February may have fewer days than the average month, but each and every one is set to be chock-full of incredible, must-read books. From Sophie Kinsella's newest novel to collections that appeal to the magical whimsy in all of us, ahead you'll find 20 new releases that are completely out of this world — every one of which deserves a spot on your bookshelf.
The World Only Spins Forward: The Ascent of Angels in America
Isaac Butler and Dan Kois celebrate the 25th anniversary of Angels in America with the ultimate oral history of the award-winning play, The World Only Spins Forward: The Ascent of Angels in America [1] — and we can more than guarantee that you won't read anything quite like this phenomenal collection all year.
Out Feb. 13
Dreadful Young Ladies and Other Stories
Kelly Barnhill's Dreadful Young Ladies and Other Stories [2] is a breathtaking collection of tales that traverse the intersection of reality and fantasy, all the while reminding us of the very values that make us human.
Out Feb. 20
Madness Is Better Than Defeat
Madness Is Better Than Defeat [3] is the latest offering from one of the UK's brightest up-and-comers, Ned Beauman. A thriller that often teeters into the hilarious, the novel pits the CIA vs. Hollywood in the Honduran jungle — and boy, is it one hell of an original story.
Out Feb. 13
The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches From the Border
Francisco Cantú shares a deeply personal and incredibly timely story in The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches From the Border [4], adding new depths to one of the most controversial issues of our modern times: the Mexican border.
Out Feb. 6
The House of Impossible Beauties
Joseph Cassara's debut novel, The House of Impossible Beauties [5] is an unforgettable exploration of the burgeoning drag world of 1980's New York City. Inspired by true events, it will totally transform everything you thought you knew about one of the most exciting yet heartbreaking periods in our modern history.
Out Feb. 6
Freshwater
Freshwater [6] is the first novel from Akwaeke Emezi, marking the beginning of what will surely be a long, storied career. Strikingly original and impossible to put down, it tracks the life of a Nigerian woman — from birth through to her adulthood unraveling — and will leave you breathless by the very end.
Out Feb. 13
The Chateau
Paul Goldberg's The Chateau [7] is a timely, hilarious exploration of Floridian life in Donald Trump [8]'s America and is one of the most enjoyable romps we've experienced so far in 2018.
Out Feb. 13
Asymmetry
Asymmetry [9] is Lisa Halliday's first book, and it's an astounding look at the human condition. The three sections travel from NYC to Iraq to London, demonstrating the sheer breadth of Halliday's talent and leaving the reader aching for more.
Out Feb. 6
An American Marriage
In An American Marriage [10], Tayari Jones delves into what it's like to have your life and love torn apart by a false conviction, to have your heart behind bars while your own life carries on as if nothing has happened.
Out Feb. 6
Surprise Me
The much-loved, bestselling Sophie Kinsella returns with Surprise Me, a story of one married couple's attempts to revitalize a marriage and the realization that comes with learning that perhaps the one you love the most is actually, in fact, the one you know the least.
Out Feb. 13
Back Talk
Danielle Lazarin's Back Talk [11] is the ultimate collection of stories centered on the experience of women and girls — and we can't recommend it highly enough.
Out Feb. 6
Sunburn
A taut, thoughtful thriller, Laura Lipmann's Sunburn [12] tells the story of a passionate affair gone horribly wrong and the lengths we go to protect the ones we love.
Out Feb. 20
Heart Berries: A Memoir
A coming-of-age memoir set on an American Indian reservation in the Pacific Northwest, Heart Berries [13] is a haunting, exquisite portrait of the struggles of mental health and trauma, and Terese Marie Mailhot's story is not one you're likely to forget anytime soon.
Out Feb. 6
The Friend
Legendary author Sigrid Nunez puts forth a tale of one woman's recovery from a traumatic loss in The Friend [14] — and how the dog her loved one left behind becomes the center of her life, for better or for worse.
Out Feb. 6
What Are We Doing Here
Marilynne Robinson's new collection of essays, What Are We Doing Here? [15], tackles everything from politics to religion and everything in between — and it's truly not to be missed.
Out Feb. 20
All the Names They Used For God
Every story in Anjali Sachdeva's new collection, All the Names They Used For God [16], grapples with the same topic: fate. Transcending time, place, and the characters within, the full collection will leave you reeling.
Out Feb. 20
Feel Free: Essays
As always, Zadie Smith absolutely knocks it out of the park with her new collection, Feel Free [17]. Split into five distinct sections — In the World, In the Audience, In the Gallery, On the Bookshelf, and Feel Free — you'll be riveted from start to finish, and the collection cements Smith's position as one of our generation's strongest, most important voices.
Out Feb. 6
Jagannath
Outrageously original, insanely intricate, and possessing the freshest voices you'll read all year, Karin Tidbeck's Jagannath [18] is an absolute must read for any science fiction or magical realism fan out there.
Out Feb. 6
The Strange Bird
Jeff VanderMeer's follow-up to last year's Borne, The Strange Bird [19], is everything we hoped it'd be — a truly stirring, eminently beautiful tale of a world unlike anything we've ever known.
Out Feb. 27
Sadness Is a White Bird
Moriel Rothman-Zecher's Sadness Is a White Bird [20] is a poignant tale set on the frontlines of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and examines the bonds of family and country in a way we've never quite seen before.
Out Feb. 13