It’s a new year — time for new books. If you’re wondering what to read in the coming months, look no further than this guide presenting 2012’s most anticipated new releases.
January:
“The Fault in Our Stars” — John Green
Green is one of the foremost voices in Young Adult literature, and January sees the release of his newest endeavor. Having addressed complicated issues such as suicide in the past, Green turns his attention this time to cancer patients, writing in a way accessible to both teens and adults.
February:
“Varamo” — César Aira
Argentinean Aira has over 80 books under his belt in Spanish, a fact which is largely due to his writing style. He never revisits what he wrote yesterday, which makes for wild, spontaneous plots. This newest translation features a day in the life of a government employee-turned-poet.
March:
“Angelmaker” — Nick Harkaway
This wacky-sounding novel tells the story of a clockwork repairman whose world turns upside down when he repairs a strange mechanism that brings him into contact with an octogenarian former spy, monks, scientists and “dangerous receptionists,” among other things.
April:
“The Secret of Evil” — Roberto Bolaño
Bolaño passed away a few years ago, leaving behind most notably his massive, mysterious, unfinished tome “2666,” and English speakers are just getting the latest release from his estate. “The Secret of Evil” is a collection of short stories featuring many of his familiar characters.
May:
“Home” — Toni Morrison
Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winner Morrison returns this time with the story of a Korean War veteran returned home to transfer his concerns to problems in his personal life and country.
June:
“The Red House” — Mark Haddon
Haddon, author of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” presents a tragicomic view of modern family life, complete with estranged siblings, guilt and awkward silences.
July:
“Broken Harbor” — Tana French
French has recently gained fame for her Dublin Murder Squad series, of which “Broken Harbor” will be the fourth — and they’re exactly what they sound like. Irish murder mysteries for the reader looking for something a bit more literary than the newest Sue Grafton.
August:
“Lionel Asbo: The State of England” — Martin Amis
Amis’ new satirical offering tells the story of a good-for-nothing man who wins the lottery while in jail. Amis turns his eye to several problems, critiquing British society, the press, and everything in between.
And though it’s pretty far ahead to give definitive release dates, but here are a couple books to look for in Fall 2012:
“Bring up the Bodies” — Hilary Mantel
Mantel’s debut novel “WolfHall” about England in the 1520s won the Man Booker Prize in 2009, and this sequel promises to be just as good. Experience a portrait of Tudor England in the time of Anne Boleyn full of all the court intrigue you could want.
“Telegraph Avenue” — Michael Chabon
Chabon, award-winning author of “The Yiddish Policeman’s Union”and “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay,” here presents a portrait of the relationship between Berkeley and Oakland, titled after the street that runs between the two.