There are a ton of amazing books coming out in February, and we only have so much energy in our fingers to type about them all. So we picked out the ones that we are most looking forward to. Pack your TBR with these sure-to-be amazing reads! And if you plan to pick any up, we’ll leave our Amazon Affiliates and Bookshop links, as well as our Bookshop list.
Adult Fiction
This Close to Okay by Leesa-Cross Smith
In This Close to Okay, the talented author of Whiskey & Ribbons looks at the life-changing chance encounter of a therapist and a man attempting to die by suicide. The two spend a weekend together working on their own healing and secrets. This poignant book deals with the hard truths wrapped into our everyday lives. This book reminded us of Memorial by Bryan Washington.
Expected Publication: February 2, 2021
Fake Accounts by Lauren Oyler
A young woman looks through her boyfriend’s phone and discovers that he is an online conspiracy theorist. The debut novel includes twists and turns as the woman discovers how deep these online conspiracies go and how much gaslighting affects her own life. I will note that this book has quite mixed reviews, so read at your own risk! We’d recommend Fake Accounts to fans of Meg Wolitzer’s The Female Persuasion.
Expected Publication: February 2, 2021
Milk Blood Heat by Dantiel W. Moniz
Another exciting debut author this year is Dantiel W. Moniz who has already collected numerous awards prior to the launch of this short story collection. Set in Florida, Milk Blood Heat deals with the everyday life of children, women and men as they are faced with violent events. We would suggest this book for fans of Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires.
Expected Publication: February 2, 2021
The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson
The Kindest Lie takes us back 12 years to the beginning of Barack Obama’s presidency. Johnson’s debut novel follows Ruth Tuttle, a Black woman married to a man who is ready for them to have children. Ruth contends with a secret – she once abandoned a baby she gave birth to. She returns to her childhood home in an Indiana factory town, finding despair and poverty and connecting with a young white boy named Midnight on her journey to uncover the past. The Kindest Lie touches on class, race and the struggle of many who chase the “American dream.” The novel is touted as brilliant and must-read, and we look forward to getting our hands on it!
Expected Publication: February 2, 2021
The Bad Muslim Discount by Syed M. Mansoor
With an attention-grabbing title like that, we were immediately intrigued by Mansoor’s second novel, releasing just a few months after More Than Just a Pretty Face. The Bad Muslim Discount follows two families from Pakistan and Iraq who immigrate to San Francisco. The families’ lives intertwine in this comedic story.
Expected Publication: February 2, 2021
How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones
How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House takes place on Barbados, an island in the Caribbean, and primarily follows Lala, a young woman who is soon giving birth. The book tells a story of violence in different forms, holding absolutely nothing back in its details. Reviewed as intense with deeply interesting characters, Jones’ debut is sure to be intriguing.
Expected Publication: February 2, 2021
The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor
Chapel Croft is a city plagued with a horrible history of martyrs being burned on the stake. In the modern era, two girls have gone missing and a vicar has died by suicide. A new reverend arrives in the town hoping for solitude but discovers a town laden with secrets that are waiting to be discovered. This book is perfect for fans of Lisa Gardner’s various thrillers!
Expected Publication: February 9, 2021
Young Adult Fiction
Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado
A coming-of-age story about a biracial girl who is fat? Sign me up! Fat Chance, Charlie Vega follows the eponymous character as she navigates her relationship with her own body and her feelings of coming in second-place to her best friend, Amelia. We think that readers who liked Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy will especially enjoy this book.
Expected Publication: February 2, 2021
We Run the Tides by Vendela Vida
A mix of historical fiction and mystery? Yes, please! We Run the Tides takes place in pre-tech boom San Francisco and follows Eulabee and Maria Fabiola, two best friends who vehemently disagree over an event they’ve witnessed. Maria Fabiola goes missing shortly after. The book is equal parts mystery, coming-of-age and historical fiction. It reminds us of Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend series, so we’d recommend to anyone who loves well-written characters, flawed female friendships and stories about a loss of innocence. (Shout out to NetGalley, Vendela Vida and Ecco for letting us get our hands on this one early!)
Expected Publication: February 9, 2021
How to Order the Universe by María José Ferrada
M is seven years old and is fascinated by her father’s life as a traveling salesman. Living in Pinochet-era Chile, the father-daughter pair drive in their Renault, eventually finding E, a photographer who threatens to ruin their lives. How to Order the Universe is an endearing coming-of-age that can be read in one sitting – and we intend to do just that.
Expected Publication: February 16, 2021
Non-Fiction
Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 by Ibram X. Kendi (Editor) and Keisha N. Blain (Editor)
Ibram X. Kendi’s upcoming collection offers over 400 years of African American history through the voices of various Black writers, artists, poets, historians and more. These voices come together to change and shape the narrative around the history of the Black experience in America. We would suggest this book for those who read Dr. Kendi’s other works, such as How to Be an Antiracist and Stamped from the Beginning.
Expected Publication: February 2, 2021
Love is an Ex-Country by Randa Jarrar
A road trip memoir, Love is an Ex-Country follows Jarrar’s journey of remembering her life of survival. She looks at domestic violence, motherhood, family and sexuality. Jarrar’s life as a fat, queer, Muslim woman is full of sadness and hilarity, and she intends to guide us through an emotional spectrum in this memoir. We’re looking forward to joining her.
Expected Publication: February 2, 2021
Speak, Okinawa: A Memoir by Elizabeth Miki Brina
Brina’s mother is from Okinawa and met her father when he was a soldier stationed there. They married and returned to his home country of the United States, where Brina’s mother lived without knowing much English. In Speak, Okinawa, Brina contends with her family’s dynamics and her own identity.
Expected Publication: February 23, 2021
Raceless: In Search of Family, Identity, and the Truth About Where I Belong by Georgina Lawton
In Raceless, Lawton tells the story of her own grappling with her identity, one that was kept secret from her until her father’s death. A Black woman raised in a white household, Lawton begins the journey to learn about herself by living in other Black communities, speaking with experts and exploring what really creates the “self.” Raceless takes a stance against the “colorblind” lens that many Americans wear.
Expected Publication: February 23, 2021
