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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 101-150 of 251 (251 new)
message 101:
by
Valerie
(new)
Jan 03, 2019 11:22AM
Where’s the Horror category? I know of some anticipated Horror books coming out in 2019!!
flag
The one I'm most willing to give a miss? "Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered," telling people not to be nice/helpful. I'd rather stay nice/helpful and not get harassed, thanks. (I rarely use any kind of makeup, always wear walking shoes, and usually dress like a teacher or nun. Men still look at the body but it's harder for them to claim they thought I was selling it.)
Megan wrote: "WHERE is the Christian Fiction category?????"What about Christian nonfiction?
Some look interesting such as "When All is Said" and "The Mother-In-Law". The list seems rather short, Goodreads as there are lots of fabulous stories out there for readers to get into. I am definitely going to give Ruth Ware's new novel a swerve as I was disappointed in her last offerings; they were formulaic with endings that were rather flat. Very excited to read lots in 2019!!
Is there a way to add books I want to read if they aren’t listed by Goodreads?
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" Hi, there was a message posted from Goodreads that it was scheduled maintenance. The update button is fixed as of today, from what I can see. Don't know about the other fixes however.
Margot wrote: "Only two on this list make my list.The Lost Man by Jane Harper which I have already read as it was available in Australia last year.
and
[book:The Testaments|429733..."
Ooh another "Rosie" book = hooray!
From the list I read Normal People and it is such a fantastic novel. 5 stars. Waiting for Taylor Jenkins Reed's book eagerly
Looking forward to The Moment of Lift from Melinda Gates, On Thomas Merton by Mary Gordon, and The Threat by former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.
Andrea wrote: "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 can say the same thing about Nonfiction, but tha..."
The intro says this list was formed by GoodReads users "want to read" clicks. It's just a recoiling of data: 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.
I would like to see more non fiction, but not boring self help or boring memoirs. I love true crime and memoirs about crime and current events.
Ann wrote: "Cecilia wrote: "Wow! I don't know, like, ANY of these books!"Me either and none of them appeal to me"
#metoo
More historical fiction! I was sucked into WW2 female centered historical fiction in 2018 and want to expand my time line forward and back!
Priscilla wrote: "Megan wrote: "WHERE is the Christian Fiction category?????"What about Christian nonfiction?"
Yes--looking for Christian nonfiction and spirituality (secular and multi-faith) as well!
Looking forward to The Girl Who Lived Twice, the final book in the Millennium series by David Lagercrantz.Will have to wait until August though.
Alas, I only found 2 books that interested me.
Margot wrote: "Only two on this list make my list.The Lost Man by Jane Harper which I have already read as it was available in Australia last year.
and
[book:The Testaments|429733..."
Thanks for sharing your list - there are some great ideas here which I’ll be looking out for.
Wow from this list it seems like 2019 reading will be slim pickings.
I have been eagerly awaiting for a few years the excerpted private journals of Alice Walker......the publication date kept getting pushed back but it is now due out in early October--- Gathering Blossoms Under Fire: The Journals of Alice Walker. Edited by Valerie Boyd. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
So much whining and complaining. My gosh. Happy new year.
Margot wrote: "Only two on this list make my list.The Lost Man by Jane Harper which I have already read as it was available in Australia last year.
and
[book:The Testaments|429733..."
Not excited by the list of 43, but extremely excited by the list of 11 books provided by Margot. Just checked out those authors on the list I am not familiar with and they look great, my type of favourite read. So the 43 book list ends up worthwhile after all, but only thanks to Margot. Cheers Margot from a fellow Aussie who is a fan of Jo Nesbo, Lee Child etc. and is now getting into Ann Cleeves, Jane Harper and the others on your list.
Glen wrote: "I have been eagerly awaiting for a few years the excerpted private journals of Alice Walker......the publication date kept getting pushed back but it is now due out in early October--- Gathering Bl..."I bet that should be something good to read?
Louisa on the Front Lines: Louisa May Alcott in the Civil War this is a book I am looking forward to its release discovered it on this site
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"I had the same problem and I sent GR an email and they fixed it
I already read 'Normal People' when it was Booker nominated - was very good. I have a few others already on my Kindle from Netgalley (YAY!), but added about 5 more to my TBR lists. Nice list. Thanx! (... and thanx for getting the update progress feature back operational too!)
One I'd add: An Orchestra of Minorities by Chigozie Obioma
READ DAISY JONES AND THE SIX ON PRE RELEASE- NOTHING SHORT OF EPIC.CANNOT WAIT FOR BLACK LEOPARD, RED WOLF.
Alas the Winds of Winter remains to elude this list.
I saw a few books in that list that I would like to read, but I’m looking forward to Sara Cannon’s “Vengeful Darkness.” She has 10 other books in the series, and to be honest, it’s the best series I’ve read. It’s called the Beautiful Demons Saga, and I would highly suggest reading it.
Ah, my old bugbear. Why does everyone dump fantasy and science fiction into a single category?
I can't wait for Margaret Atwood's "The Testaments". I also look forward to the new ones by Colson Whitehead and Angie Thomas. I'm eagerly anticipating two others not on this list, which are Carol Goodman's "The Night Visitors" and Katherine Howe's "The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs".
List looks good to me. Several go on my to read list.
Angela wrote: "No queer books in the romance section(("They did say these books were taken directly from readers "Want to Read" choices, so I don't think it was an intentional snub.
I saw only one or two I might try. Most aren't looking too interesting.
Missing is Hilary Mantel’s The Mirror and the Light.
Does anyone know the publication date of her third Thomas Cromwell book?
Normal People is already released - it was long listed for Man Booker 2018. I have it and I'm reading it at the moment - so why is it in this list?
Debi wrote: "Go Tell the Bees that I'm Gone, the 9th book in the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. We've waited 5+ years for this one."Yes! I agree. Hopefully it will come through.
Just finished reading "Harry's Trees" by Jon Cohen. Delightful read. Well written, great characters. Thoughtful. Recommending it to anyone who loves a good story.
What about Johnathon Kellerman's The Wedding Guest? And I agree with Anissa, not falling for Ruth Waring anymore...just saying
All the people complaining! The list is made from what people have marked as want to read!
Hmm. Wrong release dates? I have read several of these books that supposedly aren't out until later this year?
I would like to see a category for spiritual/religious books.
I'm looking forward to Martha Hall Kelly's Lost Roses! Her book The Lilac Girls was one of the of most moving and informing books I've read.
Rodeo wrote: "How about listing Christian fiction?"Good suggestion.
Debi wrote: "Go Tell the Bees that I'm Gone, the 9th book in the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. We've waited 5+ years for this one."Just what I was thinking!
I only saw one book with an LGBTQ+ couple on the page- were there any more? Just curious.
