For many of us, 2017 was a doozy, but we here at Brit + Co are ready to hit refresh in 2018! Follow our Hit Refresh series through January for new ideas, hacks, and skills that will help you achieve (and maintain!) those New Year’s resolutions.
If you thought the book world was on fire in 2017, wait until you see the early releases of 2018. The new year is coming, and we think now’s the perfect time to set your reading goals. Start building your book wish list with the titles below, and prepare for another stellar year of fascinating and diverse reads. From debut novels to award-winning authors’ newest releases, bookmark this guide as your must-read list for 2018.
1. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah ($29): Author Kristin Hannah is back with another soon-to-be bestseller in this novel about the Allbright family and their perilous move to the outskirts of Alaska after the Vietnam War. Their hopeful feelings about their new home end abruptly when the family’s sanity and resources are tested in their small cabin. Will the Alaska darkness consume the Allbrights, or will they find a way to fight the sinister winter conditions together?
2. You Think It, I’ll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld ($27): In this collection of stories from New York Times bestselling author Curtis Sittenfeld, a new cast of unforgettable characters is brought to life. Covering relevant and difficult social issues, You Think It, I’ll Say It gives our divided world a new voice. These honest stories will have you kicking off the new year with a renewed appreciation for life and the relationships we form along the way.
3. She Regrets Nothing by Andrea Dunlop ($16): For fans of Amy Poeppel’s Small Admissions comes a story of a young girl determined to find her place in the Big Apple. Laila knows her family isn’t perfect, but after her mother passes and she finds herself orphaned, she will do whatever it takes to find answers about the family’s past and claim the glitzy experiences she was never given. Now that she has the life she’s always wanted, will she be able to keep her head above water among all the scandals and dark secrets that envelop this world of wealth?
4. Everless by Sara Holland ($18): Step into the world of this debut YA novel, where time isn’t just seconds on a clock but the world’s form of currency. The only way Jules Ember can save her dying father is to return to the place she dreads the most and steal time from the rich and greedy. In a deadly kingdom full of time-stealing aristocrats, Jules will find herself stuck between right and wrong, old acquaintances and new enemies. Now it’s a matter of whether she’ll be able to take back the time she needs to save her father or if she gets stuck in the Everless estate she despises.
5. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones ($27): Roy’s prosperous life with his new wife Celestial is unexpectedly turned upside down when he is sentenced to 12 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Faced with a future without her husband, Celestial will seek solace in a childhood friend, and as time goes on, she begins to lose sight of the love she had with Roy. Celestial begins to find who she is without her husband, but when he is released only five years into his sentence, she’ll have to adjust back to the life they once had or lose him forever.
6. Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao ($26): This debut novel is the perfect read for fans of Rupi Kaur. Set in both America and India, Girls Burn Brighter is the story of Indian girls Poornima and Savitha who find hope in each other’s friendship amidst immense family tension and uncertain futures. When Savitha runs away from their small town, Poornima drops her entire life to go after her friend. Traveling across the world to reconnect with her, Poornima will find the courage to be her own hero as she learns there’s more to life than arranged marriages.
7. Love, Hate, and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed ($19): Maya Aziz dreams of attending film school and connecting with the boy she has always had a crush on, but her parents want something much different for her. Coming from a strict Indian household, Maya will learn that she isn’t the only one making decisions about her future. While her own life becomes unpredictable, the world around her will throw her further challenges she isn’t prepared for. Relevant themes of bigotry, love, and family make Love, Hate, and Other Filters one of the most anticipated YA novels of 2018.
8. Sunburn by Laura Lippman ($27): One chance encounter in Delaware will lead Polly and Adam to a heated love affair that neither can pull away from. As they grow closer, the two will fail to let each other in on dangerous secrets they are keeping, and when someone close to them dies, the consequences will lead them to their breaking point. From New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman comes this new psychological thriller full of lies, passion, and detrimental secrets.
9. The Elizas by Sara Shepard ($26): Eliza Fontaine is an author who knows how to write intense plotlines, but she never thought she’d be at the center of her own suspenseful mystery. She knows she was pushed from the balcony of her hotel, but why does everyone else believe it was a suicide attempt, and why are people confusing her life with the lives of the characters in her newest novel? Drawing the line between fact and fiction won’t come easy for Eliza in this thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Little Liars.
10. The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer ($28):New York Times bestselling author of The Interestings brings readers a new women’s fiction novel in 2018. Centered around the life of college student Greer Kadetsky, this story explores what it means to find yourself. Greer thought she knew what the future had in store for her, but when she meets activist Faith Frank, she becomes engulfed in the world of women’s movements and changing the world. When Faith offers Greer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, she’ll have to decide if it’s worth giving up everything she has already worked for.
11. How to Be Safe by Tom McAllister ($26): Anna Crawford has been wrongly accused of shooting up the school where she works, but even after the real shooter has been identified, Anna will find herself surrounded by a town that seems to have gone mad. As the town explodes into a whirlwind of paranoia and speculation, the English teacher will have to fight back against those who have begun to spread false rumors about her and her involvement in the tragedy.
12. The Opposite of Never by Mary Kathleen Mehuron ($17): In a story of loss, new beginnings, and recovery, Kenny and Georgia have both lost their partners and fear that their lives are close to over. Finding renewed hope in their children and each other’s support, the now-single parents will have to navigate the murky waters of teenage love as well as a malicious drug problem that plagues the two teens and their romantic relationship.
13. Everything Here Is Beautiful by Mira T. Lee ($26): Miranda and Lucia, two sisters who couldn’t be more different, have just lost their mother. If they want to survive the traumatic experience, Miranda will have to save Lucia from her downward spiral of a quick marriage, an unprecedented pregnancy, and a mental illness before it is too late. Everything Here Is Beautiful explores the boundaries of sisterly love and the self-sacrifice that comes along with loss and grief.
14. The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll ($26): Following her instant New York Times bestselling novel Luckiest Girl Alive comes the newest novel from Jessica Knoll. When a group of successful businesswomen signed up to star in a reality television show, they never expected its dark ending: murder. The pressure to be relevant and successful is heavy, and in a world of fierce competition, all five of the women will have to fight to outrank one another — but when success means violence, they’ll have to reevaluate how important victory really is.
15. Sophia of Silicon Valley by Anna Yen ($27): Drawn from her own experiences, Anna Yen’s highly anticipated novel centers around one dazzling young woman and her life in Silicon Valley. Thrown into a city of brilliant minds like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk, Sophia Young will become accustomed to being the only woman in the room as she tackles a competitive job market and forges her way to the top. This book is perfect for all the women trying to conquer an industry dominated by men.
16. The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin ($26): One traveling psychic will change the lives of the Gold children forever in this coming-of-age novel about fate and destiny. After receiving their psychic readings, four siblings become extremely aware of what the next 50 years of their lives look like as they begin to make everyday decisions based on their predetermined futures. As adulthood approaches and they all head in different directions, they’ll either settle for what they’ve been told will happen or try to form their own futures.
What book are you most excited to read in 2018? Tweet us @BritandCo to share your pick.
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