New January Book Releases

We all need updates to our bookshelves – new year means new books – and with our reading list or challenges needing an exciting read ahead, I have found all the new books being released this month in January! I am sure we are all equally excited to see the list, but before you read on, if you are a bookworm like me, then set yourself a target this year and start a reading challenge either through Goodreads or make your own personal challenge while keeping a diary; that way, you will be able to get through your TBR (To Be Read) list in no time!

Shy by Annie Ridout

“Partly genetic, partly environmental, shyness is largely viewed as a character flaw, something that needs to change, but why is no one talking about the benefits of being shy? For example, shyness usually equates to being an excellent listener, considerate speaker, and thoughtful observer. Interweaving personal experience with expertise from clinical psychologists, Annie explores why shyness affects some more than others, and offers tried-and-tested tools to help the reader deal with elements of shyness that can feel debilitating.”

(Dis)connected: How To Stay Human in an Online World by Emma Gannon

“Millennials might have grown up online but now they want to log off. And it’s not just millennials. A year of lockdowns, Zoom meetings and reduced physical contact has made us more dependent on the internet than ever before – but has it lost its humanity? Our focus on community and real connection has been sent off-course and we’re becoming more aware of how the algorithm manipulates us and how our data has made us a product to be sold. So, where do we go from here and how can we get back on track? (Dis)connected examines these topics and offers tangible tips and advice for those of us who might feel a little lost right now and want to find themselves again.”

Send Nudes by Saba Sams

“In 10 stories, Saba Sams dives into the world of girlhood and immerses us in its contradictions and complexities: growing up too quickly, yet not quickly enough; taking possession of what one can, while being taken possession of; succumbing to societal pressure but also orchestrating that pressure. These young women are feral yet attentive, fierce yet vulnerable, exploited yet exploitative. Threading between clubs at closing time, pub toilets, drenched music festivals and beach holidays, these unforgettable short stories deftly chart the treacherous terrain of growing up – of intense friendships, of ambivalent mothers, of uneasily blended families, and of learning to truly live in your own body. With striking wit, originality and tenderness, Send Nudes celebrates the small victories in a world that tries to claim each young woman as its own.”

The Maid by Nita Prose

“Molly the maid is all alone in the world. A nobody. She’s used to being invisible in her job at the Regency Grand Hotel, plumping pillows and wiping away the grime, dust and secrets of the guests passing through. She’s just a maid – why should anyone take notice? But Molly is thrown into the spotlight when she discovers an infamous guest, Mr Black, very dead in his bed. This isn’t a mess that can be easily cleaned up. And as Molly becomes embroiled in the hunt for the truth, following the clues whispering in the hallways of the Regency Grand, she discovers a power she never knew was there. She’s just a maid – but what can she see that others overlook?”

Supporting Trans People of Colour by Sabah Choudrey

“Providing an accessible and authoritative introduction to issues around trans inclusion, this book uses case studies, tips, checklists and anonymous survey results to set out best practice for any professionals working with trans people to create safer spaces, support and awareness. Trans people of colour are often excluded because gender and race are treated as separate issues. They are therefore left out from movements and services and in trans and non-binary spaces, their POC identities are overlooked. Choudrey’s guide introduces the theory of intersectionality from the start, giving practical tips and steps to ensure that the community as a whole may be represented and creates a safer space for trans people of colour to thrive.”

Wolfskin by Lara Moreno

“Sofía is 35 and her husband has left her. Her father died the year before, and her mother is living in the Canary Islands with a new partner. Sofía flees the city with her young son, seeking refuge in her father’s house on the southern coast of Spain, where she spent summers as a girl. Her younger sister, with whom she has a close but uneasy relationship, joins her. Living together again, the sisters face their present as well as their childhood and tangled past. A novel from one of Spain’s most remarkable authors, Wolfskin is an intimate meditation on ambivalence and motherhood, eroticism and disappointment, family violence and failure, and ultimately, the possibility-or impossibility-of living with those you love.”

The Herd by Emily Edwards

“You should never judge how someone chooses to raise their child. Elizabeth and Bryony are polar opposites, but their unexpected friendship has always worked. They’re the best of friends, and godmothers to each other’s daughters – because they trust that the safety of their children is both of their top priority. But what if their choice could harm your own child? Little do they know that they differ radically over one very important issue. And when Bryony, afraid of being judged, tells what is supposed to be a harmless white lie before a child’s birthday party, the consequences are more catastrophic than either of them could ever have imagined…”

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

“Eleanor Bennett won’t let her own death get in the way of the truth. So when her estranged children – Byron and Benny – reunite for her funeral in California, they discover a puzzling inheritance. First, a voice recording in which everything Byron and Benny ever knew about their family is upended. Their mother narrates a tumultuous story about a headstrong young woman who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder, a story which cuts right to the heart of the rift that’s separated Byron and Benny. Second, a traditional Caribbean black cake made from a family recipe with a long history that Eleanor hopes will heal the wounds of the past. Can Byron and Benny fulfil their mother’s final request to ‘share the black cake when the time is right’?”

Block, Delete, Move On by lalalaletmeexplain

“Have you ever been on a disastrous date and vowed never to use apps again? Are you blaming yourself for the things going wrong in your love life? Do you always seem to become attached to people who treat you badly? The sad truth is that when it comes to modern dating, there are a whole host of challenges and hurdles to overcome. From ghosting and negging to gaslighting and abuse, this book teaches you what to look out for, to make sure that you’re not accidentally dating men with toxic traits who secretly hate women, or who just want to have sex and run. It will empower you to use your voice and walk away if you spot warning signs in relationships, by highlighting the red flags and the types of fuckboys that you might run into when dating, as well as the green flags and signs that indicate a healthy partnership.”

Pure Colour by Sheila Heti

“Here we are, just living in the first draft of creation, which was made by some great artist, who is now getting ready to tear it apart. In this first draft, a woman named Mira leaves home to study. There, she meets Annie, whose tremendous power opens Mira’s chest like a portal – to what, she doesn’t know. When Mira is older, her beloved father dies, and she enters that strange and dizzying dimension that true loss opens up. Pure Colour tells the story of a life, from beginning to end. It is a galaxy of a novel: explosive, celestially bright, huge, and streaked with beauty. It is a contemporary bible, an atlas of feeling, and a shape-shifting epic. Sheila Heti is a philosopher of modern experience, and she has reimagined what a book can hold.”