Unwrap the gift of intriguing narratives this December 2023 with our must-read books list. From Tessa Bailey’s romantic rendezvous to Douglas Preston’s thrilling tales of real-life mysteries, these books promise to keep you captivated. Whether you’re looking for family drama, LGBTQ+ romance, or spine-chilling horror, we’ve got you covered. Dive into these enchanting worlds and let your imagination soar.
- 1. Heartstopper Vol. 5 by Alice Oseman
- 2. The Other Mothers by Katherine Faulkner
- 3. The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong
- 4. On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe
- 5. Yours for the Taking by Gabrielle Korn
- 6. Familia by Lauren E. Rico
- 7. The Lost Tomb: And Other Real-Life Stories of Bones, Burials, and Murder by Douglas Preston
- 8. Here in the Dark by Alexis Soloski
- 9. Meet the Benedettos by Katie Cotugno
- 10. Same Time Next Year by Tessa Bailey
1. Heartstopper Vol. 5 by Alice Oseman
Genre: Young adult, Graphic novel
Pages: 336
Publisher: Graphix (December 19, 2023)
Heartstopper revolves around high schoolers Nick and Charlie as they meet, become friends, fall in love, and navigate their relationship while dealing with personal issues ranging from queerphobic families to eating disorders. In this much-awaited follow-up to Nick and Charlie’s story, Oseman explores the boys’ dilemma as Nick prepares to leave for college in a year.
The novel’s pastel-toned two-color scheme is gentle on your eyes, and the easy-to-follow art style allows for quick reading. So, if you have been meaning to get into the ‘Osemanverse,’ this is the perfect time! You have a couple of weeks to catch up on the previous volumes as well as the Netflix series (a fantastic adaptation, perhaps better than its source material).
Alice Oseman is an illustrator, author, and screenwriter. Oseman has written four young adult novels, two novellas, and is the creator of the webcomic Heartstopper. Her accolades include an Inky Award for International Fiction (2017), a Goodreads Choice Award for Best Graphic Novels/Comics (2020), and a GLAAD Media Award (2023).
Also, Read: 5 Feel-Good Books to Read Like Heartstopper
2. The Other Mothers by Katherine Faulkner
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pages: 384
Publisher: (December 5, 2023)
When a young nanny dies under mysterious circumstances near Tash’s home, she is convinced it could relaunch her journalism career. In the meantime, she also has to find a local playgroup for her son. Nearby is a wonderful neighborhood full of friendly families and lavish playdates, but when another young woman is found dead, it’s clear there’s more to the community than meets the eye. The more Tash investigates, the more she becomes uncomfortably close to the mothers in her son’s playgroup. Are these women really her friends? Or is there another, more sinister reason why she was accepted into their exclusive clique?
Katherine Faulker is an award-winning author and investigative journalist. Before turning to writing, she studied history at the University of Cambridge and was the joint Head of News at The Times (London). The Other Mothers is her second novel.
3. The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong
Genre: Gothic mystery, Historical fiction
Pages: 336
Publisher: Minotaur Books (December 5, 2023)
American heiress Ruby Vaughn made a living running a rare Exeter bookstore. When she is forced to deliver a box of books to a healer in the Cornish countryside, she is brought back to a place she swore she would never return – Penrith Hall, home to Ruby’s once dearest friend, Tamsyn, and her husband, Sir Edward Chenoweth. It’s an unsettling place, and after a more unsettling evening, Ruby is eager to leave. However, her plans changed when Penryth’s bells rang for the first time in thirty years.
Edward is dead; he met a terrible end in the orchard, and his death carries with it whispers of a returned curse. It also brings Ruan Kivell, the person whose books brought him to Cornwall and whom the locals call Pellar, a man they believe can break the curse. Ruby doesn’t believe in curses, nor does Ruan, but to the villagers, the curse is anything but tradition, and they believe it will soon claim its next victim: Tamsyn. To save her, Ruby and Ruan must work together to find out what really happened in the orchard.
Jess Armstrong studies American History but prefers writing about imaginary people and events to real ones. Her debut novel, the Curse of Penryth Hall, earned Armstrong the Mystery Writers of America/Minotaur First Crime Novel Competition.
4. On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe
Genre: Romance, Contemporary fiction
Pages: 333
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin (December 26, 2023)
Everly Winters is perfectly happy getting through life appreciated but unnoticed. That’s why she’s still a receptionist instead of exploring an art career, why she lurks but never posts about her favorite show on online forums, and why she pushes her forever unavailable co-worker so hard. She lives by a simple rule: If no one notices you, they can’t reject you.
Her plan works perfectly until someone secretly nominates Everly for the next season of On the Plus Side. Taken aback by the show’s extremely extroverted hosts and the screen time dedicated to her, she finds solace in a surprising friendship with the grumpy but polite photographer Logan. Soon, Everly realizes that he’s someone she doesn’t mind being noticed by. In fact, she might even like it! The show’s ratings skyrockets when their growing relationship is captured on camera. It’s hard enough to learn to accept yourself on national television; can Everly risk heartbreak while the whole world watches?
Jenny L. Howe has a PhD in literature and is a professor of writing, literature, and children’s media. On the Plus Side is her second novel, preceded by The Make-Up Test (2022).
5. Yours for the Taking by Gabrielle Korn
Genre: Science fiction
Pages: 336
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (December 5, 2023)
In the year 2050, Ava lives in Brooklyn – or what is left of it – with her girlfriend. They are very much in love, but it is hard to feel happy and hopeful in a world heading towards extinction due to the effects of climate change. Ava knows that soon, it won’t be safe outside. The only people who would be safe are the ones whose applications are accepted to The Inside Project, a range of weatherproof city-like structures around the world.
Jacqueline Millender is a women’s rights advocate. Thanks to a generous donation, she’s now the director of The Inside Project constructed in what used to be Manhattan. Her ideas are unorthodox but promising, and she’s built her brand around redefining the concept of empowerment. Shelby, a business major from a working-class family, is fascinated by Jacqueline’s promises of impact. She lands a job as Jacqueline’s personal assistant and is immediately swept up into the world of corporatized feminism. Also drawn into this world is Olympia, a medical student Jacqueline recruits to run the project’s health department.
The more Olympia learns about The Inside Project, the more she realizes something much larger is at play. As Ava, Olympia, and Shelby start noticing cracks in Jacqueline’s system, Jacqueline becomes increasingly unhinged in what she is willing to do to keep her dream alive.
Gabrielle is a writer, editor, and strategist best known for her work as the editor-in-chief at Nylon Media, the director of fashion and culture Refinery29, and the editorial and publishing lead at Most, Netflix’s digital platform for queer storytelling. She published Everybody (Else) is Perfect, a collection of essays, in 2021. Yours for the Taking is Gabrielle’s debut novel.
6. Familia by Lauren E. Rico
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Pages: 320
Publisher: Kensington (December 26, 2023)
In this emotional novel, two young women are connected by a genealogy test and a troubling question that challenges their ideas about family and identity.
Gabby DiMarco, a fact checker for a popular magazine, believes in absolute, verifiable truths—until her own life is thrown into uncertainty by a genealogy test. Gabby finds out she has a sister, whose existence would have been disproved by her parents, if they were still alive.
Isabella Ruiz, an artist, has spent years searching for her missing sister, Marianna. Finally, she finds a match, and Gabby agrees to come to Puerto Rico. However, Gabby, defensive and cautious, denies the possibility of a sisterly connection. Isabella realizes that even if this woman is her sister, she might not want to be.
With little in common, Gabby and Isabella embark on a journey to uncover the truth, risking everything they know for an uncertain future and a past full of surprises, and trying to answer the question – what if everything you thought you knew about your life turned out to be a lie?
Lauren Rico is a radio host and writer. Her titles include the quirky Whiskey Sisters series; the spicy Reverie trilogy; and multiple musically-themed romances, including Counterpoint (2019) and Solo (2017). Familia is her traditional publishing debut.
7. The Lost Tomb: And Other Real-Life Stories of Bones, Burials, and Murder by Douglas Preston
Genre: Non-fiction, True crime
Pages: 320
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (December 5, 2023)
Ever wondered how it feels to be the first person in thousands of years to step into an Egyptian burial chamber, felt curious about the chilling secrets uncovered in the ancient ruins of the American Southwest, or been intrigued by the true identity of the Monster of Florence? The Lost Tomb brings together a fascinating and compelling collection of true stories about buried treasure, mysterious murders, lost tombs, bizarre crimes, and other fascinating tales of the past and present.
Douglas Preston began his career at the American Museum of Natural History, New York, as a writer, editor, and publication manager. His eight-year stint at the Museum resulted in his first published book – Dinosaurs in the Attic (1986). Preston has also taught nonfiction writing at Princeton University. He has authored several non-fiction books and frequently collaborates with Lincoln Child to write thrillers, several of which have been adapted for the screen.
8. Here in the Dark by Alexis Soloski
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pages: 256
Publisher: Flatiron Books (December 5, 2023)
Vivian Parry thrives in the shadows. Once an actress, she now works as a junior theater critic in a major Manhattan magazine. At night, she is immersed in the shows she adores, while her days are dedicated to tearing them apart with words.
In pursuit of a promotion, she reluctantly agrees to an interview that unravels long-buried secrets. When her interviewer vanishes, leaving her as the last known person to see him alive, Vivian, desperate for answers, steps into the role she vowed never to play again: amateur detective. Ignoring the police’s reluctance to investigate, she scrutinizes a dodgy private eye, a questionable internet startup, a menacing financier, fake blood, and a very real corpse. As she approaches the final act, Vivian discovers that the line between theater and reality is thinner and more perilous than she ever imagined.
Alexis Soloski has been writing for the New York Times since 2006. There, she covers television, movies, theater, podcasts, and new media as a culture reporter. She is an award-winning theater critic, having taught at Barnard College and Columbia University, where she earned a PhD in theater. Here in the Dark is Soloski’s first novel.
9. Meet the Benedettos by Katie Cotugno
Genre: Romance, Contemporary fiction
Pages: 256
Publisher: Harper Perennial (December 5, 2023)
Described as Pride and Prejudice meets the Kardashians, Familia centers around Charlie Bingley, an A-list film star who moves to Los Angeles, next door to a family with five eligible sisters. The oldest sister, June, catches Bingley’s eyes. Cinta, the Benedetto mom, is all for the match, but others are trying to sabotage it.
Lilly, the second oldest sister, isn’t a fan of the attention their family receives. She also thinks Will Darcy, Charlie’s friend, is stuck up. Will, on the other hand, finds Lilly loud and defensive. It is a classic clash of personalities, but you know what they say – opposites attract! Despite the constant bickering, Will and Lilly can’t seem to stay away from each other. Drama, romance, and a crumbling mansion – welcome to the Benedetto world!
Katie Cotugno is a New York Times bestselling author. Her works – described by her as “messy, complicated, feminist love stories”- include Liar’s Beach (2023), Birds of California (2022), 99 Days (2015), and Rules for Being a Girl (2020), which she co-wrote with Candace Bushnell. Katie’s books have been honored by the Junior Library Guild, the Bank Street Children’s Book Committee, and the Kentucky Association of School Librarians.
10. Same Time Next Year by Tessa Bailey
Genre: Romance
Pages: 144
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories (December 1, 2023)
Infused with hope and humor, Tessa Bailey’s newest novella tracks a couple’s messy, fake marriage for a year. Britta is a likable, ambitious waitress working at Sluggers, a bar that holds a special place in her heart and is a regular hangout for the local hockey club – Bridgeport Bandits. Britta has a strict no-dating policy for hockey boys and has a half-brother on the team.
However, she develops a soft spot for a particular player, Sumner Mayfield. He is on the brink of breaking into the NHL, but time’s running out, and his work visa is about to expire. Sumner’s only chance to stay in Bridgeport is to marry an American and bag a green card. On New Year’s Eve, the team begs Britta to marry Sumner. While Summer is desperately in love, Britta balks at first until something about Sumner’s soulful brown eyes makes her reconsider the proposal.
Tessa Bailey is a New York Times bestselling author. She primarily writes romance fiction, both series and standalone. Fix Her Up (2019), It Happened One Summer (2021), and Hook, Line, and Sinker (2022) are some of her popular works.
