Although the year has just started, and we all just put to bed our reading goals of 2023, there are still more books we can pile on our TBR. So let me tell you my most anticipated books of 2024, and get them on your radar.
The first few books I look forward to this year are “Womb City” by Tlotlo Tsamaase and “Just Stab Me Now” by Jill Bearup.
First, “Womb City” comes out on January 23. This is a dark afro-fantasy considered the debuting work for Tsamaase’s adult fiction. I do always enjoy reading a debut, and if you are also a person who gets stuck reading familiar authors, maybe this is a good book to help you branch out.
“Just Stab Me Now” is a book that originally wasn’t planned to actually exist. It started off as comical skits by social media actor Jill Bearup, and after gaining a mass following of the story, it turned into a real book. This will also be her first novel, but I highly anticipate it to be a hit following an unconventional character set. It is coming out on February 5.
Books that come out later in the year that I have high hopes for are “This Book Won’t Burn” by Samira Ahmed, and “The Unclaimed” by Pamela Prickett and Stefan Timmermans.
“This Book Won’t Burn” takes a fictional approach to a not so fictional problem. That is the banning of books in schools and the activism behind it, and it follows how one girl is trying to make a difference. I think banning books is a serious matter, and it’s a good way to introduce the topic in an easier way. This book is scheduled to release May 7.
“The Unclaimed” is so far the only nonfiction book that has piqued my interest to be released this year, on March 7. This book follows the process of unidentifiable, unclaimed, and unwanted dead bodies, and the people who take care of their burial. It will be a book that will share a gruesome truth most of us don’t think about, and how the dead still have quite a lot to go through before peace.
All of these books have a very specific and unique story to tell, and some hit closer to home than others. They deserve a moment to ponder if you want to add them to your ever growing list because I surely plan to add them to mine. No matter what you read, I wish you a fantastic year of books!
Faith Harrel, Reporter and Advertising Rep.
(Featured Image from Canva)