loves her work, there’s someone who completely disagrees—which is, in my opinion, one of the best things about reading. Her latest is a sinister tale of an elderly widow who finds a distressing note pinned to a tree near her new neighborhood.

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
Viking | April 21

There are few debuts as beloved as The Secret Life of Bees, and if she’d wanted, Sue Monk Kidd could’ve pulled a Harper Lee and just produced that one spectacular work. Fortunately, though, Kidd has continued to deliver great stories. She’s now on her fourth novel, this one set during the first century, when a young woman named Ana encounters 18-year-old Jesus.

All Adults Here by Emma Straub
Riverhead | May 5

The latest from bookstore owner, bestselling author and beloved human Emma Straub is likely to be the book that every single person will be reading this summer (just a guess). Set in a small town in the Hudson Valley, it’s about a woman who looks back with a shocking, fresh perspective on her years as a parent with young children, and about her children and grandchildren as well. 

Memoirs and Misinformation by Jim Carrey and Dana Vachon
Knopf | May 5

It’s not often that an actor trying out fiction writing will make one of our most anticipated lists. Too often these novels are the result of just not hearing “no” enough. But for better or for worse, I’m really looking forward to this one. It’s a (deep breath) satirical, semi-autobiographical “anti-memoir” that includes Nicholas Cage and Charlie Kaufman among its cast, and is co-written with the author of an investment banking novel called Mergers & Acquisitions. It sounds bananas.

Old Lovegood Girls by Gail Godwin
Bloomsbury | May 5

What is it that holds us together, through years and big changes? It can feel indescribable—unless someone like Gail Godwin gets her hands on it. An award-winning, powerhouse storyteller who has brought us so many smart, heartfelt novels like Grief Cottage and Flora, Godwin delivers a glimpse into the bond sustained by two women ever since they first became friends in college.

Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks
Del Rey | May 12

To many zombie fiction fans, Max Brooks’ World War Z was nothing less than a bible. Now, Brooks is taking on Bigfoot‚ and if you believe this legendary creature is a peaceful beast, now’s the time to look away. A journal is recovered in the aftermath of a bloody event, revealing the tragic, terrifying story of a small Pacific Northwest town that’s cut off from the rest of civilization after Mt. Rainier erupts.

These Women by Ivy Pochoda
Ecco | May 19

Ivy Pochoda’s novels hit that sweet spot between literary fiction and thrilling genre fiction, which makes it perfect for fans of Oyinkan Braithwaite. Pochoda’s latest novel, like Wonder Valley before it, is set in Los Angeles. It’s a serial killer tale that promises to focus less on the dangerous man and more on the five women caught up in his terrible game.

Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell
Random House | June 2

In his first novel since 2014, the twice Booker-shortlisted author of Cloud Atlas chronicles the rise of a titular psychedelic-rock band in late-1960s London, from its successes and album releases to its members’ drug use and tragedies, their formation of a family and all their attempts to make sense of the world. It’ll be a big and big-hearted exploration of fame, art and—perhaps the most elusive thing to write about—music.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Riverhead | June 2

We’ve waited four long years for this follow-up to The Mothers from Brit Bennett, one of the National Book Award Foundation’s “5 Under 35,” and it’s so close we can taste it. Bennett’s latest tells the story of twin girls from a small Southern black community who grow up to live completely different lives: one as a black woman still in that community, the other passing as white.

The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante, translated by Ann Goldstein
Europa | June 9

Just bring us absolutely anything connected to Elena Ferrante, from her Neapolitan Quartet (obviously) to her Guardian column to any heated discussions about her “unmasking.” There are no details for this one, though the opening line is already the stuff of legend: “Two years before leaving home my father said to my mother that I was very ugly.”

How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue
Random House | June 16

Imbolo Mbue’s 2016 debut, Behold the Dreamers, was widely celebrated, and her second novel sounds tough but necessary, as it tells the story of a small African village living in fear of an American oil company.

Mother Daughter Widow Wife by Robin Wasserman
Scribner | June 23

Think the unreliable and amnesiac narrator is played out? Think again, because Robin Wasserman, author of Girls on Fire, is preparing to completely upend our expectations for this trope. The woman at the heart of this story, who is diagnosed with dissociative fugue, is being studied and investigated—but of course, she’s more than just an experiment.

The Color of Air by Gail Tsukiyama
HarperVia | July 7

It’s been far too long since we’ve had a book from Gail Tsukiyama—seven years!—but in the interim, she founded a nonprofit called Waterbridge Outreach: Books + Water, which provides literacy materials, books and water in developing countries. Her new novel follows a Japanese American family in Hawai'i, alternating between the Mauna Loa eruption in 1935 to decades prior.

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
Riverhead | August 4

Akwaeke Emezi occupies a special place in fiction where rules are meant to be bent, where each new character is more unexpected than the one before. FX is currently developing a series based on her debut, Freshwater, and her YA novel, Pet, was one of our favorites of 2019. Her next adult novel centers on an adolescent who is mysterious and different (much like with her previous two books) in what promises to be another powerful tale of identity.

Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar
Little, Brown | September 8

Talk about timely. The author of American Dervish and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Disgraced leads us into a politically fraught autumn with a story about an American son and his immigrant father living in post-9/11 America.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Bloomsbury | September 15

Susanna Clarke’s 2004 bestseller, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, reportedly sold more than 4 million copies worldwide, so I assume the squeals for her sophomore novel can be heard from space. The titular character, who lives in a place called the House, is enlisted by his friend, the Other, to help with a scientific project that leads them into some horrifying discoveries.

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Knopf | September 15

Yaa Gyasi’s sweeping 2016 debut, Homegoing, was set in the 18th-century British African colony that is now Ghana, where two half-sisters are born and live nearly intersecting lives. Her follow-up takes readers to Alabama, where we meet a Ghanian family encumbered with grief. Daughter Gifty, a doctoral student of neuroscience, seeks to understand this grief through science and faith.

Daddy by Emma Cline
Random House | Fall 2020

The author of The Girls, her debut novel inspired by Charles Manson and his followers, returns with a short story collection.

Memorial by Bryan Washington
Riverhead | Fall 2020

Bryan Washington’s excellent collection of Houston-set connected stories, Lot, was one of our favorite books of last year, so we are so excited to hear more about this upcoming novel.

Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld
Random House | Fall 2020

If you loved Curtis Sittenfeld’s American Wife, a novel inspired by the life of first lady Laura Bush, you’ll join us in waiting not-so-patiently for her next novel, which imagines Hillary Rodham’s life if she had refused to marry Bill Clinton.

Traveling for the holidays? We recommend one of the year’s best audiobooks, as selected by our audio columnist, Anna Zeitlin. Discover all her recent favorites here, and check out her top 5 picks below.

Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner, read by Allyson Ryan
Read by Allyson Ryan with humor and attitude, Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s stunning debut novel explores middle age, parenthood, divorce and the subjective nature of how we perceive other people, even those closest to us. Toby Fleishman is going through a divorce and discovers he’s a hot commodity on all the new dating apps. But when his ex-wife, Rachel, doesn’t pick up the kids when it’s her turn, he’s forced to navigate parenthood and dating while wondering what happened to his marriage—and to Rachel. Read our full review.

Medallion Status by John Hodgman, read by the author
In his laugh-out-loud new memoir, John Hodgman navigates his new life as a former celebrity, as he discovers that he’s less famous than a pair of Instagram dogs. This is definitely one you’ll want the audiobook for, as Hodgman’s delivery really helps his jokes land. There’s also one line in the memoir that he can’t bear to read aloud; you need to hear the A-list celeb he brings in to read it. Read our full review.
 

The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo, read by the author
A Malaysian woman of Chinese descent, Yangsze Choo is an enchanting storyteller, and she ably narrates her own novel, set in the melting pot of 1930s colonial Malaya. Her narration is more than a reading; Choo has a deep empathy for her characters, and these emotions come out in her telling. Read our full review.
 

Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino, read by the author
This book of nine original essays from New Yorker writer Jia Tolentino makes for great listening. She finds a personal angle to big topics within our modern culture, draws connections between radical political movements and the way popular websites encourage us to turn inward, and comes to a stark conclusion about the way we allow ourselves to be used by corporations. Tolentino narrates the essays herself, which emphasizes her sharp wit and adds an intimacy to the more personal stories. Read our full review.
 

The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswal, read by Soneela Nankani and Deepti Gupta
The new novel from Balli Kaur Jaswal is a quietly radical feminist story of three estranged sisters who travel from the U.K. and Australia to their parents’ home country, India, to fulfill their mother’s dying wish. Narration from Soneela Nankani and Deepti Gupta is fun when it needs to be but also carries an emotional weight. Read our full review.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Discover all our audiobook coverage.

It's been an undeniably excellent year for new books—one of 2020's bright spots—and we’ve especially enjoyed checking out this year’s fine crop of first-time novelists. Read on for the 10 best debut novels so far this year.

The Bright Lands by John Fram

There’s a darkness lurking in The Bright Lands, and it’s apt to give you a case of the shivers. John Fram’s debut novel is “Friday Night Lights” meets “Supernatural,” and it’s an enticing read any way you slice it.

Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline

As much a literary thriller as a testament to Indigenous female empowerment and strength, Empire of Wild will excite readers with its rapid plot and move them with its dedication to the truths of the Métis community.

How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C Pam Zhang

Daringly original, How Much of These Hills Is Gold is gritty and frequently gruesome, yet at times magical and ethereal, incorporating tiger paw prints and a buffalo sighting, along with a fog-filled view of San Francisco and the wild ocean beyond. 

Luster by Raven Leilani

There are no easy answers or resolutions in Luster, and no one comes out looking good. But Raven Leilani has proven herself to be a keen social observer—especially about the truths that some people don’t want to see.

The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow

Former journalist Janice Hadlow’s absolutely magical The Other Bennet Sister invites us into the world of one of the less celebrated sisters from Pride and Prejudice, Mary. Her writing is elegant and wry, the story wise and engrossing. You may be surprised that you aren’t actually reading Jane Austen.

The Party Upstairs by Lee Conell

The Party Upstairs will make you laugh even as you grapple with how money defines many of its characters’ most significant choices. This is an on-the-nose, of-the-moment dark comedy that delves deep into issues of wealth, gender and privilege in the most iconic of American cities.

Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin

Alexis Schaitkin embellishes a strong plot with psychologically complex characters and a chorus of devastatingly incomplete narratives about what really took place on a fictional Caribbean island called Saint X. This is a must-read for fans of literary suspense.

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Briskly told and devilishly well-plotted, Such a Fun Age follows a young Black babysitter and her affluent white employer in the months following a racially motivated public altercation in an upscale grocery. Rooted in classic dialogue-driven storytelling, Kiley Reid’s game-changing debut novel is a marker for where our culture is today.

These Ghosts Are Family by Maisy Card

As the title of Maisy Card’s radiant debut suggests, this is a story of a family shaped and haunted by the past. The Paisley family’s origin story, revealed as the narrative circles down and swims up through eight generations of family life, begins with the particularly cruel form of slavery practiced on Jamaican sugar plantations. 

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

The Year of the Witching explores issues of identity, patriarchy and life under a totalitarian theocracy, all of which would be terrifying in their own right. But Alexis Henderson introduces us to this world, equal parts The Handmaid’s Tale and 1690s Salem, gently.