Despite having made a highly curated TBR list for 2021 I am obviously still very excited for all the new releases coming out this year. I always make a list of new releases I’m looking forward to each season — rarely do I ever read all of the books, but it’s nice to add to the TBR isn’t it? Here are only some of my most anticipated releases of 2021. Let’s get started!
one | Bride of the Sea by Eman Quotah
Muneer and Saeedah have settled into their life in America and are expecting their first child, but everything is not as lovely it seems. Soon, the pair are divorced, and Saeedah remains in Cleveland with their daughter, Hanadi, while Muneer returns home to Saudi Arabia. Saeedah soon becomes fearful of losing her daughter, so she disappears with Hanadi, leaving Muneer searching helplessly for the pair for years. When Hanadi comes of age, she finds herself in the middle of a conflict tearing her family apart. Told across four generations and two continents, Bride of the Sea is said to be a testament to the ways we find ourselves inside love, distance, and heartbreak. Out January 26.
two | The Project by Courtney Summers
Lo Denham has spent the last six year learning everything she can about The Unity Project — the cult her older sister Bea joined when they were young. Everyone seems to love The Unity Project — they do extensive charitable work, community outreach, and have won the hearts and minds of the most prominent individuals in New York. But when a man comes to Lo claiming The Unity Project killed his son, she knows she has a way in to destroy them. Her investigation takes her into the path of Lev Warren, their leader, and now, Lo doesn’t know what to believe. Out February 2.
three | The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
Deka has always been different, and on the day of the ceremony, she finds out it runs in her blood. Rather than her blood running red, it runs gold, and she is destined to be an outcast in her village for life. That is, until a mysterious woman comes to her and offers her the chance to join an army of girls just like her, the alaki. The fight for the emperor and possess rare gifts equipping them for battle. Once inside the walled city, Deka finds out that nothing is as it seems. Out February 9.
four | The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson
Ruth is trying to settle down in her new life. Obama is president, she’s an Ivy-League educated black engineer, and she’s married to a lovely, successful man. But she can’t forget about the baby she gave away. Ruth knows she must move forward, but she can’t seem to until she visits her past one more time. When she goes back to her small town, she is instantly reminded of everything that her family sacrificed to see her where she is today. Ruth befriends a young white boy, Midnight, looking for companionship, and when tragedy strikes the town, Ruth and Midnight might be the only ones able to save it. Out February 9.
five | Fire Keeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Daunis Fontaine has never fit in. As the product of a scandal, she was born to stand out. She’s dreamed of studying medicine, but must stay on the reservation to care for her sick mother. Just as things start to look up for Daunis, she witnesses a horrifying murder, and her life is now the center of an investigation. In order to catch the killer(s), Daunis must go undercover and combine her knowledge of chemistry and traditional medicine to keep her family safe. Out March 2.
six | The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
Told across two timelines, The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner is a story about women who will do whatever it takes to survive. In the 1800s, an apothecary in London becomes a place where women who need to get rid of troublemaking men know they can go for help. Meanwhile, in the modern-day, a historian named Caroline Parcewell is about to make a discovery about the apothecary murders that will turn her life upside down. Out March 2.
seven | The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers
It’s Paris in 1925, and the Secret Circus is a world of wonder. This is the only world Cecile Cabot has ever known, and she’s bound to it because of her family curse. One day, she meets a young painter that may change her life forever. Flash forward to 2005 Virginia, and Lara Barnes is on a desperate search for her missing fiancé. In an attempt to find answers, she is drawn to her great-grandmother’s diaries, and she discovers a dark circus and a generational curse that has been claiming payment from her family for years. Out March 23.
eight | The Lost Village by Camilla Sten
Alice has been obsessed with the town since before she can remember. In 1959, her grandmother’s entire family, along with almost every other resident of the village, disappeared. Only two people were left — a woman stoned to death in the town square and an abandoned newborn — and Alice wants to find out why. She gathers a crew to help her shoot a documentary, but immediately upon arrival, things start to go wrong. Out March 23.
nine | Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Ryland Grace can’t even remember his own name, but he is expected to save Earth from an extinction-level threat. When he wakes up in space surrounded by two corpses, he realizes the task he has set out to accomplish is going to be near impossible — that is, once he remembers what that task is. Out May 4.
ten | The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
Jordan Baker is a lucky girl. She’s well-educated, wealthy, and always get invited to the best parties. She’s truly living in the 1920s. But she’s also queer, Asian, and adopted. This Great Gatsby retelling is sure to dazzle the mind and educate the soul. Out June 1.
Happy reading,
Kimberly
