I’m excited about these twenty-five new books as we enter the second quarter of the digital century.
Fiction
My fiction picks include horror, crime, and works in translation.
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix | January 14th
Just one more week until we can read Hendrix’s take on witches and a magical school!
Strange Pictures by Uketsu, translation Jim Rion | January 16h
A creepypasta golden-age mystery from Japan written by a strange anonymous author/YouTuber/uh…maniac? Uketsu’s videos are beyond my comprehension, they kinda seem like Elsagate? I’m intrigued.
The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica, translation Imani Jade Powers | March 4th
Nuns, covenant prisons, and climate catastrophes by the writer of Tender is the Flesh, a profoundly unsettling novel about human clone meat and plandemics.
The Snares by Rav Grewal-Kök | April 1st
A federal officer joins a secret program to help target drones that sounds like Total Information Awareness.
The Impossible Thing by Belinda Bauer | April 8th
A multi-generational conspiracy to steal and nurture rare eggs. I’ll always read an egg heist.
Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata, translation Ginny Tapley Takemori | April 15
Sex is forbidden, and babies are grown in labs. A population dystopia initially published in Japanese in 2015 could be eerie!
The Setting Sun: A New Translation by Osamu Dazai, translation Juliet Winters Carpenter | May 6th
Dazai is having an English resurgence, prompting a retranslation of his oft-cited masterpiece, a book I know nothing about but will read because I liked No Longer Human
The Country Under Heaven by Frederic S. Durbin | May 13th
Lovecraftian Cowboys fighting Cthulhu’s on the Frontier by a writer with some great stories in F&SF.
The Black Swan Mystery by Tetsuya Ayukawa, translation by Bryan Karetnyk | June 3rd
Recent translations of Japanese mysteries have been excellent, and this one’s cited as particularly good, plus there’s a train.
So Far Gone by Jess Walter | June 10th
The author of Citizen Vince writes again about an isolated male protagonist, this time in the pine forests.
King of Ashes by S. A. Cosby | June 10th
I’ll read anything S.A. Cosby puts out, and this one’s about a Southern mafia!
Nadja by André Breton, translated by Mark Polizzotti | June 3rd
A classic, surrealist novel has a new translation, and a generation of new readers will find out it’s a surprisingly realist novel, and there’s very little surreal about it.
Non-Fiction
Crime, spies, and tragedies in books reveal networks of criminals leading companies and states.
The Secret History of the Rape Kit: A True Crime Story by Pagan Kennedy | January 14th
The secret invention of the rape kit by a crisis counselor who denied credit and then mysteriously disappeared.
Wiseguys and the White House: Gangsters, Presidents, and the Deals They Made by Eric Dezenhall | January 15th
A public relations and crisis management expert talked to mobsters and combed the archives to reveal the hidden underworld of crime and power. I’ll be reading skeptically.
Trespassers at the Golden Gate: A True Account of Love, Murder, and Madness in Gilded-Age San Francisco by Gary Kirst | March 11th
I love Kirst’s books about Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Chicago, and I am so excited to see how he treats San Francisco and murder.
The Church of Living Dangerously: Tales of a Drug-Running Megachurch Pastor by John Bishop | March 25th
A pastor of one of America’s fastest-growing churches explains how he got his start smuggling cocaine for drug cartels. Now, he’s got a flock of Christian soldiers ready to die for this country. The American dream!
The Killing Fields of East New York: The First Subprime Mortgage Scandal, a White-Collar Crime Spree, and the Collapse of an American Neighborhood by Stacy Horn | January 28th
White flight is typically viewed as a preference, but this book exposes the financial motives at play when developing the suburbs and hollowing out American cities in the 1970s.
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad | February 25th
What looks to be a righteous text laying blame on the West for the 21st century’s bloodshed and exploitation.
Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder by Rachel McCarthy James | May 13
We all fear the axe murderer, but how deeply have we considered his point of view? A look into the most deranged murder weapon.
The Fort Bragg Cartel: Drug Trafficking and Murder in the Special Forces by Seth Harp | July 15th
A crucial node in American drug dealing networks is Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg) in North Carolina. Rolling Stone reporter Seth Harp is bringing light to the story and hopefully remaining vigilant and cautious everywhere he goes.
Comics & Manga
Comics publishers haven’t put out their solicits for the year, but here’s a taste.
Bug Wars by Jason Aaron (writer), Mahmud Asrar (artist), Matthew Wilson (colorist), Becca Carey (letterer) | February 12th
Aaron’s great and has the art team from King Conan to draw getting shrunk down and fighting angry bugs like barbarians.
Godzilla: Heist by Van Jensen (writer) and Kelsey Ramsay (artist) | February 19th
My two favorite things together at last. Does Godzilla pull the heist? Do they rob Godzilla? We’ll see!
Batman: The Dark Age by Mark Russell (writer) and Michael and Lisa Allred (artist, colorist) | March 25th
The Allreds and Mark Russell unite for an alternative origin story. I love both creators, dark ages and, of course, the freakin’ Batman.
Assorted Crisis Events by Deniz Camp (writer) and Eric Zawadzki (artist)
A twist on the big universe-altering event with popular writers and a twist on Dr. Who. Looks promising!
Snegurochka of the Spring Breeze By Hiroaki Samura | June 24th
A story of Stalinist Soviet Russia by the mangaka who created Blade of the Immortal, a samurai classic!
Consulted Lists
My list stands atop the shoulders of these lists.
- LitHub’s list was varied and comprehensive through July.
- Read Japanese Literature’s list is comprehensive, with dozens of great recommendations.
- Crime Fiction Lover’s list has crimes and mysteries.
- Polygon’s list has tons of fantasy, sci-fi, and horror.