The 5 Books I Can’t Wait to Pre-Order for January
A new year—and decade!—is just around the corner, which means all reading goals reset. Whether you want to try non-fiction, memoir, or first-time authors this year, these are the most exciting new reads (to me) arriving in January. Pre-order them now, and you’ll be one of the first to read.
Topics of Conversation
Popkey’s debut follows an unnamed character over 20 years, and the many conversations she has around life’s most crucial, painful, joyous, and difficult moments. Fans have likened Popkey to Sally Rooney and Jenny Offill, two of my absolute favorites. Out January 7, 2020
Little Gods
When Liya returns to China with her mother’s ashes, the truth of her secretive parent’s life begins to unravel. Liya, along with Zhu Wen, who knew her mother Su Lan before she left China, and Yongzong, Liya’s father, begins to discover more about Su Lan’s complicated, rich life as a physicist, a mother, an immigrant, a human. Out January 14, 2020
Uncanny Valley
If you were obsessed with the fall of Theranos, WeWork, and the rest of Silicon Valley, then you’ll want to read this memoir as soon as it hits your doorstep. Having experienced the dizzying ascent of a startup firsthand, Weiner’s memoir chronicles the evolution of the Valley as only someone deep inside it could. Out January 14, 2020
Interior Chinatown
The hilarious Willis Wu is an actor, though doesn’t believe he can aspire to any role greater than “Generic Asian Man.” He lives in Chinatown amongst other similarly stuck Asian bit players who are navigating mainstream media and its cultural stereotypes. As Wu’s story progresses, and he discovers the spotlight, the lines between what is real and what is fiction are twisted together, creating a compelling read that moves deftly between Wu’s real-life and his evolving on-screen persona. Out January 28, 2020
The Third Rainbow Girl
On every list, there is a true-crime investigation to satisfy readers who can’t get enough of real-life horror stories. “The Third Rainbow Girl” is just that, an investigation into the 1980 “Rainbow Murders” of Vicki Durian and Nancy Santomero, who were killed on their way to the Rainbow Gathering festival. Their third travel companion lived. Though a murderer eventually confessed, the town faced incredible trauma as it sought the truth. Years later, Eisenberg embedded herself in Pocahontas County, West Virginia to re-examine the violence and the shadow it cast over the town for generations. Out January 21, 2020