Sally Rooney / Faber

A new novel by Sally Rooney is the very definition of this category. The 30 year-old Irish novelist became a global sensation with her first two books, Conversations with Friends and Normal People, and a phenomenon when the TV adaptation of the latter became the binge watch of the 2020 lockdown. The release of her third novel, Beautiful World, Where Are You, about four friends navigating love, sex, creativity and growing up, has been met with bumper sales, endless internet hot takes and pre-emptive backlash. If you’re a Rooney fan, you’ll already have it. If you’re not (yet), get it.