14 Books Coming Out in 2017 That Will Help You Escape This Already Shitty Year

Difficult Women by Roxane Gay

“Roxane Gay is one of my favorite writers and her new book is a collection of stories about so-called ‘difficult women’ — sign me up!” — Colleen Stinchcombe, Experts Editor

Down City: A Daughter’s Story of Love, Memory, and Murder by Leah Carroll

“My interest in Down City is a little bit personal: I met Leah Carroll at a writing residency a few years ago where another writer dismissed the idea her writing a memoir at such a young age (Leah was in her early 30s at the time), asking what she could possibly have to write about. Leah responded matter-of-factly, “My mom was killed by the mafia when I was four, my dad committed suicide when I was 18.” I not only immediately wanted to get to know this woman, but after her presentation to the rest of the group on her James Ellroy-ish investigation into her parents’ mysterious deaths, I was dying to read her memoir. After getting to know Leah, I can say confidently she not only has an incredible story, she’s an electric and heartbreakingly generous, and, yes, incredible writer as well. Can’t wait.” — Melissa Kirsch, Deputy Editor

See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt

“You would think that 124 years after Andrew and Abby Borden were brutally murdered by hatchet in Fall River, MA, we as a society would have moved on. But we haven’t. We are still fascinated by the case and, most of all, Lizzie Borden who was the only suspect in the murders and then acquitted. I’m really looking forward to this fictionalized version of her story, which still manages to be gripping and suspenseful.” — Elizabeth Yuko, Health Editor

Vibrant India: Fresh Vegetarian Recipes from Bangalore to Brooklyn by Chitra Agrawal

 “I am obsessed with Chitra Agrawal’s Brookln Delhi relishes, and I love her cultural melange take on Indian cooking on her blog ABCDs of Cooking. So I’m really looking forward to her cookbook of light, fresh, veggie-loving South Indian recipes.” — Adriana Velez, Food Editor

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins

“I, along with nearly everyone else, loved The Girl on the Train, so you better believe I’m pre-ordering my copy of Paula Hawkins’ upcoming release Into the Water. Slated to release May 2, Into the Water is a suspense novel that centers on the discovery of the bodies of a mother and teenage girl at the bottom of a river.” — Kristine Cannon, Entertainment Editor

I’d Die for You and Other Lost Stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald

“Finally, Fitzgerald’s last stories are being published. This collection includes a number of pieces he was unable to publish in the 1930s due to their subject matter. As a lover of Fitzgerald’s turns of phrase and his unparalleled ability to make tragic things beautiful, I cannot wait to dive into these ‘new’ works.” — Kaitlin Racine, Experts Editor

What She Ate by Laura Shapiro

“Two of Laura Shapiro’s previous books — Perfection Salad and Something From the Oven — changed the way I thought about American food, and did so in the most entertaining and informative way possible. I can’t wait to read her next offering, What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women and the Food That Tells Their Stories, and am incredibly intrigued by the women she profiles, who include Helen Gurley Brown, Eva Braun and Eleanor Roosevelt.” — Elizabeth Yuko, Health Editor

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

“This isn’t typically the type of book I like to read and I haven’t read anything by Saunders yet, but I love anything spooky — and this book is getting great reviews. Lincoln? Creepy cemetery? Count me in.” — Kenzie Mastroe, Branded Content Editor

You Are Here: An Owner’s Manual for Dangerous Minds by Jenny Lawson

“I get absurdly proud when a blogger I know (and know to be brilliant) publishes a book, especially when, like Jenny Lawson, they become bestsellers. Jenny draws to manage her anxiety and depression — finding and creating patterns helps her when she’s struggling. Her third book grew out of the depression she’s been going through over the past year. It’s a coloring book of her complex and beautiful patterns, paired with some stories and words that have also helped her. Sharing her art therapy becomes art therapy for her readers, which is the most beautiful pattern of all.” — Julie Ross Godar, Executive Editorial Director 

The Most Beautiful: My Life with Prince by Mayte Garcia

“From the elusive Prince’s first wife, this memoir will shed light on the notoriously private icon and their unique — and ultimately tragic — love story.” — Caroline Goddard, SheKnows contributor

This Life I Live: One Man’s Extraordinary, Ordinary Life and the Woman Who Changed It Forever by Rory Feek

“I’m not a country music fan, and before Joey Feek was diagnosed with cervical cancer, I had never even heard of her — or the other half of her country music duo Joey+Rory, her husband Rory Feek. But her diagnosis pointed me to the blog that she and Rory wrote together, and their beautiful writing coupled with the incredible love, strength and resolve they showed as Joey fought cancer brought me to tears, day after day. No author could write a love story as beautiful as Joey and Rory’s, and although it ends in tragedy, I can’t wait to curl up with a cup of tea and this book to celebrate every moment of it, from the triumphs to the heartbreak.” — Christina Marfice, SheKnows contributor

Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined by Danielle Younge-Ullman

“This book is described as ‘Wild meets The Breakfast Club meets Gilmore Girls,’ and that alone makes me want to read it. In short, though, this YA novel tells the story of Ingrid, a girl who proves to her mother that she has the strength to pursue her dreams by — you guessed it — embarking on a wilderness expedition. The book hit shelves on Feb. 21.” — Kristine Cannon, Entertainment Editor

The Vanity Fair Dairies by Tina Brown

“This is completely up my alley. Former Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Tina Brown will publish her private diaries — covering everything from her marriage to Harry Evans to her ‘battles in the boys club‘ of Condé Nast. Juicy, juicy. Is it November yet?” — Kristine Cannon, Entertainment Editor

The Space Between the Stars by Anne Corlett

“What it’s about: A woman has left Earth due to overpopulation. Then a virus wipes out most of humanity on Earth. Feeling hopeless and lonely, she receives a message from Earth: Someone she knows might just be alive. So, she joins a group of survivors and travels back to Earth, in hopes for a new life and a new beginning.

But really, the message is: Outside of its sci-fi elements, really, this book is about finding yourself and your place in the universe.

Count me in.” — Kristine Cannon, Entertainment Editor