17 Books We Can't Wait to Read in 2017
New year, new books
2016 might not be over yet, but we’re already getting psyched about 2017—mostly for all the amazing books coming out in the new year. Here are 17, which you should probably preorder immediately.
1.
The Most Dangerous Place on Earth by Lindsey Lee Johnson
A group of friends seem like typical privileged teenagers, but beneath the surface is a dark incident that makes for a chilling portrait of growing up in the digital age. Buy the book (Jan. 10)
2.
The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker
Two college friends are at the height of their professional careers as animators when their partnership begins to fray, exposing resentments neither one saw coming. Buy the book (Jan. 31)
3.
A Book of American Martyrs by Joyce Carol Oates
A striking story of two men and their families: an abortion provider and the ardent Evangelical who kills him. Oates' latest is powerful and particularly timely. Buy the book (Feb. 7)
4.
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
Quirky-funny Saunders' first novel imagines Abraham Lincoln in the aftermath of the death of his 11-year-old son...and is way stranger than your typical historical novel (there are ghosts). Buy the book (Feb. 14)
5.
The Fortunate Ones by Ellen Umansky
In this first novel, a single painting drastically connects the fates of two women living vastly different lives: one in World War II Vienna and the other in present day Los Angeles. Buy the book (Feb. 14)
6.
The Drifter by Christine Lennon
A compelling debut novel set alternately in the present day and 1990s Gainesville, Florida, The Drifter follows a group of college friends inextricably linked by a horrific event in their past. Dun, dun, dun. Buy the book (Feb. 21)
7.
No Other World by Rahul Mehta
Growing up gay in an Indian-American family in a small town, Kiran never felt like he completely belonged. This debut novel is a beautiful meditation on love, belonging and identity. Buy the book (Feb. 28)
8.
Illusion of Justice by Jerome F. Buting
Calling all Making a Murderer Fans. This account of the Steven Avery case is a striking critique of America’s flawed criminal justice system…and might give you a little more insight into if Avery really did it. Buy the book (Feb. 28)
9.
South and West: From a Notebook by Joan Didion
Excerpts from one of our favorite writer's never-before-seen journals? And they take on everything from race and class to stifling heat? We're obsessed already. Buy the book (March 7)
10.
You Are Here by Jenny Lawson
A follow-up to popular blogger Lawson’s hit Furiously Happy, You Are Here is, per its subtitle, an “owner’s manual for dangerous minds” that’s sometimes silly, sometimes dark and entirely enjoyable. Buy the book (March 7)
11.
The Price of Illusion by Joan Juliet Buck
The only American to have edited French Vogue (1994-2001), Buck’s long-awaited memoir promises a thrilling look behind the scenes at her wildly glamorous life. Buy the book (March 7)
12.
The Rules Do Not Apply by Ariel Levy
When New Yorker writer Levy was 38 years old, she was married, pregnant and financially secure. A month later, she was none of those things. Her profound memoir is about picking up the pieces. Buy the book (March 14)
13.
Ballerina Body by Misty Copeland
The American Ballet Theater's first female principal, Copeland writes with inspiring strength about rising to the top of a field in which her body type isn't typically celebrated. Buy the book (March 21)
14.
Wherever You Go, There They Are by Annabelle Gurwitch
With a title that plays off a popular self-help book, this hysterical collection of essays considers the families we’re born into and the ones we choose to join. Buy the book (April 18)
15.
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
From the author of The Girl on the Train comes another psychological thriller—this time about a family in the UK that’s “drowning in secrets.” If it’s anything like its predecessor, we won’t be able to put it down. Buy the book (May 2)
16.
Against All Odds by Danielle Steel
Sue us: We love Danielle Steel. In this latest, a woman struggles to let her four grown children do their own thing despite knowing (or so she thinks) what's best. Buy the book (May 2)
17.
Hunger by Roxane Gay
Renowned essayist Gay always takes a refreshingly honest approach to talking about weight and self-image. Her upcoming memoir, a collection about learning to take care of yourself, is similarly vulnerable and powerful. Buy the book (June 13)
