With the new year comes new releases; from films to video games. Books are no different. If you’re a reader like me, you’re always on the lookout for new and upcoming novels. So, to make that task a little bit easier for you, here is a list of six books that will be released in 2022; all of which are either the first in a new series or a standalone.
- tHESE DEADLY GAMES BY Diana uRBAN
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These Deadly Games is a standalone thriller that puts Crystal Donavan’s psyche to the test after she is sent a video of her younger sister gagged and bound. With the video comes an offer: to play a game. Her sister’s only chance to live is if Crystal wins within 24 hours. The tasks start off simple but soon become sinister when the missions begin to target her friends with deadly intentions.
Release Date: February 1, 2022
- Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie
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The debut novel by Racquel Marie, Ophelia After All, navigates high school, friendships and queerness. Ophelia Rojas has her life figured out. She knows she loves her friends, her food and boys. But, she soon realizes that she doesn’t know as much as she thinks she does when she finds herself crushing on a quiet girl named Talia Sanchez.
Release Date: February 8, 2022
- Blood Scion by DEBORAH fALAYE
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Sloane is a Scion, a descendent of Orisha gods. She’s forced to keep her abilities a secret from the discriminatory rule of Lucis. When she gets the opportunity to join the army, Sloane realizes she’s got the chance to destroy the kingdom from within. But in doing so, she risks losing herself. This science-fiction book is slated to be the first in a duology.
Release Date: March 8, 2022
- The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson
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After her five-day disappearance, a girl’s ex-boyfriend is accused of killing his new girlfriend. In order to prove his innocence, she teams with her tutor to find the truth of the girlfriend’s death. The two tackle the mystery by using the techniques and genius of Agatha Christie.
Release Date: May 3, 2022
- The Hacienda by Isabel Coñas
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The Hacienda is a horror novel described as “Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca.” It follows the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence as Beatriz faces the destruction of her home and the execution of her father. With nothing to lose, she accepts the proposal of Don Rodolfo Solórzano, a man surrounded by rumors about his first wife’s death. When she moves into his estate, La Hacienda San Isidro, she is welcomed by visions and voices. She must join forces with a young priest, Padre Andrés, to use his skills as a witch to combat the darkness within the hacienda.
Release Date: May 10, 2022
- Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
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This gothic murder mystery follows Signa Farrow, an orphan who’s watched all of her guardians die in mysterious manners. When Signa is visited by the deceased matriarch of her last remaining relatives, she forms an alliance with Death to uncover the truth of her murder. Belladonna is the first in a series.
Release Date: August 23, 2022
There are hundreds of more books coming to our shelves in 2022. But, these six can help you begin your journey into reading this coming year.