Our Most Anticipated Books of January 2024

With a full cast of characters telling their stories, all orbiting the devastation wrought on a family caught up in war, this is a sweeping narrative, gorgeously written and emotionally resonant. Altogether, a resounding debut.

Vanessa joins us on our Poured Over podcast in January. Catch the show on your favorite podcast app, stream from our blog, or watch on our YouTube channel.

From the author who blessed us with Shiner comes a story packed with the twists of a propulsive mystery and the meaningful character connections of a good literary tale. It’s the story of dysfunctional family, finding oneself and the gray area between heroes and villains. Great for fans of The People We Keep.

Using Moby Dick as a starting point, Tara Karr Roberts crafts a gorgeous, character-driven narrative that is part retelling and part wholly original historical fiction. With a massive scope and a sprinkle of magic, this is ideal for fans of The Essex Serpent and Great Circle.

Exploring pressing issues of climate change, habitat loss and conservation, The Age of Deer revolves around humanity’s relationship with deer, drawing universal and powerful conclusions from our cohabitation. Written in engaging prose, this is an important narrative with the power to make a difference.

A game gone wrong, leaving one little girl dead and the other haunted by the namesake of the novel. This is a story about facing the truth that is at times devastating and at times hopeful, but at all times sharp and inventive.

If you’ve been craving a delicious anti-capitalist worldview delivered with as much heart as humor, then look no further. This down-to-earth and deeply personal narrative pulls no punches, delivering a crucial narrative that will educate and inspire.

A stunning debut that’s as whimsical and charming as it is dark and mysterious. Inspired by Icelandic folklore and written in an epistolary fashion, this fairy tale is full of witty prose with a grumpy supernatural love story. It’s dark academia with a cozy fantasy twist!

With a deviously unreliable narrator providing a constant and consistent supply of twists, turns and surprises, this character-rich story is dripping in readability. Rounded out with a propulsive plot and saturated in suspense, The Fury is immensely compelling and a joy to read.

The fiction debut of a poetic master, Kaveh Akbar’s Martyr! is teeming with all the life you’ll find in his poems, fleshed out over an entire novel. This is the story of a young man in search of purpose, and all the places he looks for it. Beautifully written, with a buoyant tone that will sustain any reader, this is the kind of novel that makes a difference.

Kaveh joins us on our Poured Over podcast in January. Catch the show on your favorite podcast app, stream from our blog, or watch on our YouTube channel.

A gorgeous collection of prayers and thoughts to guide you to a deeper spiritual understanding of every day. This is as much a prayer guide as it is an exploration of the power of prayer, and all from a trusted theologian and spiritual paragon.

From the author who debuted with the brilliant Such A Fun Age comes another incisive and empathetic novel that bandies with real-world themes of race, class and privilege with equal parts wit and heart. With human characters propelling a thick plot, this is a dazzling follow-up for an author worth keeping an eye on.

The second in the Essex Dogs series, this is another easily accessible historical narrative that puts you in a time and a place you’ve never been. Meticulously researched, the rich details only add to the dynamic cast of characters that guide you through piracy, magic mushrooms and more. And the series isn’t done!

If the title, the premise and the comparison to Richard Osman weren’t enough to win you over, know that this is a ridiculously clever locked-room mystery that is as full of hilarity as it is of suspects. Benjamin Stevenson already announced himself with his debut Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, but this will only announce him more.

Leaning into the lush possibilities of dark academia, The City of Stardust is full of cutthroat scholars, a dark and dangerous education and a secret society of magicians. It’s perfect for fans of The Atlas Six or R.F. Kuang’s Babel.

TJ Klune’s star continues to rise and the Green Creek series is a big reason why. With Robbie Fontaine in the spotlight, family bonds are tested by betrayals and secrets capable of fraying even the stoutest familial bonds.

The Crescent City series sizzles on with your favorite, dynamic heroine pitted against a gorgeous, fully realized fantasy realm. With a steamy romance at its core, this series keeps delivering the goods we love to see in the genre.

From a well-known stand-up comic comes an insightful and, naturally, hilarious exploration of his own upbringing and the various communities he comes from. This is a ferocious memoir, packed with incision while maintaining a warm, welcoming feel.

A gorgeously curated anthology of contemporary Black poets, this is a collection with all the biggest names in the business, curated by poetic mainstay Kwame Alexander. It’s a celebration of Black joy, an uplifting of Black voices and a hopeful, incisive exploration of America.

Witty, clever and full of heart, Good Material is an exploration of friendship, love and the many forms a relationship can take. Great for fans of Curtis Sittenfeld and Emily Henry.