By Anais Aguilera, Amber Alexander, Katie Norris and Sophie Poirier
There are plenty of exciting books to get your teeth stuck into this month! Which ones will catch your attention?
Amazon
From the number one New York Times bestselling author, Kristin Hannah, comes a new novel. The Women tells the story of a young nursing student named Frankie, who joins the Army Nurses Corps after her brother enlists. Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War – a time of social and political unrest – the novel explores the unique vantage point of a
woman surrounded by violence. Through friendship, courage and sacrifice, Frankie’s spirit is tested to the end.
Readers in search of more bite-sized stories that do not lack impact may turn to This Is the Honey: An Anthology of Contemporary Black Poets. This new poetry collection edited by Kwame Alexander is a vibrant collection of voices. Poets featured include Rita Dove, Mahogany L. Browne, Terrance Hayes and more. Each poem packs a punch, tackling themes such as love, food and resistance.
WHSmith
Non-fiction books have taken over the WHSmith Top 100 chart recently. One such title is Food for Life: Your Guide to the New Science of Eating Well by Tim Spector. Spector is an epidemiologist and doctor who lends his expertise to the masses in this new approach to the topic of nutrition. He does away with the usual fad diets and social media health tips, helping people eat healthier for the good of themselves and the planet.
If you’re looking for more tips on how to lead a greener lifestyle, Nancy Birtwhistle’s The Green Budget Guide: 101 Planet and Money Saving Tips, Ideas and Recipes will give you the advice you need. The struggle to maintain sustainable practices without breaking the bank is familiar to many. Birtwhistle herself experienced the impacts of living in a post-war society and working as a single mother. From “pure magic” cleaning spray to healthy microwave meals, this guide will help you make eco-friendly choices on a budget.
Waterstones
Waterstones gave its January Thriller of the Month award to Jo Callaghan’s In The Blink of An Eye, an exciting debut novel exploring the potential implications of involving AI in detective work. Kat Frank is an expert in her field, but when she finds herself paired with an Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity as part of a pilot project, the instinct that made her a great detective clashes with the machine’s purely logical perspective. Kat has to learn to work with her artificial partner before it’s too late – and before lives are lost. Callaghan has written a refreshing twist on the typical crime novel that will leave readers thinking about the intersections of humanity and technology.
We won’t let the fiction novels have all the fun – meet the winner of Waterstones January Non-fiction Book of the Month, The Wager by David Grann. You’ll recognise Grann as the author of Killers of the Flower Moon, the bestselling novel whose film adaptation was recently nominated for numerous Academy Awards. The Wager tells the gripping tale of a British shipwreck on the coast of Chile and the survivors who were lauded as heroes. Another shipwreck occurs months later, and along with it, a story of mutiny with a murderous captain. A thrilling journey of danger, betrayal, and tyranny ensues as the crews battle each other and the Patagonian wilderness.
Social Media
Sarah J Mass is a master of the romantasy genre currently dominating BookTok and Bookstagram. Her Crescent City series is a favourite among fans of the genre, and her latest instalment, House of Flame and Shadow, is generating just as much buzz as expected. When Bryce Quinlan is ripped away from her homeland of Midgard, all she wants is to return. Hunt Athalar is desperate to come to her rescue, but trapped in the Asteri’s dungeons, there’s nothing he can do. Mass’s modern fantasy setting and gripping romances have made the Crescent City series stand out from the rest, and this thrilling sequel is sure to continue that trend.
January was a big month for exciting fantasy releases. Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands is the second novel in Heather Fawcett’s charming series about a university for faeries. Emily Wilde is a scholarly expert in the study of the Hidden Folk and has a complicated relationship with her academic rival, Wendell Bambleby. When Bambleby’s mother sends assassins after him, Emily has to make decisions about both her studies and her heart. Emily Wilde is a perfect blend of faerie magic and dark academia that fans of both tropes will love.
Noteworthy Author
Heads should turn towards Cecile Pin. Despite having only released her debut novel Wandering Souls in the UK in early January, the novel is attracting a lot of attention. Waterstones named it January’s Fiction Book of the Month, and Pin has had a book tour stretching across the UK. Definitely keep an eye out for both Wandering Souls and any further works from exciting and upcoming author Cecile Pin.