It’s difficult to predict which books will be next year’s must-have reads, what with 2009’s absence of anything Harry Potter or Twilight. But we do know which books we’re preparing to tear off the shelves. Here’s a list of titles we’re looking forward to seeing on stands in 2009 (and sorry, Bret Michaels, your April memoir, Between a Rose and a Thorn, is not included. That might just have to remain on my personal to-read list, shhh).
1. I Love A Man in Uniform, by Lily Burana (pictured): The author’s memoir about exotic dancing days — Strip City — made EW’s Best Books list in 2001, so we’re already preparing to give Burana a 21-gun salute for her decision to write a memoir about her life as a military wife.
2. I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti, by Giulia Melucci (April 8): Melucci’s relationship memoir chronicles the food she made to entice men — and console herself when they left her broken-hearted. The title alone makes us want to smile…and eat.
3. Admission, by Jean Hanff Korelitz (April 13): Korelitz’s latest novel follows a 30-something Princeton admissions officer whose career is threatened after she backs a talented 17-year-old that doesn’t fit the ivy mold. One reason we expect roman à clef to be good? Korelitz, conveniently enough, worked in the admissions office at Princeton.
4. Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese (Feb. 3): The doctor/My Own Country memoirist tries his hand in fiction with his first novel set against the backdrop of 1950s Ethiopia. If nothing else, we’ll be checking it out purely to see if there’s anything Verghese can’t do.
5. Don’t Cry, by Mary Gaitskill (March 24): Oh Mary, how we missed ye! The author returns with her first collection of stories in more than 10 years. And if it’s half as compellingly salacious as 1988’s Bad Behavior, we’ll be sold.
6. A Fortunate Age, by Joanna Smith Rakoff (April 7): This novel — chronicling the lives of a group of Gen-Xers in pre- and post-9/11 New York City — is being touted as the the next The Group (Mary McCarthy’s beloved 1963 novel).
7. Mommywood, by Tori Spelling (April 24): Come on, admit it already: Tori Spelling’s 2007 memoir, sTori Telling, was as sinfully delicious to devour as an ice cream sundae, or a Lifetime movie, for that matter. So really, how could anyone resist checking out her upcoming memoir on motherhood?
8. Cheever, by Blake Bailey (March 10): The author of A Tragic Honesty: The Life and Work of Richard Yates will likely knock another one out of the park with this bio on John Cheever, the first major book to chronicle the writer’s life.
9. I Drink for a Reason, by David Cross (Aug. 31): We have to pick up this memoir from the Arrested Development/Mr. Show comedian, because we’re dying to know the man inside him.
10. Year of the Cock: The Remarkable True Account of a Married Man Who Left His Wife and Paid the Price, by Alan Wieder (July): Because how could you not be just a little curious after reading that title?
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Where is Dan Brown’s next book? Does it really take him 10 years to write a follow up to The Da Vinci Code? EW should look into what he’s been up to. How about Jon Krakauer? Scott Smith? Ian Caldwell?
What happened to literature? Are fluffy “beach reads” and celebrity confessionals truly the ONLY pieces that are published nowadays?
My God, are your literary requirements that low? It just seems like a trove of shlock and awe and future bargain bin discounts galore. Let me know when you have some standards.
Judging from the above, 2009 looks to be a horrible year for books. There isn’t one on that list that interests me.
What about Stieg Larsson’s new one? “The Girl Who Played With Fire”, the sequel to the amazing “Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” gets a US release in July!
A depressingly crappy list, though I too look forward to Mary Gaitskill’s new book.
I guess 2009 will be my year to catch up with books I haven’t had the chance to read yet, since the new crop of books looks AWFUL! Glad to know the Stieg Larssen followup is coming out in 2009. It’s sad when the commenters provide more valuable information than the actual staff writer.
looking forward to reading charlaine harris’ dead and gone
what about Tina Fey’s book?
whenever that comes out.
I’m waiting on the next Sookie Stackhouse as well- can’t wait!
Here’s hoping that George R.R. Martin finally finishes A Dance With Dragons. I’m not holding my breath, though.
I am looking forward to Kim Harrison new one in the Racheal Morgan series White Witch Black Curse due in Feb and hopefully Frank Beddor will put out the third book in his trilogy for The Looking Glass Wars.
I am looking forward to reading the recently released “Personal Underworld” by Kevin Robert Jarvis.
Looking forward to Christoipher Moore’s latest novel, “Fool”. Think it comes out in Feb.
I wish There was a Twilight book this year. **sigh** II guess I will be bored.
The 10,000 Year Explosion: How Civilization Accelerated Human Evolution by Gregory Cochran and Henry Harpending
none of the books on the list can compare to harry potter or twighlight for that matter … hmmm no love for the final book of the wheel of time….
This list isn’t depressing…it’s the comments! How can anyone say that 2009 is going to be a “horrible year for books” based on this measly list of ten (some of which seem to’ve been chosen for their titles and not their merits)? And those of you saying you’ll be “SO BORED” because there’s no “Twilight” this year? For shame! I mean, really? That’s all you can think of to read? No wonder bookstores are dying: people have no imaginations! It’s like it’s Oprah’s list or bust! It’s not hard finding good stuff to read. Join a book club (other than Oprah’s). Talk to your bookish friends. Wander around a bookstore for half an hour and check out their display tables, endcaps, and bargain tables…I SWEAR that in that half an hour you’ll find 5 or more things that grab your interest! Hundreds of books get published each year; all you’ve gotta do is spend some time looking around, and I PROMISE you’ll find a rewarding reading experience outside of “Twilight” or this sorry little list from EW.
EW, for a long time (since ‘93) I’ve enjoyed reading your magazine’s review sections to alert me to new things I may want to read, hear, or see. I don’t rely on you 100%, but I’ve been known to jot down titles from your Books section and carry a little list with me into Borders. But not only has your book reviews section become increasingly tiny in the past year or two, your standards have also lowered. I have old issues from only a few years ago that have more than twice as many reviews as your magazine now has. It’s a shame. Your Music and Movies sections have also decreased in size. It’s as though you’ve decided we want to see big, pretty pictures of book spines instead of in-depth or even brief reviews. I know you guys got slammed when your movie reviews started “bolding” their main points–as though you all were playing right into the short-attention-span set–but some changes have been more subtle AND more damaging. It’s clear from these comments that your readers expect more.
why are nearly all ten recommendations memoirs? Aren’t there any good fiction(historical, science/fantasy, romance, mystery, etc.)books, or biographies, or histories, or ANYTHING else awesome being published? Or are memoirs the only books “real people” are supposed to read these days? If so, I’m glad I’m not a “real” person. I usually read memoirs on a cold day in hell. What a boring booklist recommendation!
How about George Martins new book in the Song of Ice and Fire series, A Dance with Dragons?
That is assuming he ever finishes his new book.
I just finished reading “The House At Riverton” which in my opinion was one of the best and one of the most overlooked books of 2008. In April of this year, Kate Morton’s second book, “The Forgotten Garden” will be released here and I can’t wait!
Jen, I also want to ditto your comments. EW’s book section is in a sad state. It is as if they’ve decided the only things people care about are TV, movies and serialized fantasy stories.
Come on guys — give EW a break. Most books that are supposed to come out in 2009 don’t have concrete dates yet, so of course Stieg Larsson, etc. is not going to make it on the list! If you notice, most of these on the list are coming out in the winter or early spring — it’s impossible to know what’s coming out/has good word of mouth after that.
Personally I can’t wait for Naamah’s Kiss by Jacqueline Carrey, The Magician’s Apprentice by Trudi Canavan, Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde and I’m hoping The Silver Mage, the last book of Katharine Kerr’s Deverry series (which, in my opinion, is the best fantasy series out there, though sadly not as well known as some others) will be out this year.
Jasper Fforde is my literary God. Cannot wait until July, when the new novel Shades of Grey comes out. And I am waiting with baited breath for the next Thursday Next novel. The cliffhanger at the end of the previous one was just cruel!
Pat Conroy’s new book will be out this summer. How can Conroy not be on the list?
Other book-related sites are now linking to this as the definitive list of what NOT to read in 2009. Nearly all frilly memoir, a few chosen for their cutesy titles, and a couple of played-out, drab-sounding novels. But at least there’s someone out there to chronicle the fast-paced life of a college admissions office. Cripes.
Back at work and checking email and stuff. Want to thank All of y’all for the author/book suggestions! Just made a list of ‘em. To Auriana – a special thank you. I am in love with Jacqueline Carrey’s (one author out of many I love) books and was not aware a new one was due. I am also glad I am not the only one who thought this list was lame, lame, lame!!
The list is maybe a little lame, yes–except for CHEEVER, which i hear is the best literary bio since Gerald Clarke’s CAPOTE.