Books set to dominate your shelves in 2014

A belated Happy New Year to my readers! Having recently read some exciting things about new book releases for this year, I thought that my first post of the year let you know what to look out for in bookshops this year!

So, without further rambling introductions, here are a few titles to add to your 'To Read' list of 2014:

1) The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

Set to be published in July 2014 (just in time to pack for your summer holiday), this debut novel from Burton is set in 1686 Amsterdam and focuses on the stories of two women seeking 'freedom in a repressive, judemental society'. The Miniaturist also contains 'a trial, a hidden love, a miniaturist who predicts the fate of her customers, a parakeet called Peebo and a plan to escape to the sea', according to the author's website. Intriguing? Well, Harper's Bazaar, Stylist Magazine, ASOS and the Guardian seem to think so and have recommended Burton's debut. The Miniaturist is definitely one to look out for!

2) The Poets' Wives by David Park

If you're interested the lives of writers' behind their words on page, David Park's novel about three wives of important poets could be the right read for you. It's focus on three women who led their lives in the shadows of their husband's work is a compelling approach. Although the three women (Catherine Blake, Nadezhda Mandelstam, and a contemporary poet's wife) have their obvious differences - across the centuries and countries that separate them - Park finds a way to net their stories cleverly together. 

3) The Quick by Lauren Owen

Already recommended by Hilary Mantel and Kate Atkinson, The Quick is set in Victorian England and is a tribute to the traditional Gothic novel. Though set in a period we have all probably read a lot about, this debut promises to be a nuanced story of Victorian London.

4) We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas

This is another highly anticipated debut of 2014 and focuses on a heartbreaking story of an Irish-American woman, Eileen, 'raised in 1940s Queens by an alcoholic mother and a union-employed father, as she grows up, marries, and early-onset Alzheimer's affects her family'. There is much buzz surrounding this novel, as publishers on both sides of the Atlantic offered up six figure sums to land the title, according to the Guardian.

5) Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey

28-year-old debut novelist Healey has also received a lot of hype for Elizabeth is Missing, set to be published in June. It follows elderly Maud's attempts to find a lost friend whilst also coping with the on-set of dementia. Set to be simultaneously heartbreaking and comic, look out for Healey's novel soon!