A visionary scrambles to stave off the end of the world. A doctor grapples with the awful history of her profession. A reporter embeds herself in the shady underbelly of the art world. The first few months of 2024 are stacked with exciting and interesting reads. If you're looking to get a jump ahead on the holds from your local library, here are just a few books we're looking forward to.
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Fiction
Sugar, Baby by Celine SaintClare
Debut book from UK-based author Celine SaintClare about a 21-year old girl named Agnes who starts "sugaring" — dating rich older guys in exchange for money. This puts her at odds with her religious mother, and she eventually gets kicked out of the house. SaintClare uses the aesthetics of key bumps and designer handbags to poke at class, sex, labor and power. (Pub. Jan 9)
Forever and Always by Brittany J. Thurman and Shamar Knight-Justice
Worry and love go hand in hand in this children's picture book. Olivia waits anxiously for her dad to come home from work, so she makes him something to make the time go by. (Pub. Jan. 16)
Praiseworthy by Alexis Wright
An ambitious novel by acclaimed Australian writer Alexis Wright. It's about a "crazed visionary" in northern Australia who can see the multiple apocalyptic crises facing Aboriginal people, the odd ways he looks for a solution, and his family who has to deal with him. (Pub. Feb. 6)
Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange
The follow up to Tommy Orange's big hit There, There, Wandering Stars is a multi-generational look at the aftermath of the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864. These Cheyenne characters go through abuse, exploitation, and addiction — but if There, There is any indication, Orange is careful at not exploiting these traumas, but instead, pointing toward something bigger. (Pub. Feb 27)
James by Percival Everett
Acclaimed author Percival Everett gives us Huckleberry Finn from Jim's point of view. It's far from a straight re-telling, though. Instead Everett (hot off his 2001 book Erasure being adapted into the film American Fiction) uses the beats of the original story to give us a send up of language and race. (Pub. March 19)
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
This standalone fantasy was inspired by the best-selling author's own family history. It takes place during the Spanish Golden Age and follows a servant, hiding the fact that she can perform miracles. (Pub. Apr 9)
Nonfiction
American Girls by Jessica Roy
Journalist Jessica Roy reports on two sisters from Arkansas — one of which takes her kids to Syria to follow her husband who fought for ISIS, and the other sister trying to bring her back. It's a thorough look at how their lives ended up here, and a book that asks hard questions about culpability. (Pub. Jan. 16)
Legacy by Uché Blackstock
Uché Blackstock has had a long career in medicine as a doctor and as a professor of emergency medicine. Her memoir follows her growing up wanting nothing more than to be a doctor, and discovering all parts of the systemic issues that lead to poorer health outcomes for Black Americans. (Pub. Jan. 23)
Get the Picture by Bianca Bosker
From the author of the best-selling book Cork Dork, Bianca Bosker dives into a new community of obsessives and weirdos, this time in art world. She spends time with artists, gallerists, clout chasers and more to figure out how art moves and why art moves us. (Pub. Feb. 2)
Private Equity by Carrie Sun
A memoir about the daughter of Chinese immigrants who ended up becoming an assistant to a billionaire hedge fund founder. It's an examination of the hustle and grind lifestyle that permeates American work culture, and the costs of extreme wealth. (Pub. Feb. 13)
There's Always This Year by Hanif Abdurraqib
MacArthur "Genius" Grant-winning author Hanif Abdurraqib has written thoughtful, personal, and poetic cultural criticism on music, dance, film, and more. While nominally his next book is about basketball – like the rest of his writing, it's also about everything else. (Pub. March 26)
