If you’re caught up reading the Best Debut Books of 2022 (So Far), it’s time to pre-order the books Debutiful is most excited about coming out between July and December 2022! You can pre-order all of the books at Debutiful’s Bookshop.org page.
Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty (Tin House; July 5)
Across a dozen stories, Talty writes about what life is like to be indigenous in the modern world. Set in the Penobscot community in Maine, Talty expertly reveals the complexities of his characters in each story. Each cast feels completely realized within the confines of each story.
Sirens and Muses by Antonia Angress (Ballantine; July 12)
In this sensual and sexy novel set in an exclusive art school, a young woman navigates class, money, status while balancing the desire to produce brillaint art. Angress is a master storyteller. She balances characters and plots with ease with beautiful prose that leaps off the page.
Groupies by Sarah Priscus (William Morrow; July 12)
This 1970s rock novel is one hell of a ride. It’s fun on every page even when it’s exploring the pitfalls of coming-of-age, stardom, and obsession. Priscus absolutely slays this novel which is sure to be a runaway hit.
Other Names For Love by Taymour Soomro (Farrar, Straus and Giroux; July 12)
What makes Soomro’s Pakistan-set coming-of-age novel stand out is the dynamics between the father and son. Familial relationships are hard to make complex and realistic; however, Soomro captures the tenderness and explosiveness of this relationship exceptionally well.
Dirtbag, Massachusetts by Isaac Fitzgerald (Bloomsbury; July 19)
Fitzgerald is a name known to many. He’s a picture book author, famed editor, and an overall sparkling literary figure in the community. His solo adult debut memoir told in essays is just as sparkling. Fitzgerald’s brilliance shines through in these honest and raw stories of his very complicated live.
Calling For a Blanket Dance by Oscar Hokeah (Algonquin; July 26)
The voices in Hokeah’s multigenerational saga explore the obstacles faces of a Native American family. Heritage and tradition anchor this novel as the main character tries to become his own man while his family wants him to be molded in a different light.
Mother in the Dark by Kayla Maiuri (Riverhead; August 9)
Told in alternating times in a young woman’s life, Maiuri expertly peels apart the complicated relationships between the main character’s mother and sister. The rich and haunting story is coupled with prose just as rich and just as haunting. It’s a novel that packs a punch and will sit with you long after you finish it.
The Last Karankawas by Kimberly Garza (Henry Holt; August 9)
Set in a Texan community of Mexican and Filipino families, Garza provides and unflinching portrait of how these communities must strive to survive. Garza provides a voice for a part of America often forgotten about.
Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi (Viking; August 9)
Yagi’s captivating debut set in Japan follows a woman who claims she is pregnant to avoid sexual harassment. She carries this lie for nine months in this darkly funny story that point blank calls out the actions of men.
A Map For Missing by Belinda Huijuan Tang (Penguin Press; August 9)
This sprawling novel explores life in a fast-changing China where a son agrees to return from America after a decade away to help find his missing father. The complexities between the man and his family are just as complex as trying to navigate the new dynamics of a country he left long ago.
Solito by Javier Zamora (Hogarth; September 6)
This memoir follows Zamora’s journey from El Salvador to America. The moving and beautifully written story will become a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the perils and triumphs of emigration.
Lungfish by Meghan Gilliss (Catapult; September 13)
This deeply moving book about motherhood, family, and the pains of addiction will leave a lump in your throat. Gilliss understands grief and puts it on display with such poignancy. Lungfish will engulf you.
Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm by Laura Warrell (Pantheon; September 20)
This is the story of how all of the different versions of love (fleeting, lustful, eternal) all come crashing together. Told by various women who all love a jazz musician to varying degrees, the story is sultry, sensual, and smart. Warrell allows desire to fill the page and then deconstruct what it means to love with such ease.
Thistlefoot by Gennarose Nethercott (Anchor Books; September 27)
This modern fairy tale steeped in Eastern European folklore will enchant readers looking for something fresh and different. Nethercott’s family drama is a wonderful and memorable read.
When They Tell You To Be Good by Prince Shakur (Tin House; October 4)
This memoir of trauma, identity, and race will move you. Move you to tears. Move you to action. Shakur’s exploration of self is revelatory. He is the voice for readers forgotten by publishing.
Which Side Are You on by Ryan Lee Wong (Catapult; October 4)
Wong’s book follows two generations of Asian-American activists and examines how they view the world, enact change, and work to find common ground. It’s heartbreaking, but at times hilarious. The book knocks down stereotypes given to a community by the media and invites readers in with open arms. It’s a book America has needed for a very long time.
Self-Portrait with Nothing by Aimee Pokwatka (Tor; October 18)
This forthcoming literary sci-fi novel is proclaimed to be for fans of David Mitchell and Joanne Harris. By the sounds of it, Emily St. John Mandel readers will gobble this up. Pokwatka’s book follows a reclusive artist who claims her paintings send doppelgangers of the subjects to a parallel universe where they live their own lives.
White Horse by Erika T. Wurth (Flatiron; November 1)
Wurth’s main character is haunted by visions of her mother in this gritty horror book about relationships and secrets. It’s the kind of book that will set you on edge the entire time you’re reading it.
The Islands by Dionne Irving (Catapult; November 1)
Set in multiple locations and times between 1950s London and present-day New Jersey, Irving’s book tackles class, race, and discrimination. It follows Jamaican immigrants and descendants as they overcome unjust obstacles thrown at them.
None of This Would Have Happened If Prince Were Alive by Carolyn Prusa (Atria; November 8)
The award for best title of the year goes to Prusa’s debut. It follows two days in a woman’s life after she discovers her husband’s affair. It’s witty, touchy, and unforgettable.
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