Wednesday, March 5, 2025

The latest must-read debut fiction

 
Readworthy by BookBub
This Month's Best New Debut Fiction
 
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Book cover for The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight
A coming-of-age charmer with a TV adaptation on the way!
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • To find out what her parents are hiding from her, Pen spends a life-changing weekend at a famous writer's Scottish estate
  • "Undeniably delicious" (The New York Times) and filled with juicy family secrets
  • A Read with Jenna pick that instantly hit the New York Times bestseller list
  • "Swept me off my feet" (Jenny Jackson, author of Pineapple Street)
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma KnightMEDIA MENTIONS:TODAY Book Club/Read with Jenna, NPR, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, Oprah Daily, People, Variety, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Literary Hub
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonSee other formats and retailers
Book cover for Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley
Daisy Jones & The Six meets Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • This buzzy debut is slated for an A24 adaptation starring Saoirse Ronan and Austin Butler
  • "Totally engrossing… I loved this novel" (Liz Moore, author of The God of the Woods)
  • When two Berkeley students form a musical partnership, their talent, obsession, and need for belonging threaten their connection
Learn more...
Media mentions for Deep Cuts by Holly BrickleyMEDIA MENTIONS:People, Associated Press, Indie Next List, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonSee other formats and retailers
Book cover for Penitence by Kristin Koval
A small-town tragedy cracks open decades of guilt and secrets
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • After a murder occurs in her home, Angie must protect her family — even if it means confronting an unspeakable trauma from her youth
  • Celeste Ng fans: Don't miss this "propulsive, deftly woven" novel (People)
  • "An exploration of the struggles and impossible choices of two families linked by tragedy, guilt, blame, and love" (The Washington Post)
Learn more...
Media mentions for Penitence by Kristin KovalMEDIA MENTIONS:Book of the Month, People, The Washington Post, Indie Next List, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Literary Hub
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonSee other formats and retailers
Book cover for The Lotus Shoes by Jane Yang
See why Heather Morris calls this 'brilliantly written' debut 'hard to put down'
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • In 19th-century China, Little Flower is sold as a maidservant to spoiled Linjing — intertwining their fates in unexpected ways
  • "An exceptional story that enchants from the first page to the last" (Publishers Weekly)
  • "I can't wait to recommend this novel to everyone I know" (Alka Joshi, author of The Henna Artist)
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Lotus Shoes by Jane YangMEDIA MENTIONS:Book of the Month, Good Housekeeping, The Guardian, The Times, Indie Next List, Publishers Weekly, Booklist
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonSee other formats and retailers
Book cover for Nesting by Roisín O'Donnell
Ann Patchett fans: Take note of this rising literary star
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • An instant bestseller in the UK and Ireland called "a reading experience more akin to devouring a thriller than a work of domestic realism" (The Guardian)
  • Fleeing her controlling husband with her daughters, Ciara is transformed by the other women in their temporary home
  • Mary Beth Keane, author of Ask Again, Yes, raves, "Extraordinary… I clutched this book tightly as I read"
Learn more...
Media mentions for Nesting by Roisín O'DonnellMEDIA MENTIONS:The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, Good Housekeeping, The Guardian, The Times, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Electric Literature, Literary Hub
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonSee other formats and retailers
Book cover for All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall
On the roof of the American Museum of Natural History live two girls and their parents…
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • Love Station Eleven? This poignant, tension-filled speculative novel is for you
  • When a superstorm overcomes New York City, a family searches for refuge along the river
  • "A celebration of human perseverance at the hands of nature's awe-inspiring power" (Kirkus Reviews starred review) that you won't soon forget
Learn more...
Media mentions for All the Water in the World by Eiren CaffallMEDIA MENTIONS:New Scientist, Scientific American, Indie Next List, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Booklist, Literary Hub
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonSee other formats and retailers
Book cover for Good Girl by Aria Aber
An award-winning poet 'strikes gold' (Los Angeles Times) in her debut novel
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • "As remarkable and timeless as the very nature of fiction itself" (Morgan Talty, author of Fire Exit)
  • In Berlin's artistic underground, a daughter of Afghan refugees is pulled into the orbit of a fading American literary star
  • "Stunning, suspenseful, boldly defiant… I only put this novel down to marvel at its prose" (New York Times bestselling author Fatima Farheen Mirza)
Learn more...
Media mentions for Good Girl by Aria AberMEDIA MENTIONS:The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Financial Times, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Bustle, Elle, Vulture, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, The Millions, Literary Hub
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonSee other formats and retailers
Book cover for The Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap
Historical fiction meets true crime in this gothic page-turner
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • A must-read for fans of The Alienist
  • In 19th-century Edinburgh, James pursues his dreams of studying surgery — but a dangerous bargain with a body snatcher puts him in the crosshairs of two serial killers
  • "A thrilling debut that will have readers turning pages deep into the night" (Hester Fox, author of The Last Heir to Blackwood Library)
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Resurrectionist by A. Rae DunlapMEDIA MENTIONS:Paste, Library Reads, Publishers Weekly, BookPage
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonSee other formats and retailers
Book cover for Red Clay by Charles B. Fancher
A generation-spanning saga of two families: one enslaved, one enslavers
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • Alabama, 1943: On the morning of her grandfather's funeral, a frail woman appears on Eileen's doorstep with an astonishing story
  • "A mesmerizing, ambitious novel about the way family secrets are often braided into America's shameful history of slavery" (Jess Walter, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Cold Millions)
  • Draws upon the author's own ancestry
Learn more...
Media mentions for Red Clay by Charles B. FancherMEDIA MENTIONS:Paste, Publishers Weekly, Booklist
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonSee other formats and retailers
Book cover for The Sunflower House by Adriana Allegri
Forced to serve in a Nazi eugenics program, nurse Allina fights to save the babies in her care
WHY IT'S READWORTHY:
  • "A spectacular debut that will make a splash in the world of World War II historical fiction" (Madeline Martin)
  • Based on the true story of the notorious Lebensborn program
  • This tale of love and sacrifice has praise from Jennifer Chiaverini, Hazel Gaynor, and more
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Sunflower House by Adriana AllegriMEDIA MENTIONS:Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Literary Hub
GET EBOOK ON:
AmazonSee other formats and retailers
 
  

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