As we step into a new year of words and wisdom, we bring about our love for books along with us. Below is a list of books that we, the people here at Star Books and Literature, look forward to devouring in 2024. 

Martyr!
Kaveh Akbar
Knopf, January 2024

Kicking off this list is Kaveh Akbar's debut novel, Martyr!, the story of Cyrus Shams, a young Iranian immigrant in America—a man, a poet, and an addict, who is simultaneously battling with the loss of his sense of self and a tragedy. His mother is dead, her plane was shot down in the skies of Tehran, and his father has been reduced to his job as a chicken killer in America. Cyrus is lost, now stuck in the trenches of his past while questioning the foundations of his present. This book by the Iranian-American writer and literary personality would be a treat for everyone intrigued by the strokes of ornamental prose. 

Come and Get It
Kiley Reid
G.P. Putnam's Sons, January 2024

Millie Cousins just wants to graduate. And get a job. And buy a house. And live a stable life. She is a senior resident assistant at the University of Arkansas, and presuming you already know, in need of money. So when Agatha Paul, a visiting professor and author, gives her the chance of what seems to be a lifetime then, Millie nabs it with both hands. However, the opportunity, quite soon, degrades to a curse when she has to form an affinity with three, unfamiliar students to finish her task. How hard can it be? You have to read the book to find out. It is fairly hard to give justice to a book that has not been published yet, but one thing is for certain, if you loved Such a Fun Age (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2019) previously, or are a college student yourself, you will enjoy this new adult literary fiction as well! 

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Bride
Ali Hazelwood
Berkley, February 2024

Now, this one is a surprise. Ali Hazelwood, the renowned author of The Love Hypothesis (Berkley Books, 2021), authoring a Romantasy? We figure 2024 is the year of pleasant surprises. The daughter of a powerful Vampyre councilman, Misery Lark, is tasked with upholding a historic peace alliance between Vampyres and their enemies, the Weres. To achieve this, she must surrender herself to the Weres, a pact led by the ruthless Alpha Lowe Moreland. Her submission comes in the form of a marriage of convenience. Despite the political motives, Misery has personal reasons for agreeing to this sham of a marriage. She is determined to reclaim something valuable to her, even if it means living alone in the Were territory with the wolf-like Weres. 

Grief Is for People
Sloane Crosley
MCD Books, February 2024

TRIGGER WARNING: Suicide
How direct a title, yet so encompassing! Grief Is for People is a memoir, the author's realisation and revaluation of multiple kinds of loss. Following the tragic demise of her beloved friend to suicide, Sloane comes to terms with the inevitability of bereavement by utilising the virtues of friends, family, art, nature, and philosophy in her debut non-fiction. In her witty and charming manner, she lays out a poignant perspective for anyone who would appreciate an insight. 

Until August
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Knopf, March 2024

Gabriel Garcia Marquez's 'lost' novel, En Agosto Nos Vemos, has been translated into English and is slated to release on March 12, 2024. 10 years after the author's death, Until August is a testament to his brilliance and his genius storytelling. Ana Magdalena Bach is happily married, and has been for 27 years. Yet every August, on the anniversary of her mother's death, she travels to a small, vibrant island and takes on a new lover. Her frequent indulgence, amidst lively evenings filled with salsa and boleros, compels her to accost her inner fears, her desires, the values that make her human. It takes the readers on a profound journey of freedom, regret, self-transformation, and love. 

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James Joyce was never more profound than in 'Dubliners'

Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder
Salman Rushdie
Random House, April 2024

A year after Rushdie published his novel The Satanic Verses (Viking Penguin, 1988), Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the former Supreme Leader of Iran, ordered a fatwa against him, condemning him to death for alleged blasphemy in his storyline. 30 years after the fatwa was issued, an attempt on Rushdie's life was made, turning his trajectory forever. In Knife, the author pens in delicate detail the unforgettable events of August 12, 2022, giving out to the world his verdict on the act of violence. 

The Familiar
Leigh Bardugo
Flatiron Books, April 2024

Another foray into fantasy by Leigh Bardugo, but this time in the historical sub-genre. For the fans of Ninth House, Hell Bent (Flatiron Books, 2023) and the most coveted Grishaverse comes The Familiar. In a run-down part of Madrid, Luzia Cotado, a servant with hidden magical abilities, is discovered by her mistress. Pressured to use her talents to elevate the family's social status, Luzia becomes entangled in the political intrigue of post-Armada Spain. As she gains attention from Antonio Pérez, a disgraced secretary to the king, Luzia navigates a dangerous world of magic, science, and deception. Her desire for a better life puts her at risk of the Inquisition, forcing her to rely on her wits and form an uneasy alliance with an immortal familiar, Guillén Santangel, to survive. 

There Are Rivers in the Sky
Elif Shafak
Penguin Books, August 2024
There Are Rivers in the Sky is the new novel by the greatly-lauded, Booker-shortlisted author Elif Shafak. While not much is known about this piece as of yet, readers are over the moon anticipating its arrival. The story follows characters, living off the shore of the River Thames and the River Tigris. With the progression of the plot, the lives of these three characters entwine in the most unforeseen ways, creating a heartfelt narrative of hurt and healing, love and loss, memory and erasure. 

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Wind and Truth (The Stormlight Archive #5)
Brandon Sanderson
Tor Books, December 2024
And lastly, the fifth and final instalment in the highly acclaimed epic fantasy saga of Sanderson, The Stormlight Archive, is set out to release in December 2024. After a decade of its continuation readers are straight on their heels to come to a satisfactory conclusion as Dalinar Kholin takes on the formidable god, Odium, in a showdown of champions. 

Nur-E-Jannat Alif is a Gender Studies major and part-time writer, who dreams of authoring a book someday. Find her at @literatureinsolitude on Instagram or send her your book/movie/television recommendations at nurejannatalif@gmail.com.