2014 was a great year for reading. We were moved by some astonishing debut novels from writers like Catherine Lacey (Nobody is Ever Missing) and Eimear McBride (A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing), plus the film releases of Gone Girl and Inherent Vice allowed us to revisit some literary favorites at the cinema. But whether you’ve made it through the massive to-read pile on your nightstand or not, 2014 has rolled cruelly on. It’s 2015 now—the Year of the Green Wooden Goat Sheep. Ok, so I don’t know what that means exactly, but still. There’s a whole bunch of great new books to anticipate this year. Listed in no particular order, here are a few of the 2015 releases that I JUST CAN’T WAIT to read (SPOILER ALERT! They are all written by ladies):
1) Binary Star by Sarah Gerard (Two Dollar Radio) - Two Dollar Radio consistently publishes work that the pushes the boundaries of contemporary fiction, and Sarah Gerard’s new novel sounds no different. It’s a dizzying, devastating roadtrip tale about illness, addiction and modern culture that defies literary classification.
2) The First Bad Man by Miranda July (Scribner) - This is the debut fiction novel from the artist, writer and filmmaker who gave us No One Belongs Here More Than You. I expect it to be both totally weird and wonderful.
3) Savage Park: A Meditation on Play, Space, and Risk for Americans Who Are Nervous, Distracted, and Afraid to Die by Amy Fusselman (Houghton Mifflin) - Fusselman is a seriously underrated contemporary writer. If you like Rebecca Solnit and Cheryl Strayed, then you’ll probably love Amy Fusselman. And you’re in luck because she’s reading at Book Soup next month!
4) The Remains by Annie Freud (Picador) - Inspired by Freud’s visit to an exhibition of Sung Dynasty artworks and also illustrated by the poet herself, The Remains is said to explore what’s left when everything seems broken or lost.
5) Naked at the Albert Hall: The Inside Story of Singing by Tracey Thorn (Virago) - Don't even get me started. Tracey Thorn is just the coolest and I can listen to her moody lady croons for hours on end. This book is part memoir, part exploration of the art and power of singing (cue “Missing”).
6) After Birth by Elisa Albert (Houghton Mifflin) - Hey, throw around the term “afterbirth” in any form and you’re sure to get my attention. Plus, Lydia Davis has only words of praise for this book, which seems like reason enough to pick it up.
7) The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson (Graywolf) - DISCLAIMER: I already read an ARC version of this, so I know it’s good. For lovers of cult classic Bluets, Maggie Nelson does not disappoint with her latest meditation on queer family-making and “good enough” mothering.
8) In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume (Knopf) - Are you there God? It’s me, Adriana. I’m an “adult” now, but I never really got over the horrifying upset of female puberty. Thankfully, Judy Blume is publishing her first book for adults in 15 years and I’m sure it will make us all feel a little less utterly alone, just her like her YA books did once.
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