Get Ahead on Your Yearly Reading Goal

Called “a master of misdirection and sudden plot twists,” by Booklist, Miranda’s (“Such a Quiet Place”) domestic thriller is set in Cutter’s Pass, a small mountain town with an intriguing history. Abigail Lovett, a transplant innkeeper who has yet to be accepted by locals, joins forces with a journalist to investigate a series of missing hikers who vanished from a nearby trail, but it becomes increasingly clear that the townspeople have something to hide.

Roanhorse’s postapocalyptic fantasy “Trail of Lightning” has gotten all kinds of accolades, from winning the Hugo and Locus Awards to being named one of Time magazine's “100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time.” It definitely lives up to the hype. The series follows Maggie, a Diné monsterslayer. She’s gruff and tough and a loner who doesn’t consider herself a hero; instead she thinks of herself as “the person you hire when the heroes have already come home in body bags.” (We disagree; she’s definitely a badass, nuevo-punk rock hero!)

Book one of the “Discworld” series features Rincewind, a protagonist permanently stuck in goblin mode, plus a handful of other zany characters parodying well-worn fantasy archetypes. Immensely charming and comforting, “The Color of Magic” will have you laughing all the way through your first book of the year. We can’t think of a better reminder that, whatever reading goal you’ve set, the point is to enjoy yourself along the way.

Not for the faint of heart, this blend of science fiction and horror tells the tale of a future world where a mysterious virus has rendered all animal meat poisonous to humans. Unfortunately, humanity finds cannibalism a more appetizing option than going vegetarian. Pull up a chair and devour Bazterrica’s thought-provoking debut.

A delightfully odd book, this slim, 130-page Japanese novel follows a woman who feels out of place everywhere, except when behind the counter of her convenience store. (To her credit, convenience stores in Japan are truly magical places, unlike their American counterparts.) A surprisingly sweet read about someone who’s probably a sociopath.

Named one of the “50 great Irish novels of the 21st century” by the Sunday Times — and clocking in at just 81 pages — “Foster” is a great way to cross a literary fiction pick off your list. When her mother is about to have yet another baby, a young girl’s parents pack her off to stay indefinitely with distant relatives. NPR’s Heller McAlpin writes, “More than most books four times its size, ‘Foster’ does several of the things we ask of great literature: It expands our world, diverting our attention outward, and it opens up our hearts and minds.”

People can’t stop raving about this enthralling short story collection from the author of “Writers & Lovers.” Esquire gushes, “Each masterful story reminds us that King is one of our finest cartographers of the human heart.” Vogue applauds it as “stories of outsiders finding their people.” Ann Patchett says it “moved me, inspired me, thrilled me. It filled up every chamber of my heart.”

If you could see into your future, would you change how you lived today? This is the dilemma Dannie is faced with after she falls asleep and catches a glimpse five years into her future. This quick read is an unforgettable love story, but not the one you’re expecting. The perfect perspective for a fresh start.

Mackesy’s quiet and profound collection of uplifting messages prove that there really is beauty in simplicity. Whimsical line illustrations accompany a simple tale of a boy’s adventure and the life-changing advice he receives from the unlikely friends he makes along the way. This lovely, 64-page illustrated book is a quick pick-me-up — and a fast way to check one more book off your reading list.