Most Buzzed About Debuts of 2022

There have been many books written about the Witch Trials but, A.K. Blakemore’s debut novel takes it to the next level with her breadth and depth of research and care for the women she depicts. Blakemore’s vivid characters will enchant you and her sharp prose will immerse you in the time period. This one is perfect for readers of Wolf Hall and lovers of a fresh take of historical fiction. 

This historical fiction novel will delight long-time readers of the genre as well as people picking one up for the first time. Set in England in the years leading up to and then during World War II, the story follows a young woman from her childhood on the shores of the English Channel to her adulthood as a spy. This one has a heroine readers are sure to love and a sweeping setting that will keep pages turning. 

Knock, Knock, don’t be afraid to open the door for this haunted house horror. A spooky season read with horror books at its core, paired with an artist daughter cleaning out her author father’s home, a cast of characters out to get her, and monsters hiding in the woods — yes, you read that right, monsters. So, when you’re looking to add a fast-paced, gripping horror to your TBR, look no further. 

What do you do when your job really is Hell? Claudia Lux’s novel takes readers into the afterlife where Hell is a corporation, and its inhabitants are the employees. This book has wickedly funny characters and an imaginative plot that is perfect for a year-round spooky season. Part thriller, part horror, part comedic romp through the underworld, Sign Here is the perfect book for those who appreciate the truly scary parts of “Succession.”  

This is a family drama with fathers, mothers and daughters all scored with a soundtrack of jazz music. When one man must navigate the relationships between the women he loves and has loved in the past along with his own teenage daughter, Laura Warrell’s lyrical prose and sweeping story bring us on a ride. This novel has a lot of heart and power told through the kind of voices readers will return to again and again. 

A historical fiction novel set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, Louise Kennedy’s debut novel is bursting with love, loyalty and the consequences that come when those two find themselves at odds with one another. When one young woman faces the reality of loving someone she knows she shouldn’t, her life changes as she tries to deal with the fallout. 

Jennifer Egan + Denis Johnson = Tess Gunty. In a Midwestern town that’s run out of luck, a group of teenagers live together after they aged out of the foster care system; home is The Rabbit Hutch, an apartment complex that’s seen better days. Powerful and taut, this is a beautifully written story of community and loss, escape and healing, loneliness and hope. Readers won’t soon forget eighteen-year-old Blandine, the big beating heart of this novel. The writing is so assured, it’s hard to believe this is Gunty’s debut, and we can’t wait to see what she does next. Tune into the Poured Over podcast this month as we discuss The Rabbit Hutch with Tess Gunty. 

The Shore, a fresh take on the classic coming-of-age story from debut author Katie Runde, is a must-add to your Summer Reading TBR list. Every member of the Dunne family faces real challenges in a beautiful (and slim) novel that will make you laugh and break your heart. Fans of Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane and Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach — this one is perfect for you.

If you like complicated love stories that also explore ambition and grief, then you should pick up Holding Her Breath. This debut novel follows a former swimmer who’s trying to find herself after a public breakdown, and in her grief, she embarks on a quest to try to discover more about her family history. Razor-sharp and full of heart, this book is perfect for fans of Sally Rooney or Lily King’s Writers & Lovers.

Tova Sullivan is no stranger to grief, and after her husband’s death, she decides to work the night shift at the aquarium in order to keep herself busy. With the help of a giant octopus named Marcellus, Tova discovers a friendship and reckoning that sets her on a path of healing. Perfect for fans of A Man Called Ove and Good Company. 

If you recognize the name Nina LaCour, it’s because she’s a huge name in YA, and Yerba Buena is her adult debut that you won’t want to miss! A stunning love story centering around two women with muddled pasts and the love they’ve found together, this devastatingly beautiful book will make a home in your heart. 

What is summer without a whirlwind romance with the perfect guy, or two? Moving on after profound grief has never been so complicated. Last year, we were absolutely stunned by The Death of Vivek Oji. Akwaeke Emezi switches gears and delivers a very fun and steamy romance set in a world of art and celebrity with their own take on second chances. Perfect for fans of Luster and Seven Days in June. 

Between this book and Riley Sager’s The House Across the Lake, we’re thinking the book is better than the movie even though there is no movie. If Sager nods to Hitchcock, this debut novel reads like a film noir movie with double lives, cat-and-mouse rhythm, conflict and tension in every chapter. The A/C needs to be cranked to 10 while reading this thriller.

When we talk about protecting Black women, this is what we’re talking about. Inspired by true events, Nightcrawling tells the story of young Black woman who desperately turns to walking the streets of Oakland as a means of income, only to find herself entangled in a scandal and failure of the justice system. Leila Mottley’s intense and piercing debut is a must-read for those who can’t stop thinking about  Salvage the Bones and There There. 

If given the chance, would you want to know how long you will live? If this question piqued your interest, your summer book club just got a brand-new treat! The only thing certain is mortality, but the amount of time we have left is different for everyone, and when a mysterious box arrives, eight different people are faced with one life-changing choice. Nikki Erlick’s debut will have us all living life to the fullest, treasuring every moment, and keeping an eye out for her next book! If you enjoyed In Five Years by Rebecca Serle, add this one to your summer reading list. 

For a witty and irresistible debut perfect for fans of Jane Austen or Bridgerton, check out A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting. When left with her father’s debts, Kitty needs a fortune to save her family, and Kitty’s never been one to back down from a challenge. With a cunning and innovative heroine, a Lord who sees her for what she is and determined to thwart her plan, and a London social season, this book is a must-read!

All’s fair in love and chemistry. It’s 1960s California and there are certain things that women just don’t do. When scientist Elizabeth Zott finds herself the host of a television cooking show, she kicks off a revolution that does more than just challenge the status quo. You will fall in love with the cast of characters in this witty, funny debut novel that has already been picked up as an Apple TV+ series. The B&N Exclusive Edition includes an extra chapter, designed endpapers, and an interview with Elizabeth Zott, the main character.  

If you’re looking for a novel full of heists, travel and exploration of Chinese American identity, then look no further than Portrait of a Thief. This thrilling tale follows Will, a Harvard student comfortably living in his carefully curated role, but when asked to pull together a team to heist five priceless paintings stolen from Beijing centuries prior, he finds himself the leader of the crew, with fifty million dollars and their futures on the line. It’s the perfect novel to escape into!

It’s 1947 and Maddie Sykes has just arrived in Bright Leaf, North Carolina — the tobacco capital of the South. When she unexpectedly finds herself as the head seamstress in town, dressing the most elegant of women, she begins to uncover some hidden truths about Big Tobacco.  If you loved The Lost Apothecary from one of our previous B&N Discover authors, Sarah Penner, we highly recommend this dazzling debut from Adele Myers!

Weaving together three different perspectives, The Last Confessions of Sylvia P. tells the fictional story behind the classic semi-autobiographical novel, The Bell Jar. Perfect for fans of Strange Contagion and Mrs. Fletcher. “It’s a book full of ideas about inspiration and a love for language that translates across borders, physical and generational.”—Adam Johnson, Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Orphan Master’s Son

Atmospheric and haunting, Wild and Wicked Things is the perfect speculative escape. This beautifully written tale of queer love in an alternative post-WWI England invokes the glittering world of Gatsby with a blend of blood magic and gothic mystique. Perfect for those hungry for twists on the classics.

Two American ex-pats obsessed with the Amanda Knox trial find themselves at the nexus of murder and celebrity in glittering late-aughts Berlin. Henkel brilliantly stages a cat and mouse game between a novelist and two art students, one that explores the intensity of female friendships, millennial life, and identity. “Calla Henkel’s young and beautiful buccaneers of Berlin show us how to turn mere fantasies into rocket fuel, how to rearrange reality into a collage of depravity and dopamine hits … This book is fun with a capital F.” —Lauren Mechling, author of How Could She

This sharp, provocative debut dives deep into issues of power, misogyny, and relationships of all types through the lens of a female English professor whose husband (also a professor) is on the precipice of professional doom. When our narrator becomes increasingly obsessed with a new, young colleague named Vladimir to escape from her current life, things start to get wild. As her perspective and actions transform into outright absurdity, you settle in for the satire and hold on tight! Perfect for anyone who loves a campus novel or who enjoyed “The Chair” with Sandra Oh.

Two estranged siblings must set aside their differences to deal with their mother’s death and her hidden past — a journey of discovery that takes them from the Caribbean to London to California and ends with her famous black cake. This family saga is full of secrets, betrayal, love, tradition, and in the end, acceptance. Told in dual timelines, we see the story of Eleanor Bennett unfold. This book will stay with you, as well as a craving for Caribbean black cake. A great read for fans of The Vanishing Half or Transcendent Kingdom.

Do you believe in soulmates? The Arc, a secretive matchmaking service that uses a complex series of assessments to find your ideal mate, would like you to believe they have love down to a science. When Ursula is paired with Rafael, it feels like a sure bet, but the human heart is never predictable. This delightful page-turner about relationships, dating and what it means to be a modern woman is millennial fiction perfection! “Hoen has the rare combination of a satirist’s eye and a romantic’s soul … Clear off space on your shelf of contemporary favorites for this timeless love story wrapped in a timely, funny portrait of modern society.”— Mary Laura Philpott, author of I Miss You When I Blink

Pulling from her own personal experience in the high-pressure venues of New York City, author Xochitl Gonzalez tackles elitism, racism, and the pitfalls of ambition with a startlingly personal brushstroke. Family drama, politics, long-buried secrets, and romance are all present and accounted for in this must-read debut that follows wedding planner Olga and her search for her own fairytale ending. Set in the months surrounding the most destructive hurricane in Puerto Rico’s history, Olga Dies Dreaming explores the reality (and the struggle) of the American dream.

A modern retelling of the immortal and dark Daphne and Apollo myth, The Latinist explores the pitfalls of extreme ambition, passionate desire, and dangerous obsession. With a moody backdrop of Oxford academia and a propulsive mystery threaded throughout, the story follows Tessa and the complicated relationship she has with her charismatic and enigmatic classics professor Chris … a relationship that builds to an explosive conclusion. A debut that reads as if it is from a well-seasoned author and an undeniably twisty way to start off your year’s reading list.

Trouble can take many forms, and in this case, trouble, or “wahala,” takes the form of a new, hideously wealthy friend Isobel who inserts herself into the lives of an inseparable London trio Ronke, Simi, and Boo. The fallout from the subsequent changes in each friend’s life is both endlessly entertaining and thoroughly thought-provoking. A character-driven thriller perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, Wahala is taut with feeling and heartbreak. It is without a doubt an unputdownable, page-turning novel.

A debut for the many fans of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, The Curious Incident of the Dog in Nighttime and The Thursday Murder Club. Meet the unflappable Molly Gray. For every curveball thrown her way, maid Molly keeps the life rules of her dear departed grandmother at heart and uses them to help solve the untimely murder of a guest. The characters around the Regency Grand Hotel would push anyone to their limits, so her subsequent suspect list is endless. Imperturbable Molly will take you by the hand as you solve this fun, fast and endlessly sweet mystery together!

This captivating fantasy seamlessly weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic. Inspired by the legend of the Chinese moon goddess, Chang’e, this debut is the first in a romantic duology. With its lush world-building, strong female protagonist, and vivid characters, this tale of love, sacrifice, and honor is already topping all the fantasy must-read lists. “Daughter of the Moon Goddess … floats you into the Celestial Kingdom, introduces you to monsters both literal and figurative, and leaves you dreaming of dragons.” — Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter

The past is never far behind in Stacy Willingham’s A Flicker in the Dark. Willingham delivers in keeping us riveted as one timeline intersects with another. At age twelve, Chloe Davis’s father confessed to the murder of six teenage girls in a small Louisiana town. Twenty years later, after grappling with the truth and moving on from the aftermath, Chloe is successful and finally on the brink of happiness, until a new murder brings that terrifying summer crashing back. This atmospheric phycological thriller will have you on the edge of your seat.

An intriguing debut about newly pregnant Helen, who is dealing with the arrival of the enigmatic, unpredictable stranger and fellow mom-to-be, Rachel. Helen’s idyllic life is thrown into chaos as buried secrets come to light and surface relationships begin to crack. With gothic imagery, a twists-and-turns plot, and a shockingly satisfying ending, Greenwich Park is a can’t-miss, riveting domestic thriller. “A gloriously tangled game of cat and mouse that kept the twists coming until the very last moment.” — Ruth Ware, author of One By One