When I say upcoming, I don’t mean they’re coming this year. What I really mean is that they’re coming eventually. But it does give you enough time to read each of these books, which I’ve either read and recommend (the top three) or am about to read real soon (the bottom three)! Don’t worry, though, some of these are coming out this year.
Hot Milk
Deborah Levy’s novel Hot Milk follows the story of Rose, who is suffering from a strange illness, and her daughter Sofia, who travel to a village on the Spanish coast to find a cure for Rose’s paralysis under the infamous and controversial Dr Gomez. Intoxicated by the oppressive heat and somewhat bizarre new friends, Rose and Sofia begin to see their lives clearly for the first time in years. It explores themes of illness, obsession, self-discovery, and the dynamics within a fraught mother-daughter relationship.
The book, which was shortlisted for the 2016 Man Booker Prize, has been adapted into a film starring Emma Mackey, Fiona Shaw, and Vicky Krieps. It was written and directed by Rebecca Lenkiewicz (Ida, Disobedience, Colette) and produced by Film4. Hot Milk will be released in cinemas on 30th May by MUBI.
Lucky
Lucky by Melissa Stapley follows Lucky Armstrong, a tough and talented grifter who just pulled off a million-dollar heist with her boyfriend. Just when she’s ready to start a brand-new life with a new identity, things go sideways and Lucky finds herself alone for the first time, navigating the world without her father or boyfriend who both taught her the art of scamming. When Lucky discovers that a lottery ticket she bought on a whim is worth millions, she is faced with one big problem: cashing in the winning ticket means she’ll be arrested for her crimes. The novel explores themes of truth, personal redemption, and the complexity of being good.
Lucky is being adapted into a television drama for Apple TV+ starring Anya Taylor Joy, Drew Starkey, Annette Bening, Timothy Olyphant, and Anujanue Ellis-Taylor. It is being produced by Reese Witherspoon’s production company, Hello Sunshine, in addition to Apple Studios. Filming began in Las Vegas in last month, but will also shoot in Los Angeles. There is currently no release date.
Big Swiss
Jen Beagin’s third novel Big Swiss follows 45-year-old Greta, who lives with her friend Sabine in an ancient Dutch farmhouse in Hudson, New York. The house is unrenovated, uninsulated, and full of bees. Greta spends her days transcribing therapy sessions for a sex coach known as Om and soon becomes infatuated with her newest client, a repressed married woman she affectionately refers to as Big Swiss. One day, Greta recognises Big Swiss’s voice in town and they quickly become enmeshed. The book explores themes of mental health and trauma, marriage and infidelity, sex and infatuation, and even violence. It’s also very funny which helps to lighten the heavy topics.
Big Swiss is being adapted into a limited series for HBO in collaboration with A24 Television. Jodie Comer to attached to star as the titular Big Swiss and also serves as executive producer alongside author Begain. There is currently no release date, but Comer revealed in June 2024 that the script is currently in development and she has been working closely with screenwriter Kayleigh Llewellyn.
Victorian Psycho
Spanish author Virginia Feito’s second novel Victorian Psycho follows Winifred Notty, a Victorian-era governess serving a new family on their moody English estate. Haunted by her past, Winifred must look after her charges, Drusilla and Andrew, while dealing with the perversions and pathetic preoccupations of their parents. Winifred finds herself struggling at every turn to stifle the violent within her. Victorian Psycho explores themes of power dynamics, social hierarchies, appearances, and bloodthirsty revenge.
The book is being adapted into a feature film by A24 with Margaret Qualley and Thomasin McKenzie attached to star. It’s still in the early stages of development with Feito herself working on the screenplay. She is also adapting her first novel, Mrs March, into a film.
The Housemaid
Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid is a thriller that follows Millie Calloway, a struggling woman who starts her life over as a housemaid for affluent couple Nina and Andrew Winchester. Millie cleans their house, collects their daughter from school, and cooks delicious meals for the family while trying to ignore their increasingly bizarre behaviour. But they don’t know who Millie is or what she’s really capable of. In a similar vein to Victorian Psycho, the book explores themes of power dynamics, class disparity, misogyny, manipulation, and abuse.
The film adaptation is currently in post-production. It was written by McFadden and Rebecca Sonnenshine (The Boys, The Vampire Diaries) and directed by Paul Feig. It stars Sydney Sweeney as the Millie the housemaid and Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar as Nina and Andrew Winchester. Produced by Hidden Pictures, The Housemaid will be released via Lionsgate on 25th December.
Yellowface
Yellowface by R. F. Kuang follows June Hayward, a young white woman, who steals the only copy of friend and literary rival Athena’s just-finished masterpiece after watching her die in a freak accident. Passing off the experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese labourers during WW1 as her own, June rides the highs until the escalating consequences of her own actions threaten to catch up with her. The book explores themes of racism, identity, cultural appropriation, envy, social media, and the dark side of the publishing industry.
Lionsgate Television have plans to develop Yellowface as a scripted series with Karyn Kusama (Jennifer’s Body) onboard to direct and executive produce. No writer is currently attached to the project so we’ll be waiting a while for this one.
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