Saturday, July 25, 2026

The latest must-read debut fiction

 
Readworthy by BookBub
This Month’s Best New Debut Fiction
 
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Book cover for The Lowe Job by Grace Alexander
Scandal will be the best thing — or the worst — to ever happen to this family
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • Lili Lowe’s affair has blown up in a big way, but her mother has a plan for the family’s newfound spotlight…
  • A perfect pick for readers “who prefer a bit of bite with their beach reads and those who gobble up episodes of reality TV” (Booklist)
  • “Whip-smart yet surprisingly tender… Prepare yourselves to meet a family you won’t forget” (Sunday Times bestselling author Jennie Godfrey)
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Lowe Job by Grace Alexander MEDIA MENTIONS: Harper's Bazaar, Library Journal, Booklist
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Book cover for Decomposition Book by Sara van Os
A dark and humorous read for fans of Yellowjackets
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • “A slippery page-turner that’s as profoundly beautiful as it is totally unhinged” (New York Times bestselling author Rachel Harrison)
  • After falling out with her best friend, Savannah withdraws to her parents’ isolated lake house — and wakes up next to a corpse
  • “I relished every minute” (Nebula Award–nominated author Natalia Theodoridou)
Learn more...
Media mentions for Decomposition Book by Sara van Os MEDIA MENTIONS: Reactor, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist
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Book cover for Should the Waters Take Us by Stephanie Soileau
The fragile bonds in a Gulf Coast community are tested after an oil spill
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • A “remarkable” debut (Publishers Weekly starred review) from “a deeply talented and wonderful writer” (Jesmyn Ward)
  • This family saga moves from France to Acadia to Louisiana across four centuries
  • “Filled with unforgettable characters, breathtaking scenes, fascinating time jumps, and a setting so precisely rendered that it’s palpable” (Patrick Ryan)
Learn more...
Media mentions for Should the Waters Take Us by Stephanie Soileau MEDIA MENTIONS: Indie Next List, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Literary Hub
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Book cover for The Lake Club by Lina Patton
At a wealthy Midwestern country club, it’s a summer full of scandal…
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • As Danika and Augie clash over Danika’s cute new male nanny, their obsession starts to unravel their small town’s dark secrets
  • “From The Lake Club’s opening pages, I was captivated by the intoxicating prose and immersive summer setting” (Carola Lovering, author of Tell Me Lies)
  • “A natural fit for reading by the pool” (Booklist)
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Lake Club by Lina Patton MEDIA MENTIONS: Library Journal, Booklist
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Book cover for The Great Wherever by Shannon Sanders
Tayari Jones calls this debut ‘a pleasure and a treasure’
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • This multigenerational family story is “a bighearted triumph” (Kirkus Reviews starred review)
  • When Aubrey inherits her father’s share of a Tennessee farm, she begins to uncover its history — while the ghosts of her opinionated ancestors watch her closely…
  • One of the most highly anticipated summer releases, recommended by over a dozen publications including NPR, People, and Oprah Daily
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Great Wherever by Shannon Sanders MEDIA MENTIONS: Book of the Month, NPR, Oprah Daily, People, The Washington Post, Town & Country, Harper's Bazaar, Esquire, Real Simple, Elle, The Boston Globe, New York Post, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, BookPage, Electric Literature, Literary Hub
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Book cover for Waiting on a Friend by Natalie Adler
One of the best books of the summer, according to Oprah Daily
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • This hotly anticipated novel “dazzles like a mirror ball” (Publishers Weekly starred review) — and The Minnesota Star Tribune compared the author to Ann Patchett!
  • Renata has always been able to see ghosts. But the person she most wants to talk to won’t appear…
  • With praise from Ann Napolitano and Patrick Ryan, who calls it “wildly inventive and moving… an astonishingly brilliant debut”
Learn more...
Media mentions for Waiting on a Friend by Natalie Adler MEDIA MENTIONS: Time Magazine, TODAY Show, Oprah Daily, Harper's Bazaar, The Times, The Boston Globe, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Electric Literature, Literary Hub
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Book cover for Everything to the Sea by Alicia Upano
People named this ‘deeply emotional epic’ a summer must-read
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • When a devastating tsunami makes landfall in Hawaii, a young couple is torn apart. As they’re separated by an ocean and the years pass, can Jane and Kenji find their way back to one another?
  • “Alicia Upano has made an extraordinary debut” (National Book Award finalist Julia Phillips)
  • “Sensitive and deeply felt… A testament to the power of community” (Chloe Benjamin, author of The Immortalists)
Learn more...
Media mentions for Everything to the Sea by Alicia Upano MEDIA MENTIONS: People, Literary Hub
GET EBOOK ON:
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New in Kindle Unlimited: Today’s top picks!

 
BookBub
New for you in Kindle Unlimited
Fresh reads just landed in Kindle Unlimited! Dive into our top picks from your favorite categories, free with a Kindle Unlimited membership.
 
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Just the Nicest Couple
New in Kindle Unlimited
Just the Nicest Couple
Mary Kubica
This New York Times bestseller showcases “Mary Kubica at her best” (Laura Dave)! Nina’s husband has disappeared. And her friend Lily is hiding something: She’s the last person who saw him… “Entirely unputdownable and everything a reader is looking for in their next read” (Sally Hepworth).
Bestsellers, Crime Fiction, Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers
Free
With Kindle Unlimited
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Still Midnight
New in Kindle Unlimited
Still Midnight
Denise Mina
A “stellar” series starter that “delivers a sucker-punch climax” (Publishers Weekly): On a quiet Scottish street, three men break into a home, looking for a man who has never set foot inside — leaving prickly detective Alex Morrow to untangle the increasingly complex truth.
Crime Fiction
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Mermaid Inn
New in Kindle Unlimited
Mermaid Inn
Jenny Holiday
From a USA Today bestselling author: When Eve inherits the Mermaid Inn, she reluctantly returns to her seaside hometown — and is quickly beset by renovation issues, nosy neighbors, and the man who broke her heart years ago! “Bursting with humor… Holiday elevates the classic small-town rom-com” (Entertainment Weekly).
Contemporary Romance
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The Scorpion Thief
New in Kindle Unlimited
The Scorpion Thief
Janyre Tromp
A “fascinating” read (Madeline Martin) for fans of Fiona Davis and Kate Quinn: When her estranged sister resurfaces in Cairo, Egyptologist Noura Marquette gets caught in a complex web as Washington, DC, sets its sights on King Tutankhamun’s treasures. “Sweeping and hypnotic” (New York Times bestselling author Julie Cantrell).
Historical Fiction
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Westerly
New in Kindle Unlimited
Westerly
Susan Donovan Bernhard
“An extraordinary novel about the secrets we carry, the burdens they cause, and the redeeming power of love” (New York Times bestselling author Marjan Kamali): When an Irish newspaper clipping threatens to unravel Faye Sullivan’s life with her husband and daughters, she must revisit a childhood summer in Cork — and the decision she made there…
Women's Fiction
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More Books You Might Like
Jonny Mendez: Books 1–3
New in Kindle Unlimited
Jonny Mendez: Books 1–3
Andre Gonzalez
A riveting box set perfect for fans of Jack Reacher: Navy SEAL vet Jonny Mendez does his best to stay out of trouble — but no matter where he goes, trouble seems to find him…
Free
With Kindle Unlimited
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