COUNTLESS people make the resolution to read more books. So, if you’re seeking some choice titles to help you meet your reading goals this year, this is the list for you.
Spare by Prince Harry (Jan 10)
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Probably the most anticipated book on this list. Described as having “raw, unflinching honesty”, Spare is a landmark publication full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo (Jan 10)
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Ninth House introduced readers to Galaxy ‘Alex’ Stern as she explored Yale’s secret magical underworld. Her mission in Hell Bent is simple: locate a portal to the underworld and steal a soul from hell. The only difficulty is that those who make this voyage rarely return. But Alex is determined to break Darlington out of limbo, even if it means foregoing a future at Lethe and Yale.
How to Sell A Haunted House by Grady Hendrix (Jan 17)
Publisher: Berkeley
When Louise discovers that her parents have died, she is terrified of returning home for a variety of reasons. Most of all, she doesn’t want to deal with her brother, Mark, who has never left their hometown, has been dismissed from job after job, and is jealous of her success. Unfortunately, she will need his assistance in selling their childhood home. However, in this horrific story, the home refuses to sell and has its own ambitions.
I Have Some Questions For You by Rebeca Makkai (Feb 21)
Publisher: PenguinRandomHouse
Bodie Kane is glad to ignore her past – her troubled family background and the murder of one of her high school classmates, Thalia Keith. Though the circumstances surrounding Thalia’s murder have sparked tremendous interest on the internet, Bodie prefers – needs – to let sleeping dogs lie. However, Thalia’s assassin may still be at large, and Bodie may have the key to ultimately solving the case.
A Day Of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon (Feb 28)
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
A Day of Fallen Night, a standalone prequel to Shannon’s outstanding Priory of the Orange Tree, is likely to be the year’s best fantasy novel. When the Dreadmount erupts, setting in an age of dread and carnage, four women (including a wyrm-slayer, a queen, and a princess) must muster the courage to save humanity from a devastating menace.
Meet Me At The Lake by Carley Fortune (May 2)
Publisher: Viking
Fern Brookbanks has squandered far too much of her adult life worrying about Will Baxter. She spent only twenty-four hours in her early twenties with the annoyingly gorgeous, idealistic artist, an accidental encounter that turned into a daylong adventure in the city.
The timing was off, but their bond was undeniable: they revealed every secret, every hope, and agreed to meet one year later. Fern showed up. Will did not. Ten years later, Fern’s life is in turmoil, and who appears to save the day?
A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand (May 9)
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Despite appearing to have it all, Gemma Ashbourne is the only member of her family who lacks magic. Instead, it causes her to become severely ill. Furthermore, her father and older sister are embroiled in a deadly conflict with the Bask family. Talan is determined to restore his family’s honour after a monster damaged it. When Gemma and Talan meet, they make a deal to assist each other in their separate tasks. Fans of Bridgerton and A Court of Thorns and Roses will not want to miss this 2023 fantasy.
Gold by Raven Kennedy (June 8)
Publisher: Kindle, Raven Kennedy LLC
Raven Kennedy’s Plated Prisoner series swept the fantasy world and is a favourite among Booktok readers. Gold is the much-anticipated epic conclusion to this version of the King Midas mythology.
The Only One Left by Riley Sager (June 20)
Publisher: Dutton
The Hope family murders, now reduced to a playground song, shook the Maine coast one horrific night in 1929. While most people believe Lenora, 17, is to blame, the authorities were never able to prove her guilt.
Apart from her denial following the killings, she has never talked publicly about that night, nor has she stepped foot outside Hope’s End, the cliffside mansion where the atrocity took place. Decades later, in her seventies, Lenora informs her home-health aide that she is finally ready to confess the truth.
The Sun and The Void by Gabriela Romero-Lacruz (July 25)
Publisher: Orbit
A grand epic fantasy of colonisation, ancient magic, and two young women’s quest for belonging unfolds in a rich setting influenced by South American history and tradition.
Reina is on the point of death after being attacked by creatures that stalk the land, until her grandmother, a dark sorcerer, intervenes. Reina, whose existence is now dependent on the Doa’s magic, will go to any length to earn – and keep – her favour. Even the will of an ancient god who speaks to her.
Eva is the family’s disgrace because she is illegitimate and of mixed ancestry. She makes every effort to appear perfect and to conceal her flaws. But Eva is keeping a secret: she is drawn to magic, and must resist the temptation. Magic is an evil god’s symbol, and its use is punishable by death.
However, it is difficult to renounce power when you have always been denied it. Eva is on a perilous path. And, in the end, she’ll become something she never expected to become.