Lucy Mackarel introduces seven gripping new books from all different genres that will be released the first half of this year.
There can be little doubt that this stubborn pandemic has caused a wonderful surge of book sales, both physical copies and eBooks. As of late, we have turned to whatever entertainment we could get our hands on from home and reading seems to be experiencing a thriving boom, set to continue well into the new year. Here’s a list of new books from fantasy to non-fiction; all coming out this year and worth adding to your reading list!
Francis Bacon: Revelations by Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan
Release Date: January 21st 2021
Just released this month and being hailed as the ‘definitive’ biography on the painter, this particular piece of work on the life of Francis Bacon was written with the full cooperation and assistance of the Bacon estate, and the authors have had exclusive access to the artist’s personal papers. The novel details Bacon’s difficult upbringing, the failures and successes of his career and his unashamed existence as an out-and-proud member of the LGBT community. This is a must-read book for any art history lovers out there.
This Golden Flame by Emily Victoria
Release Date: February 2nd 2021
One for the fantasy fans, This Golden Flame is Canadian writer Emily Victoria’s debut novel. If you’re tired of the love triangles (and sometimes squares) that occur in so many of the books in this genre today then you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the refreshing change of direction this story takes. Featuring an asexual, aromantic protagonist, the sole type of love explored in this novel is filial as Karis seeks to find her lost brother. Unfortunately, she’s been forced to work for her country’s ruling group of scribes as they attempt to unlock the magic of an ancient automan army, and it’s in her search for her brother that sparks her hidden adventure.
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need by Bill Gates
Release Date: February 16th 2021
With scientists warning about how little time is left to undo the effects of climate change, this non-fiction book by Bill Gates couldn’t have come at a more pivotal time. As described by Gates himself, the book is a ‘practical plan to help achieve our ambitious goals’ in the race against climate disaster. This book promises to continue the climate conversation and to do something about it.
No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
Release Date: February 16th 2021
A humorous fiction novel all about how our everyday lives are now intertwined with the online world. The book features a nameless narrator’s rise to fame because of their viral post asking ‘can a dog be twins?’ and the trials and tribulations that face their family behind the screen. No one is talking about this frame of life’s struggles through the virtual world and the novel is an eye-opening reflection of the day and age we live in.
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
Release Date: March 2nd 2021
Ishiguro is a Nobel Prize winner for literature, and expectations are high for his first novel since his award. Klara and the Sun is a dystopian novel, telling the story of an artificial friend and her observations about those who come into the store where she works and those who pass by outside. At its heart, the book questions what exactly it means to love.
A God at the Door by Tishani Doshi
Release Date: April 22nd 2021
If you’re seeking poetry to read this year, be on the lookout for Doshi’s collection of poetry of the present day. With both grace and anger, she details the crisis of humanity and nature. Poems such as ‘I Found a Village and in it Were All Our Missing Women’ seek to provide a voice to women without one.
The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris
Release Date: June 1st 2021
Following the explosion of the Black Lives Matter movement across the globe in 2020, it makes sense that 2021 would host an enthusiastic environment for new literature focused on race, diversity and the black experience. This thriller fiction is all about black women in the publishing industry – specifically how few of them there are which leads to protagonist Nella’s delight when she meets Hazel. Unfortunately, no sooner than when they began to bond over black hair care, a string of uncomfortable office events pit the two women against each other. Not to mention the threatening notes that have begun to appear on Nella’s desk…
Happy New Year and happy reading!