What Layne Can’t Wait to Read in 2019

I tweeted about my most anticipated 2019 books as part of the #Debut19Chat on Twitter last month, but I’ll expand my list from there so I have a nice round Top 10 (in order by publication date).

Last Woman Standing by Amy Gentry (January 15th) – This feminist revenge thriller by my agent sister is already one of my favorite books of 2019. And bonus: if you’re in the Chicago area, you can come see me in conversation with Amy to celebrate her book launch next week at the Women & Children First bookstore!

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo (January 29th) – I would auto-buy literally anything Leigh Bardugo writes, but I’m especially excited about this new novel since it features some of my favorite characters from her previous books (Nina Zenik is my dream girl, would eat waffles with her any time).

Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin (March 5th) – I’ve been an obsessive Gretchen Rubin devotee for years now. Her book Better Than Before changed my damn life (seriously, I doubt I would be a published author without it), and I am already looking forward to the apartment organizing spree this book is sure to spark.

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing (March 26th) – This is shaping up to be one of the biggest debut thrillers of the year, and I can’t wait to read it! I personally am Extremely Ready for the flood of novels about killer women coming to the shelves in the next year (and hopefully beyond…).

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski (March 26th) – Nagoski’s female sexuality book Come As You Are was another life-changing read for me, and I’m glad I’ll have this book to help me navigate the slings and arrows of debut year stress.

The Witches Are Coming by Lindy West (May 7th) – Another auto-buy author! Lindy’s voice is so needed in the dark timeline we’re currently living in. If you haven’t read her 2016 book Shrill, get on that before this new, sure-to-be-brilliant essay collection comes out.

We Came Here to Forget by Andrea Dunlop (July 2nd – Temper’s release date twin!) – I loved Dunlop’s 2018 novel She Regrets Nothing, and I’m so excited for her follow-up this year. Also, can you believe how gorgeous that cover is??

The Stories You Tell by Kristen Lepionka (July 9th) – The latest book in the Roxane Weary mystery series by my friend and podcast co-host Kristen, who also happens to be one of my favorite authors. Roxane is the badass bisexual heroine of my dreams and I’m always up for more adventures with her.

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin Craig (August 6th) – I adore all things Gothic, so I have been fully desperate to read this spooky, atmospheric YA retelling of “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” ever since the deal was announced. And another truly stunning cover, wow!

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware (September 5th) – Sometimes I forget that I share a publisher with Ruth Ware, and then I remember and it all seems like a too-good-to-be true dream. She’s the masterful thriller author I want to be when I grow up, and I’m so psyched that we’ll be getting a spine-chilling new book from her just in time for fall.

Author: Layne Fargo

Layne Fargo is a thriller author with a background in theater and library science. She’s a Pitch Wars mentor, a member of the Chicagoland chapter of Sisters in Crime, and the cocreator of the podcast Unlikeable Female Characters. Layne lives in Chicago with her partner and their pets.

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