In Episode 153, Susie Boutry (@NovelVisits) and I are back for our 3rd annual Debuts Special! Today, we’re sharing our favorite debuts from 2023 (so far), new and backlist! Plus, we discuss our reading stats for debuts this year, and we talk about some standout sophomore novels that made the cut.

This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).

Highlights

• How this year’s crop of debuts compares to those from previous years.
• A full breakdown of our 2023 debut-related stats.
• Debuts we love, divided into three categories:
  • Favorite Debuts of 2023 (so far)
  • Favorite Backlist Debuts
  • Standout Sophomore Novels

Favorite Debuts of 2023 (so far) [7:06]

Sarah

• Talking at Night by Claire Daverley | Amazon | Bookshop.org [8:01]
• The Art of Scandal by Regina Black | Amazon | Bookshop.org [13:43]
• Good for a Girl by Lauren Fleshman | Amazon | Bookshop.org [20:02]
• Shark Heart by Emily Habeck | Amazon | Bookshop.org [26:41]

Susie

• Go As a River by Shelley Read | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:47]
• Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin | Amazon | Bookshop.org [16:49]
• In Memoriam by Alice Winn | Amazon | Bookshop.org [22:43]
• The Road to Dalton by Shannon Bowring | Amazon | Bookshop.org [30:40]

Other Books Mentioned

• The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin [7:27]
• The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue [8:47]
• Normal People by Sally Rooney [8:48]
• The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller [8:50]
• One Day by David Nicholls [8:51]
• Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering [9:20]
• Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens [13:07]
• The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger [24:23]
• The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff [24:25]
• A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara [25:33]
• No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister [32:06]
• The Net Beneath Us by Carol Dunbar [33:07]
• A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson [33:10]

Favorite Backlist Debuts [33:22]

Sarah

• The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:37]
• Blood Sugar by Sascha Rothchild | Amazon | Bookshop.org [39:47]

Susie

• Severance by Ling Ma | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:18]
• Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller | Amazon | Bookshop.org [41:53]

Other Books Mentioned

• Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson [34:23]
• Tom Lake by Ann Patchett [37:21]
• Pete and Alice in Maine by Caitlin Shetterly [37:23]
• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel [37:33]
• The Dog Stars by Peter Heller [37:40]
• Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller [42:56]

Standout Sophomore Novels [44:46]

Sarah

• I Could Live Here Forever by Hanna Halperin | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:23]
• The Connollys of County Down by Tracey Lange | Amazon | Bookshop.org [49:51]

Susie

• The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood | Amazon | Bookshop.org [47:33]
• The Whispers by Ashley Audrain | Amazon | Bookshop.org [51:59]

Other Books Mentioned

• Happiness Falls by Angie Kim [45:10]
• Something Wild by Hanna Halperin [47:25]
• Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes [49:21]
• We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange [50:00]
• The Push by Ashley Audrain [52:35]

Additional Books Mentioned

• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus [2:15]
• The Measure by Nikki Erlick [2:17]

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 1), I’m going Behind the Scenes of Book Cover Design with Karen Horton, graphic designer and former Art Director at Henry Holt & Company.

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