The Best Debut Books of 2022

The Best Debut Books of 2022

Debutiful’s goal since launching in January 2019 has been to help readers discover debut authors. Sometimes ‘debut’ means renowned poets publishing a novel for the first time. Sometimes it means authors publishing on a bigger print after finding success in the indie world. Sometimes it’s a collection of essays or stories from someone who released a longform project.

Precisely defining debut never was what Debutiful wanted to do as long as we’re introducing readers to damn good writer entering the fray.

With that being said, two of the best books this year that are debuts in a new form have been left off this list because Debutiful has included the author on previous Best Of the Year lists. Chelsea Bieker was previously introduced by Debutiful for her debut novel Godshot. This year’s story collection Heartbroke is hands down one of the best collections this year. Similarly, Kali Fajardo-Anstine’s collection Sabrina and Corina was listed as a Best Debut a few years ago. Her first novel Woman of Light is a novel everyone should read. When it comes down to semantics, they were both debuts, but hopefully those authors have been discovered by Debutiful’s readers before. This list includes authors Debutiful have never covered before.

Below are the Best Debut Books of 2022.

You can purchase the books on Debutiful’s Bookshop.org store by clicking each title. Each purchase will help support the Debutiful website and podcast.

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The Best Debut Books of 2022 (So Far)

The Best Debut Books of 2022 (So Far)

Below are the fifteen best debut books that Debutiful’s founder Adam Vitcavage has read and covered so far in 2022. The titles include not-quite-dystopian criticisms of our current society, coming-of-age tales that bend the genre’s tropes, family dramas built on memorable characters, and some of the most uniquely crafted short story collections you’ll ever read.

You can purchase all of the books listed below via Debutiful’s Bookshop.org page.

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The Best Debut Books of 2021 (So Far)

The Best Debut Books of 2021 (So Far)

We’re (check’s calendar) halfway through 2021?!

The pandemic that changed so much of our day to day lives is waning. Like the rest of us, bookstores, publishing, and authors are slowly figuring out how to return to normal. The one constant from the last 18 months has been literature. Especially debut writers who watched their dream of publishing be overshadowed and sometimes forgotten entirely.

Debutiful’s mission of helping readers discover debut authors became even more important and your support has meant the world. Thank you for reading and listening to Debutiful. More importantly, thank you for discovering debut authors. They’re the reason this site exists and their words drive everything Debutiful does.

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The Best Debut Books of 2020

The Best Debut Books of 2020

If there is anything 2020 taught us, it’s to find comfort where ever you can find it. Debut books were a big comfort this past year. There is something so exhilarating discovering a new voice. The books produced were sometimes ten years in the making and whether it’s a quiet story about sexuality or a magic realism saga, debut books are a writer’s unfiltered thoughts. They are the most honest a writer will ever be.

This year’s best debuts range from realistic queer stories to outrageous gothic ones. This list features novels, story collections, true crime, essay collections, and everything in between.

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The 12 Best Debuts of 2020 (So Far)

The 12 Best Debuts of 2020 (So Far)

This year hasn’t gone the way any of us thought it’d go. One thing that we can always count on is a crop of debut and emerging writers to produce delectable books. 

So many stellar books came out in the first half of 2020 that I had trouble narrowing it down. The books featured on this list are the ones that I have recommended or have thought about the most. Of course, there are so many delectable books that were left off this list. Like I always say: art is subjective.

Here are the dozen debuts that I feel everyone should pick up at one point this year.

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