We know, we know, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. But what if its contents are just as amazing as its design…? Such is the case with the above books — all released this year and all with incredible stories to tell. Lisa Taddeo researched and wrote Three Women over the course of eight years, driving across the country six times to delve deep into the lives and desires of three very different women. Or if fictional thrillers are more your beat, then Blake Crouch’s mind-bending book Recursion will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. The New Yorker writer Jia Tolentino’s Trick Mirror is a collection of nine essays that explore today’s culture — from social media to weddings — and the ways it impacts our sense of self. 

Another must-read is Orange World and Other Stories by Karen Russell, a selection of eight fictional stories that take readers on an adventure through the author’s wildly creative mind. If true crime is your thing, Colson Whitehead’s The Nickel Boys tell the heartbreaking tale of an evil and corrupt Florida reform school in the 1960s — inspired by real events. Et finalement, The Affairs of the Falcons is Melissa Rivero’s first novel and a striking and raw depiction of life as an undocumented immigrant living in New York City.

The overall takeaway? We’re going to need a good, long vacation to get through all of these books…