Xochitl Gonzalez Archives | The Nerd Daily

Q&A: Xochitl Gonzalez, Author of ‘Last Night in Brooklyn’

Elise Dumpleton — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 22:00:00 +0000

We chat with author Xochitl Gonzalez about Last Night in Brooklyn, which is a captivating story about a young woman whose life becomes ensnared in her glamorous neighbor’s secret past. PLUS you can also listen to an excerpt from the audiobook below too!

Hi, Xochitl! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Such a big question! Ok, I’m a native Brooklynite; I grew up in a very working class family in South Brooklyn. I was raised by my grandparents, and so now most of my family that’s alive is chosen. I have been blessed with the greatest friends, many of whom have been in my life for decades. I came to writing in mid-life. (Encouraged by my friends.) I started my first business– a luxury wedding planning company– when i was 23, and started and ran a couple of small businesses– mainly in the service industry– with my best friend over the following like 16 or 17 years? I started writing seriously when I was 40 and I started my MFA at Iowa when I was 41.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

When I was 9, I won the Brooklyn Storytelling Contest, but i got shut out in the Citywide competition. So the next year I came back bigger and stronger and took New York! Ha. This was mainly oral stories that you memorized– folk tales and that kind of thing. But I loved the library and I lived at the Brooklyn Public Library. And then in high school we had this competition and we’d make up musicals every year. It was called SING. And that was my first “writing experience.” I wrote the scripts and songs for that for four years. And i wrote stories in high school. And then I didn’t write again until the early aughts when I started a blog about wedding planning.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

The first book you ever remember reading: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.
The one that made you want to become an author: It didn’t happen for me that way. I decided to become an author when I was 40 and finally had some financial security and was shopping for a discount top for a business meeting at Nordstrom Rack. And it hit me: “I think you could write a book.”
The one that you can’t stop thinking about: I think about Troubling Love by Elena Ferrante all the time (not lighting but… somehow it is related to Chisel Beach, because then I always start thinking about that book. And now lately, somehow they all are also related to Quiara Alegra Hudes’ novel, The White Hot. There’s a whole thing there and I need to read them all again.)

Your latest novel, Last Night in Brooklyn, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Community, ambition, greed, amor fou!

What can readers expect?

A very sweeping story that moves quickly and drops you into another place and time, but where the full meaning might hit you after you are done. I think its meant to feel like a really important night in your twenties… It sticks with you and you should churn it over a few times when its done.

**Where did the inspiration for Last Night in Brooklyn come from?**

It started with L’Wren Scott’s suicide. And how hard it is to have a fashion business, or any creative business. But especially as a woman. Then, I saw a gender swapped production of Company and it got me thinking about other stories that I love that really rest on being male driven. And I was thinking about Gatsby. And how Nick just tells that story like such a man. And Gatsby thinks such male things will win Daisy over… and i got to thinking of how that would be gender swapped.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

There is a scene where Marla goes to Garza’s house to confront her about a blind item that was in Page Six, and I loved writing that scene. I spent so much time on the staging of that scene. Physically mapping that. Garza’s whole life was based on a building a friend of mine owned and had made into two lofts… so I had the view from that rooftop really in my mind. And I love Garza, tremendously. But I also love Marla, whose husband Garza had a past with. She comes off as one thing, but really is another.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

The ending. The frame of the whole thing, because there’s a bit of retrospection and so its like, WHY? Why is Alicia thinking about this now? I struggled with that a lot. And then thankfully i was knocked out with Covid while in the middle of a revision and I stumbled on this documentary on YouTube called “Battle for Brooklyn” and… well the Barclays’ Center had been in the book. But not the way that it is now. And that was the key. Really. Then it had this bigger thing. I’m so indebted to that film.

The audiobook is narrated by Elizabeth Rodriguez, who is best known for her role as Aleida Diaz in Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black. What was it like hearing the narration for the first time?

I met Elizabeth when we were casting the pilot for Olga, and I fell in love with her. I had already seen her off Broadway in a number of plays, but most especially “Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven.” And Aleida was a tough character, but in real life Elizabeth is so elegant and soft. And so I want to say that hearing her narrate was everything I had hoped and more.

Was there a chapter or scene that really came to life with the narration or one you really enjoyed?

That whole second to last chapter of the book, which is kind of devastating. So much of this book is on the move.. and the whole sequence of Alicia trying to go to a movie and then going to Soul Summit and just dancing out her feelings in the middle Fort Greene Park? That was really something.

What’s next for you?

I just literally turned in my first non-fiction book, which is going to come out next year. It’s called Need Blind: A Memoir of Social Class in America. It’s really personal, but also deeply researched and reported, and I left it all on the dancefloor for this one, so I think I’m gonna take a beat and do something just kind of fun next. I have an idea for a play. Let’s see.

Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?

I am both done with a year of reading about class for this book and on a blurbing sabbatical, and I am just giddy for some reading freedom!! My plan is to kind of dig in the crates, so to speak, this summer. I want to get to “back list bangers” that I just missed for whatever reason. As soon as this tour is over, I’m starting Housekeeping. I’ve never read it. My friend Eddie gave out books for his 50th birthday, he picked what everybody got, and I got Charming Billy, so I’m going to read that. And while there are Morrison novels I’ve read multiple times, I am mortified to say that somehow I never read Song of Solomon, and that correction needs to be made.

Will you be picking up Last Night In Brooklyn? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Xochitl Gonzalez, Author of ‘Last Night in Brooklyn’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Fiction Book Releases To Check Out In 2026

Elise Dumpleton — Sat, 10 Jan 2026 22:00:00 +0000

The Nerd Daily may obtain commissions for qualifying purchases from the links included in this article and are invested back into The Nerd Daily, but it’s so important to remember to shop local and indie!

Get ready to look forward to some great fiction book releases in 2026! We’ve rounded up just a few fiction books releasing between January and June from thrillers and historical fiction, to stories of friendship and family, and more. With new releases from Jennifer Niven, Simone St. James, Claire Heywood, Catriona Ward, CG Drews, Natalie Haynes, Megan Lally, Xochitl Gonzalez, Emma Straub, Kylie Lee Baker, Nick Cutter, Catherine Adel West, Jennifer Saint, Rob Hart, and more, plus debut novels, you’ll be sure to find quite a few exciting new reads within this list!

Be sure to check out our other 2026 round-ups too, including our Most Anticipated, Romance, Fantasy and Sci-Fi, and Young Adult lists!

JANUARY 2026 FICTION BOOK RELEASES

Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Funny, big-hearted, and deeply moving, Meet the Newmans is a rich family story about the dual lives we lead. Because even when our lives aren’t televised weekly, we all have a behind-the-scenes.

Is This A Cry For Help? by Emily Austin

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A luminous new novel following a librarian who comes back to work after a mental breakdown only to confront book-banning crusaders in an empowering story of grief, love, and the power of libraries.

Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna Everhart

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Based on the long-buried history of the American Plan, this powerful and shockingly timely story of resistance and resilience exposes the real government program designed to regulate women’s bodies and sexuality throughout the first half of the 20th century.

Dandelion Is Dead by Rosie Storey

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
With sparkling wit and aching tenderness, debut author Rosie Storey gives us a modern love story about the courage it takes to live again after loss and finding hope in the most unexpected places.

Skylark by Paula McLain

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife weaves a mesmerizing tale of Paris above and below—where a woman’s quest for artistic freedom in 1664 intertwines with a doctor’s dangerous mission during the German occupation in the 1940s, revealing a story of courage and resistance that transcends time.

You’ll Never Forget Me by Isha Raya

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
In this captivating cat-and-mouse thriller, a struggling actress is only just beginning to enjoy the life sheʼs always wanted after inadvertently killing her rival—but now she must contend with the woman who threatens to take it all away.

Burn Down Master’s House by Clay Cane

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Inspired by long-buried true stories of enslaved people who dared to fight back, this powerful novel offers a searing portrayal of resistance.

The Midnight Carousel by Fiza Saeed McLynn

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The Night Circus meets Water for Elephants in this enchanting, darkly glittering story of grief, obsession, revenge, and enduring love.

The Briars by Sarah Crouch

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The USA TODAY bestselling author of Middletide returns with a lush and atmospheric novel of suspense following a young woman whose job as a game warden puts her in the path of a murderer in a small town eager to protect its own.

Just Watch Me by Lior Torenberg

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Fleabag meets Big Swiss in this bold debut about a charismatic misfit who livestreams her life for seven days and nights to raise money to save her comatose sister—a poignant and darkly funny exploration of grief, forgiveness, and redemption.

A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Simone St. James, the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel, returns with her scariest, most shocking novel yet in this pulse-pounding story about siblings who return to the house they fled 18 years before, called back by the ghost of their long-missing brother and his haunting request: Come home.

The Seven Daughters of Dupree by Nikesha Elise Williams

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the two-time Emmy Award–winning producer and host of the Black and Published podcast comes a sweeping multi-generational epic following seven generations of Dupree women as they navigate love, loss, and the unyielding ties of family in the tradition of Homegoing and The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois.

FEBRUARY 2026 FICTION BOOK RELEASES

The Exes by Leodora Darlington

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Who hasn’t wanted to murder an ex—figuratively, at least? In this explosive debut thriller, a woman’s seemingly perfect romantic life is on the verge of collapse as she uncovers a hidden history surfacing dark secrets that have deadly consequences.

A Crown of Stars by Shana Abe

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A sumptuously vivid and poignant account of the Lusitania’s fateful last days, drawn from the true story of an extraordinary young actress who survived the unthinkable—for fans of Marie Benedict, Louis Bayard, Fiona Davis, Kate Quinn, and HBO’s The Gilded Age.

The Wandering Queen by Claire Heywood

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
An epic and fiercely imaginative retelling of the story of queen Dido, the legendary founder of Carthage, from the author of the national bestseller Daughters of Sparta.

Where the Wildflowers Grow by Terah Shelton Harris

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From acclaimed author Terah Shelton Harris comes a poignant story of survival and redemption that questions what it means to stop existing and start living.

The Fourth Princess by Janie Chang

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the internationally bestselling author of The Porcelain Moon comes a haunting Gothic novel set in 1911 China. Two young women living in a crumbling, once-grand Shanghai mansion face danger as secrets of their pasts come to light, even as the mansion’s own secret threatens the present.

Out of the Loop by Katie Siegel

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The Seven Year Slip meets Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers in this wholly original time loop mystery.

Superfan by Jenny Tinghui Zhang

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree Jenny Tinghui Zhang, a novel about a pop idol and his superfan, whose stories shockingly collide

The Midnight Taxi by Yosha Gunasekera

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
When the last fare of the night turns up dead in her backseat, a Sri Lankan American taxi driver works off the clock to clear her name in this mystery novel by debut author Yosha Gunasekera.

Adrift by Will Dean

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A high-tension thriller about a family’s descent into darkness that is perfect for fans of Dennis Lehane and Lisa Jewell.

A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage by MK Oliver

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A whip-smart and darkly funny crime novel—perfect for fans of My Sister, the Serial Killer and The Maid—that follows a wife and mother with a deadly secret that she must suppress if she wants to maintain her picture-perfect façade.

Bad Asians by Lillian Li

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the acclaimed author of Number One Chinese Restaurant comes an affecting novel about an unforgettable group of friends trying to make their way in the world without losing themselves, or one another.

Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Nowhere Burning is a harrowing tale of survival that places the dark fairy tale of Peter Pan and the ruthless dangers of Lord of the Flies into the unforgiving maw of the Colorado Rockies.

MARCH 2026 FICTION BOOK RELEASES

No Friend To This House by Natalie Haynes

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
No Friend to This House is an extraordinary reimagining of the myth of Medea from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Stone Blind, Natalie Haynes.

Wretch by Eric LaRocca

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From rising horror star and award-winning author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke comes a nightmarish, haunting, tech-Gothic thrill ride about sorrow, memory, and the unabashed complexity of love as a transgressive act.

You Did Nothing Wrong by C.G. Drews

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Domestic suspense meets haunted house horror in this adult debut from the New York Times bestselling author of Don’t Let the Forest In.

Strangers In The Villa by Robyn Harding

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the international bestselling author of The Drowning Woman, a psychological thriller about a couple rocked by infidelity who moves to a villa in Spain’s Costa Brava to rebuild their relationship, only to welcome a pair of visitors who have no intention of leaving.

How Simi Got Her Groom Back by Sonali Dev

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Two sisters face the real consequences of a fake marriage scheme in an emotional yet hilarious novel about immigration, healing, and family from USA Today bestselling author Sonali Dev.

Bloom by Robbie Couch

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the New York Times bestselling author of If I See You Again Tomorrow comes a delightful and heartwarming novel about family, love, grief, and one precocious houseplant, that reminds us of the beauty of living a life in full Bloom.

Dig by J. H. Markert

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
J. H. Markert returns with a surreal horror novel, perfect for fans of Graveyard Shift and What Moves the Dead.

This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Best friends Benny and Joy like to say they’ve been saving each other’s lives since the moment they met. Until the day Joy disappears and Benny is suspected of murder . . .

Turn Off the Light by Jacquie Walter

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Two women living centuries apart are bound by the same dark secret in this haunting novel that “upends everything you think you know about ghost stories” (Jennifer McMahon, author of The Winter People).

Sweetbitter Song by Rosie Hewlett

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Perfect for fans of The Song of Achilles and from the award-winning author of The Witch of Colchis comes a profoundly moving story of two women on the shores of Ithaca, in the shadows of a legendary war, who must face their own battle – one of sisterhood, survival, and a forbidden love that could destroy them both.

What We Did To Survive by Megan Lally

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A vacation in paradise turns deadly when four teens’ sailing charter hits stormy seas in this propulsive new thriller from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Megan Lally!

Finlay Donovan Crosses The Line by Elle Cosimano

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From New York Times bestseller Elle Cosimano comes Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line—the highly anticipated next installment in the beloved Finlay Donovan series.

APRIL 2026 FICTION BOOK RELEASES

Last Night in Brooklyn by Xochitl Gonzalez

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
New York Times bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez delivers a captivating story about a young woman whose life becomes ensnared in her glamorous neighbor’s secret past

A Murder Most Camp by Nicolas DiDomizio

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The Guncle meets Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies in this fun, twisty mystery following a spoiled nepo baby forced to work at a struggling summer camp who stumbles into a real-life murder mystery he has no choice but to solve.

We Would Never Tell by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A high-glamour, high-stakes thriller trailing three ambitious women as they navigate Hollywood’s secrets, sins, and scandals during 12 days at the Cannes Film Festival.

American Fantasy by Emma Straub

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From New York Times bestselling author of This Time Tomorrow, an irresistible story about what happens when your teenage fantasy comes true after you’re already an adult.

The Girls Trip by Ally Condie

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the author of Reese’s Book Club Pick and instant USA Today bestseller The Unwedding, a novel of suspense and friendship about three friends who decide to disappear from their lives for a few days while on a trip to a national park—only to have one of them vanish.

The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Fans of Agatha Christie’s locked-room mysteries and modern tales like Knives Out will fall for The Ending Writes Itself, which masterfully blends classic mystery elements with genre-bending tropes. Crafted with razor-sharp wit and a meta twist, this satirical take on the publishing world ensures readers will hang on every word, right up to its breathtaking finale.

The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Come along with the Book Witch in this magical and inspiring love letter to reading from the USA Today bestselling author of The Wishing Game.

The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From Marcus Kliewer, a new “titan of the macabre and unsettling” (Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author), comes a supernatural horror about a young woman who accepts a caretaking job from Craigslist, only to discover the position has consequences far greater—and more dangerous—than she ever could have imagined.

Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
In this lyrical, wildly inventive horror novel interwoven with Japanese mythology, two people living centuries apart discover a door between their worlds.

The Island Club by Nicola Harrison

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Set against the sun-drenched beaches of Balboa Island, with its prim and proper 1950s facade, The Island Club is a story of love, loneliness and the lies we tell ourselves―and what can be gained when the truth is finally revealed.

Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A nearly divorced trophy wife enrolls in culinary school to win back her husband, only to find a fresh start in the unlikeliest of places in this new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.

Go Gentle by Maria Semple

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The New York Times bestselling author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette returns to form in her most exuberant and life-affirming novel yet with the story of one woman’s cheerful determination to live a life of the mind only to have the heart force its way in.

MAY 2026 FICTION BOOK RELEASES

The Library After Dark by Ande Pliego

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A bookseller must escape the infamously haunted library that holds her darkest secrets, but with a murderer in her tour group, escaping alive is not as simple as it seems, in this twisty locked-room thriller from bestselling author of You Are Fatally Invited.

The Dorians by Nick Cutter

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The all-new novel of terror from “one of the hottest horror authors on the planet” (Paste) and writer of the #HorrorBookTok sensation The Troop!

Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
How far would you go to rescue your child? A mother races against the clock—and finds herself on the wrong side of the law—in a desperate fight to save her teenage daughter in this pulse-pounding thriller.

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The Calamity Club will make you laugh, cry, and cheer—an epic testament to underestimated women who know that calamity can be the spark of new beginnings. This is Kathryn Stockett at her most confident, heartfelt, and hilarious—the triumphant return of one of the most beloved storytellers of our time.

The Anniversary by Alex Finlay

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Twisty, high-concept, and emotionally charged, this novel is an utterly compelling story of the hunt for a serial killer. But it’s also a heartfelt―and heartrending―novel about fate, innocence lost, and two souls who find that sometimes being broken is the only way for the light to get in.

The Young Will Remember by Eve J. Chung

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A sweeping novel about a correspondent trapped behind enemy lines during the Korean War, and the women who help her find her way home, from the national bestselling author of Daughters of Shandong.

Villain by Natalie Zina Walschots

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The Boys meets Assistant to the Villain in the electrifying, sharp, violent, and hilarious sequel to the highly acclaimed novel, Hench. Filled with a queer and neurodiverse cast, Villain asks the question: what happens when a diabolically brilliant henchperson looks back at their already storied career and thinks, I can be so much worse.

The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the New York Times–bestselling author of Ghosted and The Love of My Life comes an unmissable emotional thriller: an up-all-night, page-turning love story with a very dark secret at its heart.

Homebound by Portia Elan

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Five interlocking lives. One beloved story. A dazzling adventure across centuries and continents in search of the things that hold us together.

Lady X by Molly Fader

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The search for a notorious vigilante exposes the secrets among three generations of women in this propulsive novel of female resistance and rage, sweeping from contemporary L.A. to gritty 1970s New York.

The Hope Keeper by Heather Webb

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Set in Jazz Age D.C., the story of possession and obsession, and the ever-looming curse of the legendary Hope Diamond, comes to life as the socialites scheme and the jewels glitter in the evening light.

The Players Club by Rachel Mills

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
For fans of Lessons in Chemistry and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, a bold, big concept debut about a secret club of women who risk everything to ask the question: If you could be anyone…who would you dare to become?

JUNE 2026 FICTION BOOK RELEASES

Tell Your Friends by Lauren Wilson

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A former child star and an envious fan collide in this cat-and-mouse psychological thriller about obsession, self-invention, and the dark side of internet fame.

There’s Only One Sin In Hollywood by Rasheed Newson

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A cinematic, razor-sharp novel following a backlot fixer’s daring investigation into the suspicious death of a closeted Black actor within the glamorous world of Hollywood, from the bestselling author of My Government Means to Kill Me.

A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A gripping novel about two trailblazing women on opposite sides of the law—a prosecutor and a madam—who team up to bring down notorious mob boss Lucky Luciano in 1930s New York, from the New York Times bestselling authors of the million-copy bestseller The Personal Librarian.

Strangers Behind Closed Doors by Catherine Adel West

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A twisty thriller about a woman who vanishes from a luxury hotel, and the detective who believes the case is tied to the unsolved disappearances of other Black women in the city.

The Break-Up Retreat by Camilla Sten

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
An undercover journalist goes to expose an exclusive psychological wellness clinic where women go to recover from heartbreak, with dire consequences, in this creepy thriller from The Bachelorette Party author Camilla Sten.

A Fortune of Sand by Ruta Sepetys

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The daughter of an automotive magnate escapes to an artistic retreat that holds more secrets—and more intrigue—than she could have ever imagined, in this Prohibition-era novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Salt to the Sea.

Girl’s Girl by Sonia Feldman

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From a dazzling new talent, a sensual and spellbinding novel about one summer that shatters the balance between three best friends, forcing them to confront the line between friendship and desire.

This Immortal Heart by Jennifer Saint

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The epic, captivating tale of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who must reconcile her mind and heart when she is drawn against all odds to Ares, the god of war, from the internationally bestselling author of Ariadne and Hera.

Our Sister’s Keeper by Jasmine Holmes

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A gripping blend of historical fiction and Southern gothic psychological horror, Our Sister’s Keeper is a fierce exploration of Black sisterhood, rage, and resistance.

Three Hitmen and a Baby by Rob Hart

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Welcome back to Assassins Anonymous, where family is everything and danger lurks around every corner.

Pool House by Mary H.K. Choi

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Bestselling young adult author Mary H.K. Choi debuts a brilliantly observed adult novel about mothers, daughters and the complexity of family set against the backdrop of Hollywood.

The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
An ambitious young woman insinuates herself into a tight-knit social set, shaking up friendships and marriages in a small seaside town.

What 2026 fiction book releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Fiction Book Releases To Check Out In 2026 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Anticipated Book Releases Hitting Shelves In 2026

Elise Dumpleton — Sun, 28 Dec 2025 09:22:20 +0000

2026, here we go! With the new year just around the corner, it’s time to start focusing on something that really matters… NEW! BOOK! RELEASES! We’ve rounded up some highly anticipated books from a range of genres releasing between the months of January and June 2026.

So far the year promises new releases from Jennifer Niven, Jennette McCurdy, Jim Butcher, Heather Fawcett, Kerri Maniscalco, Edward Ashton, T. Kingfisher, Richard K. Morgan, Rainbow Rowell, TJ Klune, Katherine Center, Julie Murphy, Katherine Arden, Melissa Albert, and many more, plus some dazzling debuts!

You’ll find quite a few exciting new reads within this list and be sure to check out our other January to June 2026 lists, which we’ll be releasing over the next month! This article will also get updated with those links so you can easily find them, including our Anticipated Romance Reads, Anticipated Fantasy and Sci-Fi Books and Anticipated YA Reads… We apologise in advance to your TBR pile and wallet!

JANUARY 2026 BOOK RELEASES

Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven

The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Perfect for fans of Daisy Jones and the Six and In Five Years—a beautiful, powerful, and transportive new novel about a music executive desperately trying to bring a rock band back from the brink, from bestselling author Ashley Winstead.

The Poet Empress by Shen Tao

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Debut author Shen Tao introduces readers to the lush, deadly world of The Poet Empress, a sweeping, epic and intimate fantasy perfect for fans of The Serpent & the Wings of Night, The Song of Achilles and She Who Became the Sun.

Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of I’m Glad My Mom Died comes a sad, funny, thrilling novel about sex, consumerism, class, desire, loneliness, the internet, rage, intimacy, power, and the (oftentimes misguided) lengths we’ll go to in order to get what we want.

My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
My Husband’s Wife is a tangled web of deception, obsession, and mystery that will keep you guessing until the last page. Prepare yourself for the ultimate mind-bending marriage thriller and step inside Spyglass – if you dare – to experience a story where nothing is as it seems.

If All the Stars Go Dark by S. G. Prince

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
An out-of-this-world queer space opera (aka: sci-fi with magic) complete with a murder mystery, a prison break, and heist during which time the fate of the universe may or may not hang in the balance – and made even more exciting by the swoon worthy will-they-won’t-they romance.

Twelve Months by Jim Butcher

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, has always managed to save the day—but, in this powerful entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files, can he save himself?

Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of First Lie Wins, a tense, feverish thriller about two women’s lives that are forever intertwined when a murder threatens to expose them both.

Last First Kiss by Julian Winters

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Sparks fly in this second chance m/m rom com when an unlucky-in-love event planner realizes the man-of-honor at the high profile wedding he’s planning is the same man who broke his heart.

A War of Wyverns by S. F. Williamson

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Rebellion happens in the shadows. In the sequel to the New York Times bestseller A Language of Dragons, language is the greatest weapon in a war between humans and dragons—and one translator has the power to change the world.

Vigil by George Saunders

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
An electric novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling, Booker Prize–winning author of Lincoln in the Bardo, taking place at the bedside of an oil company CEO in the twilight hours of his life as he is ferried from this world into the next.

Is This a Cry for Help? by Emily R. Austin

FEBRUARY 2026 BOOK RELEASES

Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A woman who runs a cat rescue in 1920s Montreal turns to a grouchy but charming wizard to help save the shelter in this heartwarming cozy fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of the Emily Wilde series.

The Girls Before by Kate Alice Marshall

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the bestselling author of What Lies in the Woods, No One Can Know, and A Killing Cold, a new novel about a search & rescue expert, a kidnapped woman, and the lost girls who haunt them both.

Cleopatra by Saara El-Arifi

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Cleopatra tells her own story in this evocative and sensuous historical epic from the bestselling and award-winning author of Faebound and The Final Strife.

The Astral Library by Kate Quinn

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From New York Times bestselling author Kate Quinn comes a gorgeously written fantastical adventure which poses the question: Have you ever wished you could live inside a book? Welcome to the Astral Library, where books are not just objects, but doors to new worlds, new lives, and new futures.

Game, Set, Match by Jennifer Iacopelli

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
She’s a tennis superstar on the rise. He’s the bad boy champ who broke her heart. When they meet on the court, their competition is hot—but their chemistry is even hotter.

Throne of Nightmares by Kerri Maniscalco

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
In this action-packed standalone fantasy romance from New York Times bestselling sensation Kerri Maniscalco, a book of dangerous magic draws two readers into a perilous quest to find it—and their own happy ending.

It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Two families at a secluded lake resort are at the center of a chilling crime in this twisty thriller from the bestselling author of Local Woman Missing.

Stolen Midnights by Katherine Quinn

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
This magical new YA romantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of To Kill a Shadow will steal your heart. Set in Andalay, a world where the ruling Fates bestow gifts among the favored, a thief must join forces with the palace darling after he unwittingly steals a necklace with the power to change everything.

After The Fall by Edward Ashton

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Part alien invasion story, part buddy comedy, and part workplace satire, After The Fall by Edward Ashton, author of Mickey7 (inspiration for the film Mickey 17), asks an important question: would humans really make great pets?

Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the New York Times bestselling co-author of Illuminae and Aurora Rising comes a high-stakes, high-chemistry, sci-fi romp about a stowaway girl and the richest boy in the galaxy, racing the clock to outwit a gang of mercenaries.

How To Kill A Guy In Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A humorous, swoony, and downright terrifying slasher rom-com in which a cinephile gets caught in the middle of a murder spree at a speed-dating event and must use her encyclopedic knowledge of the romance and horror genres to make it as a real-life Final Girl.

Half City by Kate Golden

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Crescent City meets Buffy, the Vampire Slayer in the first installment of a pulse-pounding dark academia fantasy series from USA Today bestselling author Kate Golden.

MARCH 2026 BOOK RELEASES

The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Say You’ll Remember Me comes a beautiful, compelling novel that revels in laughter, friendship, and the messy choices life can throw our way.

Bloom by Robbie Couch

Strangers In The Villa by Robyn Harding

Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Something darker than the devil stalks the North Carolina woods in Wolf Worm, a new gothic masterpiece from New York Times bestselling author T. Kingfisher

The Ascension of Souls by Bronte-Marie Wesson

Publisher | Amazon | Goodreads
The first in the Broken Cycle trilogy, The Ascension of Souls is an epic fantasy with intricate worldbuilding, complex characters, political schemes and a unique magic system.

A Spell For Saints and Sinners by Emily Carpenter

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Like a gender-flipped You but dripping with Southern Gothic atmosphere, a young psychic on the verge of losing everything becomes obsessed with a wealthy, beautiful heiress in this clever, darkly atmospheric novel of psychological suspense set amid the lush, moss-draped beauty of Savannah.

Thirty Love by Tom Vellner

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Things heat up on and off the court for two tennis rivals in this steamy debut gay sports rom-com, perfect for fans of TJ Alexander and Casey McQuiston.

Wretch by Eric LaRocca

No Man’s Land by Richard K. Morgan

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A compelling standalone dark fantasy set in a gritty post-WWI Britain that has been overrun by the fae, from the award-winning author of Altered Carbon.

One Word, Six Letters by Adib Khorram

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Two teen boys grapple with identity and accountability and set off a ripple effect within their community after a school assembly is disrupted by a shouted slur.

Vow of Eternal Night by Lily Crozier

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A gothic romantasy Beauty and the Beast retelling about a vampire prince and the captive bride who will do anything to break his curse – for fans of Naomi Novik, Heather Fawcett and Howl’s Moving Castle.

The Fourth Wife by Linda Hamilton

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas meets “Sister Wives” in a deliciously chilling, darkly romantic, historical gothic horror with a feminist slant, as a young Mormon woman is haunted by a malevolent presence in the decrepit Salt Lake City mansion she shares with her new husband and his other wives…

APRIL 2026 BOOK RELEASES

The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke

Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
#1 New York Times bestselling author Rainbow Rowell returns with a breathtakingly honest novel about a woman who lost everything — and isn’t sure she wants it back.

Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker

The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer and rising star Tamara Moss comes a twisty thrill-ride, filled with sabotage, betrayal, and puzzles to die for.

American Fantasy by Emma Straub

We Burned So Bright by T.J. Klune

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A heart-wrenching standalone novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune, We Burned So Bright follows an elder gay couple on an end-of-the-world road-trip.

Last Night in Brooklyn by Xochitl Gonzalez

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
New York Times bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez delivers a captivating story about a young woman whose life becomes ensnared in her glamorous neighbor’s secret past, laying bare the mounting tensions at play in a rapidly gentrifying, early 2000’s Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

The Subtle Art of Folding Space by John Chu

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The Subtle Art of Folding Space, is the exhilarating debut science fiction novel from Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author John Chu channels unhinged physics, generational trauma, and the comfort of really good dim sum. This isn’t your usual jaunt through quantum physics.

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Told with Sally Hepworth’s twists, humor, charm, and heart, MAD MABEL is novel that weaves past and present together–through the power of justice and redemption, and all the way to its stunning conclusion.

Odessa by Gabrielle Sher

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
In a powerfully imagined Russia at the height of the pogroms, a grief-stricken family turns to ancient magic to bring their daughter back from the grave.

Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A sweeping debut inspired by the Chinese folk practice of necromancy, Deathly Fates is perfect for fans of Descendant of the Crane, The Bone Shard Daughter, and A Magic Steeped in Poison.

How to Fake It in Society by KJ Charles

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Bridgerton meets The Goldfinch in How to Fake It in Society, a stunning queer romance by rising genre star KJ Charles.

MAY 2026 BOOK RELEASES

The Shippers by Katherine Center

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
No one does summer romance quite like Katherine Center. THE SHIPPERS will take readers on the cruise of a lifetime in a story awash with romantic longing, top-notch banter, long-held secrets . . . and true love rediscovered.

The Anniversary by Alex Finlay

Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Best friends have one week in paradise to fix their friendship or fall apart in this heart-stopping, utterly romantic new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After and One Golden Summer.

The Midnight Train by Matt Haig

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
When your life flashes before your eyes, where would you stop? A magical, time-travelling love story, from the world of The Midnight Library.

Student Union by Julie Murphy

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From #1 New York Times–bestselling author Julie Murphy comes a sexy rom com about a college marriage of convenience that goes way beyond chemistry 101…The first in a trilogy of romance novels that follows a group of girls as they navigate love, friendship, and new adulthood, this is perfect for fans of Elle Kennedy and Hannah Grace.

Young World by Soman Chainani

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the New York Times bestselling author of the School for Good and Evil series comes a renegade thriller, about a teenager elected President of the United States, sparking a global revolution of young leaders—until one of them is murdered and he’s the prime suspect.

The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A battle-worn corporate samurai undertakes one last mission on a merciless planet where death is always a mere breath away, in this standalone dystopian epic from the author of the modern fantasy classic Jade City.

The Library After Dark by Ande Pliego

Bone of My Bone by Johanna van Veen

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Bram Stoker Award–nominee and USA Today bestseller Johanna van Veen unveils a sapphic folk-horror tour de force―perfect for fans of The VVitch and The Salt Grows Heavy. A skull’s grin is eternal…

The Dorians by Nick Cutter

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
On a remote island in the Canadian wilderness, five elderly volunteers from different walks of life are given a tantalizing offer: to stall their biological clocks or even reverse them, restoring their lost youth.

We Dance Upon Demons by Vaishnavi Patel

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the New York Times bestselling author of Kaikeyi, a galvanizing stand-alone contemporary fantasy following a burnt-out reproductive health care worker as she fights back against escalating attacks on her clinic and the malevolent forces in hot pursuit of her newly acquired power.

The House of Now and Then by Edward Underhill

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the author of The In-Between Bookstore, the sweet, unforgettable story of a trans man in his thirties who books a Cape Cod cottage for one lonely summer—only to have its magic bring him visitors from the past and romance where he least expects it, perfect for fans of TJ Klune and Ashley Poston.

JUNE 2026 BOOK RELEASES

The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The new head gardener at the enchanting Lilymoor House stumbles upon a secret garden . . . with a mysterious man trapped inside, in the next magical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Sounds Like Love and The Seven Year Slip.

The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
With her country’s future and her own life at stake, an orphaned duchess must journey into a world of myth and there discover a power that may be her salvation—or her demise—in this enchanting historical fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale.

The Heirs by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the award-winning New York Times and Indie bestselling author of Ace of Spades comes a mystery about five teen geniuses, their billionaire father, and the aftermath of his murder―perfect for fans of One of Us is Lying, Holly Jackson, and How to Get Away with Murder!

Whistler by Ann Patchett

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The acclaimed, prize-winning #1 New York Times bestselling writer returns with a moving, luminous novel that reminds us of the sweetness and impermanence of life and the power of connection to defy time.

This Immortal Heart by Jennifer Saint

Shadow Reaper by Lynette Noni

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A young reaper hunter must conspire with her enemy to uproot the ancient evil that threatens her world in this heart-pounding romantic fantasy from the bestselling author of The Prison Healer.

The Children by Melissa Albert

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The haunting new novel from New York Times bestselling author Melissa Albert, in which the estranged adult children of a legendary author, written into their dead mother’s beloved fantasy series, must contend with the vine-like creep of legacy, memory, and magic

You Won’t Forget Me by Mazey Eddings

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Cubby Clark is spiralling—her band is broken, her ex is famous, and inspiration is gone. As tabloids spin a love triangle and a summer tour amplifies tensions, Cubby and her best friend Darcy must confront buried feelings or risk losing each other and the music they love.

Dearly Departed by Chip Pons

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A Hades-inspired gay rom-com, in which the former god of the Underworld turned grumpy funeral director must find a loophole in the Immortal Retirement Act that banished him to Earth, until the florist next door who sees life in full bloom begins to unravel all his carefully laid plans.

The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the author of The Bright Years, the story of April and Leo, a couple on the brink of collapse. When their house goes up in flames, family secrets and thorny histories emerge as they are forced to decide what is worth salvaging.

There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood by Rasheed Newson

Songs of the Dead by Brandon Sanderson and Peter Orullian

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A London rocker is faced with a life-or-death choice when he realizes that a powerful society of magic wielders are the only ones keeping London safe in this deft contemporary fantasy cowritten by #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson with author and musician Peter Orullian.

What new book releases are you looking forward to picking up this year? Tell us in the comments below! And be sure to check back later in the year for our August to December picks!

The post Anticipated Book Releases Hitting Shelves In 2026 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Five Novels About Women Artists

The Nerd Daily — Sat, 15 Jun 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Guest post by The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby author Ellery Lloyd
Ellery Lloyd is the pseudonym for the London-based husband and wife team of Collette Lyons and Paul Vlitos whose last novel, instant New York Times bestseller The Club, a “smart, stylish, and savage” (People Magazine), was a Reese’s Book Club pick. The former deputy editor of Grazia Middle East, content director of Elle (UK), and editorial director at Soho House, Collette studied History of Art at Trinity College, Cambridge, and has worked in Sydney, Dubai, and London. She has written for the Guardian, the Telegraph, and the Sunday Times. Paul is the author of two previous novels, Welcome to the Working Week and Every Day Is Like Sunday. He is Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Greenwich. They are also the authors of People Like Her.

Our new novel, The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby, unravels the mystery of fictional painting Self Portrait as Sphinx, painted by runaway heiress artist Juliette, and a series of deaths and disappearances over the course of a century.

In 1938, Juliette Willoughby runs away to Paris, leaving her grand country house, her stifling aristocratic family, and their terrible buried secrets to be with her older, married artist lover Oskar. Joining his circle of Surrealist artists in Paris, she is inspired to paint her masterpiece, which is displayed for just one night before it is destroyed in a studio fire that also kills Juliette and Oskar.

In 1990s Cambridge, two art history students uncover evidence suggesting the blaze may not have been an accident and that the painting may still exist. In present-day Dubai, an art dealer is accused of the brutal murder of his oldest friend and the last surviving member of the Willoughby clan, immediately after selling the rediscovered Self Portrait as Sphinx for £42 million – and the secret to what links all of this may be hidden in the painting.

We read many brilliant artist biographies in our research but also came across some amazing novels which also have a woman artist at their heart. These are our favourites…

Disobedient by Elizabeth Fremantle

One of the best-known women artists, Artemisia Gentileschi, the daughter of respected artist Orazio Gentileschi, is at the heart of this biographical novel. Set in 1611 Rome, it follows her pain and struggles (including the sexual assault by and subsequent trial of her tutor Agostino Tassi) as she rails against the constraints set by a rigid and patriarchal society. A harrowing read, but one which captures her extraordinary spirit and resilience.

The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins

The Girl on the Train author is back in September with a claustrophobic novel about art, ambition and legacy. A Scottish tidal island, accessible by causeway for only twelve hours each day, is inhabited by artist Vanessa Chapman, whose notoriously unfaithful husband disappeared after visiting her there twenty years ago. After her death, a strange discovery—a fragment of human bone in one of her sculptures—intimately connects three people from Chapman’s past, unveiling a tangled web of secrets and lies.

The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro (2012)

Inspired by the real-life Isabella Stewart Gardner heist in which 13 major works by titans of art were stolen, Shapiro’s fictional protagonist, Claire Roth, an artist and forger, is commissioned to copy one of the works looted in the robbery. The novel leads us through the underbelly of the Boston art world, uncovering nefarious plots and intricate deceptions and questioning the fallibility of attribution and authenticity.

Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez

This incredible Reese-pick novel is directly inspired by the life of Ana Mendieta, a Havana-born, New York-based sculptor, painter, and performance artist who died in 1985 at the age of 36 after falling from an apartment window in suspicious circumstances. Gonzalez asks important questions about who gets remembered, collected, and written about, and why. Her protagonist, rising star of the art world Anita de Monte, is found dead and the tragedy is briefly the talk of the art world, until just as swiftly, it isn’t. Decades later, Raquel, a third-year art history student, stumbles upon her story, which has eerie parallels with her own life.

The Last Painting of Sara De Vos by Dominic Smith (2016)

This historical novel brings to life two periods of the past in a gripping tale of a fictional female painter in seventeenth-century Holland and the theft of her only surviving painting from a private collector in 1950s New York. When its owner commissions a young art student to forge a replacement for it, a complex plot unfurls over decades and time zones in a meditation on the relationship between art and authenticity.

The post Five Novels About Women Artists appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

The Most Anticipated 2024 Book Releases

Elise Dumpleton — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 03:00:05 +0000

The Nerd Daily may obtain commissions for qualifying purchases from the links included in this article, but it’s so important to remember to shop local and indie!

Well, 2024 is almost here so it’s time to start thinking about all of the books which will be heading your way! In this round up, we take a look at an array of highly anticipated books releasing between the months of January and June! You can expect new releases from the likes of Sarah J. Maas, Jay Kristoff, Ali Hazelwood, Kristin Hannah, Stephen King, Tana French, Sally Hepworth, Leigh Bardugo, and many more, plus some dazzling debuts.

You’ll find quite a few exciting new reads within this list and be sure to check out our other January to June 2024 lists, which we’ll be releasing over the next couple of weeks! This article will also get updated with those links so you can easily find them… Your poor TBR!

You can find our Swoonworthy Romance Releases here, Anticipated YA Releases here, and our SFF releases here.

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below if you’ll be picking up any!

JANUARY 2024 BOOK RELEASES

The Fury by Alex Michaelides

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A masterfully paced thriller about a reclusive ex–movie star and her famous friends whose spontaneous trip to a private Greek island is upended by a murder ― from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient.

House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
In this sexy, breathtaking sequel to the #1 bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath, Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunt’s world is brought to the brink of collapse-with its future resting on their shoulders.

Come and Get It by Kiley Reid

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
From the celebrated New York Times bestselling author of Such a Fun Age comes a fresh and provocative story about a residential assistant and her messy entanglement with a professor and three unruly students.

The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
From the author of New York Times bestseller House of Hollow comes a darkly seductive witchy thriller where, though both men and demons lurk in shadows, girls refuse to go quietly into the night.

Red String Theory by Lauren Kung Jessen

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
In this charming rom-com about two star-crossed lovers, a woman whose life is guided by her belief in the red-string of fate finds her perfect match—but his skepticism about true love puts a knot in their chances.

The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzalez James

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A dazzling magical realism western in the vein of Cormac McCarthy meets Gabriel García Márquez, The Bullet Swallower follows a Mexican bandido as he sets off for Texas to save his family, only to encounter a mysterious figure who has come, finally, to collect a cosmic debt generations in the making.

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
In this romantic fantasy of manners from New York Times bestselling author Allison Saft, a magical dressmaker commissioned for a royal wedding finds herself embroiled in scandal when a gossip columnist draws attention to her undeniable chemistry with the groom.

The Longest Autumn by Amy Avery

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For fans of Ariadne, a spellbinding debut fantasy about a human who gets trapped with the god of Autumn, who brings with him life-threatening danger and a forbidden romance.

Don’t Want You Like A Best Friend by Emma R. Alban

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Review
A swoon-worthy debut queer Victorian romance in which two debutantes distract themselves from having to seek husbands by setting up their widowed parents, and instead find their perfect match in each other—the lesbian Bridgerton/Parent Trap you never knew you needed!

The Getaway List by Emma Lord

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Inescapably romantic and brimming with New York Times bestselling author Emma Lord’s signature cheer, The Getaway List is an uplifting and romantic read that will settle into your heart and never leave.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins returns with a twisted new gothic suspense about an infamous heiress and the complicated inheritance she left behind.

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
When mysterious faeries from other realms appear at her university, curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde must uncover their secrets before it’s too late, in this heartwarming, enchanting second installment of the Emily Wilde series.

FEBRUARY 2024 BOOK RELEASES

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
During the Great War, a combat nurse searches for her brother, believed dead in the trenches despite eerie signs that suggest otherwise, in this hauntingly beautiful historical novel with a speculative twist from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A Holmes and Watson–style detective duo take the stage in this fantasy with a mystery twist, from the Edgar-winning, multiple Hugo-nominated Robert Jackson Bennett

The Women by Kristin Hannah

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
From master storyteller Kristin Hannah comes the story of a turbulent, transformative era in America: the 1960s. The Women is that rarest of novels—at once an intimate portrait of a woman coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided by war and broken by politics, of a generation both fueled by dreams and lost on the battlefield.

Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A stunning Romantasy debut about an enchanted library, two handsome Fae, and one human who brings them all together.

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
From the New York Times bestselling author of Seven Days in June, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is an epic love story one hundred years in the making…

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha Werewolf becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into in this new paranormal romance from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love, Theoretically and The Love Hypothesis.

Tender Beasts by Liselle Sambury

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
After her private school is rocked by a gruesome murder, a teen tries to find the real killer and clear her brother’s name in this psychological thriller perfect for fans of The Taking of Jake Livingston and Ace of Spades.

Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey launches a super sexy sports romance duology with a rom-com about a bad boy professional athlete who falls for his biggest fan…

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king—while also fighting her growing desire for his fiery son—in this Norse-inspired fantasy romance from the bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom series.

Island Witch by Amanda Jayatissa

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Set in 19th century Sri Lanka and inspired by local folklore, the daughter of a traditional demon-priest—relentlessly bullied by peers and accused of witchcraft herself—tries to solve the mysterious attacks that have been terrorizing her coastal village.

My Throat An Open Grave by Tori Bovalino

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Labyrinth meets folk horror in this darkly romantic tale of a girl who wishes her baby brother away to the Lord of the Wood.

How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Chemistry sizzles in this workplace rom-com set in the world of high school basketball as the author of Love & Other Disasters delivers a sapphic romance full of humour and heart.

MARCH 2024 BOOK RELEASES

Murder Road by Simone St. James

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A young couple find themselves haunted by a string of gruesome murders committed along an old deserted road in this terrifying new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Cold Cases.

The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
In a country divided between humans and witchers, Venus Stoneheart hustles as a brewer making illegal love potions to support her family.

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

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For fans of Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club, an enormously fun mystery about a woman who spends her entire life trying to prevent her foretold murder only to be proven right sixty years later, when she is found dead in her sprawling country estate…. Now it’s up to her great-niece to catch the killer.

The Prisoner’s Throne by Holly Black

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An imprisoned prince. A vengeful queen. And a battle that will determine the future of Elfhame. From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black comes the stunning blood-soaked conclusion to the Stolen Heir duology.

Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez

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New York Times bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez delivers a mesmerizing novel about a first-generation Ivy League student who uncovers the genius work of a female artist decades after her suspicious death

The Hunter by Tana French

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From the writer who is “in a class by herself,” (The New York Times), a nuanced, atmospheric tale that explores what we’ll do for our loved ones, what we’ll do for revenge, and what we sacrifice when the two collide.

Three Kinds of Lucky by Kim Harrison

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Luck is its own kind of magic, in this first book in an electrifying new contemporary fantasy series from the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Hollows novels.

Happily Never After by Lynn Painter

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A humorous and unique rom-com that sees two wedding crashers fall for each other. This intriguing premise delivers on its promise with so much feeling and so much fun.

In a Not So Perfect World by Neely Tubati-Alexander

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The author of Love Buzz follows her acclaimed first novel with a delightful Caribbean-set romp about an ambitious designer of apocalyptic video games with a strategy for (almost) everything who discovers what happens when her best-laid plans go off course . . .

The Princess of Las Vegas by Chris Bohjalian

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From the New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant and The Lioness, a Princess Diana impersonator and her estranged sister find themselves drawn into a dangerous game of money and murder in this twisting tale of organized crime, cryptocurrency, and family secrets on the Las Vegas strip.

The Perfect Guy Doesn’t Exist by Sophie Gonzales

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A fanfic writer brings her favourite TV character to life in this friends-to-enemies-to-lovers novel full of humour and heart.

Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff

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From the New York Times bestselling author of the Nevernight Chronicle, Jay Kristoff, comes the much-anticipated sequel to the #1 international bestselling sensation Empire of the Vampire.

APRIL 2024 BOOK RELEASES

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

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From the New York Times bestselling author of Ninth House, Hell Bent, and creator of the Grishaverse series comes a highly anticipated historical fantasy set during the Spanish Golden Age.

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang

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In this magical epic fantasy, a young woman cursed with the power of death must decide if saving her family is worth betraying her country—the first installation of a gripping new series.

Funny Story by Emily Henry

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A shimmering, joyful new novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

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A thrilling page-turner of sisterhood, secrets, love, and murder by New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth.

The Vacancy in Room 10 by Seraphina Nova Glass

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The Paris Apartment meets The Wrong Family, this thrilling tale of crime, passion and murder is set in a run-down apartment complex packed with shady characters willing to go to deadly lengths to keep their darkest secrets from the stranger in their midst.

The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson

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From the author of the multimillion bestselling A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series and Five Survive comes a new true-crime fueled mystery thriller about a girl determined to uncover the shocking truth about her missing mother while filming a documentary on the unsolved case.

She’s Not Sorry by Mary Kubica

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An ICU nurse accidentally uncovers a patient’s frightening past in this chilling thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Local Woman Missing and Just the Nicest Couple.

Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun

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The author of Kiss Her Once for Me returns with a new queer rom-com following once childhood best friends forced together to drive their former teacher across the country.

Canto Contigo by Jonny Garza Villa

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When a Mariachi star transfers schools, he expects to be handed his new group’s lead vocalist spot—what he gets instead is a tenacious current lead with a very familiar, very kissable face.

Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao

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Zetian must balance dangerous politics with a new quest for vengeance in the sequel to the #1 New York Times bestseller Iron Widow, a blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction.

Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings

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A sexy, sapphic, opposites-attract romance with Mazey Eddings’ signature sparkling voice!

Knife by Salman Rushdie

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From internationally renowned writer and Booker Prize winner Salman Rushdie, a searing, deeply personal account of enduring—and surviving—an attempt on his life thirty years after the fatwa that was ordered against him

MAY 2024 BOOK RELEASES

When Among Crows by Veronica Roth

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Step into a city where monsters feast on human emotions, knights split their souls to make their weapons, and witches always take more than they give.

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

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Christina Lauren, the instant New York Times bestselling and “reigning romance queens” (PopSugar), returns with a delicious new romance between the buttoned-up heir of a grocery chain and his free-spirited artist ex as they fake their relationship in order to receive a massive inheritance.

The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley

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From the New York Times bestselling author of The Celebrants comes the much-anticipated sequel to the Thurber Prize-Winning novel The Guncle, in which Patrick O’Hara is called back to his guncle duties… this time for a big family wedding in Italy.

A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur

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June Hur, bestselling author of The Red Palace, crafts a devastating and pulse-pounding tale that will feel all-too-relevant in today’s world, based on a true story from Korean history.

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware

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Harkening to Agatha Christie’s classic And Then There Were None, this high-tension and ingenious thriller follows five couples trapped on a storm-swept island as a killer stalks among them.

The Dangerous Ones by Lauren Blackwood

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A romantic historical fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blackwood, set in the American Civil War with vampires and people with demigod-like abilities.

It Waits in the Forest by Sarah Dass

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The very first thriller from Rick Riordan Presents! Drawing from the darkest corners of Caribbean mythology, acclaimed author Sarah Dass crafts a chilling tale of magic, murder, and how far we’ll go to protect what’s ours—perfect for fans of Angeline Boulley and Tiffany D. Jackson.

Evocation by S.T. Gibson

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When a family curse threatens David’s life, he will turn to the only person he’s ever trusted, his ex-boyfriend, Rhys—which means he will have to open his heart to Moira, Rhys’s wife. Dark academia and urban fantasy combine in this richly imagined novel set in a fictitious, magic-riddled Boston.

The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields

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The Honey Witch of Innisfree can never find true love. That is her curse to bear. But when a young woman who doesn’t believe in magic arrives on her island, sparks fly in this deliciously sweet debut novel of magic, hope, and love overcoming all.

You Like It Darker by Stephen King

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From legendary storyteller and master of short fiction Stephen King comes an extraordinary new collection of twelve short stories, many never-before-published, and some of his best EVER.

This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune

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An achingly nostalgic love story about two friends-with-benefits who can’t be together but can’t seem to stay apart. This Summer Will Be Different offers an idyllic coastal setting, enticing vacation descriptions, and a story that is equal parts sexy romance and female friendship. It has all the ingredients for another book of the summer!

If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay

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In classic Alex Finlay form, If Something Happens to Me is told by several distinct, compelling characters whose paths intersect, detonating into a story of twist after pulse-pounding twist. The novel cements Finlay as one of the leading thriller writers today.

JUNE 2024 BOOK RELEASES

Enlightenment by Sarah Perry

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A dazzling new work of literary fiction from the author of The Essex Serpent, a story of love and astronomy told over the course of twenty years through the lives of two improbable best friends.

Daydream by Hannah Grace

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The third in the New York Times bestselling Maple Hills series follows fan-favourite Henry and a bookish fellow student who come up with a plan to help them both overcome their respective challenges in a difficult year.

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager

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In the latest jaw-dropping thriller from New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager, a man must contend with the long-ago disappearance of his childhood best friend—and the dark secrets lurking just beyond the safe confines of his picture-perfect neighbourhood.

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

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New York Times bestselling author Katherine Center’s latest laugh out loud, feel good rom-com about writing your own story, perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Christina Lauren.

Mirrored Heavens by Rebecca Roanhorse

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The interwoven destinies of the people of Meridian will finally be determined in this stunning conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Roanhorse’s Between Earth and Sky trilogy.

Icon and Inferno by Marie Lu

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Perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and Ally Carter, the dazzling sequel to #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu’s Stars and Smoke, is “a brilliant, breathtaking ride” – Tahereh Mafi, #1 internationally bestselling author.

The Stars Too Fondly by Emily Hamilton

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In her breathtaking debut – part space odyssey, part Sapphic rom-com – Emily Hamilton weaves a suspenseful, charmingly irreverent, and ultimately joyous tale of galaxy-spanning friendship, improbable love, and found family.

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan

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The heart-tugging and hilarious story of a professional organizer whose life is a mess, and the summer she gets unstuck with the help of someone unexpected from her past, by the bestselling author of Same Time Next Summer and Nora Goes Off Script.

The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks

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For fans of Piranesi and The Midnight Library, a stunning historical fantasy novel set on a grand express train, about a group of passengers on a dangerous journey across a magical landscape

Sleep Like Death by Kalynn Bayron

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New York Times bestselling author and TikTok sensation Kalynn Bayron returns to fairytales with a lush, thrilling and original YA Snow White retelling that brings a new and exciting voice to this familiar tale. Perfect for fans of Cinderella Is Dead.

One-Star Romance by Laura Hankin

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A struggling writer is forced to walk down the aisle at her best friend’s wedding with the man who gave her book a very public one-star rating in this fresh romantic comedy from Laura Hankin.

Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay

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Horror Movie is an obsessive, psychologically chilling, and suspenseful feat of storytelling genius that builds inexorably to an unforgettable, mind-bending conclusion.

What 2024 book releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post The Most Anticipated 2024 Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.