11 of the Best New Books to Read in January
January is all about new beginnings, and if your New Year’s resolution is to read more, look no further. 2016 is peppered with amazing titles that promise to be exciting, enlightening and highly worthwhile. If you’re looking for great new reads to add to your list, these smart and insightful books are perfect for the start of a new year. From literary heavyweights to stunning memoirs, we’re sharing some of the best and brightest books that we just can’t wait to crack open.
1. The Restaurant Critic’s Wife by Elizabeth LaBan ($11): This heartfelt look at a woman’s joys and difficulties of young motherhood, marriage, ambition and friendship is utterly real and honest. We can’t wait to dig in!
2. Good on Paper by Rachel Cantor ($21): This highly anticipated second novel is all about second changes and being open to life’s unexpected twists and turns.
3. My Father’s Daughter by Tina Sinatra, Jeff Coplon ($11): As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of music legend Frank Sinatra’s birth, this powerful and eye-opening memoir by his youngest daughter is an insightful look into the man behind the legacy.
4. Your Heart Is a Muscle the Size of a Fist by Sunil Yapa ($20): He had us hooked with the title alone. This remarkable narrative debut by Yapa is set amid the heated conflict of Seattle’s 1999 WTO protests, capturing how one life-altering afternoon can change the fate of seven people forever.
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by Marieke Nijkamp ($14): This gripping and fast-paced novel hits close to home and brings to light an issue that has become all too frequent in recent times. From four different perspectives, Nijkamp navigates one high school student’s calculated revenge in this heart-pounding read that forces readers to better understand each other and ask tough questions.
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by Marie Kondo ($11): Looking to declutter your life in the new year? Japanese organizational whiz Marie Kondo’s illustrated guide is the perfect read to help you keep your resolution and bring joy to your life all year long.
7. Lucky Rice: Stories and Recipes from Night Markets, Feasts, and Family Tables by Danielle Chang, Lisa Ling ($19): If you’re looking to cook at home more often and order in less, this beautiful cookbook should be on your must-read list for 2016. Danielle Change feeds our obsession for simple, delicious Asian recipes celebrating both classic and inspired recipes. Pastrami egg rolls, anyone?
8. The Lost Tudor Princess: The Life of Lady Margaret Douglas by Alison Weir ($20): Navigating through decades of research, original sources and even Lady Margaret’s surviving letters, Weir portrays the beautiful and fearless niece of Henry VIII of England, who used her intelligence to influence the Tudor succession, in this stunning and inspiring biography.
9. Even the Dead by Benjamin Black ($21): Set in 1950s Ireland, this thrilling read is a page-turner for mystery lovers. A pathologist investigates the dark and shadowy world of Dublin’s elite, driven by secret societies, corruption, addiction and murder.
<em>The Love That Split the World</em>
by Emily Henry ($16): Besides being a brilliant blend of Friday Night Lights and The Time Traveler’s Wife, Henry’s debut YA novel captures the joy and pain of first love, dreaming of the future and all the roads left we leave untaken perfectly.
11. The Expatriates by Janice Y.K. Lee ($19): Set in Hong Kong, this captivating novel follows three American expatriate women, all in crisis, as they find themselves and each other in their quest to discover their womanhood, motherhood and true selves. It’s a beautifully relatable read to explore what is really means to discover who you are while traveling the world.
