18 New Releases You Must Read In 2018
Start writing a post
Entertainment

18 New Releases You Must Read In 2018

From imaginative fantasy to striking memoirs, 2018 is looking to be a good year for books.

79
18 New Releases You Must Read In 2018
AWS Wallpapers

2018 is shaping up to be a good year for books. With thousands of new releases slated for the new year, I took it upon myself to scavenge through the lists to compile the best of the best. So here you have it: the top 18 books you need to read in 2018!

1. The Outsider by Stephen King

Genre: Horror, Thriller
Release Date: June 5

King's latest novel explores how a community reels when a much-loved member is accused of a hideous murder. The premise reminds me a bit of ITV's Broadchurch in the way a young child's death is the catalyst to a slew of dark secrets bubbling to the surface in an idyllic small town, and with Stephen King's characteristic flair for the horrific, this is a novel I don't dare to miss.

2. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Release Date: January 2

Holly Black's work has always been hit or miss for me, especially her fae stories; while I strongly disliked Tithe, her novel The Darkest Part of the Forest sufficiently wooed her back into my good graces. I can't say from the blurb alone whether I'll enjoy the book, but if you're feeling ambivalent, I think it's worth a look.

3. The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Release Date: January 30

Dark, twisted fairy tales? Delving into a cruel supernatural world thought only to exist in stories to rescue a kidnapped family member? If either of those fantasy staples appeal to you, The Hazel Wood will be right up your alley.

4. Heart Berries by Therese Marie Mailhot

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir
Release Date: February 6

In an era where our illustrious president has placed the needs of corporations over the needs of Native peoples, we need to pay attention to Native voices now more than ever. Heart Berries is a powerful memoir about Mailhot's experiences growing up on the Seabird Island Indian Reservation in the Pacific Northwest.

5. Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

Genre: Fiction
Release Date: February 13

I couldn't decide how to describe the genre of Emezi's debut novel. It is a book about a woman with a fractured self, both literally and figuratively, and how she tries to forge together the pieces of her identity. Swamped with positive reviews, if you've been meaning to diversify your reading, Freshwater is a good place to start.

6. The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border by Francisco Cantu

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir
Release Date: February 6

American politics being what they are, this memoir about the experiences of a third-generation Mexican American who joins the Border Patrol and confronts the structural violence of U.S.-Mexico border relations is a must-read for 2018.

7. How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction
Release Date: February 6

I love novels about immortality, and Haig's How to Stop Time promises to deliver a heartrending story about what it means to live in the present, as told by a man who has lived for centuries. A definite addition to my To Be Read list.

8. Love, Hate and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed

Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Release Date: January 16

Love, Hate and Other Filters is an own voices novel about an Indian-American Muslim teen who confronts Islamophobia in her community, and the conflict between her parents' traditional expectations and her star-spangled dreams. If you've also been crying out for more diversity in YA, Ahmed's novel is worth your time.

9. When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and asha bandele

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir
Release Date: January 16

The Black Lives Matter movement has remained strong in the post-Trump era. While race relations in the United States are as tense and fraught as ever, we can come to understand the movement through this powerful memoir from its co-founders, which cries out for us to realize the BLM is not about hate, but about love for the most vulnerable among us.

10. Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann

Genre: Fiction, Contemporary
Release Date: January 23

A cute romance novel with a black lead? A black biromantic asexual lead? What sorcery is this? I cannot tell you how excited I am to see an alloromantic asexual in fiction, especially with both bisexuality and asexuality being the most "invisible" sexualities in media. Finally, a romance novel I can get behind!

11. The Sky Is Yours by Chandler Klang Smith

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Release Date: January 23

This one's all for me. A burnt-out dystopia set in a world plagued by a pair of dragons that circle the skies, The Sky Is Yours promises to deliver a delightfully grotesque, strange experience that captures the heart of why I love the fantasy genre. Hit me with everything you've got, Smith.

12. Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture edited by Roxane Gay

Genre: Nonfiction, Essay, Anthology
Release Date: May 1

The #MeToo movement, denouncing sexual assault and harassment, exploded this past October, and on its heels comes this timely anthology that tackles the reality of women's experiences with violence and aggression in a patriarchal society where they are still routinely gaslit and blown off. "Not That Bad" is no longer good enough.

13. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Release Date: March 6

Tired of the same old pseudo-medieval European fantasy? Look no further. The Children of Blood and Bone is a richly detailed, beautifully plotted, imaginative and purely magical addition to the high fantasy genre—or at least, so say the many, many 5-star reviews. If I had to pick one book on this list to read next year, it would be this one.

14. The Future of Humanity: Terraforming Mars, Interstellar Travel, Immortality, and Our Destiny Beyond Earth by Michio Kaku

Genre: Nonfiction, Science
Release Date: February 28

I'm by no means a scientist. However, with climate change a growing—and still blatantly ignored—hot-button issue, Kaku's The Future of Humanity caught my eye as a down-to-earth (pardon the pun) exploration of how humankind may one day find itself among the stars.

15. Everything Here is Beautiful by Mira T. Lee

Genre: Fiction
Release Date: January 16

Lee's debut novel is a sensitive depiction of one woman's struggle with mental illness and how it impacts not only her life, but the lives of the people close to her, with especial emphasis on her bond with her sister. I have a weakness for stories about sacrifice and learning to let go when the people you love refuse to help themselves, and Everything Here Is Beautiful promises to deliver.

16. The Boat People by Sharon Bala

Genre: Fiction
Release Date: January 9

There are 65.6 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. Of those, 22.5 million are refugees. The Boat People tells the story of two of them, father and son, who escape civil war in Sri Lanka only to discover another, different war being waged on the shores of Vancouver: the war against terror. At a time when 10 million people are stateless, Bala's debut reminds us to show compassion to those seeking asylum far from home.

17. Red Clocks by Leni Zumas

Genre: Fiction, Dystopia
Release Date: January 16

In the same vein as Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, Red Clocks imagines an America where women's reproductive rights are stripped away and all embryos are granted rights of life, liberty and property. For those of us concerned by current legislative trends, this one is worth a read.

18. A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena

Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Release Date: February 27

A Girl Like That is a book about the tragic death of a vivacious young girl in Saudi Arabia. Already highly rated on Goodreads, this is the sort of story that lingers in your mind long after you've closed its pages.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

55787
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

35960
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

957955
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

186906
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments