12 Brand-New Books That’ll Help You Smash Your New Year’s Reading Goal
Ashley Macey
Ashley Macey
Ashley Macey is a lifestyle freelance writer who loves all things fitness, wellness, and creativity. When she's not exploring her home in the Pacific Northwest with her dog Max, you'll probably find her curled up with a good book and some hot tea. Follow her daily jaunts on Twitter.
Whether you've ambitiously made a New Year's resolution to read 50 books this year or you've made the slightly more feasible resolution to read more in 2018, we're all for using the start of a brand-new year as motivation to curl up with an exciting book. But if the dusty volumes on your shelf aren't quite motivating you to take the plunge on your 2018 literary adventure, we suggest using the extra cash you scored during the holidays to pick up one or more of these hot new January releases to help rekindle your love of literature and start smashing your 2018 reading goals.
The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn ($27): If you've walked through a grocery store, department store, or airport in the last few days, odds are you've seen at least 30 copies of this highly anticipated novel, which is already in development as a major film from Fox. The novel focuses on the life of Anna Fox, who lives a solitary existence inside the four walls of her New York City home due to agoraphobia (AKA she has an intense fear of being in places where it is hard to escape). When the uncanny Russells move into the house across the street, Anna's secret spying results in her seeing something that terrifies her to her core.
The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey ($27): Set in 1920s Bombay, this historical mystery novel takes inspiration from the real-life woman who made history as India’s first female attorney. After defying many conventions of her time to study at Oxford with the support of her family, Perveen Mistry has just taken a position at her father's law firm. When she's asked to help the firm execute a will whose beneficiaries have mysteriously all signed their inheritance over to charity, will she be able to unravel the conspiracy before it's too late?
Halsey Street by Naima Coster ($25): Leaving her failing career as an artist in Pittsburgh, Penelope Grand is traveling back to Brooklyn to look after her aging father. But despite her best intentions, moving home forces Penelope to come to terms with the fact that her mother, Mirella, has abandoned the family for the Dominican Republic... only to discover she's now looking for reconciliation.
The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin ($26): Four adolescent children sneak out of their house in 1969 New York City to have their fortunes told by a mystical traveling psychic who claims to be able to predict the day they will die. Following the lives of the four youngsters over the next five decades as they become the magicians, army doctors, and scholars of the future, Chloe Benjamin's novel blurs fate with choice in this fantastic new heartfelt read.
The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen ($27): An outwardly perfect marriage. A twisted love triangle. A shocking betrayal. A fiendish obsession. With twists and turns aplenty, Hendricks and Pekkanen's highly anticipated new psychological thriller will have you rushing to find out exactly what happens to these twisted characters... even if it means staying up until three in the morning.
When They Call You a Terrorist by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele ($25): Both the touching memoir of one of the co-founders of the Black Lives Matter movement and a history of how the movement began, this necessary book should be on everyone's reading list this January. Offering a riveting reflection on the current social and political climate, this eye- and heart-opening read will stay with you long after you close the back cover.
Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan ($26): In Vaughan's newest thriller, Sophie's husband — a loving father and charismatic public figure — is being accused of a terrible crime. While Sophie is convinced that he's innocent, their lawyer Kate is certain that James is guilty. With an unravelling past rich with scandal, lies, and cover-ups, this happy family is in for a rude awakening.
Neon in Daylight by Hermione Hoby ($17): London transplant Kate is trying to figure out what the heck to do with her life — all while lounging in her Manhattan apartment, Skyping with her miserable boyfriend, and cat-sitting Joni Mitchell. While looking for a change of pace, Kate meets a bitter semi-famous writer and his witty daughter, and she's immediately obsessed. Set in the middle of the 2012 heatwave from hell, this stunning new read from Hermione Hoby is the perfect way to kick off the new year.
This Will Be My Undoing by Morgan Jerkins ($16): Twenty-something Morgan Jerkins offers her unique commentary on pop culture, feminism, black history, misogyny, and racism in this necessary collection of essays about what it means to be a black woman in contemporary America. From her opinion on the stigma of therapy to the "Black Girl Magic" movement, these interconnected essays offer unique perspective about inequality that everyone should read this year.
This Could Hurt by Jillian Medoff ($27): This is the story of five Human Resources colleagues at Ellery Consumer Research — Rosa Guerrero, the optimistic lady in charge; Leo Smalls, her doting vice president; Rob Hirsch, her burnt-out, middle-aged associate director; Lucy Bender, a single woman in search for both a promotion and a man; and Kenny Verville, a senior manager with big dreams of conquering the HR world. Exploring the mundane and miraculous inner workings of today's white-collar working class, Jillian Medoff's hilarious and brilliantly real novel is the perfect January pick-me-up after the holiday rush.
Red Clocks by Leni Zumas ($26): If you've fallen in love with Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale over the past year, you should definitely pick up this stunning new book. In a world where reproductive rights are stripped bare — abortion is illegal, in vitro fertilization is banned, and every embryo has the right to life, liberty, and property — five women struggle to understand their womanhood with fierce resilience. From Ro, a single high-school teacher who is trying to have a baby on her own, to Mattie, one of Ro's best students who accidentally gets pregnant, this chilling, captivating, and important novel is a must for all avid readers this January.
Our Lady of the Prairie by Thisbe Nissen ($25): Phillipa Maakestad, a calm Midwestern theater professor, is starting to notice that her life is far more chaotic that it used to be. After having a sizeable and uncharacteristic affair during a semester in Ohio, Phillipa must put it behind her so she can focus on her daughter's upcoming wedding. But with a menacing mother-in-law, an enraged husband, a contentious election, and a tornado all vying for Phillipa's attention, this wedding is set to be more outrageous than the Maakestads ever expected.
What’s on your current reading list? Tweet us by mentioning @BritandCo.
What’s on your current reading list? Tweet us by mentioning @BritandCo.
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Ashley Macey
Ashley Macey is a lifestyle freelance writer who loves all things fitness, wellness, and creativity. When she's not exploring her home in the Pacific Northwest with her dog Max, you'll probably find her curled up with a good book and some hot tea. Follow her daily jaunts on Twitter.