Books We’re Looking Forward To In 2023

If you’re anything like us, you start every year promising to read the books in your precariously stacked TBR pile. And every year, somehow, we defy the laws of physics by adding even more books to that stack with very few removed. It’s the paradox of being a bookworm. There’s never enough time and always too many fantastic books. 2023 won’t be the year any of us break that cycle, as there are already so many good books waiting to be released. We went through and found eleven we’re looking forward to the most in the New Year.


"The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi" by Shannon Chakraborty

Amina Al-Sirafi is a retired pirate with a scandalous reputation. But when she’s offered the chance to right a wrong from her past, she can’t walk away from the opportunity—especially when she’s offered an enormous prize. One last job, one last chance to become a legend. But there’s always a price to glory. Maybe even her soul. A swashbuckling new start to a trilogy filled with magic and mayhem through the Islamic medieval world.

Get The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi at Bookshop or Amazon 

 

"The Last Tale of the Flower Bride" by Roshani Chokshi

What is the line between a secret and a lie? When a man who believes in fairy tales meets the mysterious and beautiful Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada, he promises to never dig into her past. But when they return to her childhood home, he can’t resist the temptation to know more. Even if it costs their lives. In her adult debut, Roshani Chokshi explores the dark nature of love and the devastating effect of betrayal in this lush, gothic fantasy.

Get The Last Tale of the Flower Bride at Bookshop or Amazon 

 

"In the Lives of Puppets" by T.J. Klune

Victor Lawson lives a quiet life tucked away in a forest with three misfit robots. But when he salvages and repairs a new robot, their life is quickly disrupted. One of the robots is captured and taken to the City of Electric Dreams to be decommissioned or reprogrammed. Victor and his robots have to leave their safe forest to save their friend—and perhaps find love along the way. A charming and magical adventure filled with delightful characters that will burrow into your heart, this book is a must-read for anyone looking for love—with strings.

Get In the Lives of Puppets at Bookshop or Amazon 

 

"Yellowface" by R.F. Kuang

People use pseudonym’s all the time. So what if best-selling author Juniper Song isn’t exactly who she says she is? Or that she may not have actually written the book that launched her to fame? Or that she is definitely not Asian American? With sharp prose and dark humor, R.F. Kuang’s new novel tackles diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation both in the publishing industry and in society in general.

Get Yellowface at Bookshop or Amazon 

 

"Silver Nitrate" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Montserrat is a talented sound editor but is constantly overlooked—even by her best friend, Tristán. Then his new neighbor claims he can change their lives if they help him break the curse that ruined his career. Montserrat thinks his neighbor's Nazi occult story is made up fantasy, but it’s just one scene. Now there’s a dark presence following her. And Tristán is seeing the ghost of an ex-girlfriend. Blending the realism of the 1990s Mexican film industry with Nazi occultism, Silver Nitrate is a genre-blending dark thriller that will keep you up all night.

Get Silver Nitrate at Bookshop or Amazon 

 

"Don’t Fear the Reaper" by Stephen Graham Jones

Four years ago, Jade Daniels—and the rest of Proofrock, Idaho—had the worst night of their lives. But now Jade's done her time and is ready to come home. But the dark forces of Indian Lake aren’t done with her. There’s a serial killer on the loose. And a blizzard is coming. This stunning sequel to last year’s My Heart is a Chainsaw delivers a spectacular new chapter in Jade Daniels’ story. If you’ve wondered what the phrase ":horror with heart" means, be sure to check out this incredible series.

Get Don't Fear the Reaper at Bookshop or Amazon 

 

"Light Bringer" by Pierce Brown

Darrow was once a Red. Then a Gold. He is the Reaper. A Howler. Father. Husband. Friend. He broke the chains and freed planets. But now the solar system is shrouded in darkness. The Reaper was necessary in war. But Darrow is who can bring them hope. For freedom to grow, for wounds to heal, the worlds need light. The sixth installment in the best-selling Red Rising series, Light Bringer is the long-awaited continuation of a story that has captured the hearts of millions.

Get Light Bringer at Bookshop or Amazon

 

"Alecto the Ninth" by Tamsyn Muir

First, we met Gideon. Then Harrow. Then Nona. Each chapter taking us deeper into the mystery of the Locked Tomb and necromancy. The fourth and final book in the series promises to be filled with swords, memes, and a wicked sense of humor. We hope we’re finally going to get answers to all of our burning questions. But will we like them? Or will they devastate us and leave us in irrevocable ruin? We can’t wait to find out.

Get Alecto the Ninth at Amazon

 

"Chain Gang All-Stars" by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

As private, for-profit prisons take over, a new entertainment model has emerged. Criminal Action Penal Entertainment is wildly popular and highly controversial. Prisoners become Links in Chain-Gangs, traveling from prison to prison to fight in gladiator death matches where the ultimate prize is freedom. Two women, teammates and lovers, struggle within the system while revolution threatens outside the prison. And corporate forces will do anything to maintain control. A searing debut with an unforgettable voice, Chain Gang All-Stars will force you to reevaluate what freedom in America really means.

Get Chain Gang All-Stars at Bookshop or Amazon 

 

"The Ferryman" by Justin Cronin

The island of Prospera is a paradise, where the citizens are monitored by a chip in their arm. When their health falls below ten percent, they board a ferry for the Nursery and retire. Their minds are wiped, their flesh renewed, and then they restart life. Proctor Bennett is a ferryman. His life is satisfying—until he begins dreaming. And other support staff sense something’s wrong too. Fans of The Passage will be swept away in this thrilling dystopia where nothing is as it seems.

Get The Ferryman at Bookshop or Amazon

 

"What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez" by Claire Jimenez

Twelve years ago, thirteen-year-old Ruthy Ramirez disappeared after track practice. The family, devastated and left with scars, struggles to move on. But when they spot Ruthy’s unmistakable beauty mark on a woman on reality TV, they’re sure it’s her. The Ramirez women set off on a journey to heal their family. Part mystery, part thriller, and filled with only the tender, snarky bite family can induce, What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez promises to be a debut you won't want to miss.

Get What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez at Bookshop or Amazon

 

Jena Brown

Column by Jena Brown

Jena Brown grew up playing make-believe in the Nevada desert, where her love for skeletons and harsh landscapes solidified. A freelance writer, she currently contributes to Kwik Learning, Truity, The Portalist, Insider, and The Nerd Daily. In addition to writing, Jena blogs at www.jenabrownwrites.com and is active on bookstagram as @jenabrownwrites. When she isn’t imagining deadly worlds, she and her husband are being bossed around the Las Vegas desert by their two chihuahuas.

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