You Always Remember Your First...

Literary Debuts…

First step. First word. First day of school. First kiss. First love. First dance. First job. First drink. First heartbreak. First concert. The list of milestones measured by firsts in our lives is never-ending, so I will do us all a favour and stop here. Well, not quite.

Unsurprisingly, the benchmarks that are most memorable for me are of the bookish kind.

First book read on my own. First trip to the library. First library book never returned (oops). First book bought with my own money. First book read in secret, hidden from the prying eyes of parents. First book that kept me up all night. First book that made me snotty cry. First book that made me tingle in my special places. I’ll stop here…your welcome.

My book loving nerdiness is so much a part of my identity that the children of my friends have been known to refer to me as the book lady to their own friends. So, I’m famous.

Based on that, it should come as no surprise to you that as my number of books read has risen over the years to the mid four-digit numbers, no decimal points, I have wholly embraced the joy of unearthing debut authors. These gems are often in the background as established writers are more likely to land on the highly anticipated and best of lists. But that feeling of discovering something no one else knows about is like nothing else. It bubbles up and leaves you breathless to wave the book at everyone you know and screech “read this now!”

So, this feature is the written manifestation of my chasing down friends and strangers with what by some might be considered a weapon. Of weight rather than of words, although some on this list may fit that definition as well.

First Things First

…counting the minutes until these debuts

Novel Obsession – Caitlin Barasch

Twenty something bookseller Naomi is desperate to write a novel but struggles to find a story worth telling. When, after countless disastrous dates, she meets Caleb, a perfectly nice guy with a unique patience for all her quirks, she thinks she's finally stumbled onto a time-honored subject: love. Then Caleb's ex-girlfriend, Rosemary, enters the scene. Soon Naomi is consumed by curiosity that borders on cyber stalking. Fact and fiction become increasingly difficult to untangle in this fantastic book.

Coming Up: Releasing In March 2022

Woman, Eating – Claire Kohda

Lydia is hungry. But not for the succulent and delicious food of her Japanese heritage, but for blood. Finally living away from her vampire mother to pursue her art, she is suddenly surrounded by dinner companions. Not so much to dine with as to dine on. Tragic, funny, and eccentric, this book is one of a kind.

Coming Up: Releasing In April 2022

All The Secrets Of The World – Steve Almond

When paired for a science fair project, Lorena and Jenny’s starkly different worlds begin to merge in unexpected ways. When Lorena’s troubled brother picks her up at Jenny’s family’s mansion late one night, a tense encounter with the father results in shocking fallout. Unflinching in its depiction of the powerful and the powerless colliding, this is a must read.

Coming Up: Releasing In April 2022

More Than You’ll Ever Know – Katie Gutierrez

An evocative drama about a woman caught leading a double life after one husband murders the other, and the true-crime writer who becomes obsessed with telling her story. A haunting and stunning drama about the secrets we endure and the lies we tell ourselves to keep them. Unique standout!

Coming Up: Releasing In June 2022

Portrait Of A Thief – Grace D.Li

A senior at Harvard, Will fits comfortably in his carefully curated roles: a perfect student, an art history major and sometimes artist, the eldest son who has always been his parents' American Dream. But when a mysterious Chinese benefactor reaches out with an impossible, and illegal, job offer, Will finds himself something else as well: the leader of a heist to steal back five priceless Chinese sculptures, looted from Beijing centuries ago. Will soon assembles a crew with every heist archetype one can imagine. Complex, thrilling and brilliant!

Coming Up: Releasing In April 2022

Blood Sugar – Sascha Rothchild

Though she may be a murderer, Ruby is not a sociopath. She is an animal-loving therapist with a thriving practice. She’s felt empathy and sympathy. She’s had long-lasting friendships and relationships, and has a husband, Jason, whom she adores. But the homicide detectives questioning her are not convinced of her happy marriage. When we meet Ruby, she is in a police interrogation room, being accused of Jason’s murder. Which, ironically, is one murder that she did not commit. Who doesn’t love an unreliable narrator?

Coming Up: Releasing In April 2022

Verifiers – Jane Pek

Claudia is used to disregarding her fractious family’s model-minority expectations: she has no interest in finding either a conventional career or a nice Chinese boy. She’s also used to keeping secrets from them, such as that she prefers girls, and that she's just been stealth-recruited by Veracity, a referrals-only online-dating detective agency. A lifelong mystery reader, Claudia believes she's landed her ideal job. Until she begins investigating a real-life mystery. Witty and smart!

Coming Up: Releasing In March 2022

Lesson’s In Chemistry – Bonnie Garmus

Elizabeth is not your average woman. She would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it's the 1960s and despite the fact that she is a scientist, her peers are very prehistoric when it comes to equality. The only good thing to happen to her on the road to professional fulfillment is a run-in with her super-star colleague Calvin. Theirs is true chemistry. But romance is never as predictable as chemical reactions.

Coming Up: Releasing In March 2022

Big Girl – Mecca Jamilah Sullivan

Growing up in Harlem, eight-year-old Malaya hates when her mother drags her to Weight Watchers meetings; she’d rather paint alone in her bedroom or enjoy forbidden street foods with her father. For Malaya, the pressures of her predominantly white prep school are relentless, as are the expectations passed down from her painfully proper mother and sharp-tongued grandmother. A wonderful coming of age story set in the ‘90’s, full of all the insatiable longings that consume girls on the brink of womanhood.

Coming Up: Releasing In July 2022

Nightcrawling – Leila Mottley

Kiara and her brother Marcus are barely scraping by in a squalid apartment. Both have dropped out of high school, their family fractured by death and prison. But while Marcus clings to his dream of rap stardom, Kiara hunts for work to pay their rent and to keep the 9-year-old boy next door, abandoned by his mother, safe and fed. One night, what begins as a drunken misunderstanding with a stranger turns into the job Kiara never imagined wanting but now desperately needs: nightcrawling. Fierce and devasting, brace yourselves.

Coming Up: Releasing In June 2022

Kaikeyi – Vaishnavi Patel

Kaikeyi was born under an auspicious constellation, the holiest of positions. Little good that did her. She was raised on tales of the power and benevolence of the gods, but when she calls upon them for help, they never seem to hear. Then one day she discovers a magic that is hers alone and moves to carve out a better world for herself and the women around her. A fantastic reimagining of the life of an infamous queen.

Coming Up: Releasing In April 2022

First Impressions

…standout debuts that left their mark

Every Last Fear – Alex Finlay

A family made famous by a true-crime documentary is found dead, leaving their surviving son to uncover the truth about their final days. If that were the only burden left to him this would have been a quicker, and far less impressive read. But he also must unearth the truth of what happened the night of his brothers’ girlfriends murder. A murder his brother is currently imprisoned for. Brilliantly written & structured!

How To Kill Your Family – Bella Mackie

In an understatement of epic proportions, Grace has some issues. Putting pen to paper while falsely imprisoned for a murder, she delights in teasing us that that doesn’t mean she isn’t a murderer. She has in fact creatively, sometimes brutally, dispatched several members of her family while executing a rather crooked set of life goals. All while avoiding any reflection on her own moral fiber. An absolute delight of a read!

Eight Detectives – Alex Pavesi

An ambitious editor comes to a secluded island to review the work of a reclusive author with the intent to republish his one and only book. As they sit and read through his seven murderous tales, he educates her on the key ingredients of the perfect mystery. Each of these seven stories has its own intricate stand-alone puzzle, all will engage the reader in an utterly unique battle of wits with themselves as they attempt to navigate the endless misdirection.

Dear Child – Romy Hausman

This is the story of a woman who has been held captive in a windowless cabin deep in a remote forest along with her children, or at least someone’s children. She has somehow managed to escape into what is the beginning of something even more sinister. As a reader you will constantly ask yourself, what the hell is going on here? And then think no, don’t tell me.

The Reading List – Sara Nisha Adams

Aleisha is a bright but anxious teenager working at the local library for the summer when she discovers a crumpled-up piece of paper in the back of To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s a list of novels that she’s never heard of before. Intrigued, and a little bored with her slow job at the checkout desk, she impulsively decides to read every book on the list, one after the other. As she passes on the list to widower Mukesh, it’s magic begins to reveal itself. Heartwarming and charming!

A Flicker In The Dark – Stacy Willingham

If you love a monster, what does that make you? This is a question Chole has been struggling with for longer than she can remember. And as she pinballs from one theory of who can be committing new murders akin to the serial killings her father was convicted of, the reader will be hard pressed to catch their breath. Utterly unreliable narration. In a good way.

Only A Monster – Vanessa Len

Joan has just learned the truth: her family are monsters, with terrifying, hidden powers. And the cute boy at work isn’t just a boy: he’s a legendary monster slayer, who will do anything to destroy her family. To save herself and her loved ones, Joan will have to do what she fears most: embrace her own monstrousness. Edgy and fresh!

The Other Black Girl – Zakiya Dalila Harris

Editorial assistant Nella is tired of being the only Black employee at Wagner Books. Fed up with the isolation and microaggressions, she’s thrilled when Harlem born and bred Hazel starts working there. A string of uncomfortable events soon elevates Hazel to office darling and someone want’s Nella gone, sending her into a spiral. Whip-smart, combustible, and sly, this is a standout thriller in every sense of the word.

Djinn Patrol On The Purple Line – Deepa Anappara

When a boy at school goes missing, Jai decides to use the crime-solving skills he has picked up from episodes of Police Patrol to find him. With his friends by his side, Jai ventures into some of the most dangerous parts of the sprawling Indian city; the bazaar at night and even the railway station at the end of the Purple Line. But kids continue to vanish, and the trio must confront terrified parents, an indifferent police force and soul-snatching djinns to uncover the truth. Vivid and genius!

This Thing Between Us – Gus Moreno

It was Vera’s idea to buy the Itza. The “world’s most advanced smart speaker!” didn’t interest Thiago, but Vera thought it would be a bit of fun for them amidst all the strange occurrences happening in the condo. It made things worse. It was fun right up until Vera ended up dead and Thiago’s world became unbearable. Intense and riveting.

Reprieve – James Han Mattson

In 1997, four contestants make it to the final cell of the Quigley House, a full-contact haunted escape room made famous for its monstrosities, booby-traps, and ghoulishly costumed actors. If the group can endure these horrors without shouting the safe word, “reprieve,” they’ll win a substantial cash prize, a feat accomplished only by one other group in the house’s long history. But before they can complete the challenge, a man breaks into the cell and kills one of the contestants. Chilling and relentless!

Feels Like The First Time

…uncovered hidden gems

We Begin At The End – Chris Whitaker

Bookended by mysterious deaths, the beating heart of this novel is without question its lead characters. Walk, a forty something Sheriff hanging on for dear life to a past that may have only existed in his imagination and Duchess, a foul-mouthed, fierce, and furious thirteen-year-old that refuses to cower from the misery’s life has seen fit to throw at her. The author imbues them with such longing for a life outside their grasp that your heart will lay torn and tattered on their behalf.

Magic For Liars – Sarah Gailey

Ivy was born without magic and never wanted it. Ivy is perfectly happy with her life. Ivy doesn’t in any way wish she was like her estranged, gifted twin sister. Ivy is a liar. When a murder is discovered at a magical school she will have to return to this world. Like it or not.

This Story Is A Lie – Tom Pollock

At the center of this story is an anxiety ridden teen math prodigy who finds himself thrust into untangling the mystery of an attack on his mother and his sister’s disappearance. An outstanding read that delivers an abundance of thrills at this same time as a visceral depiction of an anxiety disorder.

The Plot – Jean Hanff Korelitx

Jake was once a promising young novelist. Today he’s a teacher struggling to maintain what’s left of his self-respect; he hasn’t written or published anything decent in years. When his most arrogant student announces he doesn’t need Jake’s help because the plot of his book in progress is a sure thing, Jake is prepared to dismiss the boast. But then . . . he hears the plot. Jake braces himself for the staggering sales success of his students first novel: but it never comes. Hmm…what to do with a plot just waiting there…

Ten Thousand Doors Of January – Alix E. Harrow

A young woman is living in the sprawling mansion of her guardian. She discovers a book that carries the scent of other worlds and tells of secret doors. Each page of which reveals impossible truths about the world and she discovers a story that increasingly entwined with her own. A love letter to stories and storytellers!

Everything I Never Told You – Celeste Ng

“Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet.” So begins this exquisite novel about a Chinese American family living in 1970s small-town Ohio. Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee, and her parents are determined that she will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue. But when Lydia’s body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together is destroyed, tumbling them into chaos.

House In The Cereluan Sea – T.J. Klune

Linus leads a quiet, solitary life. Living with his devious cat and record collection, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in an orphanage. One day he is summoned a secret island to determine whether six children are a danger to the world; a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable blob, a were-Pomeranian and the Antichrist. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of the unusual goings on to be found in this enchanting and witty story!

Secret Lives Of Church Ladies – Deesha Philyaw

The stories that make up this collection explore the raw and tender places where Black women and girls dare to follow their desires and pursue a momentary reprieve from the worlds’ expectations. Featuring four generations of characters grappling with who they want to be in the world, this is an absolute gem!

A History Of Wild Places – Shea Ernshaw

This story follows three residents of a secluded, seemingly peaceful commune as they investigate the disappearances of two outsiders. They bring in Travis who has an unusual talent for finding the missing, he only needs to touch a single object that belonged to them. The search leads them to a reclusive commune believed to only be a legend. Then Travis disappears and all the secrets inside this community are at threat of exposure. Beautiful and hypnotic writing that recalls the best kind of fairy tale. One with a chill!

First Day Of Spring – Nancy Tucker

The novel is told through two narrative voices, one an eight- year-old girl and the other that same girl at the age of twenty-five. The eight-year-old version of this women has killed a boy. That alone is enough to terrify any reader, but the author meticulously captures both the naivete you would expect from a child and the apathetic disdain that child has for others. The resulting tone is deeply unsettling, to say the least. The author could have simply painted this girl as a bad seed, but instead showed her as an adult with an understanding of her actions and a desire for redemption.

The Eight – Katherine Neville

A bejeweled chess set that belonged to Charlemagne has been buried in an abbey for a thousand years. As the bloody French Revolutions rages in Paris, the nuns dig it up and scatter its pieces across the globe because, when united, the set contains a secret power that could topple civilizations. To keep it from falling into the wrong hands, two young nuns embark on a global adventure. One of my all-time favourite books!!