Q1 Releases // 2021

I realize it’s the end of January so ⅓ of this is post is essentially moot at this point, but I figure it’s better late than never!

Are any of these books on your list?

If you’ve read any of them, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

* denotes debuts

January 5

• * The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr
  • I have never read a book about an enslaved queer couple and I’m intrigued. The synopsis also compares Jones’ writing to the great Toni Morrison so this book just seems like a must read!
• * Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour
  • First of all, that cover is amazing and immediately drew me in! This one came unsolicited in the mail so I may have missed it otherwise, but I’m interested to try this satirical novel set in NYC with promises of corporate culture – something I am blissfully unaware of.
• * The Push by Ashley Audrain
  • I wasn’t initially intrigued with this one, but once I started seeing comparisons to Baby Teeth I knew I wanted to give it a try. What can I say? I’m a sucker for dark and twisted…this one sounds right up my alley!
• Outlawed by Anna North
  • Again, I wasn’t initially drawn to this one (except for that cover is 🔥!), but I saw that Reese, Belletrist, and Book of the Month were all promoting it and I decided I wanted to give it a try! I’m intrigued by the barren, feminist woman gang trope!
• Better Luck Next Time by Julia Claiborne Johnson
  • A funny book about divorced women in 1930s Reno with eccentric characters? Sure, I’ll give it a try!
• The Eagles of Heart Mountain: A True Story of Football, Incarceration, and Resistance in World War II America by Bradford Pearson
  • This nonfiction has lots of potential – sports, jail, and WWII, and Wyoming? Seriously? Sounds like a perfect set up!

January 12

• * Aftershocks by Nadia Owusu
  • I love a well-written memoir and Owusu seems to have a life that promises to be interesting. It sounds like it deals with lots of international cities, grief, and coming-of-age.
• * Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
  • I have never read a book focused on a transgender transitioning back to their born gender, so I was instantly pulled to this one!
• * Hades, Argentina by Daniel Loedel
  • I love literary fiction and one that centers around what lengths one will go to in the name of love sounds great. Also, I’m not sure I’ve read a book set in Argentina and I’m interested in that aspect as well.
• American Daughter by Stephanie Thornton Plymale
  • When I saw this one compared to The Glass Castle and Educated, I knew I’d want to read it!
• * Dog Flowers by Danielle Geller
  • I read Betty last fall and really fell in love with it. It got me thinking that I haven’t read a lot of books from Native American authors, so I was especially excited to see this one is a memoir!

January 19

• * The Divines by Ellie Eaton
  • I love the cover of this one and I maybe it’s because I have a middle school daughter, but the idea of a boarding school and catty girls caught my attention!

February 2

• The Four Winds by Kiristin Hannah
  • Kristin Hannah is an autobuy author for me…and I’m so interested to read more about the Dust Bowl!
• * How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones
  • I’m not gonna lie: I’m intrigued by the title, I love the cover, and a setting in Barbados all seem like a good fit for me!
• Milk Fed by Melissa Broder
  • Again, it’s the cover for me. I’m definitely wondering what this one is all about.
• This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith
  • I missed Whiskey & Ribbons but I know so many people seemed to love it. I would like to give the author a chance, so I’m curious about htis one.
• * When the Apricots Bloom by Gina Wilkinson
  • The synopsis promises themes of trust, friendship, motherhood, and betrayal. It’s set in Iraq around the 2000s and I can’t say I know a whole lot about the Iraqi culture and I would like to!
• * The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson
  • This one sounds very timely as it explores the racial divide between Blacks and whites.
• Four Hundred Souls edited by Ibram Z. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain
  • I read Stamped From the Beginning and I know I want to keep reading and educating myself on the foundation of racism in the United States.
• The Removed by Brandon Hobson
  • Again, I’m interested because the synopsis says the story is “steeped in Cherokee myths and history”.

February 9

• We Run the Tides by Vendela Vida
  • This one sounds so good!!! Two friends witness an horrific incident…or do they? Their accounts do not match up, so what really happened?

February 16

• * Dark Horses by Susan Mihalic
  • As a former collegiate athlete, I’m always drawn to stories about elite athletes. In this case, it’s an equestrian and her father is very involved in her training. Early reviews says it’s very dark and disturbing, and as I mentioned earlier, these kinds of books usually work well for me.

March 2

• * The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
  • A female apothecary gives poisons to women to be used against men. This has all the promise of mystery and intrigue and alternaites between the 1700s and present-day London.
• Infinite Country by Patricia Engel
  • I loved Engel’s previous book, The Veins of the Ocean, and I’m so happy to return to her writing!

March 9

• How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue
  • If there’s one book I’m nervous about, it’s this one. Behold the Dreamers wasn’t my favorite, but I received a copy of How Beautiful We Were in the mail so I’m going to give it a try!
• The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editingm and the Future of the Human Race by Walter Isaacson
  • I listened to a podcast about Jennifer Doudna and this upcoming book about her and I immediately requested it. I loved Isaacson’s book about Steve Jobs so I have high expectations for this one as well!
• Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Queer New York by Elon Green
  • I also heard about this book on a podcast and I can’t wait to read about The Last Call Killer and how he preyed on the gay community in New York.
• The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
  • I loved Quinn’s previous books, The Alice Network and The Huntress. She writes historical fiction like no one else, so this is a no-brainer for me. However, it’s 600 pages are intimidating me!!!

March 23

• Red Island House by Andrea Lee
  • I don’t know much about this one, but the setting of Madagascar sounds intriguing!

March 30

• * Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia
  • This one is giving me When We Left Cuba vibes. I loved the Cuba setting in that book and hope I’m transported in the same way in this book.
• * The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton
  • This one is giving me Daisy Jones and The Six vibes and I’m here for it!
• Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge
  • I haven’t read a lot of books that deal with passing but I want to and I think this will be a good introduction point for me!