The Best Books Coming Out in January

“Take Hindu mythology and fantasy romance and smush them together, and you get The Legend of Meneka. Meneka has been trained as a weapon, and her assignment is to seduce a human sage. Even though completing the mission will mean she doesn’t have to take anymore, she finds herself hesitant to finish, as fascination evolves into something like love. This is the first book in a series, so I’m not sure if it can stand alone, but it sounds like a great start. ” — Jessica Pryde

“Drawing comparisons to Emily St. John Mandel, this debut dystopian novel is about trying to preserve human history in a dying world. Noni, her family, and a group of researchers live in a world where the melting of the glaciers has flooded the world. She and the others live in an empty (and so far, dry) NYC. They work to save all the collections in the Natural History Museum, where they also reside on the roof, to help preserve some record of humankind’s past. But when the water breaches the barriers of the city, they must hurry to save what they think is most important before it is lost to the water. At the end of the world, what will they consider the most important things?” — Liberty Hardy

“From the author of the Celestial Kingdom series comes a standalone fantasy romance! Liyen is a mortal royal who vows to end her kingdom’s obligation to the immortal guards when she takes the throne. She is now the leader after the death of her grandfather, whose death she plans to avenge. When she is called to the Immortal Realm, she cozies up the one immortal she thinks can best help her agenda: the dangerous God of War. But as she forges ahead with her plans, she must also now fight an attraction to the God of War, or risk jeopardizing her life and her kingdom.” — Liberty Hardy

“For readers of eye-opening nonfiction and true crime memoir.

Pagan Kennedy dove not only into the history of how the rape kit came to be—Marty Goddard was working in a Chicago teen crisis center when she observed that many of the teens had fled sexually violent homes which kicked off her path—but also into what happened to Goddard, who seemed to disappear in the late ’80s.” — Jamie Canavés

“Opera singer Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield has performed on renowned stages, even putting on a performance at Buckingham Palace. Eliza, born into slavery but adopted by a wealthy woman who raised her in the shelter of a Quaker community, has lived a relatively charmed life. But then her mother dies and her white cousins contest her inheritance, leaving her with few choices. Her mother always wanted her to pursue her gift for music, and when a performance on a steamboat in Buffalo sets her on a path toward stardom, she leaps at the chance. But for an educated, free Black woman, even fame and success are not enough to convince everyone she deserves the remarkable life she builds for herself.” — Rachel Brittain

“Here’s a new one from Han Kang, author of The Vegetarian. When Kyungha’s friend Inseon injures herself in an accident, she begs Kyungha to go to her home in Jeju Island and rescue her pet bird Ama. But when she makes her way to the island, she is bombarded with ice and snow. What awaits her at Inseon’s home is nothing Kyungha could have anticipated, and she finds herself uncovering ghosts of South Korea’s past.” — Emily Martin

“In this historical drama, terminally ill Sakoto is determined to marry well so her family will continue to flourish when she dies. But when an assassin tries to kill her, Sakoto is only able to save her own life by asking him to marry her. Can she still find a way to do right by her family?” — Eileen Gonzalez

“Imani Perry, author of South to America, delves into the historical connection between Blackness and the color blue. From the indigo trade in West Africa to blues music, Perry examines the historical and cultural significance of the color with all of her characteristic insight and attention to detail.” — Kendra Winchester

“Estrella (Noche) Villanueva is grieving the loss of her girlfriend Dante, who accidentally drowned. During the day, Noche is that girl, plus the nerdiest science kid ever. But at night, Noche is a Lechuza, an owl who guides the dead into the afterlife. Noche can’t do that, though, with Dante. Instead, she visits Dante every night to spend just a little more time together with her spirit. That puts both of them in danger.

When Jax moves to town, Noche is almost immediately smitten. He loves science, too, and now she’s beginning to wonder if she can move on from the tragic end of her relationship with Dante.

But there might be other things in the cards for Noche, as well as both Jax and Dante. Noche may have gone too far off the course of being a Lechuza in her pain.” — Kelly Jensen

“Wise’s vibrant illustrations accompany Gorman’s new poem. Right now, being a woman in the world feels very demoralizing, but Gorman has written a rallying ode to girlhood and a reminder that uplifting other girls is the best way to move forward. It’s a message I definitely welcome hearing right now and will be happy to share with my daughter as she grows.”—Rachel Rosenberg