7 On Sunday: Most Anticipated Releases for 2021

This week’s topic could not have come at a better time! I was preparing for this week’s Top 10 Tuesday topic which also focuses on most anticipated releases, and soon realized that I would have a really hard time narrowing it down to just 10. Even allowing myself a long list of honourable mentions, it still did not feel like enough. I think 2021 may be the year with the most new books that I’m very excited for, although I’m sure that’s something I think at the beginning of ever year. Lucky for me, when I went onto Goodreads to check for this week’s 7 on Sunday prompt, it was the perfect opportunity to divide my list and mention more of the books I’m most excited to pick up. I’ve made some effort to limit myself to no more than one or two books per month, although there are many more that I’m really looking forward to. Consider this post part 1 of my most anticipated books for the first half of the year, with part 2 coming this Tuesday. For this post, I’ve mostly limited myself to just one per month, but please check back on Tuesday for more. Also, keep in mind these are just books from the first half of the year, so I’m sure there will be many more to come when more of the summer/fall releases are announced!

7 on Sunday is a new weekly project that was started by Grace of G-Swizzel Books, with a weekly topic for videos and/or blog posts! The official Goodreads group with topics can be found here.

1) Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas (January 12)

This book was an immediate addition to my TBR, and I’ve already pre-ordered my copy. It is a prequel to The Hate U Give, focusing on Maverick Carter at age 17, when he first learns that he is a father. Suddenly, Maverick has his young son depending on him for everything, forcing him to take his chance to finally get out of the world of drugs and gangs, hoping to prove that he is different. He soon finds that it’s not so easy to just walk away from this world, especially when the murder of a loved one threatens his plans to change his life, and forcing him to figure out for himself what it means to be a man. I’m usually not too interested in prequels, but this one just sounds so good. Mav was such an interesting character in The Hate U Give and I’m so glad we’re getting the chance to see more of his backstory. I absolutely loved The Hate U Give and On the Come Up, and I’m definitely expecting to love this one just as much. I’m a little worried this one won’t live up to the hype, but I also said the same about The Hate U Give and I learned quickly that I was worried for no reason. I am very excited to read this one, and I hope my copy gets here soon!

2) A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas (February 16)

This is another book that I very recently preordered, thanks to a sale that brought the price down from the original $36! I was so hesitant to start the ACOTAR series at all, but ended up loving it and it quickly became a favourite when I finally decided to read it. This is one of several series that has been continued with a second trilogy after the fact, a trend which I’m not so keen on in general, but this one is an exception. This book focuses on Nesta and Cassian, two characters whom I loved in the original trilogy. Nesta is struggling with the aftermath of the war and especially with being involuntarily turned into a High Fae herself, against her will, and soon finds herself forced to spend more time with Cassian, whose role in the Night Court keeps him with her. At the same time, the human queens who have returned to the Continent have started a new alliance which threatens the peace that has settled since the war, and Nesta and Cassian may be the key to stopping them. It’s been three years since I read the last two books of the series, aside from Frost & Starlight, so I may need a bit of a refresher on it before I pick this one up, but I am so excited to read it. I’ve loved every Sarah J. Maas book I’ve read so far, and I’m very excited to revisit this world and these characters.

3) Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay (March 2)

I’m always looking out for upcoming new thrillers, and this one caught my attention immediately. It is about a man named Matt who returns to his dorm room at NYU after a night of partying, only to learn that his entire family have been found dead from an apparent gas leak while on vacation in Mexico. The local police claim it was an accident, but the FBI seem suspicious. The tragedy also brings the family into the public eye for the second time. Matt’s older brother Danny is in jail with a life sentence for the murder of his girlfriend, and the family had been the subject of a true crime documentary about his case. As a result of the film, most of the country rallied around Danny, but Matt has always believed in his guilt, holding onto something he witnessed that night which makes him believe his brother really did it. When he returns to his hometown, he is met with hostility from the community and decides he must find out the truth, especially as connection begin to appear between Danny’s case and the deaths of the rest of the family. I love thrillers in general, although I tend to find the ones that are very hyped tend to be very hit-or-miss. This one sounds very intriguing, especially for a debut thriller, and I’m very excited to give it a chance.

4) The Infinity Courts by Akemi Dawn Bowman (April 6)

I added this book to my TBR by author name alone, and my interest in it only increased once I saw the amazing cover and finally read the synopsis. This book is about an 18-year-old girl named Nami who is murdered on her way to a party, waking up to find herself in a place called Infinity where consciousness goes when people die. Nami quickly learns that Ophelia, a virtual assistant that is widely used on Earth has positioned herself as queen in the afterlife and has been forcing humans into servitude as a step toward eradicating them altogether. Nami teams up with some rebels to try to overthrow Ophelia and save the humans, forcing her to face both her own past and her future. Akemi Dawn Bowman is one of my favourite YA authors, and I’m very excited to try this one because it is a completely different genre for her. I love books that deal with AI and advanced technology like that, and I’m so intrigued by the whole concept. I’m definitely planning to preorder this one, although probably a little closer to the release date so I don’t have to wait too long before I can read it.

5) Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli (April 20)

Becky Albertalli is another of my favourite YA authors, and her books are automatically added to my TBR as soon as I see them. This book is about best friends Kate and Anderson who have always shared everything, including crushing on the same guys from afar. When their long-distance crush Matt shows up at their school, they are forced for the first time to face their feelings for the same guy, and the effects that has on their friendship. I don’t know why, but I thought this book would have something to do with fame. Looking at some of the reviews, it seems that the teens are involved in the school musical, so that might be where I got that impression. I have loved all of Becky Albertalli’s books so far, and I’m very excited to try this one too. My favourite part tends to be her relatable characters and I’m expecting more of the same here. Even though this one is also a romance, I’m most excited for the friendship storyline, since that is something that is still not too common in YA, and I’d love to see more books that focus on friend dynamics as a major part of the story.

6) Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid (May 25)

I’ve learned by now that Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books are worth trying, even if the synopsis doesn’t fully capture my attention. I wasn’t particularly interested in Evelyn Hugo or in Daisy Jones and the Six before I picked them up, and both ended up being favourites of the year I read them. This book is her upcoming release which focuses on four siblings whose lives are changed during the course of one evening in August 1983. The siblings are the children of legendary singer Mick Riva, and each famous in their own right as well. Each of them have secrets of their own, and when the mansion goes up in flames by the morning after their annual end-of-summer party, it seems like that will be when all their secrets will come out. The main characters in this book are famous surfers, which is not something I have much interest in at all. However, as I said above, I also had no interest in books about Hollywood or about 70s rock, and I ended up loving those books anyway because of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s writing. I’m looking forward to this one because I’m expecting to love it just as much.

7) We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This by Rachel Lynn Solomon (June 1)

I’ve only read one of Rachel Lynn Solomon’s books so far, but I’m very excited to read the rest. This is one of two books she has due out this year, and it’s the one I’ve heard less about so far. This one is about a teenage girl named Quinn, who confessed her feelings for Tarek last summer in a lengthy e-mail which he seemed to have ignored when he left for college. Their parents are in business together in the wedding industry, and Quinn has been dreading seeing Tarek again. When he returns to help out for the next wedding season, the two soon find themselves repeatedly forced together for tasks at each wedding, yet unable to manage even one civil conversation. Despite her anger, Quinn still can’t deny her feelings for him and begins to learn more about the reason for his silence. Based on the one book I’ve read so far, I love Rachel Lynn Solomon’s writing style and this book sounds so cute. It’s not necessarily the most unique premise, but it is one that I tend to love and I’m very interested to give it a chance.

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