It’s the Fully Booked Midyear Sale, and you arrive at the store happy and excited to snag all those books you’ve been dreaming of. But suddenly, in the middle of the bookshop, faced with endless rows of shelves and a growing number of customers, intense feelings of panic and overwhelm start to bubble up inside you. With so many great reads, it can be tricky to decide which ones should make it to your book haul. If you don’t have a list, have no fear, this compilation can help you sift through the stacks more efficiently so you’ll have more time doing more of what you love — reading and enjoying your book haul.

Exciting 2024 releases

Indulge in the thrill of getting newly released titles hot and fresh from our shelves. Whether you’re in the mood for some humorous fiction, a self-help book that will inspire you to live your best life, or a collection of eye-opening essays — there’s a perfect read waiting for you.

1. I Want to Die But I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Sehee. Get your chopsticks ready. Baek Shee, author of the international South Korean therapy memoir, is back with a sequel as she continues her conversations with her therapist, delving deeper into her inner conflicts.

2. Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout by Cal Newport. Packed with insights and habits gleaned from a varied cast of storied thinkers, this will teach you how to escape overload and mindless busyness and pursue meaningful accomplishment instead.

3. Good Material by Dolly Alderton. The book follows Andy, a  30-something-year-old down-on-his-luck comedian in crisis, who sets out to find out why his long-term girlfriend suddenly dumped him. Wildly funny and achingly relatable, this book was written by Dolly Alderton, the Bridget Jones to the millennial generation.

4. The Age of Magical Overthinking by Amanda Montell. If you want to understand how information overload can lead to irrationality and overthinking in this digital age, this is the book to pick up. In 11 essays, Montell combines wit, smarts and self-deprecating charm to make sense of this world — from the “stans” of celebrities, to mental health gurus selling “vibes,” to the allure of commercialized nostalgia and more.

5. Houses That Sugar Built by Gina Consing McAdam and Siobhan Doran. This coffee-table book explores and celebrates the architectural legacy found in the ancestral houses of Iloilo, Negros Occidental, and Pampanga — the three main sugar-producing provinces of the Philippines. With over 200 pages of interiors photos, this beautifully curated book will take readers on a visual, historical and cultural journey.

6. Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe. A quirky coming-of-age story about a young single mom, who, desperate to afford rent and feed her newborn baby, starts an OnlyFans account and becomes a runaway success. Witty and full of laughs, this uplifting tale will make you fall in love with and root for Margo as she wrests money and power from a world that has little interest in giving it to her.

ICYMI: Last year’s

must-haves

The year 2023 was stellar for the literary world, bringing us exceptional books that have stirred our imagination. Add one of these must-haves to your collection.

7. Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes. If dark humor and wit are your cup of tea, then you should pick up this book. It’s about an academy that trains murderers to “delete” people whose demise would supposedly improve the world. Written in the style of an educational manual, it promises a wickedly entertaining read, full of twists, puns and hilarious quips. 

8. Poor Things by Alasdair Gray. This Victorian science fiction romance follows Bella Baxter, a curious creature with a dark past, as she embarks on her adventure of self-discovery. Collecting accolades over the past year — being named one of the best books and winning four awards at the Oscars — the movie tie-in version of this book is a must-have for your shelf.

9. Emily Wilde’s Encylopedia of Fairies by Heather Fawcett. A “romantasy” involving fairies? Sign us up! Emily Wilde, a genius scholar and the foremost expert on fairies, moves to the magical village of Hrafsnvik, resolute in uncovering the secrets of the most mysterious group of fairies and finishing her book.  She certainly had no plans of entertaining feelings for the annoyingly dashing Wendell Bambleby, her academic rival. Yet, the further she gets closer to solving the mystery, she finds herself on the trail of unlocking another: the mystery of her own heart. 

Heartwarming and

soul-healing reads

There are days when all we need is to snuggle up with a blanket, a cup of coffee or tea in one hand, and an uplifting book in the other. Discover these books that feel like warm hugs, cheering us up and reminding us that the world is brimming with beauty.

10. I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue. If you need a book to make you laugh and cry, we recommend this workplace dramedy about introverted admin assistant Jolene, who inadvertently gains access to all her colleagues’ emails and messages. At first, she uses this intel to save her job, but as Jolene is drawn further into her coworker’s private worlds and secrets, her carefully constructed walls begin to crumble.