A new year means new books—so we asked I Love Libraries readers and the American Library Association’s social media followers to share the releases they’re most excited about for 2021.
The responses included a diverse array of fantasy, YA, nonfiction, mystery, and more, from a mix of bestselling authors and debut writers. Here are some of the highlights:
“Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas (June 15)! I cannot wait to see young Maverick in action and revisit favorite characters! Ms. Thomas' books are so engrossing, lively, and resounding with current events and memorable moments that you carry with you long after finishing the book!”—Mandy G.
“Hall of Smoke by H. M. Long (January 19). There's a heavy epic fantasy element involving gods and Viking-like elements which makes it seem hardcore! I'm a sucker for epic fantasy and since I played Assassin's Creed: Valhalla recently I've been looking for some good Viking stories!”—Julia B.
“Lore by Alexandra Bracken (January 5) because it is a unique take on mythology that seems completely enthralling and action packed.”—Kyera S.
“The God Equation by Michio Kaku (April 6). I have always loved popular science books, and I believe Kaku is one of the best and clearest communicators of complex theoretical physics. Books like this inspire me to believe that we may be close to a unified understanding in my lifetime of how our universe really works. Not to mention the book comes out the day after my birthday!”—Jessica K.
“Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia (March 30). I’m looking forward to this Multigenerational family saga that’s got history and present so beautifully blended together. I’m also a sucker for debut novels!”—Amy W.
“Dork Diaries 15: Tales from a Not-So-Posh Paris Adventure by Rachel Renée Russell (May 4) because I've read all of the other Dork Diaries books, and I have a lot of them on audiobook too. I even trace the cartoons to make my own coloring pages. The waitlist is already 30 people long at my library. I can't wait to see if Nikki gets to go to Paris, because I'd like to go there with my friends one day too.”—Jett C.
“Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury (June 15)! I love urban fantasy, I love witches, and I love seeing diversity in YA, so I am extremely pumped for this.”—Louie M.
For more great book recommendations, visit the Booklist Reader.
