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43 Highly Anticipated Books of 2019
There's no such thing as "too many books." That's our mantra (once again) as we welcome a new year full of irresistible reading.
To create our list of soon-to-be favorites across genres, we focused on what Goodreads members can't wait to read. How do we measure that anticipation? By taking a look at how many times a book has been added to Want to Read shelves. From new titles by beloved authors including Elizabeth Gilbert, Angie Thomas, Dave Cullen, Jennifer Weiner, and Ruth Ware to The Handmaid's Tale sequel and an epic fantasy by a Man Booker Prize winner, these are the books readers will be talking about this year.
Now let's get to the good stuff—the books! How many will you be checking out?
To create our list of soon-to-be favorites across genres, we focused on what Goodreads members can't wait to read. How do we measure that anticipation? By taking a look at how many times a book has been added to Want to Read shelves. From new titles by beloved authors including Elizabeth Gilbert, Angie Thomas, Dave Cullen, Jennifer Weiner, and Ruth Ware to The Handmaid's Tale sequel and an epic fantasy by a Man Booker Prize winner, these are the books readers will be talking about this year.
Now let's get to the good stuff—the books! How many will you be checking out?
FICTION
In rural Trinidad, a father faces impossible choices about loyalty and love as he searches for a lost son, a misunderstood boy last seen wandering into the bush. This debut is the second novel from Sarah Jessica Parker's imprint, SJP for Hogarth.
Release date: January 29
Release date: January 29
From the author of Boy, Snow, Bird comes a tale inspired by the bewitching place gingerbread holds in classic children's stories. Perdita and Harriet Lee juggle jealousy and ambition while relying on the curious magic of their favorite family recipe.
Release date: March 5
Release date: March 5
If you had to pick five people to sum up your life, who would they be? In this debut, an 84-year-old man pulls up a stool at a hotel bar and raises a toast to the five people who have meant the most to him, revealing a lifetime of fierce love and regret.
Release date: March 5
Release date: March 5
After a messy breakup with her long-term white boyfriend, Queenie, a Jamaican British woman living in London, seeks comfort in all of the wrong places on her bumpy journey to discover meaning and purpose in today's world.
Release date: March 19
Release date: March 19
In a seedy suburb of Brisbane, Eli learns what it means to be a good man. His potential role models: a lost father, a heroin dealer stepdad, and Slim, his most steadfast guardian—who just happens to be a notorious felon and frequent prison escapee.
Release date: April 2
Release date: April 2
The electricity of first love clashes with the subtleties of class as young Connell and Marianne confront the limits of their connection over the years in this thought-provoking novel from the author of Conversations with Friends.
Release date: April 16
Release date: April 16
From the 1950s to the present, two spirited sisters struggle to find their own place in the world, navigating an ever-evolving American landscape, in this timely and ambitious new book from the author of Good in Bed.
Release date: June 25
Release date: June 25
In this powerful follow-up to the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning bestseller, The Underground Railroad, two young boys endure a hellish reform school intent on turning delinquent boys into honorable men in Jim Crow-era Florida.
Release date: July 16
Release date: July 16
MYSTERY & THRILLER
Joe Thorne is a teacher with a hidden agenda. He returns to settle scores at the high school he once attended, only to uncover a darker secret than he could have imagined in this thrilling tale from the author of The Chalk Man.
Release date: February 5
Release date: February 5
In this new standalone book from The Dry author, two men meet at the remote fence line separating their cattle farms in the Australian Outback. In front of them, the stockman's grave landmark rises; at their feet, their brother lies dead.
Release date: February 5
Release date: February 5
One evening Gabriel returns home, and his wife, Alicia, shoots him five times in the face. She never speaks another word, turning the domestic tragedy into a notorious mystery, one that captures the attention of a relentless criminal psychotherapist.
Release date: February 5
Release date: February 5
Bookseller and part-time private investigator Nikki Griffin just wants to right the world's wrongs. But her attempts to help Karen, a troubled employee at a tech company, put her directly in the line of fire in this brand-new series.
Release date: March 19
Release date: March 19
A lot of people have complicated relationships with their in-laws. Most of them don't end in murder. A perplexing autopsy report and a last-minute will change are only the beginning in this book from The Family Next Door author.
Release date: April 23
Release date: April 23
From the author of The Woman in Cabin 10 comes a modern-day haunted house thriller. Rowan accepts a live-in nanny position at a smart home in the Scottish Highlands, but the dream job soon turns into a nightmare, one that will end with a child dead.
Release date: August 8
Release date: August 8
(Plus keep an eye out for more details on Paula Hawkins' currently untitled next book, set to be released on October 3. Check out more highly anticipated 2019 mystery & thrillers here.)
FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION
A skilled hunter searches for a young boy with the help of a shape-shifter and other unlikely allies in this epic novel, set in a fantasy version of Africa, from the author of the Man Booker Prize-winning A Brief History of Seven Killings.
Release date: February 5
Release date: February 5
Clare, the author of The Mortal Instruments series, and Chu, the author of The Lives of Tao, team up to deliver a new adult fantasy trilogy about a centuries-old warlock, his mortal lover, and a dangerous spell book of dark magic.
Release date: April 2
Release date: April 2
For a decade, Darrow led a revolution against the corrupt color-coded society. Now, outlawed by the very Republic he founded, he wages a rogue war on Mercury to salvage the dream of Eo in this fifth installment in the Red Rising Saga.
Release date: July 9
Release date: July 9
Praise be? Thirty-four years after the publication of her dystopian classic, The Handmaid's Tale, Atwood returns to Gilead to continue the story of Offred. The sequel is narrated by three female characters and will not be connected to the recent adaptation.
Release date: September 10
Release date: September 10
The wait is over! From the author of the 2011 bestseller The Night Circus comes a new tale about graduate student Zachary's discovery of a book full of adventures, secrets, and something truly strange: a story from Zachary's own childhood.
Release date: November 5
Release date: November 5
(Looking for release dates for long-awaited series installments from George R.R. Martin, Patrick Rothfuss, and Scott Lynch? So are we! We're also keeping watch for information on big new books from N.K. Jemisin and Neil Gaiman. Check out more highly anticipated 2019 science fiction & fantasy books here.)
NONFICTION
After working for years as a maid, a single mom reveals the dark truth of what it takes to survive and thrive in today's inequitable society, exploring the underbelly of upper middle class America and the reality of what it's like to be in service to them.
Release date: January 22
Release date: January 22
On the first anniversary of the mass shooting in Parkland, the acclaimed author of Columbine offers an intimate account of the teenage survivors who became activists, inspiring millions of Americans to join their grassroots #neveragain movement.
Release date: February 12
Release date: February 12
In this surreal memoir, an aspiring violinist lands a job with a professional ensemble—only to discover that the group is a sham, "performing" while music that sounds suspiciously like the Titanic soundtrack blares from a CD. A crisis of identity ensues.
Release date: February 12
Release date: February 12
What is it about evil that we find so compelling? Psychologist Shaw explores the dark subject, pulling from our society's obsession with serial killers and violence in pop culture to the neuroscience behind bad behavior.
Release date: February 26
Release date: February 26
As a follow-up to last year's bestselling Girl, Wash Your Face, Hollis sounds a wake-up call in this inspiring self-help book, urging women to live to their full potential by identifying common excuses and obstacles.
Release date: March 12
Release date: March 12
Inspired by fans of her 1999 novel, Speak, which gave voice to a young sexual assault survivor, and enraged by how little has changed since that book's publication, Anderson pens this lyrical memoir, part poetry collection and part call to action.
Release date: March 12
Release date: March 12
Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide
by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
From the hosts of the hit podcast My Favorite Murder comes this frank, funny, and illuminating reflection on true crime, formative life events, and the importance of valuing personal safety over being "nice" or "helpful."
Release date: May 28
Release date: May 28
YOUNG ADULT
Some secrets aren't meant to stay buried, and some wounds aren't meant to heal. Nikolai will try anyway, enlisting the help of a monk and a stranger capable of manipulating the winds in this brand-new series in Bardugo's celebrated Grishaverse.
Release date: January 29
Release date: January 29
Her debut novel, The Hate U Give, won three Goodreads Choice Awards and was adapted into a critically acclaimed movie. Her second novel follows a teen's quest to escape poverty and live up to the legacy of her father, an underground rap legend.
Release date: February 5
Release date: February 5
The DC Icons series continues, and this time it's the Man of Steel in the spotlight. Before the world can be saved, Clark Kent just needs to figure out how to save Smallville, teaming up with his best friend, Lana Lang, to uncover secrets in their rural town.
Release date: March 5
Release date: March 5
After bringing magic back to Orïsha, Zélie struggles to unite her allies and avoid a catastrophic civil war in this sequel to Children of Blood and Bone from the Best Debut Author of the 2018 Goodreads Choice Awards.
Release date: March 5
Release date: March 5
In this debut novel from a popular YouTube "BookTuber," Shane commits to a semester of adventure, moving to London on a whim to make new friends, fall in love, and confront the complicated realities of living outside her bubble.
Release date: May 7
Release date: May 7
The year is 1872, and New Orleans is ruled by the dead. Celine doesn't mind, falling under the spell of the vibrant city, its glitzy underworld, and the enigmatic Sèbastien Saint Germain in this sultry fantasy from the author of The Wrath and the Dawn.
Release date: October 8
Release date: October 8
(Check out more highly anticipated 2019 young adult books here.)
ROMANCE
From the author of The Hating Game comes a rom-com about the pros and cons of having a lifelong crush on your brother's best friend and the dangers of sharing a roof with a sexy, spontaneously reckless house flipper.
Release date: January 29
Release date: January 29
Fixie doesn't ask anything of anyone, but a chance encounter with a stranger kicks off a flurry of exchanged notes, IOUs for favors to life-changing opportunities, in this sweet tale from the author of Confesions of a Shopaholic.
Release date: February 5
Release date: February 5
An unforeseen tragedy forces young lovers Annika and Jonathan apart, leaving them to navigate their lives alone. A decade later, they are reunited. She is now a librarian, and he is a Wall Street whiz—but can anything of their old relationship be salvaged?
Release date: April 2
Release date: April 2
Fresh off her Goodreads Choice Award for The Kiss Quotient, Hoang delivers a heartwarming tale of modern love. When Khai's mother worries his autism is hindering his relationships, she goes to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride. Instead she comes back with Esme.
Release date: May 7
Release date: May 7
The bearded boys of Green Valley are back. After watching everyone around him find their soul mate, now it's Bill's turn. This is the pun-loving final book in Reid's Winston Brothers series, but it can be read as a standalone.
Release date: October 7
Release date: October 7
(Check out more highly anticipated 2019 romance books here.)
HISTORICAL FICTION
An abandoned suitcase at Grand Central Terminal leads recently widowed Grace Healey to a ring of female secret agents in this tale of friendship and courage during World War II from the author of The Orphan's Tale.
Release date: February 5
Release date: February 5
From the author of The Ghost Bride comes a sweeping novel about a dance hall girl and an orphan boy whose fates become entangled in 1930s Malaysia over an old Chinese superstition about men who can turn into tigers.
Release date: February 12
Release date: February 12
A battle-haunted English journalist and a Russian female bomber pilot join forces to track down the Huntress, a deadly Nazi war criminal gone to ground in America in this thrilling tale from the author of The Alice Network.
Release date: February 26
Release date: February 26
Coming of age in Los Angeles in the late '60s, Daisy embraces the sex, drugs, and rock and roll of the era, leading her to a date with her musical destiny in this rollicking oral history from the author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
Release date: March 5
Release date: March 5
Set a generation before her bestselling novel, The Lilac Girls, this story focuses on Eliza Ferriday as she embarks on a trip of a lifetime to the turbulent streets of St. Petersburg and the avenues of Paris under the shadow of World War I.
Release date: April 9
Release date: April 9
The author of Eat, Pray, Love returns to fiction with a bold tale of glamour and adventure set in New York during the 1940s, following Vivian Morris as she rubs elbows with showgirls—and makes a mistake that will alter the course of her life.
Release date: June 4
Release date: June 4
What books are you most excited to read this year? Let us know in the comments!
Check out more recent articles:
26 of the Hottest Romances of 2019
The 36 Big Mysteries & Thrillers of 2019
29 of the Biggest Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books of 2019
Check out more recent articles:
26 of the Hottest Romances of 2019
The 36 Big Mysteries & Thrillers of 2019
29 of the Biggest Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books of 2019
Comments Showing 51-100 of 251 (251 new)
message 51:
by
Wordz757
(new)
Jan 03, 2019 07:29AM
Museum of Modern Love--surprise favorite of 2018. Witnessed only one afternoon of The Artist is Present, but it is the most moving artistic event I've ever experienced.
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Sam wrote: "Definitely not my list of most anticipated books of 2019. Whilst some of these might get into my book pile most will remain in the bookshop. A 3/10 list. More variety needed Goodreads."I agree. Not any that appeal to me.
I want to read Mrs. Everything. Jennifer Weiner is one of my favorite authors. I also want to read The Girl He Used To Know, The Bride Test, The Lost Girls Of Paris, Lost Roses, and City of Girls. Just to name a few!!! Yes
Great list, great company to be in. I'm just happy when I see members adding my books to their list, but had no idea it would lead to Parkland: Birth of a Movement here. Thanks, Goodreads readers!I'm also excited about . Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive
None of these books even remotely ranked for me or were on my radar...one looks interesting, tho... and the rest either not my thing or a "no way." But I'm a nerd so I'm looking forward to books like Holy Sister by Mark Lawrence, new Star Wars books by Claudia Gray and E. K. Johnston (and Timothy Zahn), making of/art of Captain Marvel, etc.. --And lots of comics collections, like the next two vols of Fence.
But ob this is a very short list with more than one genre completely ignored, so I don't really care that my faves were left off. I'm going to enjoy them just the same!
When I first looked at the list I immediately wondered who was anticipating these books because I had never heard of any of them. A few look interesting though and I may give them a shot, so I appreciate the effort GR.
I am wondering why Diana Gabaldon's latest book, which is promised in 2019 is not listed. "Go Tell the Bees I'm Gone. This is the one I'm waiting for.
I was looking for The Age of Light by Whitney Scharer. Also disappointed that the 3rd "Rosie" ( Graeme Simsion) book was not included, nor the new Jo Nesbo (Knife).
You forgot the “Kingdom of Copper”, sequel to City of Brass (one of the best books ever).
Where's the horror? For the love of all that is horror.
Why does this list exclude bios and historical novels?
Looking for any new biographies that are definite for 2019.
Surprised that Daughter of Molokai is not on the list!
What happened to your LGBT category for this special insight to what is coming up? Books should not discriminate!
I am excited about many of these on the list, luckily I have been privey to a few ARC readings. I'm dying for The Starless Sea by Erin Morganstern!
Elin wrote: "Vikas wrote: "Nice but something is broken on the site, fix it immediately. We aren't able to update status or mark the books as read from the homepage. Please FIX"Yes, please fix it. So sad that..."
I agree... it started end of year..too cumbersome and not useful.
Two were already on my TBR list (Atwoooooood!!!!), another I just finished reading (Lost Roses 5 stars!). But sadly, I added nothing....There have to be some releases coming out from more famous authors...
Cemetery Road by Greg Iles. Doubt if any of the mentioned books make anyone's most read list. Need a little more interesting tomes rather than feel good. Was this list compiled by a female?
Diane wrote: "Elin wrote: "Vikas wrote: "Nice but something is broken on the site, fix it immediately. We aren't able to update status or mark the books as read from the homepage. Please FIX"
Yes, please fix it..."It is Fixed already but they broke something else! Now I can't select "No Notifications" when people comment on this article so I keep being inundated with notifications of everyone's quite nice comments.
Yes, please fix it..."It is Fixed already but they broke something else! Now I can't select "No Notifications" when people comment on this article so I keep being inundated with notifications of everyone's quite nice comments.
I find it amazing on a site for “readers” that no one takes the time to “read”! Goodreads clearly stated in the lead-in to the list as to how it was compiled!!To create our list of soon-to-be favorites across genres, we focused on what Goodreads members can't wait to read. How do we measure that anticipation? By taking a look at how many times a book has been added to Want to Read shelves.
David wrote: "Cemetery Road by Greg Iles. Doubt if any of the mentioned books make anyone's most read list. Need a little more interesting tomes rather than feel good. Was this list compiled by a female?"Are you kidding me?
The Starless Sea. I loved the Night Circus and recommend it to everyone. I'm very excited to read anything new by Erin Morgenstern!!
This is a great to keep track and remember the books you read along with seeing reviews of others. But the staff and articles are really just focused on Fiction books. I mean 7 of the 43 are non fiction and really only 2 are really not modern day what to do things. There should be some consideration of important things like the US History.How about
The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson coming out Fall of 2019
The Last Stone: A Masterpiece of Criminal Interrogation by Mark Bowden Apr 2019
THE BRITISH ARE COMING by Rick Atkinson in May 2019
The First Wave: The D-Day Warriors Who Led the Way to Victory in World War II by Alex Kershaw
Those are some great authors that should be mentioned.
I am awaiting Craig Schaffer books most! He should be on this list.
I'd add to this list The Last Collection by Jeanne Mackin, who writes historical novels about strong women.
Jennifer wrote: "So much negative feedback. I think the list looks great. I’m excited about all these books I may not of heard of otherwise."Well said, Jennifer. Thanks to Goodreads for all the time and effort that you put into your website.
1 definitely (When All Is Said and Done) and one maybe (Lost Roses)
ethan wrote: "this is a good list but I'd like to see more YA novels, hopefully, a list dedicated to YA novels like you’ve done with other genres"I totally agree YA has earned that recognition.
Louise-Andree wrote: "I'm definitely more of a YA reader and I did add a few on my want to read list but I was expecting more. That would have been awesome!!"Maybe you should consider reading more books written for adults. You'll have much more to choose from.
Not a single book on the list that I would read. What happened to intelligent books from writers like Yuval Noah Harari, Hans Rosling,
David Christian, etc. Let's get smarter in 2019.
David Christian, etc. Let's get smarter in 2019.
Diljit wrote: "I just realized that there is a very large horror community and this list has totally ignored it."Cute.
Where is the ninth Outlander book, 'Go Tell it to the Bees'? It is supposed to be released in 2019 and it is very anticipated.
Nice that Wesley Chu collaborated with another writer, but when will he finish the Time Salvager series?
Nothing about Don Winslow’s The Border??
This will be out in February. Part 3 of an on going Saga.
From:
To:
I do not read much fiction but his books are in my top five. Since he didn’t make it into the Most Anticipated I had to throw his hat in myself.
Very slanted list. Someone got too many of theirs and none of mine. What about Jasper fforde's new one?
Adam wrote: "Nice list, but you missed "A Bend in the Stars," a debut novel by Rachel Barenbaum about a scientist racing against Einstein to prove relativity. It promises to be amazing[bookcover:A Bend in the..."What a cool subject for a book!
Seems slanted every year. Goodreads should expand the categories & diversify more. I’m sure there can’t be that many readers interested in Y/A books.
I have just published a title BIBLE JESUS USED, please check it out. It is a classic. Yomi Falade
Joseph wrote: "This is a great to keep track and remember the books you read along with seeing reviews of others. But the staff and articles are really just focused on Fiction books. I mean 7 of the 43 are non fi..."Joseph wrote: "This is a great to keep track and remember the books you read along with seeing reviews of others. But the staff and articles are really just focused on Fiction books. I mean 7 of the 43 are non fi..."
Parker wrote: "Where's Go Tell the Bees that I Am Gone?"
You got it right Joseph! An thanks for sharing some books I’m anticipating.
"An Anonymous Girl" must be on the list somewhere. Somehow I missed seeing it.
Do you have The Far Field by M. Vijay on your list of 43 new books for 2019?
Maid, Parkland, The Night Tiger, The Bride Test and Daisy Jones and the Six for sure!Not on this list: The Daevabad Triology, Gilded Wolves, Wicked Saints, There’s Something about Sweetie, and Unmarriageable
And surprised Cassie Claire actually wrote something non mortal instruments
