The Dreamers - Karen Thompson Walker (1/15/19) - Karen Thompson Walker's first book, "The Age of Miracles," was a five star book for me and was on my 2013 10 Favorites list. It's taken her until now to write her next novel, and that alone would be enough to have me waiting to read this book. But the publisher's blurb sounds pretty awesome too - "A mesmerizing novel about a college town transformed by a strange illness that locks victims in a perpetual sleep and triggers life-altering dreams... for fans of Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven and Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go." Given that I also loved both of those books it's compared to, count me in!
Last Woman Standing - Amy Gentry (1/15/19) - I really enjoyed Amy Gentry's first book, "Good as Gone," so I'm looking forward to this one, her second book, blurbed by the publisher as "Strangers on a Train by way of Thelma and Louise." I've been in a bit of a rut with thrillers this past year, finding most of the ones I've read either predictable, preposterous, or both, so hoping that maybe this will be the one that breaks me out of the rut.
You Know You Want This - Kristen Roupenian (1/15/19) - Kristen Roupenian's short story "Cat Person" was published in the New Yorker in December of 2017 and went viral. I mean, how often do you hear people talking about a single short story? I don't subscribe to the New Yorker, but the story came to my attention and I thought it was excellent. At the time, the first thing I did was to go look to see what else she had written, which at the time was nothing. Well, now she has her first collection of short stories coming out, and I'm excited to check it out.
Unmarriageable - Sonia Kamal (1/22/19) - This book is described as a modern day re-telling of "Pride and Prejudice" set in Pakistan, and just sounds really cute. The Binat family and Mr. Darsee, ha!
Here and Now and Then - Mike Chen (1/29/19) - This is the author's first book, and just sounds very up my alley. I don't think I can paraphrase it successfully, so I'll just leave you with an excerpt of the publisher's description: "Kin Stewart is an everyday family man... But his current life is a far cry from his previous career as a time-traveling secret agent from 2142. Stranded in suburban San Francisco since the 1990s after a botched mission, Kin has kept his past hidden from everyone around him... Until one afternoon, his “rescue” team arrives—eighteen years too late. Their mission: return Kin to 2142, where he’s only been gone weeks, not years, and where another family is waiting for him. A family he can’t remember."
The Lost Man - Jane Harper (2/5/19) - Jane Harper's first book, "The Dry," made my 2017 Top 10 list, and I liked her second book, "Force of Nature," even better, giving it a 5 star review (spoiler alert, that means it's going to make my 2018 top 10 list). So, needless to say I'm very excited for her next book. Unlike the first two, it's not about the same police investigator, but it's still a mystery.
The Moon Sister by Lucinda Riley (2/19/19) - Lucinda Riley is one of my favorite authors of dual time period historical fiction, and this is the 5th book in her "Seven Sisters" series which my friend Sarah and I have been reading together as part of our two person book club. One of the fun things about her books are the worldwide settings in both the present and the past, and this one is set in Scotland and Spain, which should be fun.
I Owe You One - Sophie Kinsella (2/19/19) - I really enjoy Sophie Kinsella's standalone novels - she's just perfect if you're in the mood for light and fluffy chick lit. And her most recent book, "Surprise Me," was actually my favorite of hers so far. The description of this one is kind of beside the point - it's going to be the book I pick up when I want a light read, maybe on my February vacation.
Daisy Jones & The Six - Taylor Jenkins Reid (3/5/19) - I only discovered Taylor Jenkins Reid in 2017, when I read her 2015 book "Maybe In Another Life" which I adored and put on my 2017 top 10 list. This year I read 3 more of her books, and really enjoyed them all though "Maybe In Another Life" is still my favorite so far. I have one more of her older books to go (her first book, "Forever Interrupted), and of course I also want to read her new book coming out next year! With her most recent book, "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo," she made the jump to historical fiction, which it sounds like she is continuing with "Daisy Jones & The Six," which is about a fictional rock band in the 1960s and 1970s.
If, Then - Kate Hope Day (3/12/19) - Another debut novel that I am drawn to by the publisher's description - "The residents of a sleepy mountain town are rocked by troubling visions of an alternate reality in this dazzling debut that combines the family-driven suspense of Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere with the inventive storytelling of The Immortalists." My book club read both of those books this past year, so maybe we should read this one too?
I'm Fine and Neither Are You - Camille Pagan (4/1/19) - I've read 3 of Camille Pagan's 4 novels, and really enjoyed them - and her book "Forever Is the Worst Long Time" made my 2017 top 10 list. This is another book that I just automatically added to my to read list without even reading the description.
The Last - Hanna James (4/9/19) - I'd never heard of this author before, but the book itself just sounds so amazeballs. Per the publisher, "this breathtaking dystopian psychological thriller follows an American academic stranded at a Swiss hotel as the world descends into nuclear war—along with twenty other survivors—who becomes obsessed with identifying a murderer in their midst after the body of a young girl is discovered in one of the hotel’s water tanks." Other blurbs and pull quotes compare it to "Station Eleven," Agatha Christie, Ruth Ware, and Tana French, among others. Seriously, I'm drooling at the thought of reading this one.
The Peacock Emporium by Jojo Moyes (4/9/19) - Jojo Moyes is one of my favorite authors of contemporary women's fiction, so she is another one where all I need to hear is that she has a new book coming out and it automatically goes on my list. It is a little difficult to tell from the description exactly what this one is about, but sounds like this one may be dual time period historical fiction about a mother in London in the 1960s and her daughter in the present day.
Miracle Creek - Angie Kim (4/16/19) - This debut novel is getting a lot of advance praise, and sounds very interesting - per the publisher, this is a "literary courtroom drama about a Korean immigrant family and a young, single mother accused of murdering her eight-year-old autistic son." Sounds like another good book club pick.
The Mother-in-Law - Sally Hepworth (4/23/19) - I've read 3 of Sally Hepworth's 4 previous books, and I really enjoy her - I would recommend her to fans of Liane Moriarty - she's Australian too and writes in a similar vein. This one sounds a little more mystery/thriller-y - per the publisher, it's a "twisty, compelling novel about one woman's complicated relationship with her mother-in-law that ends in murder..."
Hope and Other Punchlines - Julie Buxbaum (5/7/19) - Julie Buxbaum is one of my favorite authors of both contemporary women's fiction and young adult realistic fiction, with 3 of her books having made my past top 10 lists. This is a young adult novel, about a teenager who is famous for a picture of her as a baby taken on 9/11.
The Summer Country - Lauren Willig (6/4/19) - I loved Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series (which are a meld of genres - kind of historical chick lit mysteries), and am slowly working my way through her stand alone novels. Her next one comes out next summer, and is described by the publisher as "her biggest, boldest, and most ambitious novel yet—a sweeping, dramatic Victorian epic of lost love, lies, jealousy, and rebellion set in colonial Barbados."
One Night at the Lake - Bethany Chase (6/18/19) - Funnily enough, this book was on my anticipated books of 2018 list, then under the title "Seneca Lake." But the publication was pushed back almost a year and the title has changed. I'm still looking forward to it, since I loved Bethany Chase's first two books.
Mrs. Everything - Jennifer Weiner (6/25/19) - Jennifer Weiner is one of my most favorite chick lit writers, and I have read every book she has written ever since her first book, "Good in Bed," was on my 2002 10 favorites list. So I'm in for this one no matter what - and intrigued since it sounds like she is venturing into historical fiction for the first time, since the publisher's description says it follows two sisters from the 1950s to the present.
The Last Book Party - Karen Dukess (7/9/19) - This one has a gorgeous cover, and is described by the publisher as a "propulsive tale of ambition and romance, set in the publishing world of 1980’s New York and the timeless beaches of Cape Cod." I'm particularly fond of books set on Cape Cod as my family has spent a week there for each of the last 10 summers, and this sounds like it is going to be a perfect summer read.
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill - Abbi Waxman (7/9/19) - Abbi Waxman's first book, "The Garden of Small Beginings," was on my 2017 top 10 list, and her second book, "Other People's Houses," I read this summer and is highly likely to make my top 10 list of 2018. Hoping she can keep the streak alive in 2019.
The Philosopher's War - Tom Miller (7/16/19) - I read Tom Miller's first book, "The Philosopher's Flight," just a few weeks ago, and loved it. It's an alternate history/fantasy book set in the World War I era in a world like our own but where there is a kind of magic called Empirical Philosophy which is practiced almost exclusively by women. The main character is a rare young man gifted at Empirical Philosophy who goes to Radcliffe to study it. It was a very unique and enjoyable novel so I'm excited to read the sequel.
The Lager Queen of Minnesota - J. Ryan Stradal (7/23/19) - I absolutely adored J. Ryan Stradal's first book, "Kitchens of the Great Midwest," which made my 2016 Top 10 favorites list. Looking forward to reading his next book.
The Chelsea Girls - Fiona Davis (7/30/19) - The first Fiona Davis book I read, "The Address," ended up on my 2017 Top 10 list. I read her next two books this year and really enjoyed them (if not quite as much). Definitely excited to read her fourth book, once again set at a famous New York City building, this time the Chelsea Hotel.
The Turn of the Key - Ruth Ware (8/6/19) - Ruth Ware is one of my favorite writers of mystery/thrillers, so looking forward to checking out her 5th book. Based on the description it's an unreliable narrator psychological thriller, and I've definitely cooled on those a bit - but because it's Ruth Ware, I'm willing to give this one the benefit of the doubt.
Things You Save In a Fire - Katherine Center (8/13/19) - I read my first Katherine Center book, "How to Walk Away," this year, and it's on the short list for my potential 2018 10 favorites list. I still have her whole back catalog of 5 books to catch up on, but also will definitely be reading this one.
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So there you have it - a long list consisting of more books than some people read in a year! But hopefully I'll get to most of them.
If anyone is wondering, of my anticipated books of 2018 list, I ended up reading 15 of the 17 - and one of them, as I mentioned above, didn't end up getting published so I think that statistic should more properly be 15 of 16. (The one I didn't read was "Neverworld Wake" by Marisha Pessl, and it's because I didn't get it from Netgalley, nor did the library ever get an electronic copy, nor did it ever go on sale - and as part of my attempt to keep my book backlog from growing too much, I generally don't buy e-books unless they're super cheap.) Also interesting, of those 15 books, there were several that are on the shortlist to make my 2018 Top 10 list, and only 2 that I didn't rate 4 stars or above. So I think it turned out to be a pretty solid list!
Of my anticipated books of summer 2018, I have so far read 6 out of 10. And of my anticipated books of fall 2018, I've read 8 out of 9. So I'm getting there...
If anyone is wondering, of my anticipated books of 2018 list, I ended up reading 15 of the 17 - and one of them, as I mentioned above, didn't end up getting published so I think that statistic should more properly be 15 of 16. (The one I didn't read was "Neverworld Wake" by Marisha Pessl, and it's because I didn't get it from Netgalley, nor did the library ever get an electronic copy, nor did it ever go on sale - and as part of my attempt to keep my book backlog from growing too much, I generally don't buy e-books unless they're super cheap.) Also interesting, of those 15 books, there were several that are on the shortlist to make my 2018 Top 10 list, and only 2 that I didn't rate 4 stars or above. So I think it turned out to be a pretty solid list!
Of my anticipated books of summer 2018, I have so far read 6 out of 10. And of my anticipated books of fall 2018, I've read 8 out of 9. So I'm getting there...
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