Emma Straub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2020
I have two categories of books that I’m looking forward to reading in 2020: debut books by people I’ve known/had my eye on for years, and new books by writers I love*. What I am reminded of, though, in this season of lists, when I too have a book coming out this year**, is how random all these lists are, and how awful it feels when you have a book coming out, and it seems like no one cares. So, if you’re reading this and are publishing a book in 2020, which is going to be an extra challenging year for books coverage due to the election (and the prospect of war, and impeachment, and and and), let me just say HI. You did it! You’re publishing a book! Let’s celebrate. I don’t think I’ve ever properly celebrated publishing a book before — when my first two books came out, I was so anxious I could hardly breathe, and hustling so hard that I couldn’t enjoy anything, and when my next two books came out, and hit the bestseller list, I was concentrating so hard on not taking any of it for granted that I didn’t whoop and holler as I should have, afraid that if I exhaled too loudly, I would topple the whole thing. This time, whatever happens, I am going to take it in, and not pay attention to all the things whirling around me that are out of my control.
So! With that said, here are some of the books I’m looking forward to in 2020. Some of them I have already read and loved (will note those with an asterisk below) and some I probably won’t read until 2025, but hey, love takes time.
Topics of Conversation by Miranda Popkey — Rooneyesque!
(Published Jan 7, 2020)
New Waves by Kevin Nguyen — Technological!
(Release date Mar 10, 2020)
Homie by Danez Smith — Dazzling!
(Release date Jan 21, 2020)
Layoverland* by Gabby Noone — After-wordly!
(Release date Jan 21, 2020)
Weather* by Jenny Offill — Climate-atic!
(Release date Feb 11, 2020)
Real Life* by Brandon Taylor — Scientific!
(Release date Feb 18, 2020)
Something That May Shock and Discredit You by Daniel Mallory Ortberg — Genre-bending!
(Release date Feb 11, 2020)
My Autobiography of Carson McCullers by Jenn Shapland -Mind-bending!
(Release date Feb 25, 2020)
Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong — Searing!
(Release date Feb 25, 2020)
You Never Forget Your First by Alexis Coe — Foundational!
(Release date Feb 4, 2020)
The Regrets by Amy Bonnaffons — Ghostly!
(Release date Feb 4, 2020)
Here For It* by R. Eric Thomas — Hilarious!
(Release date Feb 18, 2020)
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel — Mysterious!
(Release date Mar 24, 2020)
The City We Became by N. K. Jemison — Fantastical!
(Release date Mar 24, 2020)
Wow, No Thank You* by Samantha Irby — Gastrointestinal!
(Release date Mar 31, 2020)
Writers + Lovers* by Lily King — Sexy!
(Release date Mar 3, 2020)
Postcolonial Love Poem by Natalie Diaz — Bodily!
(Release date Mar 3, 2020)
We Ride Upon Sticks* by Quan Barry — Radical!
(Release date Mar 3, 2020)
Separation Anxiety* by Laura Zigman — Clinging!
(Release date Mar 3, 2020)
How to Be a Pirate* by Isaac Fitzgerald — Inspiring!
(Release date Mar 3, 2020)
Collected Stories by Lorrie Moore — Life-affirming!
(Release date Mar 3, 2020)
Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker — Genelogical!
(Release date Apr 7, 2020)
Conjure Women by Afia Atakora — Sweeping!
(Release date Apr 7, 2020)
The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe — Pow!
(Release date Apr 28, 2020)
Catlady by Leah Goren — Meow!
(Release date Apr 7, 2020)
Empty by Susan Burton — Full!
(Release date Jun 23, 2020)
St. Ivo by Joanna Hershon — Secretive!
(Release date Apr 14, 2020)
The New One by Mike Birbiglia — Procreational!
(Release date May 5, 2020)
Friends + Strangers by Courtney Sullivan — Recreational!
(Release date Jun 23, 2020)
*Note! If you are publishing a book after June, please know that the information about your book has likely not even populated on our/any website yet, which makes it hard to include on lists, because we don’t know it’s coming! So if you have a book coming out in October, it’s going to be okay! We will shout about it then! I promise!
**It’s called All Adults Here, and you can pre-order it right here at Books Are Magic, and if you do so, you will win both some exclusive merch and my undying love.
