13 New Books You’ll Want To Add To Your To-Read Pile In 2020

Grown-Ups by Marian Keyes

Our fave is back! The Irish author’s latest novel centres on the glamorous Casey family, who on the surface appear to be a happy one – but a careless remark at a birthday party starts a chain reaction of drama. Hook it to our veins, Marian. Out February 6, 2020.

Uncanny Valley: A Memoir by Anna Wiener

Finally, the Silicon Valley memoir we deserve. At 25, Anna Wiener moved from New York to San Francisco to take a job at a startup, and for a while, felt like part of something special. However, once she began to see the misogyny at the heart of the industry, there was no turning back. This book has been hailed as a stunning critique of the tech world. Out January 23, 2020.

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

The novel that’s going to get everyone talking next year. My Dark Vanessa takes an interesting look at the #MeToo movement through the eyes of a woman who began an affair with her teacher at the age of 15. Years later, watching accusations pile up against powerful men, Vanessa has to rethink everything she thought she knew about her first love. Out March 10, 2020.

Gaff Goddess by Laura de Barra

Property portfolio developer Laura de Barra’s Instagram account (@lauradebarra) has long been a treasure trove of DIY – or She-IY – inspiration, and now she’s putting her vast knowledge into a book. In Gaff Goddess, she tells us how to hang picture frames, fix drippy taps, and take care of our white clothes. Bound to become a bible for many. Out February 6, 2020.

Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan

Irish expat Ava is teaching English to rich kids in Hong Kong when she meets two potential love interests – wealthy banker Julian and Hong Kong-born lawyer Edith. She’s forced to make a choice between an easy life of luxury with the former, or a leap into the unknown with the latter. Sally Rooney is a big fan of this Dublin-born writer, so odds are you will be too. Out June 2, 2020.

Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Kiley Reid’s debut novel is a page-turning tale of race and privilege, centring on a young black babysitter accused of kidnapping the white child she’s employed to care for. Can the child’s mother, a high-profile lifestyle influencer, make it right? Out December 31, 2019. 

Adults by Emma Jane Unsworth

Emma Jane Unsworth previously skewered the mid-20s experience in Animals, a story of intense female friendship gone awry. In Adults, she introduces us to 35-year-old Jenny McLaine, who in spite of having a cool job and her own house, is struggling to keep things together. Relatable in the extreme. Out January 30, 2020.

Lost, Found, Remembered by Lyra McKee

When Northern Irish journalist Lyra McKee was murdered in Derry last year aged just 29, she left behind a wealth of work. This anthology brings together the pieces that marked her as a writer to watch, along with unpublished material, to form a beautiful tribute to a powerful voice, lost far too soon. Out April 2, 2020.

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

This is already being hailed as a ‘new American classic’ so you’ll probably be hearing a ton about it in the coming months. Lydia Quixano Perez has a comfortable life running a bookstore in the Mexican city of Acapulco – but when her journalist husband publishes a tell-all profile of the leader of a new drug cartel, their lives are changed forever. Out January 21, 2020.

Ghosts by Dolly Alderton

If you loved Dolly’s collection of essays Everything I Know About Love, you’ll want to get stuck into her first fiction effort. Ghosts follows Nina Dean, a successful food writer whose life is beginning to unravel. She’s being ghosted on dating apps, dealing with her mum’s mid-life crisis, and watching her dad slowly succumb to dementia. Will she be able to gather up the threads of her life again? Out October 15, 2020.

SkinCARE by Caroline Hirons

The queen of the UK beauty scene has poured all of her vast skincare knowledge into this book, which cuts through the bullshit to tell you what your skin does and does not need. Caroline explains how to read ingredient lists, choose products that are right for you, and get the best skin of your life. We’ll certainly have that, please. Out April 30, 2020.

Godshot by Chelsea Bieker

We cannot resist a cult story, and this sounds like a particularly good one. When drought strikes a town in California, the townspeople turn to a cult leader who promises to bring the rain they’re praying for. Fourteen-year-old Lacey May uncovers the full extent of the pastor’s plans and decides to take action. Out April 7, 2020.

The Glass Hotel by Emily St John Mandel

Station Eleven is one of this writer’s favourite books of all time, so imagine our delight to see its author is finally giving us a new novel to sink our teeth into. The Glass Hotel is set at the intersection of two events: the collapse of a massive Ponzi scheme and the disappearance of a woman from a ship at sea. Ooh. Out February 15, 2020.

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