35 Books We Can't Wait to Read in 2019

Narrated by a guardian spirit common to Igbo cosmology, Obioma’s second novel is about a young Nigerian poultry farmer who falls in love with a young woman he stopped from committing suicide. Preorder the book

In this dystopian feminist revenge fantasy, three sisters on an isolated island are raised by their father to fear men. Then he disappears... Preorder the book

In 1989, a 17-year-old is sentenced to life in prison. When she’s released 18 years later, she finds herself reeling from the unexpected freedom and determined to turn her life around. Preorder the book

Award-winning professor and acclaimed author of Lower Ed McMillan Cottom explores all sides of the Black American female experience with everything from SNL to Trump rallies. Preorder the book

From the author of The Age of Miracles, this latest work is a science-fiction fairy-tale about a mysterious illness putting inhabitants of a California community to sleep. Preorder the book

After her mother’s death, a privileged young woman from Bangalore sets out for a remote Himalayan village to confront a man she’s convinced was involved in her mother’s loss. Preorder the book

Set just before the Iranian Revolution of the late 1970s, Ghaffari’s novel examines the lives of Iranians from different walks of life—retired judges, children, servants—as they go about their business amidst political turmoil and strife. Preorder the book

When two 18-year-old girls go missing in Thailand, investigators, journalists and their families are left to wonder what happened—and what the girls were up to before they disappeared. Preorder the book

A woman is discovered unconscious in a Massachusetts cemetery. Her only possessions? A bowling ball, a candlepin and 15 pounds of gold. Bowlaway charts three generations of her unconventional family’s lives. Preorder the book

The first novel in James’s Dark Star trilogy, Black Leopard, Red Wolf melds history and mythology as a mercenary attempts to find a missing child. Preorder the book

Seemingly out of nowhere, a famous painter upends her own privileged life by shooting her husband—and then refusing to speak. Enter a renowned criminal psychotherapist, whose drive to get her to talk takes over his life. Preorder the book

The latest from best-selling YA author Thomas (The Hate U Give) is an insightful story, that doubles as a love letter to hip-hop, about a 16-year-old determined to become the greatest rapper of all time. Preorder the book

In this powerful and timely novel, a family embarks on a road trip from New York City to the former Apache territory in Arizona as a modern-day immigration crisis rages on America’s southwestern border. Preorder the book

Mother-daughter relationships are at the center of this debut novel about three grown sisters reckoning with their family’s troubled past. Preorder the book

Award-winning Israeli writer Tsabari’s father died when she was nine years old. His passing, her grief and the subsequent search for identity make up the essays in this intimate memoir. Preorder the book

Oyeyemi’s (Boy, Snow, Bird) latest is influenced by the strange place gingerbread holds in classic children's stories and concerns a family whose legacy centers on a gingerbread recipe. Preorder the book

Ridker’s darkly funny debut novel is about a professor at a midwestern college who, unable to keep up with his mortgage, plots to win back the inheritances his late wife left for their children. Preorder the book

Milicent Patrick was one of Disney’s first female animators. Horror-film enthusiast O’Meara set out to find out why so few people know about her legacy. Preorder the book

Subtitled “Data Bias in a World Designed for Men,” Criado Perez’s book explores how so much data fails to take gender into account, treating men as the default and women as atypical—much to women’s detriment. Preorder the book

In this Bridget Jones-esque story, a Jamaican British woman working at a London newspaper seeks comfort in the wrong places after a messy breakup from her white boyfriend. Preorder the book

Each story in this collection—Hempel’s first in more than a decade—introduces characters who are lonely, adrift and searching for connection, from a spurned wife to a volunteer who relates more to dogs than to people. Preorder the book

After spending her whole life trying to please her strict Indian parents, Bhagwati abandoned her Ivy League grad school career to join the Marines. Her powerful memoir is about pushing yourself beyond your limits. Preorder the book

Written by a Japanese Zen monk, this is a clear and practical guide to finding happiness through actions as simple as lining up your shoes after you take them off or putting down your fork after every bite. Preorder the book

In the early 1980s, two students at an elite performing arts high school fall obsessively in love with each other, not understanding that their relationship will soon take a dark and thrilling turn. Preorder the book

From the author of American Housewife, a fiercely funny essay collection about living life as a “proper” Southern lady. (Hint: "If you don't have something nice to say, say something not-so-nice in a nice way.”) Preorder the book

Since getting pregnant freshman year of high school, all of Emoni’s decisions have been about her family. But on the eve of graduation, she reconsiders whether her dreams of becoming a chef are as far-fetched as she thinks they are. Preorder the book

In New York’s Hudson Valley, a luxury retreat offers every amenity you could want for a hefty price. The only catch? You can't leave the grounds for nine months, while you dedicate yourself to the task: Producing the perfect baby. Preorder the book

Eye-opening and funny (in an I-can’t-believe-this-is-real way), this collection of essays from West (Shrill) examines how patriarchy, intolerance and misogyny have conquered politics and American culture. Preorder the book

Eccentric and darkly funny, Arnett’s debut novel is about a woman who, following her father’s suicide, takes over the family’s taxidermy business. Preorder the book

Set in the New York City theater world during the 1940s, Gilbert's (Eat, Pray, Love) latest is about a young woman discovering that you don't have to be a good girl to be a good person. Preorder the book

At a highly selective MFA program in New England, an outsider gets a taste of the inside when she’s drawn into a clique of rich girls who call each other "Bunny,” a name that is far sweeter than the magic they practice behind closed doors. Preorder the book

After winning a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award for The Underground Railroad, Whitehead is back with the story of two boys sentenced to a reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida. Preorder the book

Combining memoir, cultural criticism and writings on literature, family life, gender and politics, Coventry is an insightful first collection of essays by Cusk (Outline). Preorder the book

Set in San Francisco in the middle of the tech boom, Bottle Grove is a dark comedy about two marriages and the forces that can drive couples together, apart and into sinister realms. Preorder the book

Atwood hasn't released much information about the highly-anticipated Handmaid's Tale sequel, except that it's set 15 years after Offred’s final scene and is narrated by three female characters. Preorder the book