Do you love discovering something new, or do you lean toward the tried and true? If you fall into the “new” camp, then this has been your year with tons of fresh, new authors bursting onto the scene with their powerful debuts that lead us everywhere from dystopian prison matches to a murder on TV’s hottest baking competition.

In 2023, there were plenty of dazzling debuts to catch our attention, with cover art to match (just look at those eye-catching book jackets!). But if you’re more of the tried and true sort, read on for some read-alikes that just might encourage you to take the risk.

One of the greatest places to discover a brand-new author is—you guessed it—at the library. Dip a toe in and see what everyone on BookTok has been buzzing about (for free!) or ask your friendly neighborhood librarian for a recommendation. And that’s exactly what we did—here are some of the buzziest new books from 2023 by debut authors, hand-picked by our librarian experts. You can try them out by borrowing them from your library on the Libby app.

If you liked Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, try this:

Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

I was instantly hooked when I read Kirkus Review's description of this #ReadWithJenna book club pick: “Imagine The Hunger Games refashioned into a rowdy, profane and indignant blues shout at full blast.”

Loretta Thurwar and Hamara “Hurricane Staxxx” Stacker are the stars of Chain-Gang All-Stars, the cornerstone of CAPE, or Criminal Action Penal Entertainment, a highly-popular, highly-controversial, profit-raising program in America’s increasingly dominant private prison industry. It’s the return of the gladiators and prisoners are competing for the ultimate prize: their freedom.

In CAPE, prisoners travel as Links in Chain-Gangs, competing in death-matches for packed arenas with righteous protestors at the gates. Thurwar and Staxxx, both teammates and lovers, are the fan favorites. And if all goes well, Thurwar will be free in just a few matches, a fact she carries as heavily as her lethal hammer. As she prepares to leave her fellow Links, she considers how she might help preserve their humanity, in defiance of these so-called games, but CAPE’s corporate owners will stop at nothing to protect their status quo and the obstacles they lay in Thurwar’s path have devastating consequences.

If you liked Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, try this:

Sea Change by Gina Chung

After seeing the award-winning documentary My Octopus Teacher and reading Van Pelt’s book, I’ve been fascinated by these intelligent creatures and their unusual connection with humans.

Ro is stuck. She’s just entered her thirties, she’s estranged from her mother and her boyfriend has just left her to join a mission to Mars. Her days are spent dragging herself to her menial job at the aquarium, and her nights are spent drinking sharktinis (Mountain Dew and copious amounts of gin, plus a hint of jalapeño). With her best friend pulling away to focus on her upcoming wedding, Ro’s only companion is Dolores, a giant Pacific octopus who also happens to be Ro’s last remaining link to her father, a marine biologist who disappeared while on an expedition when Ro was a teenager.

When Dolores is sold to a wealthy investor intent on moving her to a private aquarium, Ro finds herself on the precipice of self-destruction. Wading through memories of her youth, Ro realizes she can either lose herself in the undertow of reminiscence, or finally come to terms with her childhood trauma, recommit to those around her and find her place in an ever-changing world.

If you liked Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, try this:

Maame by Jessica George

This charming late-in-life coming-of-age story is another #ReadWithJenna book club pick, and will have readers cheering for Maddie as she learns how to live life on her own terms.

It's fair to say that Maddie's life in London is far from rewarding. With a mother who spends most of her time in Ghana (yet still somehow manages to be overbearing), Maddie is the primary caretaker for her father, who suffers from advanced stage Parkinson's. At work, her boss is a nightmare and Maddie is tired of always being the only Black person in every meeting.

So when her mum returns from her latest trip, Maddie seizes the chance to move out of the family home and finally start living. A self-acknowledged late bloomer, she's ready to experience some important "firsts": She finds a flat share, says yes to after-work drinks, pushes for more recognition in her career and throws herself into the bewildering world of internet dating. But when tragedy strikes, Maddie is forced to face the true nature of her unconventional family, and the perils—and rewards—of putting her heart on the line.

If you liked The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner, try this:

Weyward by Emilia Hart

The perfect witchy read for the season, this spellbinding story about three women across five centuries tells what happens when the natural world collides with a legacy of witchcraft.

2019: Under cover of darkness, Kate flees London for ramshackle Weyward Cottage, inherited from a great aunt she barely remembers. With its tumbling ivy and overgrown garden, the cottage is worlds away from the abusive partner who tormented Kate. But she begins to suspect that her great aunt had a secret. One that lurks in the bones of the cottage, hidden ever since the witch-hunts of the 17th century.

1619: Altha is awaiting trial for the murder of a local farmer who was stampeded to death by his herd. As a girl, Altha's mother taught her their magic, a kind not rooted in spell casting but in a deep knowledge of the natural world. But unusual women have always been deemed dangerous, and as the evidence for witchcraft is set out against Altha, she knows it will take all of her powers to maintain her freedom.

1942: As World War II rages, Violet is trapped in her family's grand, crumbling estate. Straitjacketed by societal convention, she longs for the robust education her brother receives—and for her mother, long deceased, who was rumored to have gone mad before her death. The only traces Violet has of her are a locket bearing the initial W and the word weyward scratched into the baseboard of her bedroom.

If you like The Great British Baking Show and Agatha Christie, try this:

The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell

A sharp and suspenseful thriller for mystery buffs and avid bakers alike.

Every summer for the past 10 years, 6 awe-struck bakers have descended on the grounds of Grafton, the leafy and imposing Vermont estate that is not only the filming site for "Bake Week" but also the childhood home of the show's famous host, celebrated baker Betsy Martin.

The author of numerous bestselling cookbooks and hailed as "America's Grandmother," Betsy Martin isn't as warm off-screen as on, though no one needs to know that but her. She has always demanded perfection, and gotten it with a smile, but this year something is off. As the baking competition commences, things begin to go awry. At first, it's merely sabotage—sugar replaced with salt, a burner turned to high—but when a body is discovered, everyone is a suspect.

Check out more debut novels from 2023:

*Title availability may vary by region.