“The Immortalists,” “The Wife Between Us,” and other books coming out this week
We’re only one week into the new year, but 2018 is already proving to be quite an eventful one. Much of the east coast is still covered in snow thanks to wild winter storms; the bomb cyclone grounded nearly 3,000 flights. Michael Wolff released Fire and Fury, the Donald Trump tell-all book. Much to Twitter’s amusement, the president tweeted that he’s a “stable genius.” And of course, the Time’s Up movement took center stage at the 2018 Golden Globes.
But it’s the start of a new week, which means one thing: There’s a fresh batch of brand-new books just waiting to be read. Yes, Tuesday, January 9th is going to be a big day for your TBR piles. Prepare to add psychological thrillers, historical crime novels, and humorous workplace fiction titles to your list. There’s even a brutally honest book that’s part memoir, part self-help guide that will encourage you to embrace the power of the word “no” once and for all. Hey, we’re just doing our part to help you be the best you in 2018. AND meet your Goodreads Reading Challenge goal while you’re at it.
Here are 16 books coming out this week that you don’t want to miss!
1. The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin, out January 9th
If you learned the date you were going to die, how would it shape the rest of your life? In The Immortalists, the Gold children visit a traveling psychic in Manhattan’s Lower East Side and learn their death dates. These prophecies follow them into adulthood, changing how they view the world and approach life. From a nightclub in San Francisco to a stage in Las Vegas, they can never quite escape the fortunes they heard as children. That is, until their time comes. Believe the hype about this one.
2. The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, out January 9th
You think you know Vanessa, Richard’s mess of an ex-wife, and Nellie, his perfect brand-new bride-to-be. And you think you know what’s going to happen next. But trust us — you don’t. Seriously, don’t even try to guess. Cancel your plans and call in sick to work, because you’re going to devour The Wife Between Us. It’s filled with truly unexpected twists that will keep you on your toes until the very last page. Thank goodness the team behind The Girl on the Train is already making it into a movie.
3. Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan, out January 9th
Real talk: Sometimes the simplest sentences are the most difficult to say. Ones like I was wrong and I don’t know and even simply No. In Tell Me More: Stories About the 12 Hardest Things I’m Learning to Say, Kelly Corrigan gets real about the power of choosing your words. You’ll revisit this one again and again.
4. The Afterlives by Thomas Pierce, out January 9th
After Jim Byrd dies of heart failure for a few minutes, he’s revived and given a second chance at life. But he has no memories of what happened during those minutes. And as a result, he becomes obsessed with what happens after you die. Get ready to reflect on everything from religion to philosophy to love. This one will haunt you long after it’s over.
5. The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey, out January 9th
The three Farid widows live in seclusion and never speak to men. A young lawyer named Perveen — the only female lawyer in Bombay — decides to investigate. When someone in the widows’ mansion is murdered, she makes it her mission to find out what happened and protect their rights.
6. Neon in Daylight by Hermione Hoby, out January 9th
There’s always room on our bookshelf for a novel about falling in love in New York City. Especially one with a cat named Joni Mitchell. Neon in Daylight is about Kate, a young woman who moves to the city for the summer. She makes two unique friends: a washed-up writer named Bill, and his daughter Inez who meets men on Craigslist. It’ll cure your winter blues and mentally transport you to summer in NYC in a snap.
7. This Could Hurt by Jillian Medoff, out January 9th
This Could Hurt is a novel about the HR department at Ellery Consumer Research. Set in 2009, the economy is in the toilet, and layoffs and cutbacks are happening left and right. (Sound familiar?) If you’ve ever worked in a corporate environment, you’ll appreciate the satire of this dysfunctional office and its cast of characters. While you’re at it, pick up a copy for your work wife too.
8. The Days When Birds Come Back by Deborah Reed, out January 9th
The Days When Birds Come Back is deeply painful, superbly haunting, and, ultimately, compellingly heartfelt. It tells the story of June, a divorcée fixing up her grandparents’ home filled with childhood memories, and Jameson, the man helping her renovate it. As we slowly learn more about their painful pasts, we watch them heal in the present. It’s a stunning book for readers of all ages.
9. The Black Painting by Neil Olson, out January 9th
Theresa and her cousins arrive at their grandfather’s mansion, a place none of them have visited since a Goya self-portrait disappeared when they were kids. The painting, which is said to cause madness or death upon viewing it, tore their family apart. But when they show up, they find their grandfather dead, staring at the place where the Goya was once displayed. Now, Theresa must dig through the past to learn the truth. Apparently, we have a thing for suspenseful thrillers about stolen artwork.
10. Between Me and You by Allison Winn Scotch, out January 9th
Two people, two perspectives, one love story. Between Me and You tells the story of how Ben and Tatum fell in and out of love — both backward and forward. The chapters alternate between their two voices. While Tatum tells her side of the story from the beginning, Ben tells his in reverse. Though you know how it ends from the beginning, it’s heartbreakingly joyful to discover everything that happens in between.
11. The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor, out January 9th
We all had secret languages and codes with our friends when we were kids. In The Chalk Man, Eddie and his friends draw each other stick figures out of chalk to send secret messages. But one day, a chalk man they’ve never seen before leads them to a dead body. Fast forward 30 years, and they all receive letters with — yep — chalk men. If you can’t get enough of psychological thrillers with sharp twists and turns, you need to read The Chalk Man.
12. Nice Try, Jane Sinner by Lianne Oelke, out January 9th
Jane Sinner is a 17-year-old high school dropout trying to escape her past. She enrolls in community college and signs up for a Big Brother-type reality show so she’ll have somewhere to live. Soon, the show starts to gain a following. And we see it all unfold through Jane’s hilariously dry POV in this diary entry-style YA novel.
13. The English Wife by Lauren Willig, out January 9th
Name three things you like to see in every historical fiction novel. If you said family secrets, scandalous affairs, and a murder the night of a fancy ball, you’ll flip for The English Wife.
14. Getting Off by Erica Garza, out January 9th
You might expect Erica Garza’s memoir to be overly salacious. But as you dig into Getting Off: One Woman’s Journey Through Sex and Porn Addiction, you’ll find it to be fiercely dynamic and courageous.
15. Just Between Us by Rebecca Drake, out January 9th
Four suburban moms. Four seemingly perfect lives. And four dirty little secrets. Just Between Us is the ultimate reminder that you never really know what’s going on in someone else’s mind, house, or marriage.
16. Happiness for Humans by P.Z. Reizin, out January 9th
Happiness for Humans is a sci-fi rom-com set in a not-too-distant future where artificial intelligence reigns supreme. Ask Alexa to order it for you ASAP.
17. The Perfect Nanny by Leïla Slimani, out January 9th
And the award for the most shocking first sentence of a book goes to…The Perfect Nanny. In just four words, Leïla Slimani sets the tone for what’s to come: “The baby is dead.” Finally, the French author’s Goncourt prize-winning novel is being released in the U.S. Even though you know how the story ends up front, you’ll have a hell of a time finding out how to get there. You’ll tear through The Perfect Nanny in one sitting.
