A new year has come and with it a new collection of books for the year. 2018 seems to be the year for a comeback with successful writers releasing new and extended material of their previous work, and there are some new names to the writing world as well. Whether you are an avid reader or just looking for something to do to stay occupied, here are some promising reads for 2018.
(Via Amazon.com)
1. “Brave” by Rose McGowan: In this tell-all memoir written by “Charmed” actress Rose McGowan, the ugly truths of life in the Hollywood spotlight are explored. From exploited celebrity to rebel activist, McGowan documents on paper the raw, uncensored evils of the entertainment industry that we’ve all been speculating about. And what better time than during the whirlwind of the Harvey Weinstein scandal where questions aren’t being answered.
2. “A Court Of Frost and Starlight” by S.J. Maas: S.J. Maas is back at it again, but this time with the continuation of another one of her popular book series. Just months ago she released “Tower of Dawn” for her “Throne of Glass” series. Now, she is planning on bringing back her “Court of Thorns and Roses” power couple Rhysand and Feyre in the spring. This book is the first of many novellas of the series and focuses on filling the gaps after the war with Feyre and Rhys rebuilding the Night Court and navigating their roles as High Lord and High Lady.
3. “Children of Blood and Bone” by Tomi Adeyemi: In this debut, Adeyemi weaves the tale of a world where magic has been killed by an evil king. Zelie Adebola, the protagonist, has lost her mother to the murder of magic users and plans to use her newfound powers to bring magic back and defeat the monarchy. With a rebel princess as her ally, Zelie must defeat a prince who is dedicated to eradicating magic and control her powers and her emotions for said prince. A movie adaptation is also in the works for the book. Fantasy books with racially diverse protagonists are few and far between in the world of literature. Socially aware users of the internet have been bringing this to public attention more and more, and apparently, Nigerian writer Tomi Adeyemi heard them.
4. “Circe” by Madeline Miller: Miller’s debut book “Song of Achilles” ripped apart the hearts of readers all over the country when it was released in 2011. Like her first book, “Circe” follows the mythological tale of the isolated witch from “The Odyssey.” With Miller’s unmatched storytelling, the tale is bound to be unrecognizable in what she will make it. Her knowledge of Greek mythology and fresh perspective on these Greek classics is just what 2018 needs.
5. “Feel Free” by Zadie Smith: This collection of essays by Zadie Smith explores topics such as recent cultural events, her opinion on the current state of politics and a look into her own life experiences. Already possessing multiple bestselling fiction novels and essays under her belt, Smith makes a comeback with this collection.
6. “Still Me” by Jojo Moyes: Although the movie “Me Before You” received a lot of backlash despite the unmistakable chemistry between Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin, the book did not disappoint readers. “Still Me” is the sequel to “Me Before You” that follows protagonist Louisa Clark on her next adventure. The book follows her struggles with keeping her long distance relationship with Sam stable as she is thrown into a new job that places her in a high society adventure.
7. “An American Marriage” by Tayari Jones: This fiction book seems to be only about a crumbling marriage upon description, but it is so much more. The themes explored range from fidelity and romance to discrimination and identity. It focuses on two successful newlyweds whose lives and marriage are torn apart by a system of racial injustice. Roy and Celestial have only been married for a year before Roy is accused of a crime that Celestial knows he didn’t commit and is sentenced to 12 years in prison. When Roy’s conviction is overturned after five years, nothing is the same, including his marriage to Celestial.
8. “The Female Persuasion” by Meg Wolitzer: In this novel, Wolitzer makes some interesting observations and commentary on modern feminism through her protagonist, Greer Kadetsky. Greer is a shy college freshman who is madly in love with her boyfriend Cory and can’t see anything other than a happy ending with him. Then, she meets 60-year-old feminist leader Faith Frank and her life is changed. Dazzled by Frank, Greer is taken on a dream path towards her ambition and away from Cory.
Kanthalina Andreus is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at kanthalina.andreus@uconn.edu.
