Most Anticipated Releases of 2021 (January to June) 💕

Hello fellow bookworms 💕 It’s finally time to talk about the 2021 Releases I’m super excited for, again so here we are  Like the previous years, this is part 1 covering the releases from January to June aka the first half of the year – therefore I only included books that had a release date already! As I could never order the complete list by how excited I am, I’m going to talk about the books in order of when they release! I have about 25 books on this list, I’m sad that I won’t be able to read them all, because the money

Me trying to keep up with all the new releases

Note 🌻 As always I tried to include the representation of the diverse books on my list, please let me know if I missed something or got something wrong! As always I’ve included a link to the Goodreads pages of the books in my post, just click the cover! 😊

Happily Ever Afters (Elise Bryant) 💕 Expected Publication: January 5th 💖 Black MC with anxiety ➽ This one has a writer protagonist who deals with writer’s block, which is 100% relatable. In order to still make it at the prestigious writing program she got in, the protagonist is trying to create her own IRL love story … which might go very wrong 😱 This sounds so wholesome, relatable but also like it deals with lots of internal struggles, so exactly the kind of story I love to read about!

You Have a Match (Emma Lord) 💕 Expected Publication: January 12th 💖 Queer MC ➽ I read Emma Lord’s Tweet Cute last year and loved the sweet romance, so I’m excited for her new release! This one’s about a girl who finds out through a DNA service that she’s got a secret sister who she wants to get to know, which I was intrigued about. I also love that this is set at a summer camp, I feel like it’ll be the perfect summer read 🥰

Concrete Rose (Angie Thomas) 💕 Expected Publication: January 12th 💖 Black MC 📚 Prequel to The Hate U Give ➽ This was a book I didn’t even knew I needed until it got announced. It’s about Starr’s father – Maverick Carter -and his life at age 17, back when he’s just about to become a father for the first time. It deals with his struggles and hopes to amount to something and sounds intriguing! I liked his character in THUG and cannot wait to see the exploration of his background story! 😄

Across the Green Grass Fields (Seanan McGuire) 💕 Expected Publication: January 12th 💖 Intersex MC 📚 Book 6 in the Wayward Children series ➽ I got into the Wayward Children series last year, so I’m eagerly anticipating the next book! I wasn’t the biggest fan of 5 (in my opinion it didn’t add much to the story), so I’m happy to see Across the Green Grass Fields centers around a new character. This time we’re going into the Hooflands, so it’s horse time 🐴

As Far as You’ll Take Me (Phil Stamper) 💕 Expected Publication: February 9th 💖 Gay MC, possible Anxiety Rep ➽ I loved the author’s The Gravity of Us last year and I’m excited to read more from him! This one’s about the adventure of Marty who arrives in London and decides to travel through Europe, trying to get closer to his dream job. I love that this seems to be about traveling, trying to be free and also self-exploration, as Marty is questioning what he wants and if he can even achieve it 🗺

A Dark and Hollow Star (Ashley Shuttleworth) 💕 Expected Publication: February 23rd 💖 Queer MC’s: Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Genderfluid, Questioning (Pan) ➽ I’m very hyped for A Dark and Hollow Star as I do love reading about fairies and it seems to have a very interesting world. It’s got the ‘I might love this Fantasy’ vibe! There’s four queer teens coming together to save the world (I’m hoping for lots of banter) and I have a good feeling about the suspense and love interest. Let’s hope I’m right 🙏

The Desolation of Devil’s Acre (Ransom Riggs) 💕 Expected Publication: February 23rd 💖 Conclusion to Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children ➽ It’s the final Miss Peregrine’s book … for real this time 😂 The last book took some interesting turns, especially the end wasn’t what I would have loved for this second Trilogy, yet I’m still interested to see how it plays out. In contrast to book 5 this is a lot longer, so I have high hopes everything will be tied up in the end 🥰

A Trial of Sorcerers (Elise Kova) 💕 Expected Publication: March 4th 💖 ➽ Was I drawn in by the cover? … Maybe. I loved Elise Kova’s The Alchemists of Loom (still haven’t read the rest of the series though) and how she wrote her characters/relationship. She seems like one of those authors who uses tropes that I love in Fantasy, so I’m excited about her books. This one has a) ELEMENTAL MAGIC!!! b) a scorned sorceress c) a dangerous Tournament and d) a mysterious Elfin Ambassador, so lots of buzzwords for me!! 💕

Our Last Echoes (Kate Alice Marshall) 💕 Expected Publication: March 16th 💖 ➽ I’ve been slowly inching my way into more spooky YA books and was perfectly freaked out by the author’s Rules for Vanishing last year! I loved how she wrote the suspense into her book, so I’m ready to be spooked again 👻 This one’s told in found documents again, something I loved in Rules for Vanishing! It’s about a strange research center (always suspicious) and disappearances, I love a good mystery!

Lost in the Never Woods (Aiden Thomas) 💕 Expected Publication: March 23rd 💖 Queer MC, Grief/Trauma Rep ➽ I LOVED Cemetery Boys so I cannot wait for Aiden Thomas’ next book! It seems to be a Peter Pan retelling, which was one of my favorites when I was younger. There are creepy woods that kids keep disappearing into and a mysterious boy that Wendy thought only lived in her dreams, so this story already sounds whimsical and intriguing to me! ✨

Rule of Wolves (Leigh Bardugo) 💕 Expected Publication: March 30th 💖 Bi MC 📚 Conclusion to King of Scars ➽ I loved King of Scars, so I’m super excited to see how this Duology wraps up and what it means for the Grisha world! There are many beloved characters that I’m happy to meet again 🥰 I’m also very intrigued to see where this goes especially with what happened at the end of the first book 👀👀👀

   

The Half-Orphans Handbook (Joan F. Smith) 💕 Expected Publication: April 6th 💖  ➽ I’ve began to love stories that have a podcast element to the story which is why I was drawn to this one! It features Dee, the girl who wasn’t taken, unlike her best friend who was never found. Ever since she digs into missing people’s cases and might have the chance to uncover what happened to friend. This sounds like an amazing mystery with lots of suspense and emotional moments 😊

Victories Greater Than Death (Charlie Jane Anders) 💕 Expected Publication: April 13th 💖 Queer MC’s ➽ 2020 was the year I got more into sci-fi, so I’ve been excited to read even more of the genre this year! This story is about an intergalactic war and a space crew that has to save the world – we also have aliens and cloning, so I’m excited to see where this is going 👀 I added this to my TBR before the cover was revealed and was like WOW when I first saw it – I have to say it makes me even more excited to read this book!

In Deeper Waters (F.T. Lukens) 💕 Expected Publication: April 20th 💖 Gay MC’s ➽ The cover alone is giving off so many pining vibes!! This is about a prince who’s kidnapped during his coming of age tour and his only hope might be a charming mysterious stranger … There’s pirates, hidden magical powers and swoonworthy romance, so it sounds exactly what I would love to read! 🥰

Fugitive Telemetry (Martha Wells) 💕 Expected Publication: April 27th 💖 Book 6 in the Murderbot Diaries ➽ SO EXCITED!!! Alongside with Witchshadow this is one of my most anticipated releases as I fell in love with Murderbot last year & now I’m obsessed 🥺 Murderbot is one of my favorite comfort characters, so I hope this isn’t the last book and we get a lot more adventures! Fugitive Telemetry is technically set before Network Effect (book 5 and the first full length novel) and is once again a novella … with a murder mystery, so that already has me intrigued 👀

Blade of Secrets (Tricia Levenseller) 💕 Expected Publication: May 4th 💖 MC with social anxiety ➽ Social Anxiety Representation in Fantasy!!! This features an anxious blacksmith who has the power to imbue weapons with power, which I think is super cool! When she gets commissioned by warlord to create swords with strange powers he wants to use to enslave everyone, she flees with her sister & two strangers. I love that there also seems to be a sister relationship and maybe some romance. Overall, this sounds like a fantastic story and it makes me so happy to see more mental health representation in Fantasy 🥰

Realm Breaker (Victoria Aveyard) 💕 Expected Publication: May 4th 💖 ➽ I still have soft spot in my heart for the Red Queen Series as it was the first books I loved when I got back to reading. So I’m definitely up for checking out the author’s new fantasy series! The synopsis is a bit vague but also sounds mysterious: the main character has a pirate mother and finds out she’s the last of an important bloodline, who is the only one who can save the world. There’s also assassins and a ragtag team of allies, which I hope means some great squad dynamic 😄

Misfit in Love (S.K. Ali) 💕 Expected Publication: May 25th 💖 Muslim Hijabi MC  📚 Sequel to Saints and Misfits ➽ Saints and Misfits is getting a sequel!!! When this was first announced I thought it would be a companion book focusing on a different character, but it turns out we’re following Janna again! 🥰 This time her brother’s wedding is coming up and everyone is acting strange, including her crush. I’m a bit worried by the fact that there’s a love square (seriously why?) and such a big focus on romance, as the first book  was focused more on friendships. I definitely hope that we still see something of Janna’s friends!!

   

The Nature of Witches (Rachel Griffin) 💕 Expected Publication: June 1st 💖 ➽ This is a book about witches who make sure the climate is in balance and have powers related to the seasons, which I thought was so cool!! The protagonist is an Everwitch – the only one able to control all seasons – and the last hope of saving the earth, except that her powers are unpredictable and also come with dangers. This sounds like such a great Fantasy book & you know that I’m always down for all stories featuring witches ❤

The Ghosts We Keep (Mason Deaver) 💕 Expected Publication: June 1st 💖Gay Nonbinary MC, Grief Rep ➽ I still haven’t read I Wish You All the Best, but I’m still really excited about this book! It deals with grief, as the main character’s brother died unepectedly and left him feeling isolated from life and all his friends. The Ghosts We Keep seems like a very touching, sad but also hopeful story and reading about grief like that can be a very cathartic experience 🥺

The Witch King (H.E. Edgmon) 💕 Expected Publication: June 1st 💖 Trans MC, Black LI  ➽ I’m very excited about this fantasy story as it sounds so good! It’s about a kingdom in which there is a rivalry between witches and fairies, with the latter being the ruling class. The witch protagonist is trying to save his people by upholding his engagement to his fae ex-fiance/best friend even though things went badly the last time they saw each other. This already sounds really intriguing! 🧚‍♀️

An Emotion of Great Delight (Tahereh Mafi) 💕 Expected Publication: June 1st 💖 Muslim Hijabi MC ➽ Tahereh Mafi is coming out with another great, emotional book! I loved A Very Large Expanse of Sea last year and I’m really looking forward to this one, as it’s also set post 09/11 and features the coming of age story of a Muslim Hijabi Teen. This seems like a very intense and heartbreaking story, but as AVLEOS was so well-written, I cannot wait to get my heart broken again 💔

 

My Contrary Mary (Hand, Ashton, Meadows) 💕 Expected Publication: June 22nd 💖 ➽ The author trio who wrote the Lady Janies Trioly is BACK and this time they focus on the Marys of History! I love their historical fantasy concepts, as they ahve lots of banter and are always fun to read! My Contrary Mary stars Mary Queen of Scots, who is a shapeshifter (Eðian), a concept I lovd in My Lady Jane! I cannot wait to see what they do with her story 🥰

Witchshadow (Susan Dennard) 💕 Expected Publication: June 22nd 💖 Book 4 in the Witchlands Series ➽ AHHHH!!!! You all know how much I adore the Witchlands series and I’m beyond hyped to finally read the newest book!!! We sadly didn’t get one in 2020, so I’m really looking forward to June 🥺 Witchshadow focuses on Iseult, who is one of my favorite characters in the series and I cannot wait to see where her story goes. I also love how every book more reveals keep happening and we get closer to figuring out so many hints and details! ❤ This is 100% the book I’m most exited for this year and I’ll be preordering my copy for sure 💕

Between You, Me and the Honeybees (Amelia Diane Coombs) 💕 Expected Publication: June 22nd 💖 Anxiety Rep ➽ This got on my radar when Marie mentioned it in her 2021 releases post and I’m so excited for the premise. It’s about a girl whose mother wants her to go to college … yet she’d love to take over the family business (all about beekeeping) instead. I love to see a story where the main character doesn’t want to go to college and is instead pursing a different career!! It also has a bit of forbidden love as the protagonist falls for the neighbor’s grandson, who’s related to her family’s biggest competitors! 🐝

NO COVER REVEALED YET

Of Princes and Promises (Sandhya Menon) 💕Expected Publication: June 8th 💖 Indian MC 📚 Companion to Of Curses and Kisses ➽ I loved Of Curses and Kisses last year and I’m excited to read the other books in this companion series! They are all set at St. Rosetta’s Academy, a boarding school for the rich and famous. This is a The Frog Prince retelling, blending contemporary and Fantasy, which I love. It also features two characters I have been hoping to read about: Caterina & Rahul. I’m so happy they are getting the spotlight here! 🥰

Honorable Mentions ❤

Japanese-American MC 💖 Bangladeshi MC with anxiety 💖 m/m romance 💖

Sapphic Black MC’s 💖 Demi Fat MC who has migraines

What’s your most anticipated book for the first half of 2021? Any diverse releases that I should add to my TBR? 💕