Whether you made a New Year's Resolution to read more or you're just coming down from your post Yes Please reading high, 2015 is going to be a great year for books. Though some of our favorite series seems to be delayed indefinitely (I'm looking at you, George R.R. Martin), this year will feature sequels to old favorites and entirely new stories to capture your imagination. Plus there is a large chance that if you're reading diligently on MUNI, no one will talk to you. And that, my friend is something worth looking into!
Funny Girl by Nick Hornby
Release date: February 3
What to read to pregame: Slam or How to Be Good By Nick Hornby
The cool thing about Nick Hornby is that even if you don't read you're probably already a little bit familiar with his work. Ever heard of High Fidelity? About a Boy? Fever Pitch? Yup, before those were movies (and some regrettable T.V. shows) they were classic Hornby novels. He tends to showcase quirky characters in kind of crap situations, but even in light of that his books are hilarious. Funny Girl is his newest novel and it features a sitcom star in 60's London trying to survive.
We Are Pirates by Daniel Handler
Release date: February 3
What to read to pregame: Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler and The Book Of Lost Things by John Connolly
Those of us with darker inclinations during childhood remember Daniel Handler as the real life identity of A Series of Unfortunate Events author Lemony Snicket (they may make a Netflix series y'all). Handler currently lives in San Francisco and his latest book will be set there as well. Handler, who made headlines last year because of a racist joke, was careful to include at least one person of color in this book about a band of teenagers who decide to be pirates and scourge the shores of San Francisco. Handler calls this a "children's book for adults," which is something most of the adult children galavanting around this strange Neverland could really get behind.
God Help The Child by Toni Morrison
Release date: April 21
What to read to pregame: Beloved by Toni Morrison or Quicksand by Nella Larsen
As race relations churn in constant turmoil in the United States and beyond, Toni Morrison once again artfully details the complexity of racial and sexual identity. Her new book God Help The Child will tell of the fraught relationship between a light skinned mother and her dark and beautiful daughter, Bride. If Morrison's other books are any indication this novel will feature lush sensual imagery, which will immerse the reader fully into the minds of the characters.
Very Good Lives by J.K. Rowling
Release date: April 14
What to read to pregame: The Tales of Beedle The Bard by J.K. Rowling or The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer
Most of us grew up with the works of J.K. Rowling (for some of us, the related merchandise served for very good birth control during high school). Still, her post-Potter adult work has been disappointing and any fan who dutifully waded through Casual Vacancy or got tricked into reading Cuckoo's Calling was afraid that maybe all the magic was gone. Rowling's new book is an illustrated version of her 2008 commencement speech for Harvard graduates, which she called "the world's largest Gryffindor reunion". Listening to Rowling's speech, which tells about her life and extolls the " benefits of failure" and the "importance if imagination," is reason enough to believe that we can fall in love with her all over again.
Fight Club II by Chuck Palahniuk
Release date: A very vague May 2015
What to read to pregame: Guts or (duh) Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk (a very rare instance of "the movie was slightly better")
Welp, we're talking about Fight Club first rule be damned! Palahniuk announced at Comicon last year that he will be creating a 10 issue comic book sequel to Fight Club. This story will follow his main protagonist as he enters his 40's and raises a son with the eccentric Marla Singer. Familiar characters and plot elements such as Project Mayhem will be featured and Palahniuk implies heavily that everyone's favorite alter ego, Tyler Durden may even make an appearance.
In The Unlikely Event by Judy Blume
Release date: June 2
What to read to pregame: Forever and Places I Never Meant To Be by Judy Blume
You could ask, "Are you there Judy Blume? It's me Molly (P.S. I FINALLY got my period)" and the answer would be "um yeah, I've been on Twitter for a while now, and that's not surprising seeing as you're 23." Blume has been active on social media since 2009 so her fans have been in touch, but it's been a while since we've had a new book to read. In The Unlikely Event tells the story of a series of passenger plane crashes in 1951 and how they effected the lives of teens living in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Blume experienced these events first hand and though this is a work of fiction, she will no doubt bring her deeply personal writing style to the page once again.
Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee
Release date: July 14
What to read to pregame: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee or The Mockingbird Next Door: Life With Harper Lee by Marja Mills
Remember when you read To Kill A Mockingbird in ninth grade? Remember how freaking great it was? Lee's story of protecting the weak and small town prejudice is still relevant even in modern times. 55 years after its release, Lee is publishing a new novel that will function as a sequel, featuring a grown up Scout Finch as she visits her hometown from New York. Some are suspicious that the recent death of Lee's sister and constant protector, Alice, may have lead publishers to swoop on Lee and bully her into re-entering the literary scene. Still, I'm going to have to read this book, and if Atticus Finch dies I will have to take at least a week off work to grieve.
What about you? What books are you looking forward to this year? Reading anything good now? Tell us in the comments and happy reading!
Image courtesy of Flickr user, Porshe Brosseau.