Hello everyone and welcome to day seven of Blogmas! I hope you have been enjoying my posts so far. Todays post is a short list of books that I am looking forward to reading in the first half of 2021. Just to make this easier on everyone, I will have these in order of publication. Please comment down below and let me know what 2021 releases you are looking forward to!
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Lore by Alexandra Bracken - January 5
Bracken wrote one of my favorite series of all time, The Darkest Minds. I have yet to pick anything else up by her, and 2021 is the perfect time to do so. Lore is a greek retelling that I am very much looking forward to in 2021.
Synopsis: Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality.
Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world in the wake of her family's sadistic murder by a rival line, turning her back on the hunt's promises of eternal glory. For years she's pushed away any thought of revenge against the man--now a god--responsible for their deaths.
Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek out her help: Castor, a childhood friend of Lore believed long dead, and a gravely wounded Athena, among the last of the original gods. The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and, at last, a way for Lore to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore's decision to bind her fate to Athena's and rejoin the hunt will come at a deadly cost--and still may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees.
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas – January 12th
I am sure everyone will have this on their list. I know this is a prequel to The Hate You Give, and follows Starr’s father when he is seventeen and a teen parent, trying to navigate the world.
Synopsis: If there’s one thing seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter knows, it’s that a real man takes care of his family. As the son of a former gang legend, Mav does that the only way he knows how: dealing for the King Lords. With this money he can help his mom, who works two jobs while his dad’s in prison. Life’s not perfect, but with a fly girlfriend and a cousin who always has his back, Mav’s got everything under control. Until, that is, Maverick finds out he’s a father. Suddenly he has a baby, Seven, who depends on him for everything. But it’s not so easy to sling dope, finish school, and raise a child. So when he’s offered the chance to go straight, he takes it. In a world where he’s expected to amount to nothing, maybe Mav can prove he’s different. When King Lord blood runs through your veins, though, you can't just walk away. Loyalty, revenge, and responsibility threaten to tear Mav apart, especially after the brutal murder of a loved one. He’ll have to figure out for himself what it really means to be a man.
Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire – January 12th
This is the 6th book in the Wayward Children series. I have not yet read the 5th book, but I know I will read both in 2021. I have read 5 of her books this year, and I really love her writing and storytelling. I do not commonly find short books that I like, and I love the books in this series. My favorite has to be Beneath the Sugar Sky, which seems to be an unpopular opinion.
Synopsis: Regan loves, and is loved, though her school-friend situation has become complicated, of late. When she suddenly finds herself thrust through a doorway that asks her to "Be Sure" before swallowing her whole, Regan must learn to live in a world filled with centaurs, kelpies, and other magical equines―a world that expects its human visitors to step up and be heroes. But after embracing her time with the herd, Regan discovers that not all forms of heroism are equal, and not all quests are as they seem…
Love Is a Revolution by Renee Watson - February 2
I will read almost any book that has a plus size MC. I also think this book is written in verse, which I also love. The average woman is considered plus size by media, and they deserved to be loved, just like everyone else.
Synopsis: 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.
In Love Is a Revolution, plus size girls are beautiful and get the attention of the hot guys, the popular girl clique is not shallow but has strong convictions and substance, and the ultimate love story is not only about romance but about how to show radical love to the people in your life, including to yourself.
Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas - March 23
Aiden Thomas is the author or Cemetary Boys. I have yet to read the book, but I do own a copy. However, Lost in the Never Woods is a Peter Pan retelling. I don't think I have ever read a retelling of Peter Pan before. This story takes place five years after the events of Peter Pan, where Wendy has to investigate and discover boys that are going missing. Plus, the cover is absolutely STUNNING!
Synopsis: It's been five years since Wendy and her two brothers went missing in the woods, but when the town’s children start to disappear, the questions surrounding her brothers’ mysterious circumstances are brought back into light. Attempting to flee her past, Wendy almost runs over an unconscious boy lying in the middle of the road, and gets pulled into the mystery haunting the town.
Peter, a boy she thought lived only in her stories, claims that if they don't do something, the missing children will meet the same fate as her brothers. In order to find them and rescue the missing kids, Wendy must confront what's waiting for her in the woods.
The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur - April 20th
In 2020, I read Hur’s debut novel called Silence of Bones during the Koreadathon. The book was a mystery novel told in 1800s Korea. It was such a good book, and written well for a debut novel. I can’t wait to see what June Hur brings to the table next. The Forest of Stolen Girls is also a mystery novel and I am prepared to read it, no matter the synopsis.
Synopsis: Hwani's family has never been the same since she and her younger sister went missing and were later found unconscious in the forest, near a gruesome crime scene. The only thing they remember: Their captor wore a painted-white mask. To escape the haunting memories of this incident, the family flees their hometown. Years later, Detective Min—Hwani's father—learns that thirteen girls have recently disappeared under similar circumstances, and so he returns to their hometown to investigate... only to vanish as well. Determined to find her father and solve the case that tore their family apart, Hwani returns home to pick up the trail. As she digs into the secrets of the small village—and reconnects with her now estranged sister—Hwani comes to realize that the answer lies within her own buried memories of what happened in the forest all those years ago.
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutano - April 27
This is a debut mystery novel mixed with a rom-com where a girl accidently kills her date and her family helps her cover up the murder. I think this might be a really funny book, and the premise sounds really interesting.
Synopsis: When Meddelin Chan ends up accidentally killing her blind date, her meddlesome mother calls for her even more meddlesome aunties to help get rid of the body. Unfortunately, a dead body proves to be a lot more challenging to dispose of than one might anticipate, especially when it is accidentally shipped in a cake cooler to the over-the-top billionaire wedding Meddy, her Ma, and aunties are working, at an island resort on the California coastline. It’s the biggest job yet for their family wedding business—“Don’t leave your big day to chance, leave it to the Chans!”—and nothing, not even an unsavory corpse, will get in the way of her auntie’s perfect buttercream cake flowers. But things go from inconvenient to downright torturous when Meddy’s great college love—and biggest heartbreak—makes a surprise appearance amid the wedding chaos. Is it possible to escape murder charges, charm her ex back into her life, and pull off a stunning wedding all in one weekend?
Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney – May 4th
I knew as soon as I saw the title of this book, I needed to read it. I discovered it on Twitter when the cover was revealed, and immediately put it on my want to read shelf on Goodreads. The synopsis of this book, is about a girl who makes lists in a journal, and the journal goes missing one day. It reminds me a lot of a book by one of my favorite authors, Sophie Kinsella, called Can You Keep a Secret? And I am really excited to get to it!
Synopsis: Quinn keeps lists of everything—from the days she’s ugly cried, to “Things That I Would Never Admit Out Loud,” to all the boys she’d like to kiss. Her lists keep her sane. By writing her fears on paper, she never has to face them in real life. That is, until her journal goes missing…An anonymous account posts one of her lists on Instagram for the whole school to see and blackmails her into facing seven of her greatest fears, or else her entire journal will go public. Quinn doesn’t know who to trust. Desperate, she teams up with Carter Bennett—the last known person to have her journal—in a race against time to track down the blackmailer. Together, they journey through everything Quinn’s been too afraid to face, and along the way, Quinn finds the courage to be honest, to live in the moment, and to fall in love.
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston – May 6th
McQuistion is the author of Red White and Royal Blue. I personally did not like this book, but I am willing to try them again. The synopsis is not long for this one. It seems to involve a romance and time travel, and I am here for it!
Synopsis: A 23-year-old realizes her subway crush is displaced from 1970's Brooklyn, and she must do everything in her power to help her - and try not to fall in love with the girl lost in time - before it's too late . . .
Spells Trouble by P.C. and Kristen Cast - May 25th
I recently found out one of my favorite authors is releasing a new series in 2021, and I can't wait to read it. Based on the title, I assume it will be a series about witches.
Synopsis: Double double, twins spell trouble…Hunter and Mercy Goode are twin witches, direct descendants of the founder of their town of Goodeville. As their ancestors have done before them, it is now time for the twins to learn what it means to be Gatekeepers–the protectors of the Gates to different underworlds, ancient portals between their world and realms where mythology rules and nightmares come to life. When their mother becomes the first victim in a string of murders, the devastated sisters vow to avenge her death. But it will take more than magic to rein in the ancient mythological monsters who’ve infected their peaceful town. Now Hunter and Mercy must come together and accept their destiny or risk being separated for good.
The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson - June 15th
I might be jumping the gun on this one, as I have only read the first book in this series, but I really think I will be caught up before this comes out. This will be the 4th book in a mystery series called Truly Devious, which I read at the very end of November. I already know I like the series, and I fully plan to get to this book when it comes out.
Synopsis (of book 1): Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. “A place,” he said, “where learning is a game.”
Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym “Truly, Devious.” It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history.
True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. That is, she will solve the case when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester. But something strange is happening. Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten away with murder.
The two interwoven mysteries of this first book in the Truly Devious series dovetail brilliantly, and Stevie Bell will continue her relentless quest for the murderers in books two and three.
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