2021 is just around the corner, which means it’s time for one of my favorite end-of-year traditions: talking about all of my anticipated releases!
For this year, I’m going to be doing several anticipated releases posts throughout the year, which means this time, I’ll only be talking about the books coming out January to April. But still, we have a lot to get through! This list contains almost 30 new releases scheduled (as of now) to come out in the next four months, mostly young adult and adult SFF. Let’s just get right into them!
Lore by Alexandra Bracken
January 5
YA urban fantasy/mythology
To be quite honest, I know almost nothing about what this one is about, but it’s Greek mythology and Alexandra Bracken, so I’m very much on board.
Lava Red Feather Blue by Molly Ringle
January 5
fantasy
A fairy tale-esque story with witches, sleeping princes, faeries, and a magical island in the Pacific Ocean.
You Have a Match by Emma Lord
January 12
YA contemporary
A DNA test revealing that two girls are sisters, plus summer camp, awkward romance, and family secrets. I loved Emma Lord’s debut, Tweet Cute, so I’m sure I’ll love this one too!
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
January 12
YA contemporary
The prequel to The Hate U Give following Starr’s dad, Maverick! It seems like everyone is looking forward to this book, and with good reason—I’m sure it will be just as emotionally impactful as Angie Thomas’ other books.
The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner
January 12
historical fantasy
“Historical women defying gender roles and also doing magic” is one of my favorite subgenres, so this one—about a thief who takes a job as a bodyguard for a woman hunted by magical assassins—seems incredibly up my alley.
Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore (Graceling Realm #4)
January 19
YA fantasy
I cannot tell you how excited I am for this continuation of the Graceling Realm books! We get to see Bitterblue again! And (probably) lots of other familiar characters! And a whole new land and cast of characters! I’ve wanted this for years.
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
January 19
YA historical fiction
Set in San Francisco’s Chinatown in the 1950s, this book is about girls falling in love in an unsafe place and time. I’ve only read one other of Malinda Lo’s books, but from what I’ve heard of this one, it’s going to be emotionally devastating (and I can’t wait).
What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo
February 2
YA horror
This book’s cover and title was enough to interest me, but its description as a horror reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood sounds absolutely chilling and incredible.
On Fragile Waves by E. Lily Yu
February 2
magical realism
A brother and sister traveling from Afghanistan to Australia to escape war, with elements of magical realism. I get the feeling this one is going to break my heart in all the right ways.
Nubia: Real One by L.L. McKinney and Robyn Smith
February 2
YA graphic novel
I know almost nothing about this graphic novel except that Nubia is Wonder Woman’s sister (or something like that??), but I’m so in.
Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard
February 9
fantasy
A novella set in a Vietnamese-inspired fantasy world involving magical politics and an epic sapphic romance. Yes please. Also, I can’t get over this cover.
No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
February 16
dystopia
This dystopian future involving literally escaping into social media and examining our relationship with the internet sounds, uh, terrifyingly pertinent. I’m ready to be freaked out by this Black Mirror episode novel.
Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers
February 23
contemporary romance
A sapphic romance novel involving a drunken, accidental Vegas wedding and running away from your problems! This book sounds absolutely delightful, and the cover is gorgeous.
The Valley and the Flood by Rebecca Mahoney
February 23
YA contemporary fantasy
A small town in the desert, a doomsday prophecy, a chosen one, and confronting PTSD—sounds like a recipe for a fun time, right? This book seems like it’ll be haunting and heartbreaking, which means I can’t wait to read it.
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
March 2
science fiction/speculative fiction
The only Kazuo Ishiguro book I’ve read is Never Let Me Go, which I still haven’t stopped thinking about years later, so this new book—all about artificial intelligence and what it means to love—will I’m sure be fantastic.
Bridge of Souls by Victoria Schwab (Cassidy Blake #3)
March 2
middle grade urban fantasy
I’m SO excited for the last (I think?) Cassidy Blake book, which follows Cass and her best ghost friend Jacob to New Orleans. This middle grade series is just delightful.
Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert (Brown Sisters #3)
March 9
contemporary romance
The last of the Brown Sisters books follows the youngest, Eve, a hot mess who ends up falling for an uptight B&B owner. I loved both Chloe Brown and Dani Brown, so I’m eager to see what shenanigans the third sister gets up to.
That Way Madness Lies, edited by Dahlia Adler
March 16
YA anthology
An anthology full of Shakespeare retellings! I love a Shakespeare retelling, and this book includes fifteen of them—plus, Anna-Marie McLemore is doing A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which makes this entire thing worth it.
Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas
March 23
YA fantasy
A modern-day Peter Pan retelling set in a coastal town about children going missing and a terrifying forest! I think Aiden Thomas will do a fantastic job with this.
Bruised by Tanya Boteju
March 23
YA contemporary
This book is described as Whip It meets We Are Okay, which sounds like a winning combination to me. Roller derby and female friendships and emotionally constipated characters! Yes to all.
Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo (King of Scars #2)
March 30
YA fantasy
The long-awaited sequel to King of Scars! I absolutely loved the first book in this series, so I can’t wait to see what this one brings. Nikolai Lantsov deserves everything.
First, Become Ashes by K.M. Szpara
April 6
fantasy
A monster hunter whose quest is taken away from him and government conspiracies to cover up the truth. I don’t know if this is accurate at all, but the description gives me The X-Files vibes and I’m into it.
Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price
April 6
YA mystery/romance
Any and all Pride and Prejudice retellings automatically catch my interest, but this one—a modern day reimagining involving murder and detective work—sounds particularly unique and fun.
Between Perfect and Real by Ray Stoeve
April 16
YA contemporary
A trans boy exploring his identity and finding the courage to come out through playing Romeo in his school play. High school theatre productions are very much in my YA contemporary wheelhouse, and this one sounds amazing.
Victories Greater Than Death by Charlie Jane Anders
April 16
YA sci-fi
Superheroes and clones and aliens and intergalactic wars! There’s so much about this book that sounds fantastic, but I’m especially excited that it’s being described as Star Wars meets Doctor Who.
Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli
April 20
YA contemporary
I’ll read anything Becky Albertalli writes, and this one sounds delightful—two best friends who share everything and end up falling for the same person. Plus, high school theatre again!
The Key to You and Me by Jaye Robin Brown
April 20
YA contemporary
A YA romance involving horseback riding, driving lessons, and small towns. This one sounds like it will be really lighthearted and fun!
The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks by Mackenzi Lee (Montague Siblings #3)
April 27
YA historical fantasy
I think this is the third anticipated releases post that this book has shown up on, but hopefully we’ll finally get this in April! The third Montague book follows Monty and Felicity’s younger brother, Adrian, and will probably be just as hilarious and adventurous as the last two.
What 2021 books are you excited about? Are any of these books on your list?
x Margaret
goodreads | twitter | bookshop
Love this list!! I’ve been enjoying short story collections this year, so I just added That Way Madness Lies to my TBR. Thanks for sharing, Margaret!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ooh that’s great to hear! I don’t read many short story collections but I’m definitely looking forward to That Way Madness Lies 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Argh! So many books here I want to read, but I already have a massive TBR to whittle down… the inhumanity of it all! 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s truly unfair that we have to do anything other than sitting and reading books all day! 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
I appreciate these type of posts so much 😩 – I’m so terrible at keeping up with new releases. Is the book you read by Malinda Lo Ash by any chance? I read it earlier this year and was really excited to see the author’s name on this list 🙂.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree, I had no clue about all these great new releases and now I have 5-10 more books I added to my wishlist!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hooray, glad I could bring these to your attention! 😊
LikeLike
Yay I’m glad you enjoyed this! 😊 Yesss I did read Ash years ago, and I’m so eager for Malindo Lo’s new book!
LikeLike
I’m so excited for You Have A Match and Rule of Wolves!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yesss I can’t wait for those! 😀
LikeLike
This is a great list!! I am also so excited for you have a match. I loved tweet cute so much, and I will read anything else by Emma lord!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I actually just finished you have a match the other day and it was lovely!! Emma Lord is definitely a new fave 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great post, I also can’t wait wait for Honey Girl and Act Your Age Eve Brown 💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
Can’t wait for those!! Thanks so much!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ahh.. there are quite a few books that I don’t know about here so this was SO good to read and I look forward for more posts coming out next year !! Lava Red Feather Blue and The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry both sounds like really good books, yes I now need them !! I’m also very excited for Rule of Wolves as I need to see how everything goes down, I am hoping my library gets it as soon as it is released haha !! GREAT list, thank you for sharing !! 💛
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hooray, glad I could help you find some new books! I’m SO excited for Rule of Wolves — I hope your library can get it quickly too 😀 Thanks so much for reading, Sophie!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m also very excited for Concrete Rose, You Have a Match, Lost in the Never Wood, Rule of Wolves & Victories Greater Than Death 💕 However, you also introduced me to some new releases I didn’t have on my radar before! 🥰
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yesss those all sound amazing 😀 Glad I could bring some more books to your attention as well!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m ridiculously excited for Concrete Rose!! I absolutely adore Angie Thomas’ writing and The Hate U Give is one of my all-time favourite books so I can’t wait to get to it. Not too long to go now! My most anticipated at the moment though is the sequel to Where Dreams Descend which is coming out August (!!) 2021. I need to know how it all plays out so it’s going to be so hard to wait haha. That’s why I usually read books when the sequels are already out – I thought it was a standalone!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yesss I’m sure Concrete Rose is going to be incredible 😀 Ooh I haven’t read Where Dreams Descend but I’m glad you’re so excited for the sequel! Waiting for series continuations is so hard 😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
omg thank you so much for this post Margaret, i added so many books to my TBR as a result haha. there are A LOT of great books coming out next year, i’m so excited!! the synopsis for The Key to You and Me caught my eye, it sounds like it’ll be a super cute sapphic romance 💕
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hooray, glad I could put some new books on your radar! 😀 Yesss that one sounds delightfully sapphic and fun ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love this list Margaret!! You made me all excited for 2021!! I’m looking forward to Eve Brown, Bridge of Souls, and the third book in the Montague Siblings series. I’m also so excited to read Kate in Waiting, since I love everything Becky Albertalli writes as well. And lastly, Last Night at the Telegraph Club sounds SO good!
LikeLiked by 1 person
So many books to look forward to in 2021!! Yesss I’m sure I’ll love Becky Albertalli’s new book just as much as her previous ones 😀 I hope we both enjoy all of these!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m looking forward to On Fragile Waves and Fireheart Tiger in particular! Concrete Rose, You Have a Match, and Victories Greater Than Death sound really great too. Happy reading Margaret, and thank you for this beautiful list!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much, Eleanor! I can’t wait for those 😀 Hopefully we both enjoy them!!
LikeLiked by 1 person