Wondering what to read now? If you’re looking for book suggestions, look no further! Here are all the hot new January 2019 book releases for you. I’ll let you know what I’ve read, what I can’t wait to read, and what’s getting all the attention this month.
After a stellar slate of 2018 new book releases, I was worried that 2019 might not be able to compare. But the book world keeps on turning, and 2019 looks like it will be another stand out year.
I combed through all the January 2019 book releases to pick out what I think might be the best new books this year. A few I’ve been lucky enough to read already, but most are coming from a combination of what’s caught my eye and what’s getting buzz.
Deciding a list of the best new books this year feels intimidating. I spent hours debating what to put on our best books of 2018 list. That’s why in 2019, I want to start in January.
So here are my thoughts on the best new books this year, or more accurately, the best new books of January 2019.
January 2019 Book Releases I’ve Already Read
The Wicked King
Holly Black
I was lucky enough to earn a free gift card at Target, and I decided to use it to purchase The Wicked King on its publication date. The sequel to last year’s hit The Cruel Prince picks up with Jude behind the scenes running the Faerie Kingdom. I devoured this book in one sitting, and I have to say, I enjoyed it even more than the last. And that ending! I did not see it coming. If you love YA fantasy, be sure to pick up this hottest of new book releases. It’s earned its place at the top of the best new books this year.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 8 January 2019
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48 Hours
William R. Forstchen
I enjoyed reading William R. Forstchen’s book One Second After, so I was thrilled to receive an Advance Review Copy of his latest book. In 48 hours, a massive solar flare is coming, with another event – a Coronal Mass Ejection – following close behind that might wipe out civilization as we know it. In the face of mass extinction, who gets to choose who lives and who dies? I always learn a ton from Forstchen’s well-researched books. While I appreciated the moral dilemmas raised, the overall story fell flat for me.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Forge Books. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 8 January 2019
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Two Can Keep a Secret
Karen M. McManus
Apparently, I put my library request in for this book early because my hold was ready as soon as this one hit the shelves. Though marketed like its a sequel to One of Us Is Lying, Two Can Keep a Secret is actually a standalone novel. When twins Ellery and Ezra move to the small Northeastern town of Echo Ridge, they are caught up in the town’s dark past. Two decades ago, their aunt disappeared and just 5 years ago, the homecoming queen was murdered. Now someone is threatening the current homecoming court. Overall, I didn’t find this one quite as strong as One of Us Is Lying, and wouldn’t recommend it unless you really like young adult murder mysteries.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 8 January 2019
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January 2019 New Releases From Book of the Month Club
I just joined The Book of the Month Club this year, and I’m so excited to start getting books every month. Here’s how it works – each month, they pick 5 books and you get to choose one book. If you want to add any extra books, then you get them at a discounted price. Each month is usually a mix of new releases and advance copies of unreleased books. If you are interested in joining, you can use my Book of the Month Club affiliate link to get a discount on your first book!
The Far Field
Madhuri Vijay
Madhuri Vijay’s debut novel was a Book of the Month club pick in December, and it’s not hard to see why. After her mother’s death, Shalini sets out from Bangalore determined to find answers from someone she thinks knows more to the story. Instead, she is thrust into the volatile politics of the Kashmir region and the complicated history of a local family she has come to love. I love reading novels set in different cultures, so I’m excited to read this January 2019 new release.
Maid
Stephanie Land
I enjoy memoirs that expose a different aspect of life, and Maid fits right in with the likes of Hunger and Educated, though I’m not sure it will hold up to either. One of the latest book releases picked for January’s Book of the Month Club is Stephanie Land’s memoir of her years working as a maid. Exploring poverty and class differences in America, Land tells the stories of being among the overworked and underpaid segments of America. I’m interested to see what her experience can teach me about the world at large.
An Anonymous Girl
Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen are back after writing the 2018 bestseller The Wife Between Us. In their latest book release, Jessica Farris signs up for a psychology study by Dr. Shields. But as the study grows more intense and intrusive, she quickly realizes she’s gotten in way over her head. The Book of the Month Club chose this as one of their December selections, so we’re curious to see how it holds up against The Wife Between Us.
January 2019 Book Releases On My To-Read List
The Dreamers
Karen Thompson Walker
On top of the pretty cover, the premise for this new book release sounds fascinating. In a small college town in California, a student falls asleep and can’t be woken up. When another and then another girl suffers the same fate, the town begins to panic. Why are people suddenly falling asleep, and why do their brains show an unusual amount of activity? If the writing can live up to the premise, this one will certainly deserve a spot on the best new books this year.
The Only Woman in the Room
Marie Benedict
Among the best new books this year would have to be Marie Benedict’s fictionalized account of actress Hedy Lamarr. Having risen to fame as an actress and wife of an Austrian arms dealer, Hedy realizes she must escape both her husband and the Germans. Fleeing to America, she restyles herself Hedy Lamarr and finds success not only in Hollywood but also as a ground-breaking scientist.
The Lost Girls of Paris
Pam Jenoff
World War II historical fiction is my favorite, so I’m excited about Pam Jenoff’s newest book release. In a story inspired by true events, Grace Healy discovers an abandoned suitcase in Grand Central Station in 1946. Inside she finds a dozen photographs of different women. Grace soon learns that these 12 women were sent as couriers and radio operators in occupied Europe during the war. Now she is determined to learn the truth about what happened to these brave women.
Unmarriagable
Soniah Kamal
I heard of this book on Sarah’s Bookshelves new podcast and am super curious to see how it plays out. It could be one of the best new books of January 2019 – or it could completely tank. Soniah Kamal’s retelling of the classic Pride and Prejudice is set in modern-day Pakistan. At the biggest wedding their small town has ever hosted, Mrs. Binat is determined to snag husbands for her five daughters. Though Jena seems to have caught the eye of an eligible young man, the wealthy Mr. Darsee is clearly unimpressed with Alys and her siblings. I enjoyed the Bollywood movie Bride and Prejudice, so I’m curious to see how this story can differentiate itself.
The Au Pair
Emma Rous
In her debut novel, Emma Rous describes the story of Seraphine Mayes. In the wake of her father’s death, Seraphine finds a photograph of her family with her mother holding just one baby. But Seraphine has a twin brother named Danny. And on the day they were born, their mother committed suicide and the au pair fled. Who is the baby in the picture and what happened the day of her birth?
The Gown
Jennifer Robson
Jennifer Robson’s latest book release was recommended to us by a fellow book blogger, but sadly we can’t remember which one. In The Gown, Robson takes a peek behind the scenes at the women involved in making Queen Elizabeth’s famous wedding dress. I love historical fiction novels because I always have so much fun researching fact from fiction. If you are a fan of royal weddings, be sure to try out this new book.
The Winter of the Witch
Katherine Arden
Katherine Arden is back with the third book of the Winternight trilogy. Combining Russian fairy tales with fantasy, the series has won much acclaim from readers. In this final book, Vasya, holding the fate of two worlds in her hands, must look to her past to discover a way to save Russia and the magical world. I’ve heard good buzz from fellow book bloggers, so we are thinking we might have to pick up this series this year.
The Light Over London
Julia Kelly
You know how much I love World War II historical fiction, so I couldn’t resist adding The Light Over London to my list of intriguing new book releases. When Cara Hargraves comes across a haunting diary from WWII and a photo of a young woman in uniform, she knows she must investigate. From there, she learns of 19-year-old Louise Keene who was not content to wait out the war. While I expect this novel is more romance than history, it will be fun to see how it plays out.
Best New Books of the Year – Young Adult
We Are Displaced
Malala Yousafzai
Amid our charged debate on immigration steps Malala Yousafzai’s new collection of stories of refugees. Starting with her own experience of being an internally displaced person, Malala then goes on to share stories of other refugees she has met. An eye-opening account of what it’s like to live in a war-torn country and then lose all sense of home, Malala’s latest book is one that we can’t wait to read.
King of Scars
Leigh Bardugo
Leigh Bardugo is back with one of the most anticipated new books this year so far. The bestselling YA fantasy author has another book set in her Grishaverse. King of Scars follows young king Nikolai Lantsov as he fights to keep his kingdom safe from enemies without. But each day his dark magic grows stronger. Now he must journey to the deepest concentration of magic to save both his kingdom and himself. Fans of Leigh Bardugo would tell you King of Scars belongs at the top of the young adult fiction list of best new books this year.
The Gilded Wolves
Roshani Chokshi
In 1889, Parisian treasure-hunter Séverin Montagnet-Alarie is hired to retrieve an ancient artifact for the Order of Babel, a powerful secret society that has refused Séverin’s claim at membership. Now he must ally himself with a diverse group of experts – an engineer, a historian, a dancer, and his lovable brother. Will they find the object and return Séverin to his rightful heritage. Or will they die trying?
A Curse So Dark and Lovely
Brigid Kemmerer
In a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Brigid Kemmerer takes a foray into YA fantasy with her latest book release. Due to a curse, Prince Rhen is forced to relive the autumn of his 18th year over and over again until he can get a girl to fall in love with him. Except at the end of each fall, he turns into a vicious beast. Is Harper Lacy – the often underestimated girl with cerebral palsy sucked into the kingdom from Washington, D.C. – the one to break the spell? And is there more at work than just a curse?
Evermore
Sara Holland
Landing on the New York Times bestseller list for young adult hardcover in its first week earned Evermore a spot on our list of the best new books of the year. In the sequel to Everless, Jules Ember is forced to dive into the legends she grew up hearing as a child about the wicked Alchemist and the good Sorceress. What she thought were just tales turn out to be stories of her past. Does Evermore deserve a spot on my list, or is it one of those over-hyped bestsellers? Only time will tell.
What January 2019 Book Releases are You Most Excited to Read?
What books can you not wait to get your hands on this month? Did I miss any January 2019 book releases that you are anticipating? As always, let me know in the comments!
More New Book Releases:
