Even though we just beginning to dip our toes into the holiday season, library staff are busy prepping for new year by researching and getting orders in for the titles that will be must-reads in 2022. It goes without saying that all of the usual suspects will be well-represented (James Patterson, Danielle Steel, JD Robb, David Baldacci, Robyn Carr, etc.) but readers should also take note of the following fifteen releases that are perhaps less expected, but still hotly anticipated.

Emily Henry is an author who grows in popularity with every book release. In her forthcoming novel titled Book Lovers (May 2022), a literary agent must decide if happily ever after is worth changing her whole life.

Booth by Karen Joy Fowler (March 2022) is an epic historical novel about the family behind one of the most infamous figures in American history: John Wilkes Booth. Fowler is a past winner of PEN/Faulkner Prize and was shortlisted for the Man Booker.

Jennifer Egan, another literary darling, will come out with The Candy House (April 2022). This novel is described by the publisher as "a deeply moving story about the quest for authenticity and meaning in a world where memories and identities are no longer private."

Deep House by Thomas King (January 2022) is yet another book that will no doubt showcase King's versatility. In this new murder mystery, Thumps DreadfulWater is dragged into a puzzling new case when a body is found in Deep House Canyon.

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn (March 2022) is sure to be a big hit with lovers of well-researched historicals – just like the best of her books. Based on a true story, this is a WWII-era tale of a quiet librarian who becomes history’s deadliest female sniper.

The Fields by Erin Young (January 2022) is a debut novel that seems to be catching some attention based on its interesting premise. A young woman is found dead in an Iowa cornfield, on one of the few family farms still managing to compete with the giants of Big Agriculture. Old memories resurface when a childhood friend is tasked with investigating the odd scene.

Moving from the 1950s right up into our COVID present, French Braid by Anne Tyler (March 2022) follows one family with its fair share of foibles.

The fact that Toni Morrison has a new book out, even though she died in 2019, should definitely come as a surprise. Recitatif (February 2022) is a short story about race and relationships – and is the only novella Morrison ever wrote.

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel (April 2022), who has established herself as an expert in blending realistic literary fiction with sci-fi elements, follows a seemingly disparate array of people who come into contact with a time traveller who must resist the pull to change the past and the future.

Montreal-based Rawi Hage is known for his witty, politically astute short story collections. His latest, Stray Dogs and Other Stories (March 2022), in typical fashion, examines our fragmented, globalized world.

The Vanished Days by one of L&A's favourite historical fantasy novelists Susanna Kearsley (April 2022) is a suspenseful novel of love, lies, and loyalty, set against the sweeping backdrop of the early Jacobite rebellions.

Violeta by Isabel Allende (January 2022) tells the epic story of Violeta Del Valle, a woman whose life spans one hundred years and bears witness to the greatest upheavals of the 20th century.

A forthcoming book that has piqued my interest is Wahala by Nikki May (January 2022). It is described as an incisive and exhilarating debut novel that follows three Anglo-Nigerian best friends and the "lethally glamorous" fourth woman who infiltrates their group.

When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O'Neill (February 2022), one of the reigning queens of CanLit, is described by its publisher as "a spellbinding story about two young women whose friendship is so intense it not only threatens to destroy them, it changes the course of history."

Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr (March 2022) is said to be a gripping tale of a young, ambitious journalist embroiled in an international art scandal centered around a Nazi-looted masterpiece. Book clubs take note!

All of these items can be reserved now (or if not now, very soon!) at the County of L&A Libraries. Search our catalogue here.

Originally published in the Napanee Beaver.