The most exciting book releases coming in the second half of this year
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words by daisy henry
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So far, this year has treated us to an exciting lineup of new releases. Caro Claire Burke’s tradwife-inspired novel Yesteryear sparked heated debate, while women everywhere were spotted with copies of Lena Dunham’s Famesick in hand.
Thankfully, the second half of the year promises to be just as good. High on our lists are releases from literary giants R.F. Kuang, Barbara Kingsolver and Rachel Cusk, alongside debuts from local authors Lillian Telford and Hector MacKenzie. Find our round-up below and be sure to keep your eyes peeled at your next bookshop visit.
Lovesick by Lillian Telford
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Release date: June 30
For fans of Sally Rooney and Diana Reid, Lovesick is an upcoming debut from Australian writer Lillian Telford that captures the messiness of falling in and out of love. Set in Brisbane, the novel follows Gabby and Gordon, whose lives intersect on a drug-fuelled night out.
Find it here.
Sophie, Standing There by Meg Mason
Release date: July 28
From the award-winning, best-selling author of Sorrow and Bliss comes Sophie, Standing There. Centring on Sophie, a sound technician at a literary festival, the story follows her rediscovery of an author she once loved. This becomes a lifeline of sorts – offering Sophie both solace and company. A fascinating commentary on parasocial relationships, it’s also a story about loneliness, connection and the space in between.
Find it here.
Kitten by Stacey Yu
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Release date: July 28
Following a young woman and a mischievous cat whose unlikely bond begins to unravel her carefully constructed life, Stacey Yu’s Kitten explores love, dependence and the disorienting work of becoming yourself.
Find it here.
Good Witch by Lucianne Tonti
Release date: July 28
Good Witch Hunting is a deep dive into the world of witches. Written by Australian author and journalist Lucianne Tonti, it explores how the legacies of those hunted and burned continue to echo in today’s world.
Find it here.
I Love the Whole World! by Victoria Hannan
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Release date: August 11
I Love the Whole World! is the latest release from Australian author Victoria Hannon, who you might recognise from her previous novels, Kokomo and Marshmallow. After winning an all-expenses-paid trip to Las Vegas, protagonist Leslie McDonald goes on a pilgrimage of sorts, finding a path in the desert that offers her a way back to herself.
Find it here.
I Want You to Be Happy by Jem Calder
Release date: August 18
With an endorsement from none other than Sally Rooney, Jem Calder’s I Want You to Be Happy has been highly anticipated among those in the book world. The novel opens as Chuck and Joey meet in a bar. He’s in his mid-thirties, she’s twelve years his junior; he’s abandoned his dreams of becoming a novelist and works as a copywriter, while she works as a barista and dreams of being a poet.
Find it here.
Life of M by Rachel Cusk
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Release date: September 1
Rachel Cusk fans will be excited to know the British-Canadian author has a new novel coming this September. Titled Life of M, it follows a film star who decides to let a stranger write her biography.
Find it here.
More by Gillian Anderson
Release date: September 8
More is the follow-up to actress Gillian Anderson’s best-seller, Want. Like its predecessor, More features a collection of letters, submitted anonymously by women around the world. From office boardrooms to forest floors, these stories of desire are bold, explicit and completely unfiltered.
Find it here.
Taipei Story by Rebecca F. Kuang
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Release date: September 15
Little more than a year on from her last release, Katabasis, R.F. Kuang is back with another electrifying new novel. A coming-of-age tale, Taipei Story is about first loves, second languages and an unforgettable summer spent in Taipei.
Find it here.
The Long Cloud: A Novel by Hector MacKenzie
Release date: September 15
The Long Cloud: A Novel is the debut novel of New Zealand writer Hector MacKenzie. Tender and witty, the story is about Xander, who realises he’s ageing out of his life as a model. After returning home, he’s swept up by someone younger, offering a distraction from the life unravelling around him. It’s a meditation on masculinity, mortality and the anxiety of being in your twenties.
Find it here.
Partita by Barbara Kingsolver
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Release date: October 6
Pulitzer Prize winner Barbara Kingsolver is back with a hugely anticipated novel, Partita. Shifting between past and present, it tells the story of Livia Cable. After receiving a call from a former lover who knows her as Livia Bohusz, an ambitious music student, she is forced to grapple with whether she will or won’t meet him for a reunion.
Find it here.
A Court of Thorns and Roses 6 by Sarah J. Maas
Release date: October 26
Sarah J. Maas just about broke the internet earlier this year when she announced not one, but two new novels from her fantasy series, A Court of Thorns and Roses. Although the seventh volume isn’t slated for release until next year, the sixth instalment is officially out on October 26. Details have been firmly kept under wraps, but we do know she’ll be returning to the Courts of Prythian.
Find it here.
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