In Episode 125, Susie Boutry (@NovelVisits) and I are back for our 2nd annual Debuts Special. Today we’re sharing our favorite debut novels from 2022 (so far)! Plus, we discuss our reading stats for debuts this year and we talk about some upcoming sophomore novels (and their debuts) that are on our radar.

This post contains affiliate links (plus: here’s your Amazon Smile-specific affiliate link), through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).

Highlights

• We discuss why debut books often feel more polished.
• A full breakdown of our 2022 debut-related stats.
• Debuts we love, divided into three categories:
  • Favorite Debuts of 2022 (so far)
  • Favorite Backlist Debuts
  • Upcoming Sophomore Novels

Favorite Debuts of 2022 (so far) [8:47]

Sarah

• Never Simple by Liz Scheier | Amazon | Bookshop.org [9:57]
• More Than You’ll Ever Know by Katie Gutierrez | Amazon | Bookshop.org [14:43]
• Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez | Amazon | Bookshop.org [21:14]
• The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb | Amazon | Bookshop.org [26:52]

Susie

• Groundskeeping by Lee Cole | Amazon | Bookshop.org [12:05]
• Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow | Amazon | Bookshop.org [17:37]
• Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley | Amazon | Bookshop.org [23:57]
• We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman (November 8) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [29:31]

Favorite Backlist Debuts [33:18]

Sarah

• Finding Freedom by Erin French | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:21]
• The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker | Amazon | Bookshop.org [38:41]

Susie

• A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza | Amazon | Bookshop.org [35:14]
• Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton | Amazon | Bookshop.org [43:57]

Upcoming Sophomore Novels [44:30]

Sarah

• Debut: Don’t Know Tough by Eli Cranor | Amazon | Bookshop.org [44:44]
• Upcoming: Ozark Dogs by Eli Cranor (April 4, 2023) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [44:59]
• Debut: His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie | Amazon | Bookshop.org [48:46]
• Upcoming: Nightbloom by Peace Adzo Medie (June 13, 2023) | Amazon [49:05]

Susie

• Debut: Tuesday Nights in 1980 by Molly Prentiss | Amazon | Bookshop.org [46:32]
• Upcoming: Old Flame by Molly Prentiss (April 11, 2023) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [46:54]
• Debut: The Push by Ashley Audrain | Amazon | Bookshop.org [50:40]
• Upcoming: The Whispers by Ashley Audrain (July 2023) [50:54]

Other Books Mentioned

• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus [9:24]
• The Measure by Nikki Erlick [9:35]
• Corrections in Ink by Keri Blakinger [9:39]
• Cover Story by Susan Rigetti [9:50]
• Nowhere Girl by Cheryl Diamond [10:39]
• The Glass Castle by Jeannette Wells [10:43]
• Inheritance by Dani Shapiro [10:45]
• Writers & Lovers by Lily King [13:12]
• Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett [15:11]
• Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff [37:32]
• The One by John Marrs [39:56]
• The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker [40:32]
• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel [43:29]
• The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton (December 6) [43:58]
• Bull Mountain by Brian Panowich [45:56]
• When I Ran Away by Ilona Bannister [48:22]

About Susie Boutry

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Susie has loved reading for as long as she can remember. Some of her fondest childhood memories involve long afternoons at the library and then reading late into the night. More than ten years ago, she began journaling about the books she read and turned that passion into writing about books. Her first forays were as a guest reviewer on a friend’s blog, but she soon realized she wanted to be reviewing and talking about books on a blog of her own. From there, Novel Visits was born. That was in 2016 and, though the learning curve was steep, she loves being a part of the book community. Novel Visits focuses on new novel reviews (print and audio), previews of upcoming releases, and musings on all things bookish.

Next Episode

In two weeks (November 2), I’m going Behind the Scenes of Producing Audiobooks with Karen Dziekonski, an audiobook producer from Penguin Random House Audio.

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