Wondering what to read now? Here are all the hot new January 2024 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.
In case you’re new to Booklist Queen, every month I cover all the hottest new book releases. I try to read as many new book releases as I can to give you an honest perspective on what to read and what to skip.
However, I realize that my to-read list might not exactly match yours. That’s why I’ve also included some of the most popular January 2024 book releases from your favorite authors.
Enough from me. Let’s get on to the January 2024 book releases so you can fill up your to-read list.
Top January 2024 Book Releases
House of Flame and Shadow
Sarah J. Maas
In the third Crescent City book, Bryce Quinlan struggles to find her way back to Midgard. Stranded in a new world, she must decide who she can trust. Meanwhile, Hunt Athalar is in the Asteri’s dungeons, again, with no clue what happened to Bryce. If he wants to find her, he must first escape the Asteri’s leash.
No One Can Know
Kate Alice Marshall
Emma has purposely kept her husband in the dark about her past. When Emma announces she is pregnant, he confesses that he was laid off and has lost the down-payment to their house. With nowhere else to turn, Emma and Nathan move into her parent’s estate that she jointly owns with her estranged sisters. Emma just never mentioned that this is the house where her parents were murdered, and she was always seen as the prime suspect. With a baby on the way, Emma finds it’s time she learn what actually happened all those years ago. For Emma has been covering for her sisters without ever really knowing what actually happened that night.
It’s been awhile since I’ve read a really satisfying thriller, and No One Can Know was just what I needed. Emma makes for an excellent narrator and Marshall smoothly builds tension as you slowly learn the truth of what actually went on in that house. I loved the complicated relationship between the sisters and Emma’s intense desire to protect them no matter what. With excellent pacing and plenty of unexpected twists, No One Can Know is the perfect thriller to kick off the new year.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 23 January 2024
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The Fury
Alex Michaelides
Reclusive former movie starlet Lana Farrar invites her closest friends to her private Greek Island. Having recently discovered her husband’s affair, Lana intends to confront him. As bitter resentments between old friends come to a head, a cat-and-mouse game ends in a murder. Told through the enigmatic narrator Elliot Chase, The Fury will keep you guessing what actually happened on that island.
I will admit, I hated The Silent Patient but its twist was so well done that it’s unforgettable. The Fury, on the other hand, was an enjoyable, though quite forgettable, read. Elliott Chase is the ultimate unreliable narrator, whose unique storytelling will likely divide readers. With each section, Elliott keeps revising the story, reluctantly filling in the details he forgot to mention the last go round. As the puzzle pieces fall into place, The Fury keeps you engaged trying to parse truth from fiction in a completely implausible but fun tale.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celadon Books. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 16 January 2024
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The Heiress
Rachel Hawkins
Ruby McTavish was not only North Carolina’s richest woman, but also its most infamous. The survivor of a childhood kidnapping, Ruby was married four times and each husband died suspiciously. When Ruby passes away, she leaves her fortune to her adopted son Camden, who rejects the inheritance. Ten years later, Camden and his wife are called back to the McTavish estate and are sucked back into the family’s drama.
Argylle
Elly Conway
When a Russian magnate tries to restore his nation to greatness again, he ticks off a series of events that will spiral the world out of control. Only the CIA’s legendary spymaster Frances Coffrey can save the day. But she needs the help of Argylle, a troubled man with the exact set of skills needed to save the day. In a twist for a debut novel, Argylle is releasing just a month before its high-budget film adaptation. To make things more meta, in the movie, writer Elly Conway discovers her spy novels are hitting a little too close to the truth and she and her cat find themselves in a covert world she thought she was just inventing.
Family Family
Laurie Frankel
While promoting her latest movie, actress India Allwood sparks a media firestorm when she complains that the project only shows the tragic side of adoption. India knows the blessings adoption can bring as both an adoptive mom and as a teenage mom who placed a child for adoption. Now that child is sixteen, excited to meet her birth mother and willing to help – only to make the media firestorm worse. Family Family takes on adoption in a nuanced way, reminding us that, no matter how it was formed, every family is complicated.
The world likes to make issues black and white when reality is much more shaded. Which is why I quite enjoyed Frankel’s nuanced look at adoption. Frankel tackles the stereotypes of adoption head-on, neither glorifying it or vilifying it, reminding us that because something is often the case doesn’t mean it’s always the case. India Allwood’s backstory provided an interesting an unique perspective and the entire story had a heartwarming tone that made it a quick read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Henry Holt & Co. through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 23 January 2024
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Book of the Month – January 2024
Receiving my blue box from Book of the Month Club is a highlight of every month.
Here’s how it works – each month, they pick 5 books and you get to choose one book or skip until the next month. 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, right now you can use my Book of the Month Club affiliate link to get your first book for $5!
The January Book of the Month selections are:
See the Complete List of Upcoming Releases!
GMA Book Club January 2024 Pick
The Storm We Made
Vanessa Chan
In 1945 in Malaya, Cecily Alcantara’s family is trying to survive until the end of World War II. Cecily’s son has disappeared, her youngest daughter must stay hidden so she isn’t forced to work in the comfort houses, and her oldest daughter hates serving drunken Japanese soldiers in the teahouse. Cecily knows it’s all her fault; for a decade ago, Cecily was drawn into a campaign to keep “Asia for Asians.” Tired of being a housewife, Cecily became a spy who unwittingly ushered in the Japanese invasion. Now Cecily must face what she has done in order to save her family.
Reese’s Book Club January 2024 Pick
First Lie Wins
Ashley Elston
Every time an assignment comes in from the mysterious Mr. Smith, Evie takes a new identity and learns everything she can about the town and its people. Her newest mark: Ryan Sumner. But Evie connects with Ryan in a way she hasn’t in a long time. When a shadow from her past turns up, Evie must do everything she can to stay one step ahead and complete her mission. Especially after what happened last time.
Read With Jenna January 2024 Book Club Pick
The Waters
Bonnie Jo Campbell
Fierce matriarch Herself Zook lives in the Great Massasauga Swamp outside Whiteheart, Michigan, healing the local women with herbs and tonics. When Rose Thorn, the youngest of her three estranged daughters, returns one day, Rose leaves Herself to raise Rose’s eleven-year-old daughter, Donkey. The precocious child loves growing up in the wild, until family secrets, love, and violence end her idyllic childhood and divide the entire community.
The Most Anticipated January 2024 Book Releases
The Bullet Swallower
Elizabeth Gonzalez James
In 1895, Antonio Sonoro and his brother Hugo leave Mexico to rob a train in Houston but the heist goes awry and Hugo is killed. Seeking revenge, Antonio risks not only his life but his eternal soul. In 1964, Jaime Sonoro discovers a book telling his family’s entire history. When a man from his grandfather’s day suddenly appears in Jaime’s life, he finds that he must find the truth or pay for his ancestor’s crimes.
Good Material
Dolly Alderton
Andy loves Jen but he can’t figure out why she stopped loving him. While waiting for his stand-up career to take off, Andy looks around and realizes that everyone else seems to be growing up. Maybe if he can figure out why Jen broke up with him then they’ll get back together. Even more than why his ex-girlfriend broke up with him, Andy has a lot more to learn about life.
The Book of Fire
Christy Lefteri
In modern-day Greece, Irini lives a happy life as a musician with her husband and their daughter. Until a wildfire sweeps through destroying everything they hold dear. Now her husband is mourning the loss of his ability to paint after burning his hands and searching for his missing father. When Irini stumbles on the dead body of the land speculator who started the blaze, she makes an impetuous decision that will come to haunt her.
Be a Revolution
Ijeoma Oluo
Over the last few years, antiracist literature has helped teach about the history of racism and explained the systems of oppression. But what can you do about it? In her newest book, Oluo highlights ways we can change our structures to create positive lasting change to help inspire you to become the change the world needs.
Midnight
Amy McCulloch
Olivia has always dreamed of visiting Antarctica, a far-off dream for an actuary. When her art dealer boyfriend announces he’s holding an art auction on a luxury Antarctic cruise, Olivia is thrilled. Yet among the glitz of the wealthy patrons and the shambles of the struggling cruise line employees, something feels off. Although the first deaths could be an accident, Olivia begins to fear that she is trapped on the boat with a killer bent on revenge.
Come & Get It
Kiley Reid
Following the success of her debut novel, Such a Fun Age, Kiley Reid returns with another look at class and race. Agatha Paul arrives at the University of Arkansas as a visiting professor. Looking to interview women for her research about weddings, Agatha meets Millie Cousins, a resident advisor. But as Agatha interviews the residents in Millie’s hall, she wonders how she can use what she finds about their views on class and race to her advantage.
There’s no other way to say it. Come & Get It is a hot mess. Which is highly disappointing because Kiley Reid had all the right pieces to create a masterpiece. The opening chapter hooks you with fascinating characters and an implication that the story will collide into a powerful look at race and class. Instead, the novel goes nowhere, wandering into unnecessarily complicated backstories without any discernible plot. Yet, when a major event does finally happen at the 80% mark, the story just fizzles out, leaving you completely unsatisfied.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from G. P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 30 January 2024
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Only If You’re Lucky
Stacy Willingham
At the end of her freshman year of college, Margot rashly agrees to become roommates with Lucy Sharpe, a larger-than-life girl in her freshman dorm. Having spent the last year reeling from the death of her best friend, Margot is desperate to have someone to bring her back to life. Living in a cheap house next to a fraternity, Lucy quickly becomes the ringleader of Margot, Sloane, and Nicole. But by midyear, a boy from next door will be dead, Lucy will be missing, and Margot and her roommates will be hiding secrets of their own.
Having loved Willingham’s previous two thrillers, I was completely disappointed in Only If You’re Lucky. Most of the novel is a mind-numbingly slow tale of drunk college girls. So much so that I ended up skimming the middle portion of the book. At about 70% through, the story picked up with a few good twists. But by then I really didn’t care anymore.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 16 January 2024
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Popular January Upcoming Releases
What January 2024 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 2024 book releases that you are anticipating? As always, let me know in the comments!
More New Book Releases:
Sherry says
The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold releasing January 16, 2024