I like to have a balance of new and backlist titles on my to-be-read (TBR) list. I enjoy hearing about new books being released, and it’s nice to be part of the conversation when everyone’s talking about an author’s newly published title. At the same time, I’m a library user at heart, and older books are much easier to come by, or at least much quicker, there. Also, just because a book isn’t new anymore doesn’t make me want to read it any less.
If you like to have a mix of both as well, here are a few titles you might want to add to your new book TBR. These 2022 new releases look like great ones to read.
January
Wahala by Nikki May. The beautiful cover is what initially grabbed my attention to this novel about three Anglo-Nigerian women, whose friendship is tested when a fourth woman comes into their group. According to the online description, Wahala (Nigerian for trouble), is “a sharp, modern take on friendship, ambition, culture, and betrayal.” Sign me right on up.
Honor by Thrity Umrigar. This novel came on my radar when I heard Sarah, of the podcast Sarah’s Bookshelves Live, interview the author recently. Honor is “the story of two couples and the sometimes dangerous and heartbreaking challenges of love across a cultural divide.” I’ve heard great things about this one already.
February
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson. Chances are you have seen this novel (with another pretty cover!) floating around. This is about Byron and Benny, whose mother dies and leaves them a puzzling inheritance: a traditional Caribbean black cake made from a family recipe, and a voice recording. It’s about their relationship and family secrets, memory and history.
March
The Love of My Life by Rosie Walsh. Leo is an obituary writer, and his wife, Emma, is a well-known marine biologist. When Emma suffers from a serious illness, Leo copes by researching and writing about her life—but he learns that she is not at all who he thought she was. This fantastic premise drew me in and makes me want to pick it up.
The Golden Couple by Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks. I’ve never read anything by this writing duo before but I’ve wanted to for a while. This one is about a couple whose marriage is tested by infidelity. They visit a therapist known for her unorthodox methods, and when they begin, “the biggest secrets in the room are still hidden, and it’s no longer simply a marriage that’s in danger.” Sounds good, right?
The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James. I’ve read two other books by this author (The Sun Down Motel and The Broken Girls), both of which I loved, so naturally I wanted to pick up her new release as well. I love her writing; she can tell a creepy story in a way that’s compelling, yet not over the top. This one is about a true crime blogger who interviews a woman who was accused (but acquitted) of two cold case murders.
April
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel. I read and loved Station Eleven several years ago, but haven’t read anything by this author since that. I don’t know a lot about this one, but it is described as “a novel of time travel and metaphysics that precisely captures the reality of our current moment.” While time travel isn’t something that makes me pick up a book, in St. John Mandel’s hands I’m definitely intrigued.
Bomb Shelter by Mary Laura Philpott. Philpott is the author of I Miss You When I Blink, an essay collection that I loved. This is also a memoir in essays that focuses on both her anxiety and her optimism, and it sounds like her experience as a mother may also be part of these stories. I love her funny, poignant, relatable writing, and I can’t wait to read this.
The Fervor by Alma Katsu. Katsu writes “literary horror” novels, which is not normally something I’d be drawn to, but this one about the Japanese American internment camps during World War II sounds unique and fascinating. A mother and daughter are sent to an internment camp, where a mysterious disease begins to spread. According to the online description, “Katsu crafts a terrifying story about the danger of demonization, a mysterious contagion, and the search to stop its spread before it’s too late.”
May
This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub. Alice goes to bed on the night before she turns 40 feeling okay about her life, although her father is ill, and she feels like there’s something she’s missing. The next morning she wakes up in 1996, on the day of her sixteenth birthday. She’s shocked of course, but what amazes her the most is seeing her young, healthy dad. I love this unique spin on a time-travel story—I can’t think of too many novels that focus on a father-daughter relationship. I can’t wait to pick this up.
Hollow Fires by Samira Ahmed. I read Internment a couple of years ago and really loved it, so when I saw this YA novel I was instantly interested. It’s about a young woman who wants to be a journalist, whose dedication to telling stories without bias changes the day she finds the body of Jawad Ali, a fourteen year-old boy who was murdered. Ali built a cosplay jetpack, and his teacher mistakenly thought it was a bomb, which got him arrested and eventually killed. This sounds like a challenging, yet thought-provoking read.
June
Flying Solo by Linda Holmes. Honestly, I knew absolutely nothing about this one before I added it to my TBR list. It’s by the same author as Evvie Drake Starts Over, which I adored, so that was enough for me. It’s about a woman whose wedding was recently canceled, who is handling the estate of her great-aunt Dot, who recently died at the age of 93. She finds a mysterious wooden duck hidden among Dot’s belongings, and it surprisingly kicks off an adventure.
Which of these would you pick up? Have you read any 2022 releases yet?
