The best new books to read this week: The Dreamers, You Know You Want This, and more
We’re finally settling into our post-holiday routines. (And letting ourselves off the hook for quitting on our New Year’s resolutions.) Rather than make a ton of massive plans for 2019 right now, we’re taking a slower approach to the New Year. It’s okay to take things one month, one week, or even one day at a time. So, if the “bigger picture” is a little hazy right now, indulge in a little self-care. Try out a new recipe in your Instant Pot. Adopt a new houseplant. And read one of the best new books hitting shelves this week:
1The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker, out January 15th
Shake up your reading list with a bit of sci-fi. The Dreamers is about a small college town overcome by a mysterious sleeping sickness. As more and more young women fall asleep, something strange happens: They display unusually high levels of brain activity.
2You Know You Want This: “Cat Person” and Other Stories by Kristen Roupenian, out January 15th
When The New Yorker published Kristen Roupenian’s short story “Cat Person” in 2017, we thought, Wow. We’d really love it if she wrote an entire book of short stories. Ask and you shall receive.
3Elsey Come Home by Susan Conley, out January 15th
Elsey’s husband gives her an ultimatum: Go on a yoga retreat in the mountains, or our marriage is over. What follows in Elsey Come Home is a smart, wry, and immersive coming-of-middle-age story of growth and womanhood.
4Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love by Dani Shapiro, out January 15th
What would you do if you found out your father wasn’t your biological father? That’s exactly what happened when, in her fifties, Dani Shapiro used an online genealogy website for the fun of it. Her memoir about family secrets and personal discovery is wholly captivating.
5Last Night in Nuuk by Niviaq Korneliussen, out January 15th
Your bookshelf needs some Greenlandic literature. Told through texts, emails, Facebook messages, and Google searches, Last Night in Nuuk follows five teens struggling with their gender identities. It’s a fantastic debut.
6No Exit by Taylor Adams, out January 15th
No Exit will take you on a wild and twisted wintery ride. It’s about a woman named Darby who gets stuck in a blizzard with four strangers. She makes a horrifying discovery: there’s a girl trapped in a van, locked in an animal crate. Every unexpected twist and turn will give you serious chills.
7Something Like Breathing by Angela Readman, out January 15th
Something Like Breathing is a beautiful debut novel that takes place on a remote Scottish island in the ‘50s. It tells the story of Lorrie, the granddaughter of a whiskey distiller, and Sylvie, a girl with a curious gift.
8Joy Enough: A Memoir by Sarah McColl, out January 15th
When Sarah McColl’s mother was diagnosed with cancer, she dropped everything—including her failing marriage—to return home and take care of her. Joy Enough is a touching, beautifully written memoir that looks back on both losses with love.
