5 upcoming book releases that you can’t miss in 2022

As 2022 takes shape, there is still much to look forward to this year. With new movie releases like “The Batman,” “The Bob’s Burger’s Movie”  and Jordan Peele’s latest project, “Nope,” plus the latest season of “Euphoria” in full swing and a “Lord of the Rings” show premiering in September, a lot is happening this year in entertainment.

However, if you’re more of a book person, you’ve also got plenty to be excited about. 2022 will be an excellent year for books from major publishers and smaller presses alike. So, make 2022 the year you discover new authors and stories. To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of upcoming book releases for 2022 to add to your to-read list.

“This Might Hurt” by Stephanie Wrobel

Named a most anticipated book of 2022, “This Might Hurt” is a suspense novel by Stephanie Wrobel, the author of the international bestseller “Darling Rose Gold.” The novel’s twists and turns follow protagonist Natalie Collins as she attempts to bring her sister, Kit, home from a bizarre retreat that goes by the name of “Wisewood.” But Wisewood is not as sunshiny as it first appears.

Natalie’s own secrets are revealed, and her journey isn’t as simple as a trip up north to retrieve Kit. In a starred review, Library Journal says: “It’s hard not to fall under the spell of Wisewood, or Wrobel’s mesmerizing, edge-of-your-seat storytelling. A deep dive into psychological abuse and manipulation and their long-lasting emotional and mental tolls; will certainly leave a mark.”

“She Is Haunted” by Paige Clark

There’s something visceral about the minimalism of this cover. A collection of short stories published by popular indie press Two Dollar Radio, “She Is Haunted” will be released in the United States this coming May. The stories are connected with a throughline of thematic similarities which explore identity, connection and loss.

Two Dollar Radio says, in these pages, you’ll find “injured ballerinas, cloned dogs, and competitive call centers in settings as far-ranging as future and present Australia, New York City’s Chinatown, and suburban California.” Whimsical and dark, Clark’s literary prowess is evident through each of the short narratives she crafts in her debut book. The Guardian describes “She Is Haunted” as “a true original, with skilled, delicate power and an unforgettable mix of raw humor, fantastical digressions and melancholy insight.”

“Blurb Your Enthusiasm” by Louise Willder

Slated for release in September of 2022, this is one to put on your calendar, especially if you’re a lover of literature or a writer. Written by a blurb creator for Penguin Books – Willder knows what she’s talking about when it comes to reading and writing. This “A-Z of Literary Persuasion” is an amalgamation of book blurbs, writing tips, “literary folklore” and “publishing secrets.” We all love a good secret.

One World Publications explains: “This book is all about those 100-or-so words that take seconds to read but can make a world of difference – and what they tell us about literary history, the art of writing, authors from George Orwell to Zadie Smith, genres from children’s fiction to bonkbusters, cover design, the dark arts of persuasion and even who we are as readers.”

It answers questions that habitual and non–habitual readers are bound to have about writing and the book industry. And what an iconic title choice.

“Counterfeit” by Kirsten Chen

An award-winning and bestselling author already (of novels “Bury What We Cannot Take” and “Soy Sauce”), Kirsten Chen is no stranger to literary intrigue. In “Counterfeit,” the world of counterfeit fashion is opened up for the reader, the miscreant operations of those who peddle fake bags and imitation clothing suddenly within our reach.

Following narrator Ava Wong as she becomes entangled by the world of knockoffs, “Counterfeit” is relevant to the current cultural conversations surrounding the idea of fashion as art, fast fashion and the privilege inherent in luxury materialism.

Harper Collins calls this novel “a stylish and feminist caper with a strong point of view and an axe to grind.” Celeste Ng, bestselling author of “Little Fires Everywhere” and “Everything I Never Told You,” describes “Counterfeit” as a book that “explores what it takes to survive in a world gone mad—and what is lost when we do.”

“Sea of Tranquility” by Emily St. John Mandel

If you’re currently loving HBO’s “Station Eleven,” you’ll be interested in this upcoming book by the same author. Emily St. John Mandel’s “Sea of Tranquility” is a puzzle of overlapping narratives that crosses space-time boundaries. Penguin Random House describes it as “a novel of time travel and metaphysics that precisely captures the reality of our current moment.”

Taking place on our planet (in Canada, precisely) and in the cosmos, the connections between the three protagonists are almost literally earth-shattering. It will be released in April this year. Publisher’s Weekly already proclaims, “Brilliantly combining imagery from science fiction and the current pandemic, Mandel grounds her rich metaphysical speculation in small, beautifully observed human moments. By turns playful, tragic, and tender, this should not be missed.”

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