Back halfway through March, Goodreads released a list of the most anticipated based on what their users had given early reviews of and which books had been put down as “Want To Read”. It’s a list that comprises 35 books which I’m sure will appeal to all of you.
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However, I’ve decided to go through the said list and, based purely on the synopsis alone, pick out the books that sound most interesting to me. These range in genres but I’ve just listed them as the seven books and then the brief summaries that Goodreads has given them, along with their release date (you’ll note, some have already been released and can be picked up in hardback or kindle).
Let me know which of these books tickles your pickle the most out of the list of six below:
The Candy House by Jennifer Egan
Release date: 5 April
Goodreads summary: “This thinky sci-fi puzzler from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jennifer Egan explores an intriguing idea: What if our memories could be extracted and externalized—bought, borrowed, traded, and sold? Told via multiple characters, The Candy House is a fiercely intellectual investigation of our current moment in time, in which the nature of reality itself seems up for grabs.”
My thoughts
So apparently this is the second book in the Goon Squad series, though from the summary you wouldn’t think it was as there’s no mention of it.
Anyway, doesn’t it sound utterly fascinating? One of those theoretical books that I feel is going to have one of those twists where “it was a memory all along” or “it wasn’t all as it seemed” type thing. Even if it doesn’t, it’s got some decent early reviews and so hopefully it uses the theme well.
Order The Candy House by Jennifer Egan on Amazon.
Trust by Hernan Diaz
Release date: 3 May
Goodreads summary: “Let us be frank: Rich people are weird. Acclaimed author Hernan Diaz (In the Distance) brings readers back to the Roaring Twenties in this story of a flashy New York City couple with an immense fortune of suspect provenance. Diaz’s layered novel deploys multiple revelations to explore America’s foundational inequalities and how power and money dictate what we come to think of as history.”
My thoughts
I won’t lie, the front cover of this one is what initially drew me in. Don’t get me wrong, the front cover to The Candy House looks cool too but this one is beautiful! However, after reading the synopsis for it too, I’m very interested. I do love a bit of historical fiction and I’ve never really read New York in the 20s, so I’m intrigued.
The way they describe it as an exploration of America’s foundational inequalities has me intrigued too – I’m always interested in reading books that show the normality of prejudices that seem inconceivable today – it makes me glad for how far we have come that these things shock our generation.
Order Trust by Hernand Diaz on Amazon.
The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James
Release date: 15 March
Goodreads summary: “Shea Collins, the author of the true-crime website the Book of Cold Cases, has caught a break. She’s been offered a chance to interview the prime suspect from the infamous 1977 Lady Killer murders. The tricky part: It will require spending time in a mysterious mansion where stuff moves around and a spooky little girl keeps looking in the window. Expect twisted, twisty fun from the author of The Sun Down Motel.”
My thoughts
This one screamed “big house horror” to me which is a genre I absolutely love. Now, the fact that Shea Collins gets to solve a case from 1977 too is really fun. It’s not obvious as to whether this book is set in modern day and this is a case to be solved from the past or whether it’s a book where we’re much closer to 1977. The fact it’s referred to as the “infamous” murders suggests they’re from the past.
Anyway, a crime thriller where the detective has to go and chill in a creepy house where stuff moves is right up my alley so this is another one I’d be excited to read. You’ll note it’s already been released so if you want to get started on this list, use to link below to get it.
Order The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James on Amazon.
Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough
Release date: 12 April
Goodreads summary: “Those who suffer from it can tell you: Insomnia is the worst. For attorney Emma Averall, it’s even scarier: Emma’s mother suffered from severe mental problems that manifested at age 40—the same age Emma is now. Is this worsening insomnia the first sign of trouble? And why can’t she remember yesterday morning? Twisty and complex, Insomnia is the latest state-of-the-art thriller from the author of Behind Her Eyes.”
My thoughts
This one gave me similar vibes to The Candy House in which I am excited by the summary that there’s potential here for there to be a really interesting twist. The actual plot seems quite interesting anyway – the idea that somebody has lost their short term memory and also suffers from insomnia. These two things are enough to cause anyone to go a little doolally and maybe end up doing things that could make a book very interesting.
Order Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough on Amazon.
The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi
Release date: 15 March
Goodreads summary: “The latest exercise in lateral thinking from John Scalzi (The Interdependency series), The Kaiju Preservation Society imagines an alternate dimension ecosystem where dinosaur-sized creatures roam free. It’s a wild new riff on the kaiju concept—and a sideways commentary on animal-rights issues—aimed at those of us who love all species, colossal nightmare monsters included.“
My thoughts
Doesn’t this sound cool?! This is a book that John Scalzi wrote during Covid which has so far been received very well. It’s a very simple concept in which there’s an alternative reality where these enormous creatures exist and it looks like humans go and look after them.
I’ve read John Scalzi before and he writes an incredibly entertaining book. I imagine that many others would struggle to write this sort of book without it falling into a fairly dull book that feels more like a high-budget, low-thought-out action film. However, Scalzi writes really interesting characters, adds in a bit of humour and also allows just enough world-building to make a world not feel too shallow. I’m hoping The Kaiju Preservation Society follows along with this similar theme, bringing us brilliant characters and a fascinating story.
Order The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi on Amazon.
Sea of Tranquillity by Emily St. John Mandel
Release date: 5 April
Goodreads summary: “The author of Station Eleven—recently adapted into a hugely popular HBO Plus series—delivers another startling vision of the future. With Sea of Tranquility, the formidable Emily St. John Mandel brings her sophisticated conjecture to a kind of time-travel story with stops in 1912 Vancouver, the free city of Los Angeles circa 2203, and a lunar space station about 400 years from now. Pretty good, right?”
My thoughts
Station Eleven is a book I’ve heard an awful lot about when you search for any sort of book that covers a post-apocalyptic setting. It’s one that has also gone on to become quite a successful TV series and is, therefore, one that I’m really interested in picking up at some point.
With this accreditation and the praise behind her other work, I’m very interested to see what else Emily St. John Mandel has to offer. And looking at some of the early reviews for Sea of Tranquility suggests it is another success for Mandel and a book, therefore, that I would like to pick up and read.
Order Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel on Amazon.
Summary
So there you have it. The six books from Goodreads’ “Readers’ Most Anticipated New Spring Books” list. If you want to check out the full list, you can click that link in the last paragraph. There are some other books on there I imagine you’ll all find really interesting too.
Which of the six books I’ve chosen do you think look really interesting? Are there any, having clicked through to the full list, that yu think I’ve missed off which look like absolute must-reads? Let me know in the comments below or by sending me a message on any of the socials below.
