Most Anticipated Books: Winter/Spring 2023
There’s so much to be excited for in 2023, including another year of amazing books! We’ve rounded up our most highly anticipated titles for the first half of the year. Read on for our shortlist, and check out the entire longlist on our website.
Nightshift by Kiare Ladner (January 3)
Will never not absolutely adore a story about obsession. The story of a young woman named Meggie who becomes obsessed with her coworker, Sabine- so much so that she abandons her daytime shifts for nighttime ones. As she spends her days partying and drinking with coworkers and getting closer to Sabine, Sabine begins to pull away. Does she keep pursuing? Has Sabine changed? Has Meggie changed? When did it all begin? I can’t wait!!!!
—Jules
Friday I’m in Love by Camryn Garrett (January 10)
This is my third book, but my first rom-com, and I’m so excited to share it with everyone! It has a playlist filled with oldies (songs from the 80s and 90s), a rainbow dress, a cute Irish girl with freckles, and best of all, a party to celebrate the main character’s queerness!
—Camryn
Very Good Hats by Emma Straub (January 10)
My first picture book! It is full of hats—boaters, berets, clouds, leaves, and cats—truly, anything you can put on your head. Blanca Gomez's illustrations are charming and hilarious, and like all illustrations, make the book about a thousand percent better. I am so looking forward to moving into the highly coveted bedtime reading demographic. Buy it for your funny and fashionable 2-7 year old.
—Emma
The Girl I Am, Was, and Never Will Be by Shannon Gibney (January 10)
Part memoir, part fiction. Gibney takes us into her own world and that of Erin Powers and unravels all of the intricate complexities of being an adopted mixed-Black person. We’ll get to flip through her own adoption papers, medical records, and family photographs while she describes the adoptee experience. Nothing cooler than when fiction meets real life and takes you on a wild ride. So SO exciting.
—Jules
Anzu the Great Listener by Benson Shum (January 10)
Anzu tries to be like his monstrous, destructive family but instead he rather smell flowers or dance the hulu. In this social emotional learning follow-up to Anzu the Great Kaiju we learn patience & empathy. This The Story of Ferdinand- and The Rabbit Listened-esque story warms my heart like a hot cup of floral tea.
—Jacque
Beneath by Cori Doerrfeld (January 17)
I will read anything Cori Doerrfeld writes! So excited for another picture book from the kind-hearted author of The Rabbit Listened!
—Isabella
The Buried and the Bound by Rochelle Hassan (January 24)
The most original fae story I’ve read in a very long time! The Buried and the Bound follows a hedgewitch, a necromancer, and a boy cursed to forget his one true love, and it’s so fun. Hassan’s rich worldbuilding makes this a treat for any YA lovers!
—Julia
On The Marble Cliffs by Ernst Jünger (January 31)
Whether read as a parable for fascism, communism, mass politics, or otherwise this deeply ambiguous fable from one of the 20th century’s most enigmatic thinkers offers a wholly unique and thought-provoking interpretation of the crisis of modern Europe–in whose interminable death throes we continue to languish. Famously considered “the only genuine follower of Nietzsche” by Martin Heidegger, Jünger has long been a controversial figure in German letters due to his conservative politics, but the lucidity and rigor of his insights deserve a greater English readership, if only as a record of errancy.
—David
Big Swiss by Jen Beagin (February 7)
Jen Beagin’s voice is strange and humorous and oftentimes visceral, so I would never miss one of her novels - especially one with a therapists’ transcriptionist who falls in love with a client. Big Swiss can’t come soon enough!
—Isabella
Don’t Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones (February 7)
Anything Stephen Graham Jones writes is perfect. After falling in love with Jade in My Heart is a Chainsaw, I cannot WAIT to read this continuation of her story. Hopefully with slightly less ill-advised hair dyeing.
—Jacs
Wanting, edited by Margot Kahn and Kelly McMasters (February 14)
On the surface, much of our media seems to be concerned with what women want, how industries can fulfill our desires, what products can make us into our best selves and give us access to our best lives. Very little attention has been paid to what drives women, what levels of freedom, community and power we aspire to. It’s taboo. This collection of essays from writers such as Lisa Taddeo (Three Women) Torrey Peters (Detransition, Baby) and Kristen Arnett (With Teeth) promises a deeper, highly personal look into women’s desires.
—Aatia
I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai (February 21)
I am beyond excited for this–Rebecca Makkai on murder, podcasting, and boarding school? Holy cannoli. This galley landed on my desk yesterday, and am going to start it IMMEDIATELY!
—Emma
The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest (February 28)
I love Kristina Forest's young adult books, and can't wait for this adult romance that looks perfect for fans of bookish romance. I don't get to see Black women at the center of these stories all that often and I'm excited for a Black woman to be at the center of a story that looks so cozy.
—Camryn
Your Driver is Waiting by Priya Guns (February 28)
Imagine Taxi Driver, but instead of Robert DeNiro, our driver in the front seat of this wild joyride is a queer woman of color. Now add incredible humor, scathing social commentary, and an absolutely unhinged plot. Need I say more??
—Amali
Mayumu by Abi Balingit (February 28)
Meet your new favorite dessert cookbook! From the incredibly talented Abi Balingit comes this gorgeous, mouth-watering collection of remixed Filipino-American recipes, accompanied by beautifully crafted essays about family traditions, cultural identity, and Abi’s commitment to community fundraising and mutual aid support.
—Amali
It's Boba Time for Pearl Li! by Nicole Chen (February 28)
An inspirational read for future business leaders! In this sweet middle-grade book, cultural awareness, family (born and adopted), tradition, and entrepreneurship are explored. A recipe is included which is super cute! It reminds me of our customers who come into the shop with boba tea all the time!
—Jacque
Dinner Party: A Tragedy by Sarah Gilmartin (March 7)
Dinner Party follows our sensitive but guarded main character Kate back and forth in time across Ireland, slowly revealing a sweeping portrait of family drama, trauma, and the personal tolls of keeping secrets. It is a painful, evocative, and ultimately redemptive coming-of-age story.
—Zoe
Saving Time: Discovering A Life Beyond the Clock by Jenny Odell (March 7)
I read Jenny Odell’s first book, How to Do Nothing, in April 2020 —the perfect time to dive into a manifesto about divesting from the attention economy— and I have been looking forward to future work from Odell ever since. Saving Time tracks the history of the clock as a means of measuring labor and profit, and explores alternate ways of conceptualizing time, taking inspiration from geologic time scales, bodily processes, and the rhythms of the plant and animal world. I know it will alter the way I see the world, and I expect to be talking about this book all year!
—Margaret
What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jiménez (March 7)
A long lost Staten Island native goes missing when she pops up on a reality TV show years later. Ruthy’s family bands together to find out what happened. A quick gripping mystery is exactly what I want to start the new year.
—Mike
Feed Them Silence by Lee Mandelo (March 14)
A beautiful exploration of the drama of emotional connection and the lengths we will go to in order to find it. Visceral and honest, this book has incredible characterization and stunning descriptions of Sean's (and Kate's) emotional and mental state. Lee can truly do no wrong.
—Jacs
American Mermaid by Julia Langebin (March 21)
This is a wild one! Funny and razor sharp. No, not razor sharp! Mermaid tail sharp! A novel about art, about family, about absolutely deranged behavior. I loved it.
—Emma
Dear Mothman by Robin Gow (March 21)
Noah and Mothman completely won my heart in the most unexpectedly tender middle grade I’ve read in ages! A tale of friendship, loss, and self-discovery; this story in letters belongs in the hands of every kid (and adult) trying to define who they are- and what that means in a life with so much left of it to discover.
—Kristina
Nobodaddy’s Children by Arno Schmidt (March 21)
Allusive, digressive, erudite, experimental, and ever outlandishly punctuated these three early novellas are a great starting point for those unfamiliar with Schmidt. Often compared to Joyce due to his inexhaustible linguistic inventiveness and the gargantuan scope of his reference–both of which verged on the demonic–the comparison is apt only insofar as Schmidt’s achievement in German was every bit as singular and unprecedented as Joyce’s achievement in English. There are few peaks loftier in the mountain range of German modernism than that occupied by Arno Schmidt.
—David
A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher (March 28)
A Southern Gothic about a haunted house written by T. Kingfisher?? I’m simply not sure there’s a better sentence in the English language. There’s teeth, there’s entomology, there’s vultures, there’s spooks, there’s family trauma, there’s a cute handyman, this book has it all! The perspective and narration of this book is so relatable and funny, it makes the scary parts even scarier! I love everything T. Kingfisher has ever done and this book is no exception.
—Jacs
Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (April 4)
This book is absolutely brutal. Throws you right into the center of the action from the start and simply does not let up. Much like Friday Black, this is an unflinching look at racism through a speculative lens and boy does it make you feel a lot of things. Every character is terrifying and amazing and I am simply so excited for this book to come out so I can recommend it to everyone.
—Jacs
This Is Not Miami by Fernanda Melchor (April 4)
Fernanda Melchor has easily become one of my favorite authors after reading her nasty little books! Parts of Hurricane Season are seared into my brain forever and her follow up, Paradais, was just as sick and twisted. Her prose is incomparable and I can't wait to dive into this book of devastating nonfiction pieces that take place in the city of Veracruz!
—Natalie
Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee (April 11)
A high fantasy revenge story. A woman and a dragon-sized falcon versus Manticores. Plural. Sign me up.
—Kevin
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld (April 11)
Curtis is the greatest, rom-coms are the greatest, so a Curtis rom-com? Literal heaven.
—Emma
Hit Parade of Tears by Izumi Suzuki (April 11)
Ok great news! You have time to catch up on Izumi Suzuki's previous collection of short stories...Terminal Boredom! She's a legend of Japanese science fiction and her work is full of deranged little freaks! There's aliens, alternate dimensions, romance and more! I'm so pleased to be blessed with a new collection!!!
—Natalie
Juno Loves Legs by Karl Geary (April 18)
Juno Loves Legs is a masterpiece. It is a sharp, beautiful, intense portrait of two kids growing up poor in Dublin in the 1980s, who have only each other among political, social, and personal upheaval. Geary evokes the magic of what it’s like to have someone who knows and forgives you more than you do yourself. It is an ode to love in different forms, and to fighting tooth and nail for hope.
—Zoe
If We’re Being Honest by Cat Shook (April 18)
My friend wrote this book and it made me cry every 50-ish pages. Every single one of the Williams is truly going through it. From grieving a family death to a crushing early-20’s break up, many identity crises, and family tensions, there is something for everyone in this book. Let the Williams’ into your heart, because it feels like they already belong there.
—Alexa
To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose (May 9)
To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is all the things a good fantasy series opener should be—immersive, thoughtful, and so captivating that you can’t put it down. Plus there are dragons! This alternate history of New England and its colonization is sure to be a hit for fans of Babel and The House of the Dragon!
—Julia
Ruby Lost and Found by Christina Li (May 16)
I love Rebecca Stead’s middle grade books, and Christina Li’s books remind me of them. This book is following the grief of losing a grandparent while also centering a city (San Francisco) and its community the way Stead does with New York City. I’m so excited for this book and for Li’s future work!
—Camryn
The Guest by Emma Cline (May 16)
In Emma Cline’s second novel, a young woman is exiled from the wealthy Long Island community she once was part of. Following an embarrassing misstep with that rich crowd, the main character, Alex is forced to wander and find her way. I read The Girls, about a woman who was dragged under the current of a Manson-like cult as a teen, some years earlier. The reading experience was uncomfortable and dizzying, but unforgettable. I can’t wait to read this next one.
—Aatia
Witch King by Martha Wells (May 30)
In her first fantasy novel in a decade, Wells introduces us to Kai–charismatic, witty, and new to demonhood he’s a classic case of torture your protagonist in a fun way. With grace and attention to detail in Wells’ writing I felt trapped in Kai’s casket and shivered with his bones. An adventure that’s quick to begin in just a few pages!
—Pax
Pageboy: A Memoir by Elliot Page (June 6)
T4T!!
—Bex
Maeve Fly by CJ Leede (June 6)
In a love letter to LA, one of the only other cities New Yorkers can romanticize–throwing on & off personas like clothing from Disney Princess to blood soaked American Psycho as a personality–what’s not to love? Big Libra energy. The reader goes along for the ride with Maeve’s thought process, similar to Caroline Kepnes’ You.
—Pax
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