Each year, I set a lofty goal of books I plan to read. This year, I’m aiming to read fifty books. It always sounds difficult when I start, and I worry whether I’ll find fifty books to read. But then I glance at my overflowing To-Be-Read pile, and I know that won’t be an issue. But that neglected pile will be pushed aside six times this year, as there are six upcoming literary releases that I am so excited to get my hands on.

Here are six books scheduled for release in 2022 that I will surely drop everything to read. And I mean everything. People shouldn’t expect to see me in the week following these releases.

If a book sounds interesting, you can always pre-order to ensure you don’t miss when it comes out!

1. Elektra - Jennifer Saint

In 2021, I read plenty of books about Greek mythology, which is one of my favourite subjects. One of these was ‘Ariadne’ by Jennifer Saint, which was told through the perspective of two sisters following Theseus’ killing of the minotaur. It was fascinating to see such a famous tale told from a different point of view, as the hero becomes the villain, and a woman gets to write her own story.

I’m very curious to read her next book, Elektra, because these perspectives I know even less about. I recognise the names from ‘Troy’ by Stephen Fry, and a little from ‘Song of Achilles’ by Madeline Miller. But in both of those stories, these women were side characters, a mere after thought, as is often the case in traditional Greek mythology. But this book will unpeel the layers surrounding them and immerse us in this incredible world.

Anyways, here is what we know so far about it:

“The House of Atreus is cursed. A bloodline tainted by a generational cycle of violence and vengeance. This is the story of three women, their fates inextricably tied to this curse, and the fickle nature of men and gods.

Clytemnestra

The sister of Helen, wife of Agamemnon - her hopes of averting the curse are dashed when her sister is taken to Troy by the feckless Paris. Her husband raises a great army against them, and determines to win, whatever the cost.

Cassandra

Princess of Troy, and cursed by Apollo to see the future but never to be believed when she speaks of it. She is powerless in her knowledge that the city will fall.

Elektra

The youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, Elektra is horrified by the bloodletting of her kin. But, can she escape the curse, or is her own destiny also bound by violence?” - Elektra - Jennifer Saint

Scheduled for release on the 3rd of May, 2022.

2. Carrie Soto is Back - Taylor Jenkins-Reid

I am a huge fan of Taylor Jenkins-Reid, to the extent that I wrote an entire article about binge-reading books dedicated to her work.

I first discovered her through ‘Daisy Jones and the Six’, which I devoured during one painfully long flight to Australia in simpler pre-COVID times. Since then, I’ve enjoyed everything that came before and after that book. I got my hands on her latest book, ‘Malibu Rising’, days after it came out, and it did not disappoint.

That book actually introduced the character of Carrie Soto, and her short debut made quite the impression. I love that Taylor is dedicating a whole book to her story as I think she’ll be fascinating to unravel. Additionally, I think given that her introduction in ‘Malibu Rising’ was kind of ‘the other woman’, it’s good to see her tell her own story and not be limited to that. It kind of reminds the reader that the cheating partner is the one we should really be blaming.

Anyways, here is what we know so far about it:

“Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular. But by the time she retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Slam titles. And if you ask Carrie, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father as her coach. Javier—a former champion himself—has trained her since the age of two.

But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning player named Nicki Chan.

At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. Even if the sports media says that they never liked the “Battle-Axe” anyway. Even if her body doesn’t move as fast as it did. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to: Bowe Huntley. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever.

In spite of it all: Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season. In this riveting and unforgettable novel, Taylor Jenkins Reid tells her most vulnerable, emotional story yet.” - Carrie Soto is Back - Taylor Jenkins-Reid

Scheduled for release on the 30th of August, 2022.

3. The Red of My Blood - Clover Stroud

Personally, I hadn’t heard of Clover Stroud before finding out about this book, but others may recognise the name. She’s a renowned author and journalist.

This book appeared on my Twitter feed once and so I took a closer look. I lost my father in 2018, and my grief has been a confusing and agonising journey. I’m finally trying to read more about grief and understand it better. So this book really hit the nail on the head. I’m both a little scared to read it and also looking forward to it. I don’t expect it to have magical answers or a cure for grief, and I hope is to feel a little less alone in my ache.

Anyways, here is what we know so far about it:

“Can death bring something good to my life?

A few weeks before Christmas, Clover's sister died of breast cancer, aged 46. Just days before, she had been given years to live. Her sudden death split Clover's life apart. The Red of My Blood charts Clover's fearless passage through the first year after her sister's death. It is an audiobook about what life feels like when death interrupts it and about bearing the unbearable and describing an experience that seems beyond words. Lyrical, hopeful, it is also about the magical way in which death and life exist so vividly beside one another and the wonder of being human.” - The Red of My Blood - Clover Stroud

Scheduled for release on the 10th of March, 2022.

4. Book Lovers - Emily Henry

I don’t think I’ve seen any author pop up as much on book recommendations and social media as Emily Henry. She is taking the literary world by storm. This is her third book, and the premise seems so enticing.

I have such a soft spot for books about agents and book publishing (as meta as it is!) because I dream of being a published author. So it feels like a cheeky sneak peek behind the scenes. This is also why I’ve read ‘The Other Side of the Story’ by Marian Keyes over a dozen times.

But a story about book agents with a rivalry trope and love story? I don’t know how you could make it even better.

I’m hoping that in May we’ll be having some good weather, so I can park myself in the sun with a cocktail and this delicious read.

Anyways, here is what we know so far about it:

“One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn't see coming...

Nora Stephens' life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.

If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.” - Book Lovers - Emily Henry

Scheduled for release on the 3rd of May, 2022.

5. People Person - Candice Carty-Williams

Candice’s debut novel, ‘Queenie’ was the first book I read with my pandemic book club. We were all addicted to this novel. We ended up meeting more than once a week because we all wanted to read further. It was a gripping and heartwarming book, whilst also managing to be so funny and relatable. I recommend everyone gets this book!

I follow Candice on Instagram and was so excited when she announced that ‘Queenie’ was being developed into a series, and that she was releasing a new book! I’m really excited to see how ‘People Person’ differs from ‘Queenie’, and I have no doubt it will still hold the Candice charm.

I might even need to get my Zoom book club back together for this!

Anyways, here is what we know so far about it:

“​​If you could choose your family...you wouldn’t choose the Penningtons.

Dimple Pennington knows of her half siblings, but she doesn’t really know them. Five people who don’t have anything in common except for faint memories of being driven through Brixton in their dad’s gold jeep, and some pretty complex abandonment issues. Dimple has bigger things to think about.

She’s thirty, and her life isn’t really going anywhere. An aspiring lifestyle influencer with a terrible and wayward boyfriend, Dimple’s life has shrunk to the size of a phone screen. And despite a small but loyal following, she’s never felt more alone in her life. That is, until a dramatic event brings her half siblings Nikisha, Danny, Lizzie, and Prynce crashing back into her life. And when they’re all forced to reconnect with Cyril Pennington, the absent father they never really knew, things get even more complicated.” - People Person - Candice Carty-Williams

Scheduled for release on the 6th of September, 2022.

6. You Are Not a Before Picture - Alex Light

I’ve never been very attached to influencers. I followed a few but never felt any sort of connection, the kind that makes you leave comments or send messages. That was until I stumbled across Alex’s account, which is focused on body positivity and self-love. Now I get it. Because now I’m the person actually responding when they post questions, and genuinely following everything they do. Alex started a podcast with fellow influencer Em Clarkson, and it’s such a breath of fresh air, I listen to each episode the day it comes out.

So when I saw that Alex is releasing a book, I was so excited! I’ve read a lot of her articles for Glamour and I love her writing style. It’s very warm and stripped back, and yet she makes the most fascinating links between current events and other themes.

I’m someone who has always struggled so much with my body image and an eating disorder, and I find Alex’s content to be really helpful, if only to make me feel less alone in this. I’m really looking forward to reading a full book of her thoughts, and I recommend checking her out.

Anyways, here is what we know so far about it:

“When we look in the mirror, so many of us see a ‘before’ picture: the miserable person in the side-by-side shot waiting for the ‘glow-up’ (read: weight loss) that will bring true happiness. But it’s not our fault that we see our bodies as projects in need of constant work: this is just one of the beliefs that has been ingrained in us by diet culture. We have been taught to view ourselves as a collection of ‘problem’ areas for which the billion-dollar diet industry holds the solutions.

Step-by-step, You Are Not A Before Picture provides a framework for changing the way we view ourselves and the world around us. Working with experts in the fields of psychotherapy, fitness and nutrition, Alex empowers readers to interrogate their underlying beliefs, challenge the external and internal forces that are holding us back, and finally find freedom in our bodies, for good.” - You Are Not a Before Picture - Alex Light

Scheduled for release on the 16th of August, 2022.

Now these six books likely won’t match the ones you’re most looking forward to and that’s alright! Book taste is so subjective, and all that matters is that you enjoy what you’re reading. But if you have any suggestions, I’d love to hear them! As I said, I’ve got a lofty goal of fifty books to read this year, and there’s plenty of spaces for any recommendations.

Happy reading!

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