I’m not huge on anticipating new releases. I really am someone who just reads what I want when I want. If it’s a new release cool, if it is a backlist title, which is most of the time, then that is cool too. Although I still like to do my top 5 most anticipated books of the year because I think it is kind of nice to look back at what I was excited for at the beginning of the year and see if I either read them, lost interest in them or if I am still anticipating these novels just the same.
In 2020, I read the most new releases I have ever read within a single year. I am not sure why, but the books that came out were some of the most impactful ones that I had read in 2020. The impactful novels that were released and I read in 2020 include but are not limited to, Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson, My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell and This is My America by Kim Johnson. I have curated my top 5 anticipated books to spark the type of impact these novels did for me last year. I want to be blown away by the new releases that I read.
Love is A Revolution by Renee Watson
Release Date: February 2nd
Genre: Contemporary
Summary
When Nala Robertson reluctantly agrees to attend an open mic night for her cousin-sister-friend Imani’s birthday, she finds herself falling in instant love with Tye Brown, the MC. He’s perfect, except . . . Tye is an activist and is spending the summer putting on events for the community when Nala would rather watch movies and try out the new seasonal flavors at the local creamery. In order to impress Tye, Nala tells a few tiny lies to have enough in common with him. As they spend more time together, sharing more of themselves, some of those lies get harder to keep up. As Nala falls deeper into keeping up her lies and into love, she’ll learn all the ways love is hard, and how self-love is revolutionary.
Why I am interested
When I found out Renee Watson was coming out with a new book, I automatically added it to my TBR on Goodreads. Last year, I read Piecing Me Together and absolutely fell in love with Watson’s writing. It was so easy to read and I just loved the characters that Watson created. I am so excited to read another book by them and this one sounds like a great contemporary about self-love.
Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon
Release Date: June 22nd
Genre: Contemporary
Summary
A summer heatwave blankets New York City in darkness. But as the city is thrown into confusion, a different kind of electricity sparks…
A first meeting.
Long-time friends.
Bitter exes.
And maybe the beginning of something new.
When the lights go out, people reveal hidden truths. Love blossoms, friendship transforms, and new possibilities take flight.
Why I am interested
The obvious answer to my interest of this novel is because of Tiffany D. Jackson. I will literally read anything they publish. Secondly, this book just sounds amazing! Besides Tiffany D. Jackson, I have read books from Nic Stone and Nicola Yoon before and have really enjoyed them. I think that this set of authors are going to blow this type of novel right out of the park.
We saw a similar type of book by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle that took place in the winter time, which was rightfully called Let It Snow. It takes the right group of people to create a cohesive story that connects but also shows off each authors personal writing style. I cannot wait to see what these six authors have in store. I have no doubt that this will become one of my favorite novels.
Tell Me My Name by Amy Reed
Release Date: March 9th
Genre: Thriller
Summary
On wealthy Commodore Island, Fern is watching and waiting–for summer, for college, for her childhood best friend to decide he loves her. Then Ivy Avila lands on the island like a falling star. When Ivy shines on her, Fern feels seen. When they’re together, Fern has purpose. She glimpses the secrets Ivy hides behind her fame, her fortune, the lavish parties she throws at her great glass house, and understands that Ivy hurts in ways Fern can’t fathom. And soon, it’s clear Ivy wants someone Fern can help her get. But as the two pull closer, Fern’s cozy life on Commodore unravels: drought descends, fires burn, and a reckless night spins out of control. Everything Fern thought she understood–about her home, herself, the boy she loved, about Ivy Avila–twists and bends into something new. And Fern won’t emerge the same person she was.
Why I am interested
I mean this is literally being pitched as a gender-flip of The Great Gatsby and is being compared to We Were Liars by E. Lockhart and Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. This book was literally written for me.
As a fan of thrillers and over the past year, in specifically a fan of YA thrillers, this is a novel that I think I am just going to be in awe of. I truly believe that this will be a new all time favorite so I am going to make sure that this book is read this year. My only fear is the writing style because I did try and read Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed and from what I can remember I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing, but that was about 2 years ago and my tastes have changed. Fingers-crossed this is everything I am hoping it is!
Some Other Now by Sarah Everett
Release Date: February 23rd
Genre: Contemporary
Summary
Before she kissed one of the Cohen boys, seventeen-year-old Jessi Rumfield knew what it was like to have a family—even if, technically, that family didn’t belong to her. She’d spent her childhood in the house next door, challenging Rowan Cohen to tennis matches while his older brother, Luke, studied in the background and Mel watched over the three like the mother Jessi always wished she had.
But then everything changed. It’s been almost a year since Jessi last visited the Cohen house. Rowan is gone. Mel is in remission and Luke hates Jessi for the role she played in breaking his family apart. Now Jessi spends her days at a dead-end summer job avoiding her real mother, who suddenly wants to play a role in Jessi’s life after being absent for so long. But when Luke comes home from college, it’s hard to ignore the past. And when he asks Jessi to pretend to be his girlfriend for the final months of Mel’s life, Jessi finds herself drawn back into the world of the Cohens. Everything’s changed, but Jessi can’t help wanting to be a Cohen, even if it means playing pretend for one final summer.
Why I am interested
The first thing that caught my attention was that this book is marketed as a YA This is Us. This is Us is one of my favorite shows of all time and if this book can give me the emotional range that the show gives me within an episode, I am so for it.
This book sounds like an interesting mix of romance with a hint of finding yourself and maybe even some regretting of the past. I think this is going to be a book that is either a hit or a miss for me, but my hope is that this book hits it out of the ballpark and becomes a book that I think about often or at least recommend to anyone who loves a good contemporary read.
All’s Well by Mona Awad
Release Date: August 3rd
Genre: Thriller/Horror
Summary
Miranda Fitch’s life is a waking nightmare. The accident that ended her burgeoning acting career left her with excruciating, chronic back pain, a failed marriage, and a deepening dependence on painkillers. And now she’s on the verge of losing her job as a college theater director. Determined to put on Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well, the play that promised, and cost, her everything, she faces a mutinous cast hellbent on staging Macbeth instead. Miranda sees her chance at redemption slip through her fingers.
That’s when she meets three strange benefactors who have an eerie knowledge of Miranda’s past and a tantalizing promise for her future: one where the show goes on, her rebellious students get what’s coming to them, and the invisible, doubted pain that’s kept her from the spotlight is made known.
Why am I interested
I found out about this book from Booksandlala on YouTube. This plot just sounds so crazy and I love a good college thriller. I also love thrillers that aren’t just about the deaths but more about someone on the edge. Miranda seems like a multidimensional character and unlike any other character I have read about. We shall see how she pans out in the actual novel, but I have a good feeling about this one.
I think it also helps that I am quite the theatre geek.
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I think making a list of my top 5 most anticipated makes it very possible for me to read all five of them and get back to you all at the end of the year or when I have finished all five of them to give you my honest reviews. I really hope these books are everything that I am expecting and more.
Comment if you are excited for any of these books as well or tell me what books you are excited for that are releasing in 2021!
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