23 December Books We're Excited About

And what you can read in the meantime

Reading ahead

Our TBR stacks may be taking over the house, but there are always new books that we want to add to the pile. From inventive retellings to paranormal romances to fun new titles for kids and teens, December’s most anticipated list is packed with must-reads! Here are 23 upcoming releases across a mix of genres. These titles are available for preorder, but in the meantime, we have recs for similar reads that you can enjoy now.

Literary fiction 

Rental House by Weike Wang (Dec. 3)

Keru and Nate are college sweethearts who marry despite their significantly different backgrounds. This is the story of what happens when their two distinct clans try to vacation together. It's a sharp-witted, insightful novel exploring the question of how to cope when your spouse and your family of origin clash.

What to read while you wait: Chemistry by Weike Wang

Private Rites by Julia Armfield (Dec. 3)

Sisters Isla, Irene, and Agnes have not spoken in some time when their father, an architect as cruel as he was revered, dies. His death offers an opportunity for the sisters to come together in a new way, but their fragile bond is shattered by a revelation in his will. This speculative novel reimagines Shakespeare's King Lear.

What to read while you wait: Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

I Made It Out of Clay by Beth Kander (Dec. 10)

Eve is single, turning forty, and mourning her father's death. Her younger sister's wedding is rapidly approaching and she can't bear the thought of attending alone. Recalling a strange story from her Yiddish grandmother, she creates a golem in a desperate attempt to turn her disaster of a life into a rom-com. 

What to read while you wait: The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wacker

Eddie Winston is Looking for Love by Marianne Kronin (Dec. 31)

Eddie Winston is 90 years old. He has lived and he has loved, but he has never been kissed. When he meets Bella, a troubled young woman who has just lost the love of her life, she resolves to help Eddie find love, sparking an adventure that takes them to unexpected places.

What to read while you wait: The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Kronin

Mystery, thriller, and suspense 

Alter Ego by Alex Segura (Dec. 3)

Annie Bustamante is an acclaimed filmmaker, an author, a comic book artist known for one of the all time best superhero comics in recent memory. In this clever, escapist mystery, a sequel, she's being given the chance to revive her longtime favorite superhero, the Lethal Lynx. But at what price?

What to read while you wait: Secret Identity by Alex Segura

Stuart Woods' Golden Hour by Brett Battles (Dec. 3)

In this heart-pounding Hollywood-fueled adventure, Former CIA operative Teddy Fay is preparing for the European press tour of Peter Barrington's latest film when he receives a visit from CIA director Lance Cabot. Several CIA agents have turned up dead. And if Teddy doesn't work fast, he might be next.

What to read while you wait: Obsession by Stuart Woods and Brett Battles

The Rivals by Jane Pek (Dec. 3)

Claudia Lin has scored her dream job: co-running a dating detective agency for chronically online New Yorkers who want to know if their prospective partners are being truthful. But when she and her colleagues uncover an AI conspiracy, the corporate matchmakers may resort to murder to protect their secrets.

What to read while you wait: The Verifiers by Jane Pek

Sci-fi, fantasy, and horror

The Shadowed Land by Signe Pike (Dec. 3)

AD 580: After defeating the Angles at the Battle of the Caledonian Wood, Languoreth, her daughter Angharad, brother Lailoken, and the warrior Artúr mac Aedan are reunited. But all too soon, fate pulls each back to their own path. The legends of Camelot are boldly reimagined in this captivating series.

What to read while you wait: The Lost Queen by Signe Pike

The Voyage Home by Pat Barker (Dec. 3)

This is the third in a series of brilliant retellings of Greek mythology through a feminist lens. Continuing the story of the captured Trojan women as they set sail for Mycenae with the victorious Greeks, this chapter centers on Cassandra, daughter of King Priam—and a prophet condemned never to be heeded.

What to read while you wait: The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson (Dec. 6)

The long-awaited climax to the first arc of The Stormlight Archive sees battles being fought on many fronts. Dalinar Kholin takes on the evil god Odium while Shallan, Renarin, and Rlain work to unravel the mystery behind the Unmade Ba-Ado-Mishram. The fate of the entire Cosmere hangs in the balance.

What to read while you wait: The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould (Dec. 10)

Devin Green is taken from her foster home in the middle of the night and driven into the Idaho wilderness for a teen therapy program. But there's something strange in these woods, and soon it becomes clear that therapy is the least of their problems. Yellowjackets meets Girl, Interrupted in this YA horror novel.

What to read while you wait: Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

A Monsoon Rising by Thea Guanzon (Dec. 10)

After a lifetime of war, Alaric and Talasyn formed an alliance designed to end the fighting, but marriage to their sworn foe feels far from peaceful. And it's becoming harder to deny the feelings crackling like lightning between them. Get the stunning limited edition of this romantasy sequel while supplies last. 

What to read while you wait: The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon

Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao (Dec. 24)

After suffering devastating loss and making drastic decisions, Zetian finds herself in Huaxia's seat of power. Now, she must balance dangerous politics with a new quest for vengeance in this YA fantasy sequel. Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in a series blending Chinese history and mecha science fiction.

What to read while you wait: Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

Historical fiction 

Kingdom of No Tomorrow by Fabienne Josaphat (Dec. 3)

Nettie Boileau joins the Black Panthers' Free Health Clinics in Oakland in 1968 and is soon swept up in an all-consuming love affair with Melvin Mosley, a defense captain of the Black Panther Party. From an award-winning author, this is a timely story of self-determination and revolution amid injustice.

What to read while you wait: The Love Songs of W. E. B. Dubois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers

The Champagne Letters by Kate Macintosh (Dec. 10)

France, 1805: Having lost her beloved husband, Barbe-Nicole Clicquot fights for their shared dream of a premier champagne house, now named for her identity as a widow: Veuve Clicquot. In present day, newly divorced Chicagoan Natalie Taylor runs away to Paris, where she finds inspiration from Clicquot's letters.

What to read while you wait: The Winemaker's Wife by Kristin Harmel

Romance 

Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson (Dec. 3)

With just a childhood bedtime story about a monster that saved her father's life and the name of her estranged grandmother, Key has no idea what she'll find in Scotland. After she's reluctantly rescued by Lachlan, a gorgeous, angry Scotsman, she begins to think that he might hold the answers she's after.

What to read while you wait: Bride by Ali Hazelwood

Pick-Up by Nora Dahlia (Dec. 3)

Sasha is already struggling with coparenting stress and the judgmental side-eye from other parents at school pickup. On top of all that, some entitled (if adorable) dad keeps stealing the last after-school spot. Ethan isn't trying to trip Sasha up. In fact, ever since they met, he can't stop thinking about her.   

What to read while you wait: Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Not in My Book by Katie Holt (Dec. 10)

Rosie, an idealistic Peruvian American, leaves Tennessee for New York to try and make it as a romance author. But she ends up in a writing class with her archnemesis and ex-crush, Aiden, an obnoxious (and gorgeous) literary fiction writer. And now they have to cowrite a novel that blends their genres.

What to read while you wait: Beach Read by Emily Henry

A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoyo (Dec. 17)

Carolina Fuentes wants to join her family as a vampire hunter, but her father wants to protect her by marrying her off. Determined to prove she'd make a better slayer than wife, she vows to take down a monster herself. But her plan crumbles when she runs into un vampiro who is somehow both attractive and kind.

What to read while you wait: Crave by Tracy Wolff

Ex Marks the Spot by Gloria Chao (Dec. 31)

All her life, it's been just Gemma and her mom. But then, she learns that the Taiwanese grandfather she never knew has died, leaving her an inheritance. But in order to claim it, she must complete a globe-spanning treasure hunt. Reluctantly, she enlists her ex-boyfriend and high school rival, Xander, to help solve the puzzle.

What to read while you wait: Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen

Kids

Dog Man: Big Jim Begins by Dav Pilkey (Dec. 3)

Discover the origin of the beloved characters from the middle grade graphic novel Dog Man series as they join forces to stop the Space Cuties from destroying the city. Will the past predict the future for Dog Man and his friends? Will goodness and bravery prevail? Can anything happen if you truly believe?

What to read while you wait: Dog Man by Dav Pilkey

Unraveled by Shannon Messenger (Dec. 3)

While his friends faced their own challenges in Stellarlune, Keefe was trying to ensure their safety by journeying to the human world. Where did he go? Who did he see? And what shocking secrets were revealed to him? The newest fantasy in the middle-grade Keeper of the Lost Cities series follows fan favorite Keefe.

What to read while you wait: Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

Mr. Boddington's Studio: How to Say I  Love You (Dec. 10)

Including well-known works like "How Do I Love Thee?" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, lesser-known gems, and originals from Mr. Boddington's Studio, this collection of family-friendly love poems—brought to life by Mr. Boddinton's whimsical art—will please both parents and young readers.

What to read while you wait: Mr. Boddington's Studio: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas

We hope you find some titles here that you want to add to your TBR list! Let us know which new books you’re most excited about this month.

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon