12 Books Coming Out in January You Need to Add to Your Bookshelf
What are you most excited about this new year…
A resolution you plan to make – and keep?
A major life milestone?
The bottle of champagne you’re going to single-handedly down as you wait for the ball to drop?
Well, at Drink. Read. Repeat., nothing excites us quite like books.
Well, and alcohol.
Books and alcohol.
And coffee.
Anyways…focus.
There certainly is much to be excited about this January – at least in the world of literature.
The to-be-released line-up is overflowing with must-reads, making narrowing it down to a dozen a bit of a task. But, we did it anyway.
We offer, for your consideration (and Amazon pre-ordering), the 12 books coming out in January that most set our literature-loving hearts aflutter.
Meet Cute
by Jennifer L. Armentrout, Sona Charaipotra, Dhonielle Clayton, Katie Cotugno, Jocelyn Davies, Nina LaCour, Emery Lord, Katharine McGee, Kass Morgan, Meredith Russo, Sara Shepard, Nicola Yoon, Ibi Zoboi, Julie Murphy
Release Date - January 2, 2018
Genre - Young Adult
As I’ve previously mentioned, there was a time when I thought anthologies were…well…pretty boring.
Now, I’m a reformed lady.
I’m a born-again anthology lover. (You don’t have to go to any kind of special services for that or be baptized to anything… you just have to…you know…read anthologies)
Why the change of heart? Because some pretty fucking awesome writers have been lending their talent to anthologies in the last several years.
The title of this anthology pretty much explains it all.
Contained within this relatively hearty volume is a collection of thematically similar tales, each detailing the adorable ways in which couples can meet.
With some of the greatest YA voices currently writing contributing to this anthology, it’s sure to be an amazing read.
Given what we know about most relationships outside of Rom Coms…you know, the IRL ones…there should be an accompanying volume called “Disastrous Break-up”. But, alas, that’s for another time, another place and, ultimately, another month’s must-read list.
Before I Let Go
by Marieke Nijkamp
Release Date - January 2, 2018
Genre - Young Adult
Not that I judge a book by its cover (yeah, I totally judge books by their covers), but just glancing at this dust jacket makes me remember why I don’t trudge out onto ice.
1. Ice is breakable
2. I’m fat
Oh, and bonus #3
3. I’m only “outdoorsy” in that I like getting drunk on patios (and any patios in the pictured setting would hardly be conducive to drinking)
Anyways, set in a small town in Alaska, this book is about two inseparable friends, Kyra and Corey. To their chagrin, they are forced to separate when Corey’s family moves.
But Corey promises to return.
And she keeps that promise.
The only problem (and it’s a big one) days before her return Kyra dies.
Like presumably many things in sleepy Lost Creek, Alaska, this death is suspicious. Not only is Corey left to deal with the loss of her friend, but she must also seek answers and justice for this once close confidant.
Nijkamp’s first book, This is Where it Ends, cemented her in my esteem (even though the ending was…well…not the best). We’re anxious to see if this follow up work delivers the same powerful punch.
The Woman in the Window
by A.J. Finn
Release Date - January 2, 2018
Genre - Thriller
The plot of this highly anticipated thriller is eerily similar to (aka, basically the same as) that of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window. Yet, presumably, this isn’t just a rehashing of a cinematic masterwork because the pre-release buzz is all-but deafening.
The protagonist in this A.J. Finn debut is Anna Fox, a reclusive woman who lives in New York City and enjoys, among other things, spying in on her neighbors.
When The Russells move into a nearby home, she takes to watching them closely as they appear to her to be the perfect family.
Of course, she’s not watching long before she sees something that makes her question all that she previously believed.
Unable to unsee what she has witnessed, Anna is left to grapple with the ramifications and determine what responsibility she now has to protect those in danger.
With everyone from Gillian Flynn to Stephen King writing profusely flattering cover comments for this work, it’s bound to have something that sets it apart, making it a solid must-read.
The Chalk Man
by C.J. Tudor
Release Date - January 9, 2018
Genre - Thriller
As they grow up in 1986, there isn’t much for Eddie and his friends to do in their quiet English village other than bike around and look for something – anything – in the way of a thrill.
As kids do, they develop a secret code, leaving messages to each other in the form of chalk stick figures. (Which is creepy AF, BTW)
But when someone uses their own secret code to guide the kids to a dismembered body, everything changes.
Fast forward 30 critical years.
Eddie’s now a grown man whose days of bike riding and body finding would seem far behind him.
Or are they?
When Eddie receives a letter in the mail containing a chalk figure, he assumes it’s a joke.
Then his friend receives a similar letter.
Then one of them ends up dead.
This leaves Eddie no choice but to the revisit the disasters of his past to avoid disasters of the future.
With a chilling premise and the promise of a shocking ending, The Chalk Man is one you definitely want to add to your bookshelf this January.
The Wife Between Us
by Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen
Release Date - January 9, 2018
Genre – Thriller
Descriptions of this book are decidedly – and deliberately – vague.
At its core, this book is about a love triangle.
But mapping out this triangle and learning to navigate the complexities it presents won’t be easy.
Promising twists and turns throughout, this co-authored thriller has captured some seriously positive pre-release praise.
As we’re always fans of twisty plots, and low-key love co-authored works, this tempting thriller has earned a place on our January TBR list.
Keep Her Safe
by Richard Parker
Release Date - January 11, 2018
Genre - Thriller
When Maggie wakes up to find that, as she slept, a creepy woman has made her way into her home, her first instinct is to run to her daughter, Penny.
Unfortunately for Maggie, this home invader beats her to it, locking herself in a room with Penny.
Maggie is told that she has until dawn to do what this woman demands, or her daughter will disappear.
Can she do it?
Will Penny be released?
And, most importantly, who the fuck is this scary-ass woman?
As readers move through this thriller, they unearth answers to these questions and see for themselves just how far a mother will go to save her daughter.
So, yeah, the thought of waking up with some creepy-ass woman in my house is enough to make me sleep with the lights on (thanks for that, BTW) but it definitely makes for an engaging premise for a novel that, hopefully, delivers.
Anatomy of a Scandal
by Sarah Vaughan
Release Date - January 23, 2018
Genre - Literary Fiction
When James is accused of a horrible crime, no one wants to believe that the charismatic public figure could be guilty – least of all his adoring and devoted wife, Sophie.
Certain that the accusations must be merely baseless lies, Sophie vows to fight staunchly in James’ corner.
But not everyone believes that James is the innocent victim of a smear campaign.
Among the skeptics is Kate, the prosecutor tasked with arguing James’ guilt.
As Kate explores the evidence, she becomes increasingly certain that James is actually guilty and grows ever-more dedicated to ensuring that he faces the consequences he deserves.
Obviously, both ladies can’t be right.
Rich in drama and intrigue, this January new release promises to provide a clear picture of what it’s like for those left standing when a public figure falls.
You know, think The Good Wife but without Julianna Margulies and Chris Noth. (Sorry, Mr. Big. Maybe you can be in the film adaptation)
The Last Girl on Earth
by Alexandra Blogier
Release Date - January 23, 2018
Genre - Young Adult / Dystopian
This young adult, sci-fi, dystopian, romance (yeah, say that five times fast) tells the tale of Li, a girl growing up on a very different (thanks, climate change) planet Earth.
The Abdoloreans took over Earth sixteen years prior to the start of the novel, basically killing all humans.
Li is just your everyday, average, teenage Abdolorean…or so everyone thinks.
What they don’t know is that Li is actually a human.
Her father, sympathetic to the plight of humans, took her in and shielded her from the genocide, raising her as his own and teaching her to pass as an Abdolorean.
But now Li is a teen. And (as many of us know firsthand) becoming a teen has a way of fucking everything up.
When Li meets Ryn and falls in love, she faces new risks that could have dire consequences.
As with Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies and Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, readers of this novel are required to check their disbelief at the door and fully immerse themselves in Blogier’s world.
But, once they do, they will be rewarded handsomely.
Watch Me
by Jody Gehrman
Release Date - January 23, 2018
Genre - Thriller
My number one fear use to be windows without blinds during the nighttime.
Why?
Because literally any-fucking-body could be standing out there, watching you, and you wouldn’t know.
So this book, about a once-famous-but-now-fading-into-obscurity author who is being stalked by an obsessed student is, basically, nightmare fuel.
As the spotlight that settled on her after her initial best seller release grows increasingly dim, protagonist Kate does want to be noticed.
So when Sam, a promising student who writes dark fiction with twisted plots (Alarm bells. Run, don’t walk, away from this guy) takes in an interest in her, she’s initially flattered.
But Kate doesn’t realize the risks she’s facing.
How could she?
She doesn’t know that Sam’s been watching her for a long time.
Even before she knew who he was.
Which is fucking seriously why you need blinds on your windows.
Author Jody Gehrman explores obsession (and likely induces some sleepless nights) in this January new release that you should definitely add to your list.
Say You'll Remember Me
by Katie McGarry
Release Date - January 30, 2018
Genre - Young Adult
Has the story of star-crossed lovers been told before?
Um… yep.
But yet it never gets old.
In Say You’ll Remember Me author Katie McGarry provides another take on this ages old tale.
Her protagonists, Drix and Ellie, are an improbable couple.
Drix, a participant in the Second Chance Program, a rehabilitatory program for teen delinquents is an unlikely match for Ellie, the governor’s daughter who has never had to eat with any utensil but a silver spoon.
As is so often the case, though, when these two adolescents meet, they fall almost immediately head-over-heels with each other (of course they do… they always do…)
Promising a simple, light, romantic storyline, this book will provide a little bit of light and warmth to make getting through dreary January a bit easier.
The Wedding Date
by Jasmine Guillory
Release Date - January 30, 2018
Genre - Romance
What’s worse than going to your ex’s wedding?
Going to your ex’s wedding alone.
Drew Nichols is so desperate to avoid this fate that he asks a random stranger with whom he gets stuck in an elevator if she’ll be his date.
As the gods of romance would have it, Drew and his elevator-lady, Alexa, have an amazing time.
Unfortunately for them, they don’t live close together and (as many know from experience) long distance relationships are all but doomed to failure.
Will Drew and Alexa beat the statistics, or will there’s be just another in a long line of fizzled romances?
Finding out will certainly be enjoyable, as readers snuggle up by the fire and devour this pleasant and well-written Jasmine Guillory novel this January.
Seriously. You should join them. This one is a winner.
I, for one, certainly wouldn’t have to be stuck in an elevator with no other options to read it.
S.T.A.G.S.
by M.A. Bennett
Release Date - January 30
Genre – Young Adult
There aren’t many hard and fast rules when it comes to navigating the complexities of adolescent relationships – particularly in an exclusive boarding school.
But one thing’s for sure – if the most popular and wealthy boy at school invites you to a weekend escape, you should probably go – no matter how creepy the invitation may be.
So when Greer receives an embossed (yeah, embossed, he’s rich AF) invite that says only “huntin’ shootin’ fishin’” She knows she’s got to go to Henry de Warlencourt’s country manner for the weekend.
When she and the other lucky students arrive, however, they discover that his parents aren’t at home and that they are being watched over only by a group of creepy servants.
And it only gets worse from there.
It quickly becomes clear that all is not as it seemed.
What were the intentions behind this invitation?
And, more importantly, will all who received an invite live to see Monday?
With a cover reminiscent of The Hunger Games and a premise that literally makes me want to read this book right now, it’s an obvious choice for chilly January reading.
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