Confessions by Catherine Airey
9/11 leaves teenage Cora orphaned, and sets off a cataclysmic chain of events when she ends up with her estranged family in rural Ireland. Replete with the unravelling of three generations’ worth of secrets, expect to see this magnificent debut novel everywhere this year.
Viking, £16.99
Sweat by Emma Healey
Healey’s debut Elizabeth Is Missing sold millions of copies and was adapted into a film starring Glenda Jackson. Now she is back with a dark, compulsive read in which Cassie, recovering from a toxic relationship, decides to take revenge on her ex.
Hutchinson Heinemann, £16.99
Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan
From the author of the hit novel Bellies comes a story about Max, a young trans woman whose yearning to feel less alone leads her into a relationship with Vincent: a man with more of a checkered past than he is letting on.
Doubleday, £16.99
Nesting by Roisin O’Donnell
A woman from Dublin walks away from her abusive marriage, two young daughters in tow. A tale that is at once tender and urgent, Nesting is a searing story of survival, love and what it takes to rebuild a life.
Scribner, £16.99
The Book of George by Kate Greathead
Following our eponymous everyman through snapshots of his life over two decades – essentially a series of oh-so-relatable failings and disappointments – here is a smart, funny and surprisingly moving read for fans of Dolly Alderton.
Atlantic Books, £16.99
So Thrilled to See You by Holly Bourne
When four friends meet for a baby shower on a sweltering summer’s day, tensions rise and someone ends up setting the house on fire. But who? A dark, captivating story which keeps you guessing, this novel is also an intelligent dissection of motherhood and friendship.
Hodder & Stoughton, £16.99
Greatest of All Time by Alex Ellison
In the hyper-masculine world of sport, being gay isn’t always easy. No-one knows this more than Samson, a burgeoning 19-year-old football star who falls for one of his teammates. Billed as Call Me By Your Name meets Goal!, this is a gorgeous, compelling read.
Dialogue Books, £18.99
The Garden by Nick Newman
Doubleday, £16.99
In a dark, fairytale-like novel of creeping dread, which is set in an unknown time and place, two elderly sisters live in a secluded walled garden – where the appearance of a nameless boy disturbs their languid peace.
The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji
In an absorbing 60-year narrative which sweeps from Tehran to New York and Los Angeles, five women from the same Iranian dynasty grapple with identity, family, power, politics and loyalty. The Persians is as exuberant as it is sharp.
Fourth Estate, £18.99
The Shetland Way by Marianne Brown
When Marianne Brown returned to Shetland for her father’s funeral in 2020, she never expected not to be able to leave for six months, nor to discover more about her late enigmatic dad, and certainly not be pulled into a debate about the large proposed windfarm. An engrossing read.
The Borough Press, £16.99
The Nazi Mind by Laurence Rees
Subtitled ‘Twelve Warnings from History’, this incisive piece of nonfiction draws on the latest historical research to answer seemingly unanswerable questions – how could the Nazis have done what they did? – and provide disturbing yet important lessons for today.
Viking, £25
Dare I Say It by Naomi Watts
The Hollywood star, who started experiencing menopause symptoms when she was 36, writes about everything she wished she knew beforehand – from HRT to skin problems and sleep. A vital voice for much-needed awareness.
Vermillion, £22
The Science of Racism by Keon West
A first of its kind, this book cuts through debate and rhetoric to deliver the clear, rigorous, and quantitative science of racism. Written by a professor at The University of London, it is filled with shocking data and eye-opening statistics, making it utterly essential.
Picador, £20
Secret Painter by Joe Tucker
This heartwarming family memoir is an ode to the author’s late uncle, Eric Tucker: an eccentric, untrained but talented artist whose 500-strong collection of paintings depicting working class life in the north has earned him the nickname of the ‘secret Lowry’.
Canongate, £18.99
