Every month, Debutiful selects can’t-miss books from debut authors that readers will love. You can find more recommendations here.
All-Night Pharmacy by Ruth Madievsky (July 11; Catapult)
Get ready for one of the best books of the new millennium. Madievsky’s book follows a young girl enamored with her troubled older sister. When the older sister goes missing, the unnamed character begins her journey filled with peaks and valleys while she discovers who she is meant to be. The novel is filled with razor-sharp wit and nuanced meditation on sobriety, sisterhood, and shame. Madievsky has entered the pantheon of debut authors readers will be talking about a decade from now and beyond.
Sea Elephants by Shastri Akella (July 11; Flatiron)
This queer coming-of-age novel is tender and thought-provoking. Set in India during the 1990s, Akella shines in his ability to craft characters filled with heart that come to life with gorgeous prose.
Do Tell by Lindsay Lynch (July 11; Doubleday)
Lynch offers a page-turning historical fiction as lavish as a Jay Gatsby party. Readers won’t soon forget Edie O’Dare, a failed Golden Age Hollywood starlet, who is one of the most striking narrators in recent memory. Lynch’s language dazzles on every page.
Excavations by Hannah Michell (July 11; One World)
Set in South Korea, Michell follows a stay-at-home mom as she delves into her own investigation of what happened to her missing husband. Carefully crafted with expert pacing, Excavations explores intimate secrets as well as wide-spread conspiracies with ease.
No Ordinary Assignment by Jane Ferguson (July 11; Mariner Books)
The award-winning journalist offers an unflinching portrait of her time covering various wars that shaped modern history. A must-read for any history buff.
Promise by Rachel Eliza Griffiths (July 11; Random House)
Griffiths offers a moving novel about two Black sisters growing up in New England and how racism turns its ugly eye on them and their lives. At times heartbreaking, the novel will life you up and fill you with hope.
Elsewhere by Yan Ge (July 11; Scribner)
In her English-language debut, Ge writes magnificent stories that will surprise readers with twists and turns. She beautifully engages readers in fresh ways.
The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei (July 18; Flatiron)
The Deep Sky is a propulsive sci-fi set in space as a group seeks to save humanity from the upcoming environmental catastrophe. Kitasei turns doomsday tropes on its head and twists what is expected in beautiful ways.
I Meant It Once by Kate Doyle (July 18; Algonquin)
The stories that fill Doyle’s debut are clever and mesmerizing. She navigates intimate moments with precise plotting, lavish language, and colorful characters. Each story is a stand-out. To quote Sum-41, it’s all killer and no filler.
Every Rising Sun by Jamila Ahmed (July 18; Henry Holt)
Every Rising Sun is a sweeping and spectacular story set in ancient Persia that feels both like a long-lost book that should be canon and an incredibly fresh take on storytelling. Ahmed weaves together myth and legend with a new story that is sure to grip readers from start to finish.
History’s Angel by Anjum Hasan (July 18; Bloomsbury)
Hasan’s honest and delicate portrayal of a Muslim community in contemporary Delhi is told through the eyes of a middle-aged teacher whose life is upended after a small outburst. It is an eye-opening story that will move readers with its sharp observations and crafty writing.
Here in the Night by Rebecca Turkewitz (July 21; Black Lawrence Press)
These stories are R.L. Stine for adults. And that is the equivalent of a two-thumbs up from Siskel and Ebert. Turkewitz nails the atmosphere of every story and flexes her muscles with thoughtful characters you’ll want more pages of. This feels like an instant re-readable collection once the sky turns gray and leaves start falling.
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