Interviews, my reading life

Cay Kim, author of The Future Perfect, was initially inspired by We the Animals

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Cay Kim, author of The Future Perfect, was initially inspired by We the Animals

Cay Kim‘s debut novel, The Future Perfect, is a coming-of-age story about a young woman growing up between Korea and the United States. As her family moves back and forth between two countries, she struggles to reconcile the expectations placed upon her by a devoted mother with her own evolving sense of identity and belonging. Spanning childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood, the novel is a moving exploration of family, ambition, cultural inheritance, and the search for a place to call home.

We asked Kim to answer our My Reading Life Q&A so readers can get to know the books that shaped her life and influenced her writing.

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Interviews, my reading life

Retro author Jessica M. Goldstein blames Robert Moses for all those traffic jams

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Retro author Jessica M. Goldstein blames Robert Moses for all those traffic jams

Jessica M. Goldstein is a journalist and humorist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vulture, Marie Claire, McSweeney’s, and more. Her debut novel, Retro, follows Ash, a struggling aspiring actress who lands a job leading wealthy tourists on time-travel vacations to America’s past. From Old West romance adventures to Roaring Twenties birthday trips, the work is equal parts thrilling and surreal, offering Ash the exciting life she always wanted. But as an impossible love triangle unfolds and strange gaps begin appearing in her memory, Ash discovers that escaping into the past may be putting her future at risk.

We asked Goldstein to answer our recurring My Reading Life Q&A so readers can get to know the books that shaped her life and influenced her writing.

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News

See the cover for Buzzard by Inez Ray

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See the cover for Buzzard by Inez Ray

Buzzard, the debut novel by Inez Ray, is a dystopian novel set in a future where fertility is tightly controlled, abortion is outlawed, and corporations wield enormous power over reproductive rights. Imprisoned midwife Mae Bastet uncovers a dangerous conspiracy involving mysterious pregnancies among teenage drone pilots, forcing her to choose between her own freedom and her commitment to protecting others. Blending political urgency with high-stakes suspense, Buzzard explores bodily autonomy, surveillance, and the enduring strength of family bonds.

Buzzard will be published on September 22, 2026, by Bindery Books and is available for preorder now.

Debutiful is honored to reveal the cover of Buzzard, designed by Charlotte Strick and featuring illustrations by Kwonny, along with a Q&A with Ray about its creation.

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book list, News, Recommendations

The Most Anticipated Debut Books of 2026, Part 2

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The Most Anticipated Debut Books of 2026, Part 2

The first half of the year produced some of the best debuts in recent memory. And the upcoming months promise to follow up with just as many unforgettable books from writers with promising careers ahead of them.

From family sagas to coming-of-age comedies, the novels, collections, and memoirs below represent the titles I’ve read completely, started and want more of, or have caught my attention. 

When I last stopped counting, I had over 2,000 emails and submissions pitching debut books for all of 2026–an insane amount. These stood above the rest for one reason or another, but it doesn’t mean there won’t be a knockout book on this list. That’s the beauty of debut books. Even someone like me, who only reads debut writers, will miss a banger from time to time.

Still, these are ones that offer something for everyone. Lucious prose, taut pacing, fun concepts. You’ll find everything from literary fiction, horror, satire, and true crime in this list.

I hope you find your next favorite writer.

A bonus Most Anticipated Book that is not included below is Living, Together: Reimagining Community in the Age of Disconnection, edited by Samantha Paige Rosen. Why wasn’t it included? Because I have an essay in it and have already proclaimed it a Most Anticipated Debut Book. It features essays about home, found family, and finding connection in the modern age. Kristen Arnett, Kim Stanley Robinson, Sarah Thankam Mathews, and so many more amazing writers are featured in the anthology.

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News

See the cover for Good People by Kat Lewis

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See the cover for Good People by Kat Lewis

Good People, the debut novel by Kat Lewis, is a sharp, darkly funny debut about race, identity, ambition, and the stories we tell ourselves about who we are. Raised by a Black family after being abandoned as a baby, Jo Tope—a white woman obsessed with achievement and belonging—believes success will unlock the life she was meant to have. But as her pursuit of a Rhodes Scholarship collides with alcoholism, privilege, and uncomfortable truths about herself, Jo is forced to confront what it really means to be a good person.

Good People will be published on April 27, 2027, by Simon & Schuster and is available for preorder now.

Lewis is a video game writer and professional Dungeons & Dragons game master who holds degrees in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University and the University of South Florida.

Debutiful is honored to reveal the cover of Good People, designed by Madelyn Rodriguez, along with a Q&A with Lewis about its creation.

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News

See the cover for The Flowers Along the Way by Claudia Castro Luna

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See the cover for The Flowers Along the Way by Claudia Castro Luna

Claudia Castro Luna, the former Washington State Poet Laureate, and Seattle’s inaugural Civic Poet, is publishing her debut memoir, The Flowers Along the Way (Northwestern University Press) on September 15, 2026.

The memoir follows the poet as she reckons with the lasting effects of war, displacement, and inherited trauma after surviving a shooting in Oakland decades after fleeing civil war in El Salvador. Moving between personal memory and family history, it is a powerful exploration of PTSD, resilience, motherhood, and the long journey toward healing and belonging.

The Flowers Along the Way is available for preorder now and Debutiful is honored to reveal the cover, designed by José Cándido Pineda, along with a Q&A with Luna about its creation.

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Interviews, my reading life

Nasty Little Secrets author Gabbie Hanks devoured Pretty Little Liars as a tween

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Nasty Little Secrets author Gabbie Hanks devoured Pretty Little Liars as a tween

Gabbie Hanks knows books. She is a former librarian who now works in literacy for the government. Her debut novel, Nasty Little Secrets, is a twisty psychological suspense novel about a crime writer forced to revisit the murder case that made her famous when her younger sister suddenly disappears. As old wounds reopen and disturbing links emerge between the two cases, Rose Dearling discovers that the book she wrote to prove her brother’s innocence may contain the clues needed to uncover a far darker truth.

We asked Hanks to answer our recurring My Reading Life Q&A so readers can get to know the books that shaped her life and influenced her writing.

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book list, News, Recommendations

The Best Debut Nonfiction of 2026 (So Far)

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The Best Debut Nonfiction of 2026 (So Far)

Nonfiction is hard to judge. (Well, all art is hard to judge, but stay with me.) How do you compare a memoir about conversion therapy to a behind-the-scenes look at how literary agents work? This list of Best Debut Nonfiction features a wide variety of books, but it could be more diverse. It’s mostly memoir, research about literary agents, and the occasional exposé into the world of amateur wrestling.

Each book is extremely well written and offers insight into parts of the world you may not have experienced. Each writer offers a lens into those corners of society.

Below are the 10 Best Debut Nonfiction Books of 2026 (So Far) that I read. If you’re thinking, “only 10?” I promise, there are even more nonfiction titles in the second half of the year that will blow your mind.

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