What To Read

FICTION

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai (Feb. 21)

In this novel, a successful film professor and podcaster is forced to reckon with her past as she tries to uncover the mystery of a classmate who was killed when they were in boarding school. We loved The Great Believers, Makkai's last book, which was both a Pulitzer and National Book Award finalist — and can't wait to dig into this one.

Victory City by Salman Rushdie (Feb. 7)

In the wake of a 14th-century battle in India, a 9-year-old girl has a divine encounter that will change the course of history. Styled as an ancient epic, this book is one of the most anticipated books of the year by critics and fans of Rushdie, who is slowly recovering after being the victim of a shocking attack last fall.

“This is a joyful oversized romp of a book, an extravagant book, showing him expressing his full capabilities and using all his creative power,” said novelist Harry Kunzru about his friend in a recent New York Times article. That should remind us that he’s a novelist and a storyteller more than a political symbol.”

Brutes by Dizz Tate (Feb. 7)

This coming-of-age novel by a debut author is about the struggles of girlhood through the case of a missing girl in a Florida town. The author was profoundly influenced by The Virgin Suicides — both the novel by Jeffrey Eugenides and Sofia Coppola's adaptation. In an article in the Guardian, Tate says, "I return to it so often because it tells a particularly American truth, recognisable to anyone who was raised there, and one that has kept me writing, and rewriting, my own novel, Brutes, wanting to articulate this truth for myself." 

Your Driver Is Waiting by Priya Guns (Feb. 28)

We first learned about this book because it features on so many "most anticipated" lists for the year, including Crime Reads, Bustle and BuzzFeed. This debut is a social satire that reimagines the 1970s Martin Scorsese film Taxi Driver in the era of Lyft and Uber — with plenty of biting social commentary. 

Hungry Ghosts by Kevin Jared Hosein (Feb. 7)

This is a debut novel set in 1940s Trinidad with themes of generational trauma and historical violence. The late Hilary Mantel praised it as "a deeply impressive book" in which "energy and inventiveness distinguish every page." The Financial Times highlighted it among the top new debut novels, saying, "in scope and style, it's not far off a masterpiece."

Our Share of Night by Mariana Enríquez (Feb. 7)

This Argentine writer is the author of nine books and two short story collections, but American writers might know her best for her story collection The Dangers of Smoking in Bed. This newest novel, with elements of sci-fi and horror, is centered on a father and son road trip after the death of their beloved wife/mother. They travel to her ancestral home only to confront a terrifying legacy she left behind.

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz (Feb. 21)

We love the unlikely setting of this suspenseful thriller: an exclusive retreat at a famed writer's estate. When the attendees arrive, they find out that they must complete a novel from scratch, and that one will receive a life-changing seven-figure publishing deal. Some strange and sinister happenings begin once they set to work.

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin (Feb. 7)

This novel is a comedic and complex love story between a woman named Greta, who transcribes sessions for a sex therapist, and one of the sex therapist's clients, who Greta has nicknamed Big Swiss. In a hilarious twist, Greta happens upon Big Swiss in real life and the attraction is irresistible.

Users by Colin Winnette (Feb. 21)

With elements of virtual reality, technology, family drama, and dark humor, this dystopian novel might fill the void while we wait for the next season of Severance.

NON-FICTION

The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us to Loathe Government and Love the Free Market by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway (Feb. 21)

The authors, known for revealing the origins of climate change in their previous book Merchants of Doubt, have written an ambitiously complete history of free market ideology.

Dinner with the President: Food, Politics, and a History of Breaking Bread at the White House by Alex Prud'homme (Feb. 7)

From the coauthor of Julia Child's bestselling memoir My Life in France, comes an entertaining book about the expensive and curious tastes of 26 presidents.

Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World by Malcolm Harris (Feb. 14)

Billed as the comprehensive history of Silicon Valley, this book is a timely exploration of how a California suburb became the pulsing heart of American capitalism. The book explores the native history of Palo Alto along with the layered influences of a mutated hippie culture, a potent concentration of tech innovators and the influence of ideological moguls. This book will be fascinating context for the current inflection point in Silicon Valley in its state of unprecedented contraction.

The Climate Book: The Facts and the Solutions by Greta Thunberg (Feb. 14)

This highly anticipated collection of insightful knowledge from the world's most forward climate thinkers, including Thunberg herself, is being touted as the essential handbook on climate change.