 Hi everyone, a big welcome or welcome back to my channel. This is going to be a big one. Let's talk about my most anticipated releases from January to June. We're going to be covering literary fiction, non-fiction, poetry, short story collections, with a little sprinkling of romance, fantasy and YA as well. There are so many good books coming out in the first half of this year. I feel like I always think that about new releases, but this year even more so. I'm also just really loving being back on booktube and reading and reviewing again, so I'm very excited about this list. A big thank you to all of the publishers who can send me advanced copies of these books. I can't wait to read them all and let you all know what I think. I hope you all enjoy this list. Let me know down below in the comments if there are any new releases I may have missed. Let's go. Out on the 4th of January from Atlantic Books, we have Normal Women by Ainsley Hogarth. From the author of Mother Thing, this is a darkly comic literary novel. It follows the story of a new stay-at-home mum who becomes embroiled in a dangerous mystery when the female guardian of a supposed yoga center temple goes missing. This is said to explore values of female labor and sex work. It sounds very intriguing. Also, I love this cover. From the 18th of January, from HQ, we have Hidden Fires by Sirish Hussein. This novel opens during Ramadan in 2017 as Grenfell Tower sets on fire. It follows Yusuf, who lives on his own in Bradford and who is haunted by his own experiences of India's partition when his granddaughter Ruby comes to stay with him. I loved Sirish Hussein's debut novel, The Family Tree, when I read it a couple of years ago. It was thrilling and surprising and so full of heart. I'm reading this one currently and just desperately hoping that it's going to be as good. Also, from the 18th of January, this one from Faber, we have God Complex by Rachel Allen. This is a narrative poem telling the story of the breakup of a toxic relationship with the backdrop of global degradation and disaster. I loved Rachel Allen's debut collection, Kingdomland. This one is said to be fiery and sweeping and urgent, exploring pollutants and purgatory. Really looking forward to exploring this one soon. From the 1st of February, also from Faber, we have My Heavenly Favorite by Lucas Reineveld. My very basic Norwegian is telling me that the J in their name is pronounced as a Y. This is a Danish literary novel set during the summer of 2005, exploring the obsessive relationship between a 14-year-old farmer's child and the local veterinarian. I never read The Discomfort of Evening, which won the International Booker in 2020, so I'm really excited to explore this author's work. I'm reading this one currently. It is incredibly uncomfortable and disconcerting and mesmerizingly written. Also, from the 1st of February, from Atlantic Books, is This Is Salvaged by Bohini Vara. This is a short story collection following different characters who, through various turbulence, are all fervently seeking connection in one another. I'm reading short story collections more than ever before, and this one caught my eye. I've just started this one. It is feeling quite punchy and quite varied, so we will see. Next up, from the 9th of February, from Fitzcarraldo Editions, we have Alphabetical Diaries by Sheila Hetty. This is a non-fiction book comprised of Sheila Hetty's thoughts over a tenure period organised into alphabetical order. I've heard nothing but amazing things about Sheila Hetty, and the premise here just had me hooked. I've had a flick through. It looks bizarre, and I'm hoping engaging and enlightening. Out on the 8th of February, from Daunt Books, we have Vladimistoc Circus by Elisa Chouard-Dussepin, translated by Anisa Abbas Higgins. This is a French literary novel following Natalie, a costume designer for a trio of artists who are performing a dangerous act in the Vladimistoc Circus in Russia. I could make a whole video, honestly, on just Daunt Books releases. Their 2024 list is insane. I'm hoping this will be immersive and dreamlike. It sounds very character-focused. And Luke Bird's covers, honestly, just never miss. Coming on the 22nd of February from Viking, we have Blessings by Ibe Chukwibuka. This is a literary novel following teenage Obi-Funa, who is banished to a Christian boarding school by his father, after being caught sharing an intimate moment with the family's apprentice. This is said to explore love and loneliness and violence. Sounds like perfection. And it was actually my good friend Emma Leong, who is a literary agent who discovered this one, so it's extra special for that reason, too. Also coming on the 22nd of February from Coma Press, we have Don't Look Left by Atef Abu Saif. This is the complete and unedited diaries of the Palestinian writer and minister of culture, detailing his experiences of the genocide in Gaza from the 7th of October onward. I am highly anticipating getting my hands on this one, and hats off to Coma Press for publishing this, and for turning it around so urgently as well. It was upstairs. Also, coming on the 22nd of February from Cannon Gate, is Poyums by Len Penney. This is a poetry collection written partly in the language of Scots, which explores womanhood, abuse, relationships, and more. I've already read this one. It's so good. Delicious and musical and fiery, with a really distinct voice. And the Scots in here is just coming on the 7th of March from Atlantic Books, is We Are Together Because by Kerry Andrew. This is a literary novel following three siblings, one hot, lethargic summer holiday when inexplicable and eerie happenings occur. I'm very intrigued by the vibes here. I love summer literary novels that are a bit weird. Siblings, sex, the end of the world. I'm sold. Coming on the 7th of March from Skepta is Stoneyard Devotional by Charlotte Wood. This is a literary novel set in the Australian outback. It follows a burnt-out middle-aged woman who is haunted by her childhood and seeks refuge in a religious community. This is said to be strange and otherworldly. I'm hoping it's going to be really immersive. I'm intrigued to get to this one and just experience whatever it throws at me. Coming on the 7th of March from Hutchinson Heineman is The Tower by Flora Carr. This is a historical reimagining of Mary Queen of Scots as she was held captive in a remote Scottish castle, alongside three loyal women as they all plot to escape and reclaim her country and freedom. This sounds as though it will be quite plot focused, filled with intrigue and female friendship. I think it could be really fun. I hope it packs a punch. Also coming on the 7th of March from Sphere is I promise it won't always hurt like this. 18 Assurances on Grief by Claire McIntosh. This is a non-fiction book in which Claire McIntosh shares her own experiences of grief relating to the death of her son and her father. So my dad unexpectedly passed away last summer, which means I have already read this slowly bit by bit over the past few months. This is gentle and open and kind. I would highly recommend it to anyone who might need it. Coming on the 14th of March from Hutchinson Heineman is Primer Facy by Susie Miller. This is a literary novel adapted from the award-winning play. It follows a top criminal defense barrister who is raped and who must then partake in the system that she so believes in from the other side. I never got to see this when it was shown in cinema, but I heard outstanding things. I'm very happy to see it made into a novel. I really hope it's well done. I want this one to impress me. Coming on the 14th of March from Dead Ink Books, we have Swanna in Love by Jennifer Bell. This is a literary novel set during the summer of 1982, when 14-year-old Swanna and her brother are sent to an artist colony and she falls in love with the handsome, married father of two, Dennis. Dead Ink are one of my favourite indie publishers and this sounds so them. Exploring Adolescent Desire, it's supposed to be hilarious and shocking. I think I'm going to eat this one up. Coming on the 14th of March from Fleet, we have Lobster by Holly Mcnish. This is a non-fiction poetry essay hybrid book. Exploring all of the things we have been taught to hate, our bodies, our pleasure, our fun, and ultimately how we may be able to learn to love these things again. I loved Holly Mcnish's book Slug, which had a similar structuring to this, so engaging and thought provoking and easy to consume. I can't wait to get my hands on this one. Coming on the 19th of March from Usborne, we have We're Sleeping Girls Lie by Faradah Abike E. Yemedi. This is a YA contemporary mystery following Sade, the new girl at a boarding school, as she discovers dark secrets and cover-ups when her roommate goes missing. I adore Faradah Abike E. Yemedi. She is one of the best YA writers out there right now. She knows how to plot. She knows how to character. This sounds so good. I can't wait. Coming on the 21st of March by Harville Secker is Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange. This is a literary novel following several generations of the same Native American family exploring both the Sand Creek massacre in the American Indian wars and mass shooting in the 21st century. I really enjoyed Tommy Orange's debut there, there. He's such a beautiful evocative writer and I'm just excited to read more Native American fiction generally. I think this one's going to be brilliant. Coming on the 28th of March from Dawn's Books is Headshot by Rita Bullwinkle. This is a literary novel following eight teenage girl boxes in Nevada as they compete to be named the best in the country through a series of face-offs. So intrigued by this one the premise sounds lush. It is said to be raw and humorous and tender and striking and again cover Luke Bird. Coming on the 28th of March from Fly on the Wall Press is The Dark Within Them by Isabel Kenyon. This is a psychological novel set in a Mormon community when our protagonist Amber's daughter shows up dead. She must then decide whether to safeguard her fragile marriage or delve deeper into the community's secrets. This is the debut novel from Fly on the Wall Press's lovely founder and publisher Isabel Kenyon. It sounds delicious and gripping and chilling. I'm fully here for this. Coming on the 2nd of April from Hot Escape is a witch's guide to magical in keeping by Sangu Mandana. This is a romantic novel following a once powerful witch who runs an inn in Lancashire when she gets a second chance to get her magical powers back via the help of a broody historian. I loved Sangu Mandana's debut, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. It was cozy and sweet and magical. I loved the characters. I'm essentially just hoping for more of the same here. Coming on the 11th of April from Serpent's Tale is England is Mine by Nicola Padance. This is a literary novel set in an East London borough following two teenagers. David, who becomes more and more interested in the far right narrative on masculinity, and Hassan, who begins volunteering in his local mosque. This is about two second generation immigrants searching for a sense of identity and belonging amid a way of online radicalization and extremism. If this is done well I think it could be brilliant. Coming on the 11th of April from John Murray Press we have The Borrowed Hills by Scott Preston. This is a literary novel following two neighboring farmers during the foot and mouth epidemic in Cumbria as they determine what is left to save of their farming community. Being brought up in rural Cumbria I am a sucker for this kind of Cumbrian focused fiction. This is supposed to have American Western vibes, an epic tale of forgotten Britain. Let's go. Coming on the 11th of April from Viking is The Familiar by Lee Bardugo. This is a historical fantasy novel set during the Spanish Inquisition. It follows a servant girl who is discovered to have magic and becomes involved with a man of high rank who is determined to regain the king's favor. I actually may be the only booktuber who has never read Lee Bardugo. The bewitching perilous vibes here have me hooked. The hype around the author has me hooked. I'm excited to explore her writing for myself. Coming on the 11th of April from Bluebird is Sociopath by Patrick Gagney. This is a memoir exploring the author's struggle with coming to terms with her identity as a sociopath while shedding light on the maligned and often misunderstood mental disorder. This sounds fascinating. I'm really looking forward to reading about this woman's experiences both before and after her diagnosis. I'm excited to learn more about this. Coming on the 25th of April from Viking is Funny Story by Emily Henry. This is a romance novel from the current queen of millennial romance. It tells the story of a children's librarian Daphne who is stranded and alone after a breakup when she moves in with her ex-fiancé's new fiancé's ex. One of the most highly anticipated releases this year, I am sure, I will continue to read whatever Emily Henry brings out every year. Coming on the 2nd of May from Faber is The Mark by Frida Eisberg translated by Larissa Kaiser. This is a new literary novel set in near future Reykjavik where society is divided by the development of an empathy test which can determine an individual's moral character. It follows four main characters leading up to the referendum which will decide whether marking every citizen with their results should be compulsory. This sounds so interesting. I love the premise. I love that it sounds character focused while exploring the wider themes. Big yes. Coming on the 15th of May by Fitzcarraldo Editions is The Son of a Man by Jean-Baptiste Del Amo translated by Frank Winn. This is a new French novel set on a hostile, isolated mountainside following a man and a woman and a child who have just been reunited as a family and who are haunted by transgressions of the past. I love Fitzcarraldo Editions. Everything I read by them is of a certain quality. This is said to explore nature and family and how violence is inherited from one generation to the next. It sounds fab. Coming on the 16th from Dead Ink Books is Lost in the Garden by Adam S. Leslie. This is a folk horror literary novel following three women as they road trip one summer through the idyllic, perilous English countryside to the infamous Almanby. This is said to be strange and creepy and unforgettable. Dead Ink Books does folk horror like no other. I think this is going to be dreamy. Coming on the 16th of May from One World is Monstrum by Lottie Mills. This is a short story collection said to be a meditation on otherness exploring the experiences of characters who have been excluded by society. It is pitched as chilling and tender and eerie collection of modern fairy tales. I tend to really enjoy darkly atmospheric short stories. The vibes just fit that format for me. Really excited to dive into this one. Coming on the 21st of May from Knopf Publishing is Butcher by Joyce Carol Oates. This is a literary novel based on authentic historical documents set in a women's asylum in the 19th century. It follows a terrifying male doctor as he becomes fascinated by a female servant who then becomes the primary focus of his experiments. I really like Joyce Carol Oates. I find her to be such a reliable, solid writer. This sounds really interesting and I'm enjoying the darker vibes from her writing recently. Coming on the 6th of June from Osborne, we have made it to June, is Four Eads and a Funeral by Faradah Abike Iyemedi and Adiba Jagadar. This is a YA romance following two ex-best friends Tiwa and Saeed as they must work together to save their Islamic centre from demolition. This has been on my radar ever since I saw the announcement like early last year. I love both of these authors. They are two of my favourites who write YA. So this is a match made in heaven for me. Coming on the 6th of June from Canningate is The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barrie. This is said to be a literary love story for the ages set in 1980s Montana. It follows a young poet and degenerate named Tom when Polly, the young wife of a devout mind captain, comes to town. Kevin Barrie is a beautiful writer, so incredibly accomplished and captivating and from what I've heard this novel is him at his best. Apparently he's been working on this novel for like a decade. And finally, coming on the 27th of June from Carcannet is Ambush at Still Lake by Caroline Byrd. This is a poetry collection that is said to explore the ambush of real life that occurs in the stillness after the happy ending. Carcannet are one of my favourite ever poetry publishers. They know what they are doing. I love the sound of this. I love the title. I put my poetry reading life in Carcannet's hands. There we go guys, we made it. Those are all of my most anticipated releases from January to June. I'm going to wrap this up quick. My camera is about to die. Thank you so much for watching. Please chat to me down below and I will see you very soon in another video. Bye.