There are a lot of new books coming out every week. With New Release Radar, I’ll help you narrow down the week’s new book releases into the titles you should get excited about. This week, I have nine great books to share with you, including plenty of fantastic debuts. Read on.
Mona Acts Out by Mischa Berlinski
On a stressful Thanksgiving morning, promising painful interactions with her in-laws and fights with her husband, stage actress Mona Zahid takes the family dog and escapes. She seeks out her estranged and recently disgraced mentor, Milton Katz. Her impulsive journey becomes an overnight odyssey of self-discovery. Mona’s forced to confront her past, her creative struggles and the complex relationships that have shaped her life.
Mona Acts Out is an incredibly approachable novel that’s funny and sad. Mischa Berlinski’s new book release is about the roles we play to get through the day and the importance of telling the truth.
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Motheater by Linda H. Codega
After losing her best friend to a coal mine accident, Bennie Mattox risks everything to uncover the deadly truth behind Kire Mountain’s mines. Her search leads her to Motheater, an enigmatic Appalachian witch who’s lost her memory but carries a legacy of broken promises and a mission to protect the mountain. Together, they confront past and present forces that could alter the fate of their community forever.
In her debut novel, Linda H. Codega has created a nuanced, queer fantasy. Motheater is an atmospheric work of folk horror with chilling vibes perfect for the winter months.
Mask of the Deer Woman by Laurie L. Dove
Haunted by her daughter’s murder, ex-detective Carrie Starr returns to her father’s reservation as the new tribal marshal. Once home, she must reckon with a decade-long mystery of missing women. While searching for a missing college student, Starr confronts her own grief and a fearsome spirit from tribal lore, the Deer Woman. However, she doesn’t know whether this figure is a guide or an avenger. As the lines between myth and reality blur, Starr must face her past to uncover the truth and seek justice for the lost women.
Laurie L. Dove’s debut is a multilayered, supernatural mystery. Mask of the Deer Woman deftly explores the real-life epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women and the realities faced by modern Indigenous communities.
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We Do Not Part by Han Kang
When Kyungha rushes to Jeju Island to save her injured friend Inseon’s pet bird, Ama, a sudden snowstorm turns her journey into a perilous struggle against the elements. As night falls and the icy cold deepens, Kyungha battles to reach Inseon’s house, unaware of the chilling darkness awaiting her. What began as a rescue mission quickly becomes a harrowing descent into an unforeseen nightmare.
Han Kang’s novel The Vegetarian was the first Korean language novel to receive the International Booker Prize for fiction in 2016, and she received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2024. We Do Not Part is her first novel since 2016, illuminating a forgotten chapter in Korean history.
The Broposal by Sonora Reyes
Han has always kept love at a distance, avoiding questions about his sexuality and grappling with the insecurity of being undocumented. He thinks everything will change when his best friend Kenny, stuck in a controlling relationship, finally chooses Han over his girlfriend. When Han loses his job and visa sponsorship, Kenny proposes marriage to help him stay in the country. What starts as a pragmatic solution stirs deeper, unexpected feelings, forcing both men to confront their fears, identities and what love truly means.
Romance fans of the marriage of convenience trope will love The Broposal. Balancing heavy themes with a sweet friends-to-lovers romance, Sonora Reyes tells a great love story.
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Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti
For years, Lydia Hope-Wallace has anonymously corresponded with the Earl of Strathrannoch. When she learns of his financial troubles, she heads to Scotland with a bold plan: a marriage of convenience. Once there, however, she discovers his brother has been writing under the earl’s name. Furious and wary, Arthur reluctantly accepts Lydia’s help to uncover his brother’s dangerous ties to espionage. As passion and peril collide, Arthur must decide whether to risk his heart to protect the fiery woman who upended his life.
Regency romance lovers rejoice — Alexandra Vasti is back. Earl Crush is a fun, entertaining read with a light and easy writing style.
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
As war looms, Violet Sorrengail must venture beyond Basgiath War College and Navarre’s failing wards to find allies and uncover the truth. With enemies on all sides and a devastating secret to protect, she faces impossible odds to save her dragons, family and home. In the gathering storm, survival will demand every ounce of her strength and courage.
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One of the most anticipated sequels of 2025 comes out in the very first month of the year. Onyx Storm is book three in Rebecca Yarros’ The Empyrean series, and it promises more romance, fantasy and, of course, dragons.
You can check out these new book releases at Bookshop.org or your local bookstore. What January 21 new release are you most excited to read? Let us know below, and tune in next week to grow your TBR.
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