Thursday, June 5, 2025

The latest must-read debut fiction

 
Readworthy by BookBub
This Month's Best New Debut Fiction
 
.
 
Book cover for A Family Matter by Claire Lynch
This Read with Jenna pick 'burns like a sparkler, quick and mesmerizing' (The New York Times)
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • "I can't express how impressed I was by A Family Matter. It is, in a word, perfect" (Elin Hilderbrand)
  • The secrets and passions of a mother, a father, and their daughter reverberate across 40 years
  • "I was so moved and humbled by this beautifully crafted novel that I held it in my hands after finishing for a moment of thanks" (Mary Beth Keane)
Learn more...
Media mentions for A Family Matter by Claire LynchMEDIA MENTIONS:TODAY Book Club/Read with Jenna, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, Oprah Daily, People, USA Today, Good Housekeeping, The Guardian, The Boston Globe, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Literary Hub
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonSee other formats and retailers
Book cover for The Names by Florence Knapp
Cora chooses her son's name — and the ripple effects unfold across three alternate timelines
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • Jojo Moyes, Ann Napolitano, Elin Hilderbrand, and many more are gushing about this "dazzling" novel (The Washington Post)
  • A Read with Jenna pick and an instant New York Times bestseller
  • "It's one of those books that will make you irritable with anyone who interrupts you, but which you'll finish wanting to press into the hands of a friend" (The Times)
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Names by Florence KnappMEDIA MENTIONS:TODAY Book Club/Read with Jenna, People, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Times, Indie Next List, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Booklist, BookPage, Literary Hub
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonSee other formats and retailers
Book cover for Notes on Infinity by Austin Taylor
'It stole my breath and my heart' (Chris Whitaker, author of All the Colors of the Dark)
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • "If you are looking for a book to fill the Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow–shaped hole in your heart, this is just what the doctor ordered" (Oprah Daily)
  • Harvard students Zoe and Jack announce they've discovered the cure for aging — and are propelled together into the dizzying limelight
  • Publishers Weekly declares, "This is a winner"
Learn more...
Media mentions for Notes on Infinity by Austin TaylorMEDIA MENTIONS:Oprah Daily, Indie Next List, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, BookPage, School Library Journal, Literary Hub
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonSee other formats and retailers
Book cover for Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang
When her glamorous twin is found dead, Julie steals her life…
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • "You won't be able to stop talking about that ending" (Glamour)
  • Supermarket cashier Julie Chan has nothing to lose — so she seizes the opportunity to pose as her influencer sister. But Chloe's life is filled with dark secrets that put Julie in danger
  • Fans of Yellowface will devour this sharp debut that has Publishers Weekly raving, "It's a marvel"
Learn more...
Media mentions for Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann ZhangMEDIA MENTIONS:NPR, The Times, Reactor, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Electric Literature
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonSee other formats and retailers
Book cover for Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch
This 'compelling and cool' thriller (Paula Hawkins) already has a TV adaptation in the works
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • "I know this word is overused when talking about books, but truly: unputdownable" (Katy Hays, New York Times bestselling author of The Cloisters)
  • When SAT tutor Evie arrives at the home of her wealthy clients only to find a bloodbath — and a woman locked in a closet — the two become fugitives as they flee across the US
  • Rave reviews from Bonnie Garmus and Chris Whitaker, who calls it "fierce, fun, wild, and enraging"
Learn more...
Media mentions for Killer Potential by Hannah DeitchMEDIA MENTIONS:Associated Press, The Guardian, The Times, Publishers Weekly, Booklist
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonSee other formats and retailers
Book cover for The Eights by Joanna Miller
'I came to love these four women as though they were my sisters' (Tracy Chevalier)
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • Kate Quinn and Helen Simonson fans will be delighted by this acclaimed debut
  • In 1920, four pioneering young women arrive at Oxford — and come of age in the aftermath of World War I
  • "A memorable tale of a fast-changing world" (Publishers Weekly)
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Eights by Joanna MillerMEDIA MENTIONS:Entertainment Weekly, The Washington Post, Good Housekeeping, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, BookPage
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonSee other formats and retailers
Book cover for The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff
Four generations of a Texas family grapple with tragedy, addiction, and love
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • "A heart-breaker and heart-mender at once… Stunning" (Tayari Jones, New York Times bestselling author of An American Marriage)
  • Mary Beth Keane fans: Add this USA Today bestseller to your TBR list
  • In a starred review, Booklist says this "tender" debut "will make the reader feel like they are actually living through it alongside the characters"
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Bright Years by Sarah DamoffMEDIA MENTIONS:People, Elle, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Literary Hub
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonSee other formats and retailers
Book cover for 33 Place Brugmann by Alice Austen
Ann Patchett was moved by this 'beautiful and deeply engaging' World War II novel
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • Rave reviews from The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Oprah Daily, and more
  • When rumors of Nazi occupation become reality, residents of a Brussels apartment complex find their lives transformed — and face an impossible choice
  • "Demonstrates the power of storytelling to illuminate the darkest corners of history… A fresh perspective on a much-written-about era" (Christina Baker Kline)
Learn more...
Media mentions for 33 Place Brugmann by Alice AustenMEDIA MENTIONS:NPR, Oprah Daily, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Guardian, Indie Next List, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Literary Hub
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonSee other formats and retailers
Book cover for Open, Heaven by Seán Hewitt
In a rural English village, a shy 16-year-old's world transforms over one year
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • Anne Enright promises this first novel from an acclaimed Irish poet "strikes the heart"
  • "Readers looking for gorgeous language and richly developed atmosphere will be impressed and moved" (Kirkus Reviews)
  • "A searchingly poignant and beautiful novel about how a first love can shape a whole life" (Helen Macdonald, author of H Is for Hawk)
Learn more...
Media mentions for Open, Heaven by Seán HewittMEDIA MENTIONS:The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, Financial Times, The Guardian, Indie Next List, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Electric Literature, Literary Hub
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonSee other formats and retailers
Book cover for This Is Not a Game by Kelly Mullen
A grandmother-granddaughter duo lands in a locked-room murder mystery
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • "Agatha Christie brought bang up to date… Innovative and funny" (Clare Mackintosh, author of I Let You Go)
  • When a scandalous socialite is murdered at a lavish charity auction, widow Mimi and heartbroken Addie team up to find the killer
  • Set on an idyllic island off the coast of Michigan, this is a fun and clever play off Golden Age mysteries
Learn more...
Media mentions for This Is Not a Game by Kelly MullenMEDIA MENTIONS:Cosmopolitan, The Guardian, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonSee other formats and retailers
 
  

No comments:

Post a Comment