A 2024 Book Preview - Part One

All the new releases I'm excited about.

Feb 06, 2024

A question I’m often asked is how do you find out about new books? It’s a valid q given that there are so many things coming out in a given year and no single place to see them all. Finding new releases almost always requires an intermediary, be it book-(insert social media platform suffix here), a bookstore, a website, or the authors themselves. But it’s easy (and fun!) if you’re willing to scroll for a few hours or follow the right people. Here’s where I look:

Google. I literally type in “most anticipated books 20(insert year here)” and see what comes up. It often directs me to places like Time, and LitHub. I pore over LitHub’s massive list religiously, clicking through all their nicely organized tabs, waiting for titles to pique my interest. I probably get the bulk of stuff I’m looking at from LH. I’ll also check in on spots like Vulture, Electric Lit and NPR, which are known for their curation.
Bookshop. Bookshop does a nice job rounding up new releases and most-anticipated books in carousels on the front page that are easy to peruse. Some are put together by Bookshop while others are compiled by independent bookstores. Both are solid and a good way to seek out new titles.
Social media. I am easily influenced just like everybody else and have a few book people I follow whose taste I trust implicitly, including Adeline Ania, who takes the nicest pictures of her reads, and Oscar (aka literaryhenny), a bookseller in Philadelphia who has incredible taste and is always reading interesting stuff. I look forward to his lists every year and am always screenshotting and saving whatever he posts. This year, I also loved Chanecka's (Headwrpreader) list.
Martha
, here on Substack, also has great recommendations, so I keep a close eye on her reads and reviews. I’ve already added a few of her recent recommendations to my TBR.
My inbox. As someone who wrote a book and also writes about books, I get pitches for books a lot. This is the least likely way for me to discover something new, but every once in a while I’ll find out about something exciting here.

In case you don’t want to do all that sleuthing and combing (and trust my literary curation skills) I’ve rounded up the releases I’m most excited about for the first four months of 2024. I think of the literary release calendar in trimesters, which not only helps me to keep my purchases levelheaded but also ensures I can be fairly comprehensive. While some books are announced and promoted six to eight months out, others, like Akwaeke Emezi’s forthcoming novel Little Rot, are revealed as soon as five months before—the closest you’ll get to a Beyoncé move in the literary world. With that said, there’ll be three of these. The next one will come out the first week in May and then another in September. If anything exciting crops up in between now and then that didn’t make it on this list, I’ll likely stick it in a Final File.

Before we get into it, an obligatory note about preorders: if you like a book that’s coming out in a few months, order it early! From your local indie bookstore if you can. And if you can’t afford to do that, which is totally understandable because hardcovers are expensive, you can ask your local library to request the book. It makes a huge difference for authors (especially debuts!) and signals to the publisher that their work has an audience. Additionally, Bookshop is offering 15 percent off titles by a selection of Black authors for Black History Month, so it’s a good time to stock up on books you’ve been meaning to buy. To make things easy, I put a little asterisk next to Black authors whose books are part of the sale. This email is also very long, so if you want to peruse the full thing, I recommend reading on the app or in your browser.

Onto the books!

A note: I’m using my Bookshop affiliate link for these, so if you purchase through the link I might earn a commission.

January

Obviously January has passed but I still wanted to mention these new releases on my radar, which I’m hoping to pick up soon.

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

I’ve been looking forward to reading this since it first started coming up and so far, I’ve only heard good things. It’s about a man who’s obsessed with martyrs (dark) and is trying to make sense of the lot he’s been given in life. The cover is also incredible (one of the best of the year, imo) and so for those reasons it's very close to the top of my TBR.

Broughtupsy by Christina Cooke*

When Scary Mommy asked me about the book I was most excited to read this year I name-checked Broughtupsy, a novel about a woman navigating grief and a complicated relationship with her sister. It’s also queer and set in Jamaica, ticking all of the relevant-to-me boxes.

How We Named the Stars by Andrés N. Ordorica

A campus lovers-to-friends novel that turns tragic and lands the main character back in his home country for the summer? I’m intrigued.

Sugar, Baby by Celine Saintclare

I blurbed this one, so you know it’s good! Here’s what made it to the back: “Saintclare's writing sizzles-she has a knack for the sensual, making even the mundane feel like a revelation. I was absolutely sucked into Agnes' world, she took me by the hand and didn't let me go until the final pages, wondering what becomes of all the characters we come to know and love."

At the heart of this novel is Agnes, a 21-year-old who is trying to find herself amidst an ultra-religious upbringing. Her solution for this is becoming a sugar baby (hence the title). That stuff is interesting but I really loved the friend group she finds herself in and the bond she has with her younger sister.

Cold by Drew Hayden Taylor

I love an interesting twist on a classic genre, and from the description of Cold it seems the book has that in spades. There’s a torrid affair, a detective chasing a string of murders, a journalist/author who survived a plane crash, and apparently something is hunting all of them. I’m hoping there’s an Egan-esque quality to this one, we’ll see.

The Birthright of Sons: Stories by Jeffrey Spivey

This collection of short stories focuses on the experiences on Black, LGBTQ+ men who are grappling with their identity in one way or another. My interest was piqued because the description mentioned that it borrows elements from various genres, including romance and magical realism, which I’m interested to see.

The Rebel’s Clinic: The Revolutionary Lives of Frantz Fanon by Adam Shatz

Frantz Fanon is a titan in postcolonial studies. His books Black Skin, White Masks and Wretched of the Earth have become seminal texts—required reading in most college classrooms. This is the story of his life, which moves from his childhood in Martinique to moving to Lyon to study medicine to fighting for Algerian independence. I’m trying to read more nonfiction this year and this seems like a good place to start.

Your Utopia: Stories by Bora Chung, trans. Anton Hur

As a big fan of Little Eyes, I’m excited for Your Utopia, which from the description seems very Black Mirror. In Chung’s collection of short stories, an AI elevator falls in love with a resident, celebrities want to live forever (real), and there’s some funky stuff going on with food. I’m sold.

Behind You Is the Sea by Susan Muaddi Darraj

I’ll read anything set in Maryland/the DMV, so I’m excited about this debut, which is about three Palestinian American families. It’s a novel about class tension and culture and generational gaps, which all sounds right up my ally.

February

This month’s new releases.

Out today!

Ways and Means by Daniel Lefferts

A classic fish out of water situation, the main character in this novel moves from the Rust Belt to New York to work in finance and nothing turns out as he planned. He ends up working for a billionaire with evil plans (there are no billionaires with objectively good plans) and then has to go on the run because he knows too much. All the while he’s in some kind of polycule with a gay couple that are dealing with their own existential crises’. Not to mention it’s set against the backdrop of the 2016 election, which was dramatic enough without being fictionalized.

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams*

I’m not big into romance novels but I am the president of the Seven Days in June fan club. I recommend that book to everyone who asks me for a quick, fun read that’s also well-written. This one is set in the Harlem Renaissance and about two artists who fall in love. I really can’t wait to see what Williams has in store.

February 13

The Book of Love by Kelly Link

I too am interested in this very buzzy book.

Emma Straub

called it the best book of 2024 in a recent newsletter, but before that I’d seen it floating around on lots of ‘most-anticipated’ lists. There’s resurrected teens, a small town, a magical quest, and apparently lots of heart? I’m not sure how this one is going to work, but apparently it does.

I Love You So Much It’s Killing us Both by Mariah Stovall

In the next few years I predict we’ll be seeing lots of novels exploring platonic love and its complexities. I Love You So Much It’s Killing us Both is an earlyish entry into the genre, tracking the lead up to the reunion of two friends through a perfect, emo mixtape1.

Acts of Forgiveness by Maura Cheeks*

I saw that this book was about reparations and immediately said sign me up. This family drama follows one family attempting to qualify for the Forgiveness Act, which would give each family impacted by slavery $175,000. I’m interested to see how Cheeks tackles this, and if they’ll get the money in the end.

The Blueprint by Rae Giana Rashad

In an alternate version of the United States, Black women have no choice. Everything in their lives is decided by an algorithm. In the midst of this, a young woman Solenne is writing the biography of her enslaved ancestor Henriette, who was a concubine to a wealthy planter. 200 years later Solenne finds herself in a similar situation. The book unfolds over two timelines and illuminates the ways history can repeat itself.

February 20

Ours by Phillip B Williams*

Another sub-genre/theme I’m noticing taking hold are novels that explore utopic Black communities, see: The New Naturals by Gabriel Bump. This one is about a town north of St. Louis called Ours concealed by magic. As the conjurer that protects Ours begins to weaken, the cracks of the town emerge, making the residents question everything they know.

February 27

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange

I’ve been meaning to get to There There for years. Now with Orange’s second book coming out I have even more reason to read his first. This one grapples with the generational trauma of institutional violence and promises to be a harrowing but impactful read.

Green Dot by Madeleine Gray

I love a story about a woman that’s adrift and trying to figure it all out. Such is the case in Green Dot, which follows a bisexual woman who’s having an affair with a married man, an affair that reinvigorates her otherwise mind numbing life. I’m a messy bitch who lives for drama2, especially where fiction is concerned.

The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard

I was immediately drawn into this debut’s description: a speculative novel about a 16-year-old girl who wants a seat on her town’s Conseil. If she gets it, she’ll be able to decide who moves between the towns that border hers, but one is 20 years into the future and the other is 20 years in the past. I think the concept is fun, and I’m interested in how this one comes together.

The American Daughters by Maurice Carlos Ruffin*

This one has a fun premise: After being separated from her mother, Ady is invited to join an underground network of Black spies called The Daughters. The description doesn’t offer much more than that, but I’m already sold.

March

So many books are coming out in March!

March 5

Parasol Against the Axe by Helen Oyeyemi*

I read Boy Snow, Bird forever ago, so I’m excited to read Parasol Against the Axe, which I’m sure continues in Oyeyemi’s surrealist vein. Her newest novel is set in Prague, but the city is a living thing that can quite literally spit you out. It also takes place over a bachelorette weekend, which I don’t think I’ve ever seen in a literary context.

Say Hello to My Little Friend by Jennine Capó Crucet

A Pitbull impersonator tries to become a modern day Tony Montana. It sounds insane and I’m very excited to read it. I also like books set in Miami (see: If I Survive You), it’s a sexy city with lots of energy and history, so I’m interested in Crucet’s take on it.

The Extinction of Irene Ray by Jennifer Croft

Eight translators go into woods to translate a world-renowned author’s poet, but then she goes missing. Are you not entertained? I feel like this might the year we get some plot out of lit fic, or we just get better descriptions on the book jacket. We’ll see! Either way, I’m looking forward to it.

Piglet by Lottie Hazell

In Piglet, the main character seemingly has a perfect life. That is, until she confesses a betrayal to her soon-to-be husband and things begin to spiral from there. Suddenly she’s insatiably hungry and spends the book battling between this very primal feeling and trying to keep the life she’s built on track.

Help Wanted by Adele Waldman

A workplace novel, but this one takes place in a big-box store where no one can get enough hours and are scraping by. One day, the manager decides to quit, and team members cook up a crazy scheme to get his job. Sounds fun.

March 12

An insane day of releases, I’m very excited about all of these!

Victim by Andrew Boryga

I’m very excited about Victim by Andrew Boryga, which is about a guy who embellishes his college essay to play up the violent crime and poverty until there isn’t any truth to it. He then goes on to become a renowned journalist whose editors are looking to him for his “unique perspective.” There’s something very Black Buck/Erasure about this, so I think I’ll enjoy it.

Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel

This short story collection, which is about eight different female boxers, details their faceoffs while also illuminating the worlds they’ve left behind for their sport. More books about women’s sports, please!

Dominoes by Phoebe McIntosh

In Dominoes, two people with the same last name, one white, one Black, share a last name but no relation. I wonder what could go wrong (ha!). Either way the Black woman half of the couple goes on a deep dive into her family history and discovers that her fiancé’s family probably enslaved hers. I’m curious about a book like this, which in my opinion is long overdue. It’s rare to see interracial relationships interrogated on the page in this specific way so I’m interested to see how it’s handled.

Great Expectations by Vinson Cunningham

Another favorite cover for me, and an interesting story! It’s about a young Black man working for the “Senator from Illinois,” (aka Obama) and his 18 month-stint working for the campaign. It’s a mediation on race, art politics, all things I’m curious about/interested in, especially situated in the context of 07/08.

These Letters End in Tears by Musih Tedji Xaviere

In Cameroon, two girls meet on the soccer field and fall in love. It’s doomed from the start, as their community will never accept them. Tragedy eventually separates them. Years later one half of the couple runs into a mutual friend and sets out on a quest to find the other.

March 19

Memory Piece by Lisa Ko

Memory Piece follows three friends navigating a world that looks nothing like the one they were promised. This novel has all the things I get excited about: a compelling friendship story, an expansive timeline, an imagined near-future. It’s very high on my TBR.

James by Percival Everett

I’ll be honest. I buy a lot of Percival Everett novels and then forget to read them, but with all the hype around Erasure I do believe that this is the year I’ll finally get around to it. Everett loves an absurdist tale and this book is no different, It’s the retelling of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, told from the perspective of the enslaved James.

Nearly All the Men in Lagos Are Mad: Stories by Damilare Kuku

Billed as an anti-rom-com, this collection of stories by Nollywood darling Damilare Kuku promises to be a fun read. It’s about the drama of dating men in Lagos and gives us a view into the lives and world of modern day Nigeria.

March 26

There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib

I can’t sit around and watch sports on TV but I can read and listen to an endless amount of stories about sports and the way they impact people’s lives. In There’s Always This Year, Hanif tackles basketball, his lifelong love for the game, and who we think deserves success.

Worry by Alexandra Tanner

Am I the only one who feels like this book has come out already? It seems like everyone has read it already, at least all the authors I follow. It’s about two sisters who come together after one goes through a breakup and them trying to figure out life and themselves.

Like Happiness by Ursula Villareal-Moura

I really liked Biography of X, so I gravitated toward this debut novel about a woman who recalls her time orbiting a legendary writer a decade after their relationship ended. I also like a New York novel, because everyone has a different (if not always original) take.

April

Lesbians, a book of culture writing, and four sisters investigating a disappearance in the Irish countryside.

April 2

A Good Happy Girl by Marissa Higgins

Love a messy lesbian read, so I was immediately drawn into A Good Happy Girl, a story about a woman pursuing a relationship with a married couple.

The Obscene Bird of Night: Unabridged, Centennial Edition by José Donoso, trans. Leonard Mades, Megan McDowell, and Hardie St. Martin

As I mentioned in my best books of 2023 post, I loved Our Share of Night, which was equal parts compelling and disturbing. This book is almost a century older than that one, and explores one man’s fall for grace as he becomes a tool for witches who want to transform him into a monster. Similarly to Our Share, Megan McDowell is the translator, so I know it’s going to be good.

April 16

The Alternatives by Caolinn Hughes

Four sisters who grew up in the Irish countryside are reunited when their eldest sister goes missing. I devoured Bad Sisters on Apple TV and am anxiously awaiting season two. Hopefully this will fill that void (or possibly create a new one).

A Kind of Madness by Uche Okonkwo

I love a short story collection organized around a single concept or idea. This one explores madness of all kinds. The madness of unspoken desire, hunger, desperation. All of them take place in contemporary Nigeria, one of my favorite settings.

April 24

I Just Keep Talking: A Life in Essays by Nell Irvin Painter

First off, what a great name for a collection of essays? For the first time, writer and thinker Nell Painter’s work is collected all in one place. She explores everything from the resonance of figures like Carrie Buck to the political landscape post 2016. The book also introduces us to her original artwork, which is woven throughout the book to underwrite her criticism.

April 30

Real Americans by Rachel Khong

Boy meets girl. Boy disappears and girl has a baby. Said baby grows up and sets out to find his father. It’s an epic generational quest, and lord knows I love a hero’s journey.

If you made it to the end, thank you for reading. See you next week!

If you’re in the NY/NJ area next week, I’ll be doing an event with Mariah on the 15th at Watchung Booksellers to discuss her new novel.