It’s already been an exciting year for debut authors, and with several promising new titles releasing this month, it looks like the rest of the year will continue to spotlight fresh and original literary voices. From celebrity memoirs to a novel by a Pulitzer Prize winner, here’s a look at some of the debut books you should be adding to your reading list.
Voices in the Waiting Room by Mayank Gupta
In the antiseptic corridors of a hospital in the United States, these voices intersect and intertwine, bound together by the universal need to be seen, understood and remembered. As each voice rises, falters and finally finds its place, Gupta crafts a chorus that is both intimate and resonant. Voices in the Waiting Room is a compelling debut exploring identity, exile and emotional silence through five doctors in one hospital.
The Outsider: A Memoir for Misfits by Vir Das
Vir’s story is one of cultural dissonance and identity exploration. He navigates life between worlds, never quite fitting in. The Outsider is more than just a memoir about Vir’s rise to comedic fame; it’s a powerful reflection on how being a misfit can shape one’s identity into something truly unique. Vir’s story speaks to anyone who has ever felt out of place, serving as a testament to the resilience and humor that can arise when you resist the urge to fit in, and stay true to who you are.
Ravishing by Eshani Surya
For teenage Kashmira, it’s painful to look in the mirror; she has her father’s face, and every feature is a reminder of his abandonment. When a friend introduces her to Evolvoir, a beauty product that changes users’ features, Kashmira is quickly hooked on how it allows her to erase the triggers of her grief. Meanwhile, at Evolvoir’s corporate offices, Kashmira’s estranged brother Nikhil first sees the product as an opportunity to make a difference and a name for himself, but is quickly mired in corporate complicity as reports surface of the product causing severe pain and persistent symptoms in some users. As chaos ensues, Kashmira is hospitalized and must negotiate the constraints of her new reality, while Nikhil uncovers a vicious truth that will force him to decide where his loyalties lie. Ravishing provides an illuminating portrait of navigating the complexities of growing up brown, chronic illness, communal care, and our relationship to both what’s beautiful and what’s ugly.
The White Hot by Quiara Alegría Hudes
From Pulitzer Prize Winner, Quiara Alegria Hudes comes The White Hot, which takes the form of a letter from mother to daughter about a moment of abandonment that would stretch from ten days to ten years—an explanation, but not an apology. Hudes narrates April’s story—spiritual and sexy, fierce and funny—with delicate lyricism and tough love. Just as April finds in her painful and absurd sojourn the key to freeing herself and her family from a cage of generational trauma, Hudes turns April’s stumbling pursuit of herself into an unforgettable short epic of self-discovery.
Petty Lies by Sulmi Bak
Petty Lies by Sulmi Bak is a haunting epistolary novel that unfolds through letters and journals from four voices trapped in a cycle of cruelty and revenge. When Mira, a young tutor haunted by her family’s death, enters the home of a wealthy mother and her sons, she believes she’s found her target. But as secrets unravel, she discovers darker manipulations at play and a chilling truth that upends everything she thought she knew.
Town & Country by Brian Schaefer
Town & Country is a sweeping debut set in the rural town of Griffin, where a heated congressional race exposes the divides between long-time locals and wealthy newcomers. As loyalties shift and secrets surface, families and friends find themselves questioning love, faith, and belonging. Told with empathy and sharp insight, this novel captures a community in transition and asks what it truly means to call a place home.
Date 4-11-2025