Jillian Augustine, Executive Editor
@jillaugcourant
With every turn into a new year, there’s always must-watch Netflix shows or must-hear songs and albums being talked about. However, rarely do I hear high schoolers walking through the halls suggesting books to each other. Lately it seems like literature has taken a place on the back shelf behind apps, series, and music. Because of this, I’ve compiled a list of the book releases that I’m most excited for in 2018 to give us all some variety from our daily binge-watching and listening. So, find yourself a comfy place to read, and DO NOT hit “Continue Watching” on that Netflix tab, because these books will surely be better than re-watching The Office for the fourth time (trust me, I know.)
January 9th: The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin (Literary Fiction)
This book, which is author Chloe’s Benjamin’s second novel following her 2014 book, The Anatomy Of Dreams, has already received positive commentary across the board from critics to readers. This is in addition to multiple honors, including placing on Entertainment Weekly’s “Must-read Books for 2018” and The Huffington Post’s “60 Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2018,” all in just the couple months since it’s release.
The Immortalists focuses on a group of four siblings, the Gold children, who hear of a mystic woman who recently moved to their city who apparently can tell anyone the day that they’ll die. The children pay a visit to this woman and each one hears her individual prophecy for them. The book focuses on these four as they grow up and live their own, separate lives in the present— all the while knowing the days that it will all come to an end.
January 30: The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert (Young Adult Fantasy)
The Hazel Wood was one of the most anticipated books of 2018, and since it was released in late January, it has gained a large fan base. Readers everywhere are calling for more of Albert’s unique, twisted fantasy books.
When 17-year-old Alice’s mother is abducted shortly following the death of her grandmother, who wrote a book of very dark fairy tales that became a cult-classic among her creepy readers, Alice is forced to confront the evil that exists within the fantasy world her grandmother created— an evil which she has been avoiding for her whole life.
January 30: The Monk of Mokha by Dave Eggers (Biography/Travel Literature)
Also released on January 30th was The Monk of Mokha, written by author of the best-selling novel, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers. Over the past two months since it’s publication, Egger’s book has received shining reviews from papers such as The Washington Post.
This biography tells the story of Mokhtar Alkhanshali, a young Yemeni-American who keeps his family coffee farming business alive through a violent civil war in his country. In order to write this story and create the most accurate portrayal of Muslim-Americans as possible, Eggers spent years traveling the world, interviewing with Alkhanshali’s friends and family. Alkhanshali himself said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, “This is the story of the American dream — and it’s especially important during our times now, because that dream is under threat.”
February 6: How to Stop Time by Matt Haig (Romance/Fantasy Fiction)
Matt Haig is a British author whose novels mainly stem from the “speculative fiction” genre— meaning they contain elements of the supernatural, futuristic, or imagined. His most recent book, How to Stop Time, does not stray from this pattern of genre. It is also up for “Fiction Book of the Year” at the British Book Awards. This novel is told from the perspective of Tom Hazard, a man who was born in 1581, and is now over 400 years old. For every 13 or 14 human years, he ages only one. As a result, Tom feels an extreme separation from humanity. The book tells the story of this man’s extremely long life and his struggles with knowing that he will outlive all of those whom he loves.
February 27: My Journey Into the Wu-Tang by Lamont “U-God” Hawkins (Biography)
Lamont “U-God” Hawkins is a part of the Wu-Tang clan, a music group so beloved that The Rolling Stone called them the “best rap group ever.” This legendary clan consists of nine young boys from the Brownsville projects, who used their love of hip-hop to break free from poverty and change the face of music forever.
In this biography, “U-God”, a member of the clan, tells the story of his life in the projects and how fame found its way to himself and his friends. It’s a story that no one else in the group has told before— and while a great part of it involves violence and drugs, it is truly an inspiring tale of how nine young men rose above this and became icons for doing what they love.
March 6: The Darkling Bride by Laura Andersen (Mystery, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction)
Laura Andersen is an award-winning author who wrote the Boleyn King trilogy and the Tudor Legacy novels. Her work focuses mainly on historical romance, but this most recent book takes that historical interest and adds a twist of mystery.
Set in the Irish countryside of the 1800s, The Darkling Bride focuses on Deeprath Castle, which has belonged to the Gallagher family for 700 years. However, the estate is now about to become a public trust, sending Carragh Ryan, reader and scholar, into the castle to take inventory of its library. However, Carragh soon realizes that the estate is home to more than just books— a series of mysterious deaths a century ago may be the working of the Darkling Bride, a local legend about a dangerous woman who haunts the castle.
March 20: The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan (Young Adult, Magical Realism)
This is Emily X.R. Pan’s first book, and it has already been named as one of the Top 12 Books of the Season by the Wall Street Journal. In this novel, Pan pulls from her own experience as the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants to create a beautiful story of loss, adventure, and discovery.
After Leigh Chan Sanders’ mother dies by suicide, she travels to Taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time. However, her trip brings more than reminiscing and grieving, as she sets off to find her mother, who she believes has been reincarnated as a bird. This search takes Leigh Chan on a journey that is much more than she had realized, as she uncovers family secrets, chases after ghosts, and develops a bond with her grandparents.
April 3: Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (Young Adult Fiction)
Dread Nation focuses on a character named Jane McKeene, who was born just two days before the fallen soldiers of the Civil War began to rise and walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville. The rise of these soldiers disturbs the results of the war, and the United States becomes a nation where education focuses on teaching students to put down these risen soldiers. Through this all, Jane is receiving an education in weaponry and etiquette, and planning to return to her home in Kentucky. However, these plans are derailed when people begin to go missing around Baltimore County, and Jane finds herself in a fight against strong enemies. Combining history and action in a unique way, this book is sure to please those who love both categories.
May 22: The Academy by Katie Sise (Young Adult)
If you’ve ever watched and loved the movie Cadet Kelly, you will definitely want to read this book. Frankie Brooks, teenage fashionista, is pursuing her dream of becoming the world’s greatest fashion editor and blogger, when a twist of events sends her off to military school. At The Academy, Frankie struggles with keeping up with rigorous studies, difficult drills, people that don’t understand her, and, of course, a budding romance. Through it all, Frankie maintains her love for fashion, and tries to prove that a fashionista can succeed at The Academy.
May 29: To the Moon and Back by Karen Kingsbury (Romance)
Karen Kingsbury is a New York Times best-selling author, and this story of loss and love comes as the fourth addition to her Baxter Family collection, the first three being A Baxter Family Christmas, Love Story, and In This Moment.
To the Moon and Back focuses on two teens who both lost their parents at a young age in the Oklahoma City bombing. By chance, the two, Jenna and Brady, meet each other at the memorial a decade later and share a deeply personal connection between two people who understand the same grief. However, after that, the two lose touch, and the novel focuses on Brady trying to find Jenna again, with the help of a girl he met at the memorial as well, Ashley Blake.
June 5: Us Against You by Fredrik Backman (Literary Fiction, Humorous Fiction)
Fredrik Backman is the #1 in the New York Times bestseller of A Man Called Ove, which is soon to be made into a movie starring Tom Hanks. Backman is praised as a writer with the ability to understand and beautifully communicate the emotions and personalities of dozens of characters at once. His upcoming novel, Us Against You, uses this skill to create a story of small town loyalty, love, and friendship.
The town of Beartown’s beloved hockey team is disbanded, and the residents are facing disappointment torment by the rival team, neighboring town Hed. However, soon a new player named Amat is picked to try and save the team, and with him the team, and the town, becomes stronger and ready to tackle their rivals in the big game. As they approach this standoff, the book focuses on the tensions within the small town and becomes an emotional book about the love and strength in our communities.
July 3: Still Water by Amy Stuart (Psychological Thriller)
Amy Stuart is a Globe and Mail bestselling author of another thriller titled Still Mine.This second novel, Still Water, focuses on a character from her first book, Clare O’Dey, as she tackles another mystery, this time in the town of High River.
Sally Proulx and her young son have disappeared, and Clare has been hired to find them. However, this isn’t the average town, it’s a town where everyone is hiding something. It’s a safe haven for people with troubled pasts, or those who are running from something or someone. The search for Sally and her son lead Clare deep into the lies that exist in High River and the incredible deception within Sally’s own life.
July 17: Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage (Thriller, Mystery, Fiction)
Zoje Stage is a former filmmaker, but she is now trying her hand in books. Baby Teeth will be the first of her two novels that are coming out this year, the second being Bad Apple, which is expected to be released on July 26.
Baby Teeth focuses on a girl named Hanna. Two things you need to know about Hanna: she’s mute, and she’s a daddy’s girl. She loves her father and thinks that he is the only one who understands her. Uniquely in Hanna’s case, this devotion to her dad comes hand-in-hand with a deep-rooted hate for her mother, whom she does everything in her power to get rid of. While her mom, Suzette’s, life becomes increasingly endangered by more complex tactics used by Hanna, her father remains clueless. With her life at danger and a strained family dynamic invading her life, Suzette struggles to decide what to do with Hanna.
August 17: These Rebel Waves by Sarah Raasch (Young Adult Fantasy, Adventure)
Sarah Raasch wrote the New York Times bestselling series trilogy Snow Like Ashes, which were fantasy novels that attracted a lot of attention to her work. Fans have big expectations for her upcoming book These Rebel Waves, which blends fantasy and adventure.
This novel draws inspiration from the Spanish Inquisition and the culture of piracy. As tensions build between a former colony and their colonizer and a delegate disappears during a Council meeting, sending soldier Adeluna on a hunt for justice. Along the way, Adeluna runs into a pirate named Devereux, who agrees to help navigate her in her quest. Across the water sits the Prince of the former colonizing nation, who is tasked to change the views of his people so that the two countries can live in peace.
September 4: People Kill People by Ellen Hopkins (Contemporary Young Adult, Political)
Ellen Hopkins is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, who is mainly popular among young adults and teens. Her various books have focused on important and personal subject matter, from drug addiction to sex trafficking, but this book tackles two political issues that are very much on the forefront of public debate right now: gun violence and white supremacy.
October 2: The Geography of Lost Things by Jessica Brody (Young Adult, Romance)
The Geography of Lost Things is a heartfelt novel about a girl named Ali, whose father passes away and leaves her with his 1968 Firebird Convertible. Finding too much sadness and remembrance of unkept promises in the car, Ali decides to drive it 300 miles up the Pacific coast and sell it. However, plans change when her ex-boyfriend convinces her to “trade-up” items that she already has in order to reach the amount of money that she needs to save her childhood home. This journey sends her on a wild, unique, and exciting journey in which she grows to respect and understand her father more through the people that she trades with on the road.
October 23: Imagine Us Happy by Jennifer Yu (Contemporary Young Adult, Romance)
Two teens, Stella and Kevin, who are both struggling with depression, meet each other and begin a relationship together in which the mutual support and understanding between them drives them incredibly close. However, soon the brokenness of both of them begins to turn their entire relationship into a mess, where Stella’s grades and friendships are slipping, and Kevin’s scars turn out to be deeper than she first thought.
November 13: The Girl They Left Behind by Roxanne Veletzos (Historical Fiction)
Moving from Romania as a young girl, Veletzos found that writing about her young life in her native country was a way of reflection. However, this soon became a passion, and it bred The Girl They Left Behind, her debut novel.
This book, set during World War II, portrays the life of citizens in a war-torn city in Romania that lies behind the Iron Curtain. One night, a little Jewish girl named Natalia is found alone outside of an apartment building. She is put into an orphanage home and soon adopted by a wealthy family. Life seems to be turning for the better since her abandonment, until Romania falls under Soviet occupation. Natalia becomes a young woman in the bleak and violent world that she grew up in, and in her twenties she again runs into Victor, a young boy who she had been friends with when she was younger, who is now an important Communist official. As their relationship grows and they become closer, the trials of their pasts and current situations in life clash when Natalia is given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to escape Romania to freedom. Now, she must choose between the man she has come to love, and the freedom she has desired for her whole life.
December 4: White Elephant by Emily Raymond (Psychological Thriller)
White Elephant tells the mystery that surrounds a business Christmas party when they play the classic present-swap game titled “white elephant.” This year’s swap has an interesting gift in the mix: an antique vase. This vase is peculiar and unrecognizable to everyone, except to the owner of the company and his ex-wife. He used the vase to commit a murder a year ago— the murder that helped him start his company, that his ex-wife helped him cover up. To make matters worse, a snow storm has left everyone stranded at the house and prevents law enforcement from reaching them. So who put the vase in the white elephant game? Who knows about the murder? And what does this mean for the rest of the night?
Now that you have these 19 exciting books to take you all the way through 2018, my hope is that you’ll spend a little more time immersing yourself in the worlds that literature can take you to, and maybe a little less time staring at that screen! Although I do understand the value of a little mindless watching, so let’s all try to keep a nice balance. I hope that you enjoy some (or all) of these novels, and I wish you all a super scholarly year!
