Written in Starlight by Isabel Ibañez
February 8, Page Street Publishing Co.
Written in Starlight follows disgraced Condesa Catalina Quiroga as she begins her banishment. Her reign of Inkasisa is over, along with the loyalty of her best friend and her people. Despite the difficult journey ahead of her, Catalina refuses to give up, believing it is her destiny to rule. Alone, she cannot hope to find the city of gold but, with the help of Manuel, she searches for the Illari people and an army to take back her throne with. However, all is not well with the Illari – a mysterious illness threatens to destroy their jungle. As a seer, Catalina must consult the stars to help them
before it’s too late. - Meg
White Ivy by Susie Yang
January 7, Headline PG
This dazzling debut novel follows Ivy, a young woman with a dark obsession. Years before, Ivy’s relationship with Gideon, the ‘golden boy’ of a wealthy political family, was abruptly stopped when she was sent to China as a punishment for theft, a family trait her grandmother taught her. Now back in Boston as a restless young adult, Ivy runs into Gideon’s sister, and she will go to any length to get him again. Yang’s novel is hailed to be filled with thrilling twists and nuanced explorations of class, race, wealth, and culture. White Ivy is a searing insight into the menacing truth of obsession, and the extent to which one woman will go in her pursuit of success. - Genevieve
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
June 1, Penguin
In this incredible little-known story of J.P. Morgan’s personal librarian, Bella da Costa Greene crafts the perfect identity to help her survive in a racist society. Hired by Morgan to curate a collection of rare literature and artwork for his newly built library, Belle, with her extensive knowledge of art and culture, and her excellent taste, quickly catches the attention of some of New York’s most powerful people. But Belle is hiding dangerous secrets about her true identity and in her powerful position, it won’t be long before her secrets are uncovered. She must protect herself, her family, and her identity at all costs, or she risks losing everything. - Laura
My Phantoms by Gwendoline Riley April 1st, Granta
From the prize-winning author of First Love comes another melancholic and humorous exploration of the minutiae of human relationships. Helen Grant is an enigma. A mystery to even her own children, she is twice-divorced, lives alone, and sees her daughter Bridget only once a year. Now an academic in her forties, Bridget has gotten used to the polite boundaries of their coexistence. But when Helen decides that she wants more, Bridget is forced to reckon with their tumultuous history, and the ways that they have both failed one another. - Bayley
NICK by Michael Farris Smith 25 February, No Exit Press
We have all read, heard of, or studied F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, The Great Gatsby, but have you ever wondered about his iconic, yet rather distant narrator, Nick Carraway? Well, acclaimed novelist Michael Farris Smith brings Fitzgerald’s narrator out of the shadows and into the spotlight, in this thrilling imagination of his life before The Great Gatsby. From featuring a Parisian romance during the Great War, to taking the reader in vibrant New Orleans, NICK becomes a rich and compelling novel, which breathes new life into a well-loved classic. - Hollie