Sometimes, I discover a book too late or just can’t get around to reading it in time for Debutiful’s monthly lists. Here are 6 more debut books that will knock your socks off. They’re all available right now, so you should be en route to the bookstore.
Sky Daddy by Kate Folk
From the publisher: Cross the jet bridge with Linda, a frequent flyer with an unusual obsession, in this “audaciously imagined and surprisingly tender” (Rachel Yoder, author of Nightbitch) debut novel by the acclaimed author of Out There.
I’m not sure how I didn’t list this on my Most Anticipated List because Folk’s debut story collection was one of the best debuts in 2022. Sky Daddy has quickly become the easiest and most frequent book for me to recommend. There is something in it for everyone, but especially those who need an off-the-wall, bonkers escape from our reality.
Portalmania by Debbie Urbanski
From the publisher: From the author of After World comes a genre-busting collection of stories that reveal our lives in a startling new light, perfect for fans of Kelly Link and Carmen Maria Machado
The stories in Urbanski’s explore any and every genre from sci-fi and fantasy to horror and realism. It’s the perfect book for anyone looking for supernatural escapism that is dripping with grounded and unique characters. It’s no surprise she was obsessed with Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland as a child; she can take us to worlds that so many of us can’t even image.
Hardly Creatures by Rob Macaisa Colgate
From the publisher: Through nine sections that act as gallery rooms, the book shepherds the reader through the radiance and mess of the disability community.
An eye- and heart-opening collection about being yourself through thick and thin. Colgate is a lyrical mastermind. I co reread these poems until the ends of days.
True Mistakes by Lena Moses-Schmitt
From the publisher: In her debut collection True Mistakes, the poet Lena Moses-Schmitt unleashes her powers of scrutiny on herself and on works of art to interrogate the essential nature of consciousness, identity, and time.
Reading these poems is like being implanted into someone’s brain. Moses-Schmitt puts thoughts on the page that we may all think, but are too afraid to admit to even ourselves.
All That Life Can Afford by Emily Everett
From the publisher: A young American woman navigates class, lies, and love amid London’s jet-set elite.
Fun, fun, fun. Taking Austen and injecting modern life into it turned this book into an absolute stunner. It’s the type of book you could read anywhere, and the person eyeing you will need to know what’s making you react so visibly.
Mouth by Kerry Donoghue
From the publisher: Consumption drives everything, and what we do with our mouths reveals the hidden depths of our desires. MOUTH delves into the American obsession with consumption and the many ways we try to fill our emptiness. In these ten stories, characters are forced to face who they truly are when their hunger cannot be satisfied.
In the wave of January debuts, Donoghue’s slipped through my fingers. I finally got to read some of the stories and became hooked. Anyone interested in thoughtful, humane, and biting writing needs to dive into this collection as soon as possible.