The new year kicks off with a crop of inspiring new books, from nonfiction examinations of some of the biggest questions shaping our culture to page-turning fiction delving into stories of inner strength. Several of the most anticipated books coming out in January dissect what it means to be part of a family. In Meng Jin’s debut Little Gods, a young woman grieves her mother and travels abroad in the hopes of learning more about her roots. In her memoir The Magical Language of Others, E.J. Koh revisits letters her mother sent her during years spent apart. And in Liz Moore’s Long Bright River, a police officer attempts to find her estranged sister who has gone missing in the midst of a murder spree. Here, the 12 new books you should read this January. (...)