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Must-reads of 2019: the best new books of the year

Voyage into the planet’s past and future with Robert Macfarlane, return to Gilead in Margaret Atwood’s explosive follow-up to The Handmaid’s Tale and celebrate the 70th anniversary of the dystopian classic Nineteen Eighty-Four. These are the books and literary moments to look out for in 2019.

January Book releases

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Non-fiction

Pig Wrestling by Pete Lindsay & Mark Bawden (3rd Jan). How can the story of an imaginary pig and a kindly barrista help solve any problem? Based on the authors’ work with the world’s elite sports and business performers, Pig Wrestling gives us the tools to create change whenever and wherever we need it.

The Energy Plan by James Collins (10th Jan). In our increasingly busy and connected lives, having energy is a superpower. Learn how to fuel your body for your life. Power through the 3pm slump, feel more productive, sleep well and lose unwanted weight.

Happy Ever After by Paul Dolan (17th Jan). Free yourself from the myth of living the perfect life as Paul Dolan, bestselling author of Happiness By Design, returns to show us how we can find our own routes to happiness this new year.

The Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitz by Jeremy Dronfield (24th Jan). When Gustav Kleinmann and his son were seized by the Nazis in 1939, it was the start of an unimaginable ordeal. Through the horrors, there was one constant that kept them going: the love between father and son. A remarkable story of hope, family and survival.

The Joy of Work by Bruce Daisley (24th Jan). From the creator of hit podcast Eat Sleep Work Repeat comes a revolutionary re-envisioning of how to enjoy your job.

Chernobyl by Serhii Plokhy (31st Jan). Winner of the Baillie Gifford prize, historian Serhii Plokhy draws on recently opened archives to recreate the events of the night of April 26th 1986.  A moment by moment account of the heroes, perpetrators and victims of a tragedy.

Withdrawn Traces: Searching for the truth about Richey Edwards by Sara Hawys Roberts and Leon Noakes (31st Jan). On 1 February 1995, Richey Edwards, guitarist of the Manic Street Preachers, went missing at the age of 27.  The book was written at the request of Richey’s sister, Rachel, and with access to all his diaries, essays, school reports and letters.

A Short History of Brexit by Kevin O’Rourke (31st Jan). After all the debates, manoeuvrings, recriminations and exaltations, Brexit is upon us. A Short History of Brexit rises above the usual fray of discussions to provide fresh perspectives and understanding of the most momentous political and economic change in Britain and the EU for decades.

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Fiction

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen McManus (10th Jan, PB). Two dead homecoming queens. Five years later, is the killer back? A new YA book by the bestselling author of One of us is Lying.

My Name is Anna by Lizzy Barber (10th Jan). Two women – desperate to unlock the truth. How far will they go to lay the past to rest? From the winner of the Daily Mail crime writing competition comes an enthralling debut thriller about a young woman’s quest to uncover her identity.

The Chestnut Man by Soren SveistrupI (10th Jan). Introducing the nail-biting debut thriller from the award-winning creator of global TV sensation The Killing.

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield (17th Jan). An exquisitely crafted multi-layered mystery brimming with folklore, suspense and romance, as well as with the urgent scientific curiosity of the Darwinian age, Once Upon a River is as richly atmospheric as Setterfield’s bestseller The Thirteenth Tale.

Watching You by Lisa Jewell (24th Jan, PB). A gripping psychological suspense from the number one bestselling author of Then She Was Gone, as what begins as an innocent crush develops into a dangerous infatuation.

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Children’s

The Whispers by Greg Howard (17th Jan). Before she disappeared, Riley’s mother used to tell him stories about the Whispers, mysterious creatures with the power to grant wishes. Riley wishes for lots of things. He wishes his secret crush Dylan liked him back. He wishes the bumbling detective would stop asking awkward questions. But most of all he wishes his mother would come home…

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