Say Goodbye to 2021 With These 38 New Books Coming This December

Love defies all odds in Jerry McGill's lyrical and heartbreaking novel Bed Stuy. Rashid is a Black man from Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, whose life is full of complications, and falling for Rachel, a married woman and Holocaust survivor who is 20 years older than him, adds one more. But despite their differences and all of the people telling them they don't belong together, Rashid and Rachel can't resist their undeniable connection.

Out Dec. 1

Sparks fly between an author and a bookstore owner in Rachel Lacey's charming rom-com Read Between the Lines. After connecting online, it seems author Jane and book-lover Rosie are on track for a perfect romance. At least they are until Jane's family business terminates the lease on Rosie's bookstores, leaving the two potential lovebirds at odds.

Out Dec. 1

Set against the backdrop of the competitive world of ballet, The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale follows three friends who are keeping a dark secret. The story alternates between the past and present as a woman named Delphine faces the truth about what drove her away from the Paris Opera Ballet 13 years before.

Out Dec. 7

Juhea Kim's debut, Beasts of a Little Land, is a sprawling epic set during the Korean independence movement. The story focuses on Jade, a young girl sold to a courtesan school by her family, and her connection to an orphan named JungHo. When they both come of age, JungHo decides to fight in the war, changing both of their lives forever.

Out Dec. 7

The Big Reveal by Jen Larsen follows Addie, who describes herself as "fat, fierce, and driven," as she chases her dreams of becoming a dancer. Everything seems to be going according to plan when she is accepted into her dream school, but in order to cover the cost of tuition, she'll have to get creative. That's when she and her friends decide to start a secret burlesque club, which sparks vitriol from some people in Addie's community — and leaves her with a fight on her hands.

Out Dec. 7

There's nothing easy about Lisa Harding's Bright Burning Things, an intense novel about motherhood and addiction. Former stage star Sonya loves her son more than anything else in the world, but when her alcoholism threatens her ability to keep him in her life, she embarks on a harrowing journey to face her addiction head on.

Out Dec. 7

Bestselling author and presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman's poetry collection The Hill We Climb and Other Poems is being rereleased this month as Call Us What We Carry. This stirring collection of poems delves into subjects like identity and history, while also capturing this strange moment in time brought on by the pandemic.

Out Dec. 7

Cover your TBR's eyes, because The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa is an enthralling tale of a talking cat and the grandson of a bookstore owner on a mission to save books that are languishing on shelves unread. Just as he's about to close the secondhand bookshop he inherited from his grandfather, Rintaro Natsuki meets a feline who asks for his assistance on a dangerous mission to liberate books from the hands of hoarders and publishers who are far too concerned with creating bestsellers.

Out Dec. 7

Not only are vampires making a comeback, but they're also being reinvented in The Coldest Touch by Isabel Sterling. This unforgettable romance follows a death oracle named Elise Beaumont and the vampire who is supposed to help her master her powers, Claire Montgomery. However, when it becomes apparent they're not the only supernatural creatures around, Claire and Elise can't help but grow closer as they work together to stop a killer.

Out Dec. 7

Daughters of the Resistance by Lana Kortchik is a stirring story of two women whose lives intersect due to the horrors of Word War II. By day, Irina Antonova works in a registration office in Nazi-occupied Kiev, but at night she risks everything to help her neighbours. Soon, she finds herself working with a woman named Lisa Smirnova after an unforeseen incident changes both of their lives forever.

Out Dec. 7

If you love a good romance trope — think enemies to lovers, missed connections, and fake romances turned real — then Fools in Love, a short-story collection edited by Ashley Herring Blake and Rebecca Podos, is the book for you. Each story in the collection puts a fresh twist on a familiar trope from authors including Rebecca Barrow, Ashley Herring Blake, Gloria Chao, Mason Deaver, and Sara Farizan.

Out Dec. 7

Hidden Treasures by Michelle Adams is a moving love story that spans two timelines. In the past, Frances Langley hid a precious object stolen by the Nazis. Meanwhile, in the present, her son and his first love reunite to find the object, a jewellery box, and uncover his mother's extraordinary story.

Out Dec. 7

Shea Ernshaw's adult debut is an eerie thriller destined to keep readers up at night. In A History of Wild Places, a secluded community known as Pastoral becomes the backdrop for a strange tale of a missing man and a family who begin to realise their safe haven from the world is much more frightening than they ever could have imagined.

Out Dec. 7

Love a good boy-band romance? Then prepare to fall head over heels for If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich. Ruben Montez and Zach Knight are members of the boy band Saturday, but when Ruben confides in Zach that he feels an immense amount of pressure to hide his sexuality for the sake of the band, the two boys begin to fall for each other.

Out Dec. 7

Strange, unnerving, and downright unputdownable, No Beauties or Monsters by Tara Goedjen gives off major Stranger Things vibes in the best way possible. Set at a mysterious military base in the Mojave Desert, a teen named Rylie must face long-held family secrets and potentially even actual monsters when she returns to Twentynine Palms for the first time since her father's death.

Out Dec. 7

Observations by Gaslight by Lyndsay Faye flips the script on Sherlock Holmes and his partner, Watson. In this collection of short stories, the minor characters from the most famous Sherlock tales take centre stage, including Irene Adler, Lestrade, and Mrs. Hudson. Told entirely through letters, telegrams, and other written forms of communication, these stories all showcase how other characters see the great Sherlock and Watson.

Out Dec. 7

Set over the course of one night in 1930s New York, One Night, New York by Lara Thompson follows two women, Frances and Agnes, who meet on a rooftop to confront the man who wronged them both. Along the way, the story takes readers on an adventure through the streets of old New York, down back alleys, and inside bustling clubs as a mystery unfolds.

Out Dec. 7

Renée Ahdieh's The Beautiful Quartet continues with The Righteous, another romantic and adventurous story of vampires, fey, and magical worlds. This time around, Arjun ventures into The Sylvan Vale to save Odette, while Pippa travels between worlds on a dangerous mission to save her dear friend Celine.

Out Dec. 7

Tell Me How to Be by Neel Patel is a funny, yet heartbreaking story of a mother and son grappling with grief and moving on from the past together. One year after her husband's death, Renu Amin is ready to push forward, and that means selling the family home. For her son, Akash, that means returning home to help her pack, and finally facing the truth about the first boy he ever loved.

Out Dec. 7

True Crime Story by Joseph Knox is at once a satirical take on the true-crime genre and a thrilling mystery in its own right. In 2011, a young woman named Zoe Nolan walked out of her dormitory and never came back. Now a fictional version of Knox and his friend Evelyn are on the case, and they may find a truth much stranger than they bargained for.

Out Dec. 7

The Upper World by Femi Fadugba is so unique, it's already set to become a Netflix original movie starring Daniel Kaluuya. On what might be the worst day of his life, Esso visits a world where he sees both glimpses of the past and the future. Then, 15 years later, he needs the assistance of a young woman named Rhia to help him change the course of history itself.

Out Dec. 7

Aysegül Savas delves into the very nature of art in White on White. After renting an apartment from a painter named Agnes, a student becomes the sole witness to her slow decline as she tells them about art projects she'll never finish and the fractured stories of her past. Soon, Agnes becomes another subject for the student to learn from, even as they observe her life falling apart.

Out Dec. 7

Winter Water by Susanne Jansson is a truly chilling thriller that tells the story of a small village in Sweden where children have a habit of disappearing into the ocean on the same day in January every few years. When his son becomes one of the missing, Martin feels a sense of hopelessness, until a retired police photographer arrives in the village and becomes fascinated by the strange case.

Out Dec. 7

Without a Hitch by Mary Hollis Huddleston and Asher Fogle Paul is set in the wild world of extravagant wedding planning. For Lottie, working as a wedding planner is supposed to be a means to an end, but as she navigates bridal mishaps and planning her ex-boyfriend's wedding, she finds herself careening toward a happily ever after she never expected.

Out Dec. 7

Gianna Kostas's life is perfect until she gets a call informing her of her father's plans to re-create Odysseus's famous voyage on his own in An Accidental Odyssey by KC Dyer. Knowing she can't let him go alone, Gianna agrees to put her life on hold to accompany him, and along the way, she discovers her perfect life may not be the one she actually wants.

Out Dec. 14

Forget the old "always the bridesmaid, never the bride" adage; Rex McMurtry is sick of always being the groomsman in Homecoming King by Penny Reid. Rex is more than ready for his own happily ever after, but it seems like every woman who dates him marries her very next boyfriend. Luckily for him, he's about to reconnect with the person who has been pining for him since preschool.

Out Dec. 14

Kenya wants nothing more than to turn her hobby into her career, and the reality show Cosplay or No Way could be her big break in The Love Con by Seressia Glass. There's just one problem: she needs a boyfriend to help re-create a couple's costume for one of the competitions. Thankfully, her hunky best friend is up for the challenge.

Out Dec. 14

In On the Rocks by Georgia Beers, teacher Vanessa Martini is nothing if not picky when it comes to dating. Among her rules are no dating straight women, anyone under the age of 35, or parents of her students. Unfortunately, Grace Chapman checks all of those boxes, but Vanessa is about to find out some people are worth breaking the rules for.

Out Dec. 14

Detective Galileo has a truly mind-boggling case on his hands in Silent Parade by Keigo Higashino. During a street parade, a suspected murderer is found murdered, but everyone with a motive has an unimpeachable alibi. Now it's up to Galileo to figure out not only who is behind the death of the alleged murderer but also whether he was actually guilty in the first place.

Out Dec. 14

What happens when a cynic and a hopeless romantic teach each other lessons in love? Sparks fly, of course. That's the story of Jacqueline Firkins's How Not to Fall in Love, in which serial dater and rom-com fanatic Theo tries to learn how to stop falling in love from his friend Harper, who has seen enough heartache to make her believe true love doesn't exist.

Out Dec. 21

Better Off Wed by Susanna Craig is a Regency romance with a side of spy action. Miss Laura Hopkins's passion in life is helping women who have been wronged, and she does so under the alias of Lady Sterling. So imagine her surprise when a man who identifies himself as Lord Sterling suddenly arrives by her side to assist her with her latest case.

Out Dec. 28

Saranna DeWylde's magical Fairy Godmothers, Inc. series continues with It Happened One Midnight. In this instalment, Ever After's resident fairy godmothers Petunia, Jonquil, and Bluebonnet are tasked with helping their very own goddaughter find true love after her lie about being engaged spirals out of control.

Out Dec. 28

Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera reunite to continue the story they began in their beloved novel, What If It's Us. In Here's to Us, Arthur and Ben have moved on with other guys and started their adult lives as the assistant of an off-Broadway director and college student, respectively. But when they reconnect in New York City, they begin to wonder if they're destined to be more than just each other's first loves.

Out Dec. 28

Karnawał is a time of endless wintry festivities in The Midnight Girls by Alicia Jasinska, but Zosia and Marynka are interlopers on a mission. Both of the young women are after the heart of a prince, a prize that will give the victor great power, but as the competition heats up, they realise there's a real spark between them that they can't ignore.

Out Dec. 28

There might be a murderer close to home in Darby Kane's latest domestic thriller, The Replacement Wife. Elisa Wright wants nothing more than to live a peaceful life, but she also suspects her brother-in-law is a murderer. If she's right, then only she can warn his latest girlfriend of the dangerous web she's about to be ensnared in.

Out Dec. 28

The Sorority Murder by Allison Brennan follows podcaster Lucas and guest lecturer Regan as they investigate the death of Candace Swain, who left a sorority party and never returned. As the podcast gains followers, the truth about Candace's death begins to emerge — and so do the people who are determined to keep her story a mystery.

Out Dec. 28

The Spanish Daughter by Lorena Hughes is a fascinating historical mystery about a woman named Puri, who assumes her husband's identity after a mercenary is sent to kill her and murders him instead. Now Puri must navigate running a cocoa estate in Vinces, Ecuador, while also digging into dark family secrets and unraveling the mystery of who wants her dead.

Out Dec. 28

New York Times bestselling author Eve Rodsky returns with Find Your Unicorn Space, a nonfiction book about reclaiming the creative side of your life. From academics to thought leaders, Rodsky speaks to everyone about the importance of creativity, and helping people find the right way to express themselves through passion and imagination. This book is definitely a must-read for anyone craving an outlet for self-expression.