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2023 has arrived and we can’t wait for all new book releases in store for this next year. From 2023’s most anticipated historical fiction to most anticipated thrillers, this year is bound to bring new experiences, loves, and heartaches. Definitely make room on those bookshelves, and get excited for what the next several months have in store. Here is a list of the best books coming in 2023!
Spare by Prince Harry (1/10)
Two young princes follow behind the coffin of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales. One of the most memorable yet harrowing images of the twentieth century that left the world wondering what would be next for the two young brothers. Now, Prince Harry the Duke of Sussex is a man, and he is finally ready to tell the story of his journey through self-examination, revelation, and hard-won wisdom since the passing of his mother, Princess Diana.
All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham (1/10)
Isabelle Drake has not slept in a year. Not since her toddler son, Mason, was taken out of his crib in the middle of the night while she and her husband were sleeping. Isabelle is desperate to find her son. In an attempt to find new witnesses, she agrees to be on a true-crime podcast. When severe insomnia and questioning from the interviewer start to bring up uncomfortable memories, Isabelle is left questioning everything about the night her son disappeared, but determined to find out the truth.
The Survivalists by Kashana Cauley (1/10)
Since the death of her parents, Aretha has only cared about one thing – success. As a single Black lawyer, she focuses on her dream of making partner. That is until she meets Aaron, a coffee-entrepreneur, and his roommates. Aretha’s dreams and moral code are questioned when she moves in with Aaron in his Brooklyn home, and is introduced to an underground world of doomsday training and selling guns.
The Faraway World by Patricia Engel (1/24)
In this intimate collection of short stories, we are introduced to two Colombian expats with traumatic pasts who meet in New York City; a Cuban woman who’s simultaneously dealing with a lover in from Ecuador for only one night, while realizing the bones of her brother have been stolen; and a hustling couple in Miami who go to life-altering lengths. The Faraway World includes ten stories from a gifted storyteller who beautifully showcases the power of love and community in some of the darkest places.
Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn (1/24)
When something unexpected forces Georgie Mulcahy back to her hometown and away from her hectic job in L.A., she soon realizes that her career of putting others first has left her own list of wants and needs pretty blank. So when Georgie finds her old diary, full of future aspirations, she uses it as inspiration. But her plans to forge a new path come with surprising twists—one of them being an unexpected roommate, grumpy former-troublemaker Levi Fanning, who wants to help Georgie, despite his reputation. Making their way through the wishlist, Georgie starts to wonder if what she wants is not in the pages, but right in front of her.
Maame by Jessica George (1/31)
Maddie’s life in London has pushed her to be a self-acknowledged late bloomer. Her mother spends most the time in Ghana, leaving Maddie as the primary caretaker of her father who suffers from advanced Parkinson’s disease. Where she works, Maddie’s boss in a nightmare and she is fed up with being the only Black person in every meeting. When Maddie’s mother returns from Ghana, Maddie uses the opportunity to start living her own life. She starts pushing from recognition at work, says yes to drinks with friends, and even enters the world of internet dating. But when tragedy strikes, Maddie is left torn between two cultures as she faces the perils and rewards of an unconventional family.
Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes (2/7)
From the best-selling author of Me Before You, this hilarious and heartfelt story about putting yourself in someone else’s shoes will show you how one little thing can change everything. Nisha Cantor is determined to keep her glamorous life after her husband decides to cut her off, asking for a divorce. Left to cope, suddenly she doesn’t even have the shoes on her feet. Quite literally, because Sam Kemp has accidentally just stolen her gym bag. Worried about keeping her family afloat, Sam couldn’t care less about the gym bag. Until she tries on Nisha’s six-inch Christian Louboutin red crocodile heels, giving her the boost of confidence she needs to make a change.
I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai (2/21)
Bodie Kane is a successful podcaster and film professor with a traumatic past she is happy to leave behind. Bodie is aware of the fascination online that surrounds the murder of her former classmate Thalia Keith, the convicted killer being athletic trainer Omar Evans. But when Bodie returns to the school to teach a two-week course, she begins to question if the police got it right. As she finds out more, she wonders if something she knew may have held the key.
A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon (2/28)
From the same world as The Priory of the Orange Tree, we have an epic prequel of three women trying to save humankind. For fifty years, Tunuva Melim, sister of the Priory, has trained to slay wyrms. Except none have appeared since the Nameless One, leaving the new generation to question the purpose of the Priory. In the Queendom of Inys, Sabran the Ambitious marries King of Hróth, saving both realm from ruin, their daughter Glorian living in their shadow. In the east, dragons and gods have been sleeping for centuries and Dumai has spent her life trying to wake them. When Dreadmount erupts, the three of them must find the strength to fight a devastating threat.
What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jimenez (3/7)
For twelve years, the Ramirez women of Staten Island have dealt with the absence of middle-child, Ruthy, who disappeared at the age of thirteen without a trace, leaving the family scarred. When the oldest sister, Jessica, spots a woman on a raunchy reality show with a birthmark that she’d recognize anywhere, she calls youngest sister Nina right away asking: could it be? When Dolores, their mother, learns of their plan to find their long lost sister, she insists on coming along, and bringing her best friend, Irene. The search for Ruthy becomes a family road trip that will finally force the Ramirez women to face their past and heal their future, whether it is with Ruthy or not.
Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai (3/14)
Desperate to help their parents pay off their debts, sisters Trang and Quỳnh leave their rural village to become “bar girls” in the city of Sài Gòn, flirting with American GIs in exchange for pay. It is 1969, the war is moving closer to the city, and Trang finds herself falling in love with an American pilot. Decades later, a veteran comes back to Việt Nam with his wife, struggling with PTSD and secrets from his past. Phong, his father a Black American solider and his mother a Vietnamese woman, grew up in an orphanage being called “son of the enemy.” Hoping for a better life for his family in the United States, he embarks on a journey to find his birth parents and a way of out of Việt Nam. As the two come together, past and present collide as they come to terms with decisions made during a time of war.
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano (3/14)
William Waters grew up in a family where his parents could hardly look at him, so when he goes to college and meets Julia Padavano, his whole world feels brighter. Julia and her three sisters, Cecelia, Sylvie and Emeline, are inseparable. Within their bond, Walter witnesses a love he hasn’t experienced before. But as darkness from William’s past creeps in, Julia’s plans and the sisters’ once unshakeable bond threatens to break, changing their lives forever. Will they be able to solidify their bond when it matters most?
House of Cotton by Monica Brashears (4/4)
Magnolia Brown is nineteen and effectively an orphan. Her dead-end job at the gas station leaves her broke, her landlord is a creep, and she feels haunted by her late grandmother. While working, she is confronted by a mysterious stranger, Cotton, who offers her an interesting offer to “model” at his family’s funeral home. While things may be looking up, her problems start to pile up with the money, and Cotton’s requests become more bizarre. Soon, it’s not just rent that Magnolia is worried about.
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (4/4)
If all goes well, Loretta Thurwar will be freed from prison soon. Her lover and teammate, Hamara “Hurricane Staxxx” Stacker are the stars of the Chain-Gang All-Stars, where they compete death matches in exchange for their freedom. When Thurwar shows defiance to the games, CAPE, or Criminal Action Penal Entertainment, the highly popular yet controversial program, will stop at nothing to keep the status quo. Chain-Gang All-Stars uses a kaleidoscope of characters to explore themes of systemic racism and mass incarceration in America by asking: what does freedom really mean in this country?
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld (4/11)
Sally Milz lives a satisfying life. She is a sketch writer for the late night Saturday show The Night Owls, has a good relationship with her stepfather, and long abandoned the idea of love, content with the occasional hook-up. When Danny Horst, Sally’s friend and a fellow writer starts dating a glamorous guest host, Sally pokes fun at the phenomenon of average men dating gorgeous, accomplished women, with a sketch called The Danny Horst Rule, highlighting how the roles would likely never be reversed. When Noah Brewster arrives as a guest host and musical performer, sparks fly between him and Sally. But her life isn’t a romantic comedy, and someone like Noah, who is famous for dating models, would never go for someone like her—right?
Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler (4/18)
Adelaide Williams lives in beautiful London with great friends; she isn’t interested in finding “The One” just yet. But when she fatefully meets Rory Hughes on a dating app, she finds herself totally in love. Despite Rory’s shortcomings, Adelaide is convinced they are written in the stars. Knowing their paths have crossed before (but not crossing until now), she believes Rory will fall as deeply as she has. When Rory finds himself facing tragedy, Adelaide, being the supportive person she is, begins to take on his grief. This is a millennial love story that explores friendship, mental health, and the complexities of love.
Happy Place by Emily Henry (4/25)
Since college, Harriet and Wyn have always been the perfect couple, going together like macaroni and cheese. Except now they’ve broken up, it’s been five months, and they haven’t told any of their friends. So when their friend group goes on their yearly trip to a cottage in Maine, the typically blissful week away is spent lying through their teeth. Naturally, they are forced to share a bedroom and deny how badly they still want each other. But will they be able to fake it in front of the people who know them best?
Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley (5/2)
Best-selling author Angeline Boulley takes us back to the world of the Firekeeper’s Daughter in a new high-stakes mystery. Perry Firekeeper-Birch is the laid back twin and the best fisher on Sugar Island. When more Indigenous women start disappearing closer to home and her family finds itself involved in a murder investigation, Perry questions everything, taking matters into her own hands as robbers also try to profit off the Anishinaabe inheritance. To reclaim it, she must count on her friends, her twin brother, and the charming new boy in town. Can she do so before the women and her ancestors are gone forever?
The Guest by Emma Cline (5/9)
It’s the end of Summer on Long Island and Alex has been dismissed by the older man she has been staying with, sending her away with a ticket back to the city. She may have a broken phone and little to her name, but her desperation paired with her ability to navigate others desires allows her to stay on Long Island, moving from one place to the next in the week leading up to Labor Day.
Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby (5/16)
Finally, Samantha Irby has made it. Walking the red carpet with famous actresses, offers from Hollywood, all the glitz and glam one can imagine—but still, Samantha is just trying to keep her life together. Providing a true portrait of her life, Samantha tells stories about her own teeth poisoning her, therapy, diarrhea, Reiki and crystals. An outrageously funny offering that once again shows how Irby has become the beloved writer that she is.
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang (5/16)
June Hayward and Athena Liu are authors breaking into the publishing industry, and both graduated from Yale. But June couldn’t even get a paperback deal, and Athena is a literary darling, telling more than boring stories about white girls. When June witnesses a freak accident involving Athena, she steals her almost-finished manuscript, telling the story of Chinese laborers during WWI. June convinces herself that the story needs to be told, and edits the work as her own. Rebranding herself using an ambiguously ethnic author photo and the name Juniper Song, June finds herself very protective of her secret, convinced she deserves her stolen success.
The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor (5/23)
In Iowa City, a circle of lovers and friends spends a year leaning on each other through a volatile year of self-discovery. At the center is Ivan, a dancer who dabbles in pornography but aspires to be a banker. Fatima, who has complicated relationships with her friends and mentor because of her fierce independence and work ethic. And Noah, who doesn’t seek out sex but still it approaches him “like an anxious dog in need of affection.” Preparing for a future that is uncertain, the group heads to a cabin to bid farewell to their former lives, a moment that leaves each of them forever changed.
And Then He Sang a Lullaby by Ani Kayode Somtochukwu (6/6)
August leaves Enugu City for university, leaving behind his overbearing sisters, their expectations, shame, and haunting memories of the mother he does not know. Things are looking up for him, but he can’t stop thinking about Segun, an openly gay student he met at a local cafe. Their connection is undeniable, but Segun cannot stand keeping their love hidden while August has an entirely different life outside of their relationship. And as a new anti-gay law is enacted in Nigeria, August and Segun are forced to navigate a world that deems them unworthy.
All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby (6/6)
After working as an FBI agent for several years, Titus Crown returns to his hometown which is plagued by a bigoted police force. He decides to run for sheriff and wins, becoming the first Black man to do so. A year after his election, his deputies fatally shoot a young Black man. In his hunt for the truth, Titus uncovers a serial killer among the townspeople. As he quietly investigates this shocking case in his small town, Titus is still breaking up bar fights and being forced to protect racist Confederate pride marchers. But he’s determined to rid his hometown of this evil, even as the darkness gets closer and closer to him.
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See (6/6)
In this story of women helping women, Tan Yunxian was born into an elite family, yet her life has been riddled by tragedy. Raised by her grandparents to be useful, Yunxian learns early on about Chinese medicine from her grandmother, one of the only female doctors in China. She learns about the Four Examinations and all about women’s illnesses, most relating to childbearing. Yunxian forms a fast friendship with midwife-in-training, Meiling, and they vow to be friends forever. When Yunxian enters an arranged marriage, she is forbidden to see Meiling, to help the women and girls in the household, or to leave the family compound, the Garden of Fragrant Delights. Yunxian must question what it takes for a woman to break free of the traditions that hold her back from healing and treating women from all walks of life.
The Only One Left by Riley Sager (6/20)
The Hope murders of 1929 had everyone assuming that seventeen-year-old Lenora Hope was responsible. Afterwards, she never denied it, nor has she ever left the mansion where the massacre occurred. It is now 1983, and home-health caregiver Kit McDeere has arrived at Hope’s End to take care of Lenora, now confined to a wheelchair and only able to communicate through an old typewriter. One night, Lenora offers to tell her everything. As Lenora types her tale, Kit soon learns that there is a lot more to the story than people know. But as she learns more about the previous caretaker, she begins to wonder how much of Lenora’s story is true.
Tar Hollow Trans: Essays by Stacy Jane Grover (6/20)
Stacy Jane Grover explores her identity as an Appalachian and a trans woman. She dives into her feelings of not belonging in either community, and the struggles that she faces within both. In a search for belonging, Grover discusses places and labels and how they shape us.
Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead (7/18)
It’s 1971. Crime is at an all-time high. NYPD and the Black Liberation Army are having a shooting war, trash is piling the streets, and the city is on the brink of bankruptcy. Ray Carney, ex-fence and current furniture store owner, says his days of moving stolen goods around the city are over. When Carney needs a favor, he reaches out to Munson, an old police contact. But when Munson has favors of his own, staying out of the game becomes complicated. Years later, Carney and his partner-in-crime, Pepper, are finding it hard to find a reliable crew for their assorted felonies. As the story spans years, we see the crooked duo battle violent corruption while showcasing a portrait 1970’s New York.
Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo (8/1)
Flor has a gift: she can predict the day of anyone’s death. When she plans a living wake, her sisters Matilde, Pastora and Camila question if she has seen her own death, or someone else’s—but Flor isn’t speaking up. Pastora, inspired by Flor’s wake, is inspired to solve her siblings problems. Matilde has secrets of her own, and she soon must confront the issues in her marriage. The next generation, cousins Yadi and Ona, have problems of their own. Yadi, reuniting with her formerly imprisoned first-love and Ona, married and trying to conceive. In the days leading up the wake, we journey through Santa Domingo and New York City, exploring the history of the Marte women.
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