It’s that time of year again — when I help your tbrs crush you flat!!
Honestly, that’s very kind of me and you are welcome in advance. I’ve collected 60+ release coming out from January to April that I think sound super good and I want to read them!! Is that possible? 😌👌🏻absolutely not. Will I pretend I could though? Absolutely yes.
We scoff in the face of realism. (Also I need to inherit a small fortune.)
I hope you enjoy and find some you’re excited for too! All covers link to Goodreads. I do feel I’m missing more YA fantasies, though?! So shout out in the comments which ones you’re excited for.
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➢ 2020 New YA Releases January, March, April
➢ 2020 New YA Releases May, June, July
➢ 2020 New YA Releases August, Sept, Oct, Nov
➢ Why It’s Perfectly Acceptable To Have An Enormous TBR Pile
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas | Goodreads
Angie Thomas is such a phenomenal storyteller and an auto-buy author so 😭🙌🏻of course this goes instantly on my tbr! I’m also super lucky to have an ARC so I can’t wait to read this!
The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe | Goodreads
Apparently January is for blood red covers but 👀👌🏻am okay with that. This is pitched as “the daughter of a con artist who is taken hostage in a bank heist” and I simply adore con artists and heists.
Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant | Goodreads
Books about writers!!! These always go straight onto my tbr because relate 😌👌🏻 teen-writer-me would’ve been so excited for this book too 😍
What Beauty Is There by Cory Anderson | Goodreads
I simply exist for angsty contemporaries about families and brothers and broken messiness 😩 you know I do. This also gives me vibes not too dissimilar from my books so!!! I really want to read it.
Into The Heartless Wood by Joanna Ruth Meyer | Goodreads
Forests!! Monsters!! My aesthetic!! It’s pitched as “impossible love between a monstrous tree siren and a boy who lives at the edge of her wood” and I was just THERE, ready and needing it.
Roman & Jewel by Dana L. Davis | Goodreads
I really loved this author’s debut (Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now) but I haven’t read anything else by her yet, and this!! must!! change!! Also this just sounds fantastic with a Romeo x Juliet twist. 😍
The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick | Goodreads
Quickly sneaking in an adult epic fantasy (I want to read more adult!) because this one sounds SO GOOD. Also crime lords and it’s queer!
The Boy From the Mish by Gary Lonesborough | Goodreads
One of my goals for 2021 is to read more Aussie books, and this is pitched as: “queer Indigenous YA novel, set in a rural Australian community, about seventeen-year-old Jackson finding the courage to explore who he is, even if it scares him” Yes yes!!!
The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner | Goodreads
It’s a sapphic bodyguard romance with thieves and fantasy worlds!!! What more needs to be said!!! I think this is adult too so 👀excuse me breaking my own list’s rules.
Wings of Ebony by J. Elle | Goodreads
Demigods and #ownvoices Black Girl Magic and hidden magic societies!! I am super keen for this one 😍
Be Dazzled by Ryan La Sala | Goodreads
I already read and LOVED this one!! It’s full of highly strung anxious gays who do craft and cosplay and the whole book is 😙👌🏻 a work of art.
Honourable Mentions!
A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth | Goodreads
I need something to fill the Cruel Prince shaped hole in my life so hello FAE and outcasts and a murder mystery for the gays 😪🙌🏻I am so excited for this.
The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna | Goodreads
I also am super lucky to have an ARC of this from a book box and 😍✨this is going to be a real treat of an epic fantasy. It’s about a girl who’s going to join an all-girl army of immortals with magical powers.
A Pho Love Story by Loan Le | Goodreads
Okay the pitch is: “two Vietnamese-American teens fall in love and must navigate their newfound relationship amid their families’ age-old feud about their competing, neighboring restaurants.” Feuding AND food?! 😩say no more.
We Are Fire by Sam Taylor | Goodreads
This jsut sounds dark and gnarly 👀👌🏻which is my kind of epic fantasy. Also reminds me of one of my old wips so that makes me extra keen to try it!
Honourable Mentions!
Can’t Take That Away by by Steven Salvatore | Goodreads
I’m definitely seeing more nonbinary authors having books out this year and I am extremely ready for this 😍🙌🏻 I actually preordered this one (also so love the cover) and I can’t wait!
The Mirror Season by Anna-Marie McLemore | Goodreads
I always adore McLemore’s exquisite prose so this is an auto-buy for me 😭 Their work is just gorgeous, but also deals with quite dark themes. I feel like this one will be a heartbreaking one too.
Rule of Wolves (#2) by Leigh Bardugo | Goodreads
I was reading Leigh’s newsletter and this IS the end of the Grishaverse for now she said 😭(Although she still said she has “ideas” for SOC3, so I do think that’ll appear one day? For now we just wait for the show after this one. 🥺😩
The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu | Goodreads
This is supposed to have Stranger Things vibes!! And the blurb says: “following a precocious and cynical teen as she explores the shadowy magical underside of modern Edinburgh.” Yes please?! Black #ownvoices author and I think it’s adult fantasy but I’m not sure.
Fire Keeper’s Daughter by Angeline Bouley | Goodreads
This is #ownvoices Indigenous American, and I’m very keen to read more indigenous authors this year (from different countries too). Plus it’s got it ALL. Sports. Murder mystery. Tracking criminals down. Protecting your family!? 🥺
Bones of a Saint by Grant Farley | Goodreads
This is giving me huge The Outsiders vibes and I was obsessed with that book as a teen so 👀👌🏻I would love to try this.
The Secret Recipe for Moving On by Karen Bischer | Goodreads
First of all BAKING. Secondly, the blurb is promising messy chaotic friendship groups (found family?!) and they better make cake is all I can say 😪👌🏻
Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olsen | Goodreads
I am always weak for Phantom of the Opera retellings so this is just 😩💛a need for me. Also it’s genderbent which makes it even better!!
Sweet & Bitter Magic by Andrienne Tooley | Goodreads
Sapphic enemies-to-lovers and witches and curses and queendoms?! Say no more, I am already convinced.
Honourable Mentions!
These Feathered Flames by Alexandra Overy | Goodreads
This is definitely one of my most hyped books!! It’s pitched as: “Three Dark Crowns meets Wicked Saints in this queer #ownvoices retelling of “The Firebird”. Umm yes!! I love Russian folklore, and make it sapphic. 😌
She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen | Goodreads
I relaly enjoyed Late To the Party and I ened more sapphic romcoms in my life so 🥰 Excited for this! It’s also “High school nemeses fall in love” which is NICE.
In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens | Goodreads
I have preordered this one too (Ahhhh) I’m so so excited. It’s a queer Pirates of the Caribbean with a disaster prince!!
Witches Steeped In Gold by Ciannon Smart | Goodreads
I’m so ready for a new YA epic fantasy to sweep me off my feet 😪 Hoping it’s this one (isn’t the cover stunning too?!)
Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli | Goodreads
I basically am all for any book by Becky Albertalli 😪👌🏻This one sounds like it’s going to be a bit feelsy too with friendships on the line.
Between Perfect And Real by Ray Stoeve | Goodreads
This is an #ownvoices trans book too and I’m very excited about how many are being published in 2021! And it’s about coming out and being mislabelled and understanding yourself and theatre.
The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris | Goodreads
I read the author’s debut, SLAY, a while ago and it was so so good…I definitely want whatever she writes next! This one also is going to have a touch of magical realism as Alex can touch objects and see into the future.
Infinity Courts by Akemi Dawn Bowman | Goodreads
I love Bowman’s contemporaries (Starfish is utterly heartbreaking) so I’m keen to see what she does with sci-fi! There’s already so many twists in just the blurb. 👀
AHHH these all look incredible,,, all so tempting >.< i'm really excited to read Winter's Orbit when it comes out, i'm hyped for that! otherwise, i am woefully ignorant of what new releases are coming so reading this was rly interesting <3
AAH SO MANY AMAZING BOOKS! I have Down Comes the Night on my TBR and I’m looking forward to it. A Dowry of Blood is one I haven’t heard of, but it seems fantastic!
Check the box auto ok “Lore” too. It’s a January release, if I’m not mistaken, and it has Greek mythology vibes.
But those seem so good! You have destroyed my pocket *cries*
Book***
Rule of Wolves is on my TBR, as is The Notorious Virtues (though I’m super confused as to when that one is actually coming out because it’s had so many different release dates by now!). Ariadne is also on my TBR, I have an e-ARC of that one from Netgalley and I’m really looking forward to reading it. Some of my most anticipated releases from January-April (mix of MG, YA and Adult) are:
-The Mask Falling-Samantha Shannon-So excited for the fourth Bone Season book, I got approved for it on Netgalley and can’t wait to read!
-Liberte-Gita Trelease-The first Enchantee book was one of my favourite books of 2019, so I’m super excited for the sequel.
-City of Spells-Alexandra Christo-Again, I loved the first Into The Crooked Place book so I’m really excited for the sequel.
-Bridge of Souls-Victoria Schwab-I binged both Cassidy Blake books last year so really looking forward to the third one, plus it’s Victoria Schwab!
-Dead or Alive-Derek Landy-The next Skulduggery Pleasant book, honestly feeling kind of let down by the 13th, which I’m currently reading but I hope this one will be better.
Obviously I’ve already mentioned Ariadne and Rule of Wolves. Weirdly again all of my most anticipated releases are coming out in the first half of the year, it always used to be September and October for me and now that’s definitely shifted!
WOW, YES to inheriting the small fortune!
Thanks for making my reading wishlist even longer, lol. No really, thank you for putting the time you do into your posts. I often find new interesting reads from what you talk about on here. Oh and yes, the cover of Witches Steeped in Gold quite literally stopped me in my tracks when I was scrolling down. It is gorgeous! It reminded me that we totally read (and eat, lol) with our eyes first. My most anticipated read is out almost exactly on my birthday in June, The Hidden Palace by Helene Wecker. The Golem and the Jinni was amazing, so I am definitely looking forward to this sequel.
Wow! What a list! I just added a whole bunch to my TBR!
You are always coming through with greatest lists of books! 💛 But sooo many, won’t be able to read them all! 😭
These all look so good!! I’m excited for Yolk by Mary HK Choi and Act Your Age, Eve Brown (although that one is adult). And lots of others that come out later in the year!
I think I’ve added 50% of these to my Goodreads, so thank you. If you haven’t read Bonds of Brass by Emily Skrutskie I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it. I’m pee-ny-pantz excited for book 2 in 2021. I actually loved it as an audiobook, if you’re into those. Thank you for this amazing list.
These all look so good! I’m particularly keen to find more diverse adult fantasies this year and there’s some awesome looking recommendations on here and I will be 100% reading Library of the Dead!
January really is full of red covers! The books look like they’re ready to punch you in the face, rip out your heart, and leave you thanking them for it. This is the kind of energy I need going into the new year. xD
I’m SO hyped for Kate in Waiting. Becky Albertalli almost always publishes her books in April right around my birthday and it is the BEST. I can’t wait.
I’m also a sucker for books about writers, so yes, and please.
Happy new year!! I hope 2021 treats you even better than 2020.
Angie Thomas is an auto-buy author for me too so I am so excited for Concrete Rose 😍 And I covered the blurb for Rule of Wolves up so fast because I still haven’t read King of Scars but I will get to it!! Ahh, and Akemi Dawn Bowman doing sci-fi??? I am definitely here for this!! Ahh there’s so much for be excited for 😍
At least 2021 is already giving us so many good new releases 🙏 I’m beyond excited for Concrete Rose, Happily Ever Afters (a MC struggling with writer’s block is very relatable), A Dark and Hollow Star (I also need more fae books!), We are the Fire (I always love elemental magic) and Rule of Wolves (super excited to see how this ends, but omg it’s really the end? 🥺) 🥰
WELL, now I have like 20 Goodreads tabs open! So many amazing sounding ones on here- I had such a hard time narrowing down my own list, and a ton of these are on my TBR! I have read Last Night at the Telegraph Club, This Will be Funny Someday, and We Could be Heroes, and I am happy to report that they are all at least 4 star books for me! So hopefully you’ll enjoy them too!
Well, just added 20 of those to my tbr…. dammit ;P
This gave me soooo many books to look for in the next couple of months; I’m SO excited! Thank you for sharing all of these! A few others I’m looking forward to (unless I overlooked them on this list haha!): Once Upon A Quinceanera, Monica Gomez-Hira; You Have A Match, Emma Lord; What’s Not to Love, Emily-Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka; and the next book in the Deceivers series by Kristen Simmons (can’t remember the name of it right now).
My most anticipated books from each month are The Wings of Ebony, The Gilded Ones, The Mirror Season and Infinity Courts. It’s going to be such a good year for diverse stories. 😍
Ah so many fantastic new releases, this is so exciting! I can’t WAIT for Happily Ever Afters, this book sounds so good and we need more characters that are writers, too. Plus, that cover looks AMAZING. 🙂