Most anticipated books of 2024: Bookstacker edition

The books writers on reading are most excited to read in 2024

Happy 2024! Welcome to all readers, whether you’ve been here for a year or a minute. All around the internet, there are many readers just like me who love books so much, they write about them! I rounded up my friends and asked them what books they were most excited to read in 2024, so I present a wide-ranging and unlike-any-other most-anticipated reading list.

If you want a more in-depth list every month of new releases I’m most looking forward to, you can join as a paid subscriber. Weekly Tuesday book recommendations will always be free! Try a paid subscription for free today, and look at all the books I was excited for last year, and be ready when January’s list releases.

Without further ado, here are the books other book recommenders are super excited to read!

Katy O. from the Mindful Librarian can’t wait for Somehow: Thoughts on Love by Anne Lamott (April 9).

“I have so many I’m excited about, but this is the one I will buy in hardcover regardless of whether or not I end up with a galley. I’ll probably also get the audio version because Anne is my go-to when my soul needs soothing.”

Ashley from Crooked Reads can’t wait for The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson (June 18).

“Secret identity sports romance alert! After a drunk Daphne heckles pro-baseball player Chris, she slides into his DMs to apologize—but forgets to mention that she’s the one who made him cry on the field. They start talking and falling for each other, but at some point, Daphne has to come clean. Alicia Thompson never disappoints, and I can’t wait for this surefire home run.”

Mike from Books on Gif can’t wait to read Mother Doll by Katya Apekina (March 12).

“I’ve told nearly everyone who will listen to go and read her debut, The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish, so I’m excited to read her follow-up.” (Note from Cassie: I can attest to how good her first book was! Mike also did a guest recommendation for this book here.)

Martha from Martha’s Monthly can’t wait for The Dark Side of Skin by Jeferson Tenório (February 20).

“This novel explores ‘cordial racism’ in Brazil. Our protagonist Pedro searches for his murdered father in the objects he left behind. He investigates and retraces his family’s trajectory through the streets of Porto Alegre and the mass of Brazil’s pervasive racism, violence, and bankrupt institutions. It is a story about fathers and sons and the inescapable bonds and burdens of family and history. Originally published in Portuguese in 2020, it has been raved about having great depth, beauty, and delicacy about such a complex topic.”

Luiza Campos from Read Watch Binge can’t wait for Where Wolves Don’t Die by Anton Treuer (June 10).

“This Indigenous literary book follows Ezra Cloud, who lives in Minneapolis, where he suffers the terror of Matt Schroeder, the local bully. One day Ezra steps in to defend his friends, and things get physical. That night, the bully’s house burns to the ground. Ezra is the prime suspect, of course. To avoid biased persecution his family sends him to his grandfather in northern Canada, far from reach. Or that’s what he thinks.”

Kirby from Booked It for You can’t wait for Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K. Reilly (February 6).

“This book about a dysfunctional, queer Māori Russian family is like if the coziness of Schitt’s Creek met the wit of Sally Rooney. Reilly’s hilarious Kiwi humor makes this a must-read for some 2024 joy.”

Betsy Marro at Spark can’t wait for The Book of Love by Kelly Link (February 13).

“I am looking forward to this book on the strength of her wonderful collection Get in Trouble, which slayed me. I still reread these stories for her magical ability to wrap humor, wit, heart, and, most important, surprise into every scene. Her imagination captivates mine.”

Laura from Books & Bakes is excited to read No One Dies Yet by Kobby Ben Ben (February 13).

“I’m always looking for queer fiction set outside the US, so I can’t wait for this wild, zany, genre-blending romp set in Ghana. Several of my most trusted international bookstagrammers have already raved about it, so I know it’s going to be amazing.”

Kris from Queerthology Book Club can’t wait for To Root Somewhere Beautiful: An Anthology of Reclamation edited by Lauren T. Davila (March 5).

“The theme of this anthology is that nature has lost patience with humanity and is taking matters into its own hands. I love this concept so much! I’m really interested in seeing how the authors visualize land reclamation and climate justice by Mother Earth herself.”

Natalie from Subverse is excited for Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay (June 11).

“It’s about a group of young filmmakers in the 90s who create an underground, unfinished art-house horror movie that somehow becomes a cult classic. When Hollywood pushes to reboot the project, the only surviving cast member joins the cursed film, blurring the past and present into an obsessive, chilling story. I love horror movies, I love the ‘90s, and I love the sociological phenomenon of flop-turned-cult-classice, so this book is everything I dream of.”

Andromeda from Present Tense can’t wait for The Clinic by Kate Quinn (January 23).

“I’m drawn to thrillers set in unique environments and stories about characters battling their inner demons. On top of it, I’m still reeling from listening to a podcast called The Thirteenth Step, which revealed astonishing levels of corruption within some addiction treatment centers. The Clinic, set at a remote rehab clinic on the Pacific Northwest coast, where a sister checks herself in as a ruse — she really wants to investigate what happened to her dead sister — promises to be atmospheric and gritty, with the potential to bring us inside the dark world of for-profit rehab.” (I loved Cate Quinn’s other book, which I’ve recommended on the newsletter before!)

Jennifer at Books Are My People can’t wait for Come and Get It by Kiley Reid (January 30).

“In her forthcoming novel that explores class, ethics, and race, a group of women connected to the University of Arkansas become entangled due to one bad decision.”

Marg from Book Chat can’t wait for Maybe, Perhaps, Possibly by Joanna Glen (June 20).

“I don’t know much about it, but I loved her two previous novels, so now it’s a case of reading anything she writes.”

Can’t get enough, or looking for a different recommendation? Browse the archives, or check out some popular past recommendations: 

• A woman falls in love with a ghost stuck on earth — can the relationship last?

• A woman turns a passion project into a book and knits the ugliest sweater ever

• Read a 1970s historical fiction about a logging town and mothers fighting for their children

I also love hearing from readers! Let me know what kinds of books you’re looking for that you’d like to see featured, or send in your most recent five-star read (or two) and get a recommendation just for you. You might be featured in an upcoming newsletter! Reply to this email to get in touch!

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