Best New Books of February 2021
23 Exciting New Books Hot Off the Presses in February
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February may be the shortest month of the year, but the next 28 days are absolutely packed with new book releases. From Kristin Hannah's latest novel to a memoir from Priyanka Chopra Jonas, February's collection of must reads is a veritable selection box of bookish treats. Whether you're looking for a modern rom-com to celebrate Valentine's Day with, an unusual thriller with a literary twist, or a powerful book on the intersection of spirituality and antiracism, this list has you covered. Are you ready to expand your TBR? Then read on to discover all of the exciting books coming your way this February.
1 100 Boyfriends by Brontez Purnell
100 Boyfriends by Brontez Purnell is an astonishing collection of short stories that explore the varied experiences of Black queer men with a unique mix of electrifying humour and aching humanity. Expect to devour this one in a single sitting — it's just that good.
Out Feb. 2
2 Annie and the Wolves by Andromeda Romano-Lax
A historian's obsession with Annie Oakley could cost her everything in Andromeda Romano-Lax's Annie and the Wolves. Ruth McClintock devotes her career to delving into the secrets of Oakley's past, but the deeper she digs, the more the line between her life and the sharpshooter's begins to blur.
Out Feb. 2
3 Dear Kamala: Women Write to the New Vice President edited by Peggy Brooks-Bertram
As the first woman of colour elected as Vice President, Kamala Harris has already made history, and in the process, she's inspiring women the world over. Now Peggy Brooks-Bertram has edited together Dear Kamala: Women Write to the New Vice President, a collection of letters from women congratulating Harris and sharing their own stories and struggles with the VP.
Out Feb. 2
4 Do Better: Spiritual Activism for Fighting and Healing from White Supremacy by Rachel Ricketts
Rachel Ricketts's Do Better: Spiritual Activism for Fighting and Healing from White Supremacy is an invaluable book for anyone looking to further their antiracist education. The author not only addresses the intersection between secular spiritualism and antiracism, she offers practical exercises designed to help readers do the soul-searching necessary to tackle internalized racism head on.
Out Feb. 2
5 Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
If you love thrillers, but wish the genre would lighten up a little then you absolutely must read Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano. Finley is a single mother who is struggling to turn her latest book in on time when a misunderstanding leads to her being mistaken for a contract killer. Now, she has to balance her deadline with motherhood and her confusing new life of crime.
Out Feb. 2
6 The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
Bestselling author Kristin Hannah is back with a new emotional epic, The Four Winds. This time, Hannah is transporting readers to the Dust Bowl era, where a woman named Elsa Wolcott struggles to keep her family afloat as the United States spirals into a devastating depression.
Out Feb. 2
7 I am The Rage by Dr. Martina McGowan
Dr. Martina McGowan wrote the entirety of I Am The Rage during 2020. As a result, her poems are a raw and searing examination of America's reckoning with racism. Each one of her poems challenges readers to reflect on the events of not only this past year, but on America's shameful and destructive legacy of white supremacy.
Out Feb. 2
8 The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson
Racial tensions in a small Indiana town come to a head in Nancy Johnson's The Kindest Lie. The story follows Ruth, a woman who can't fully move forward with her life until she confronts her past, as she returns home and befriends a young white boy who feels just as lost as she does.
Out Feb. 2
9 Milk Fed by Melissa Broder
A 24-year-old woman named Ruth is following in her mother's dangerous calorie-counting footsteps at the start of Milk Fed by Melissa Broder. But when Ruth's therapist suggests she take a break from communicating with her mother, she finds solace in a frozen yoghurt shop owner who wants to feed not only her body, but also her soul.
Out Feb. 2
10 My Year Abroad by Chang-rae Lee
Chang-rae Lee's latest novel, My Year Abroad, may also be his best to date. The story follows Tiller, a young American with little ambition, whose entire life is changed by a Chinese American entrepreneur named Pong Lou. Not long after they meet, Pong and Tiller embark on a tour across Asia that opens Tiller's eyes to the world around him.
Out Feb. 2
11 The Removed by Brandon Hobson
The Removed by Brandon Hobson is a story grounded in Cherokee history that zeroes in on the emotional journey of a family left reeling after the death of their son, Ray-Ray. As the anniversary of Ray-Ray's death approaches, the family's matriarch Maria becomes determined to bring her family together once more, but as the day approaches, Ray-Ray's parents and siblings begin to feel torn between the real world and the spiritual one.
Out Feb. 2
12 Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell
Everina Maxwell's space opera Winter's Orbit is as romantic as it is suspenseful. When Prince Kiem's grandfather forces him to marry Count Jainan, who recently lost his husband in a suspected political murder, he finds himself in the middle of a dangerous conspiracy with a man he can't help but fall for.
Out Feb. 2
13 Ladies of the House by Lauren Edmondson
Lauren Edmondson's delightful debut Ladies of the House is a modern retelling of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility that transports the action to Georgetown. After her father's unexpected death in the midst of a scandal, Daisy struggles to keep her family together even as her oldest friend prepares an exposé on her father's life.
Out Feb. 9
14 The Love Proof by Madeleine Henry
Fans of The Time Traveller's Wife will be blown away by Madeleine Henry's The Love Proof. Told across decades, the book tells the story of physicist Sophie Jones's quest to prove true love not only exists, but that soulmates will find each other in every iteration of reality.
Out Feb. 9
15 Unfinished by Priyanka Chopra Jonas
Priyanka Chopra Jonas shares the remarkable story of her life so far in the aptly named memoir Unfinished. From her childhood in India to her career as a Bollywood star, Chopra Jonas leaves no stone unturned in this moving examination of her personal life and the strange realities of being famous.
Out Feb. 9
16 The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
Norse mythology gets a progressive update in Genevieve Gornichec's debut The Witch's Heart. This grand tale focuses on a witch who angers the gods when she falls in love with Loki, only to discover that the fates of her three children are entangled with the future of the world itself.
Out Feb. 9
17 A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
Sarah J. Maas's bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses series continues with A Court of Silver Flames. In the latest instalment in the fantasy series, High Fae Nesta Archeron is struggling to process her dark memories of the war when the hardened soldier Cassian inserts himself into her life and her heart. Now the two must learn to fight alongside each other in order to preserve the uneasy peace their world has found.
Out Feb. 16
18 First Comes Like by Alisha Rai
If you read just one rom-com this February, make sure it's Alisha Rai's hilarious and warmhearted First Comes Like. Influencer Jia Ahmed wants nothing more than to carve out a career in the beauty sphere, but when an actual superstar slides into her DMs, she can't help but be tempted. Unfortunately for Jia, Bollywood star Dev Dixit never actually sent her any messages, leading to them both becoming embroiled in tabloid drama that could lead to something real.
Out Feb. 16
19 How to Order the Universe by María José Ferrada
Set during Chile's Pinochet era, How to Order the Universe by María José Ferrada is a vivid story of a father and daughter who live life on the road. From an early age, M learns to speak the language of the salesman from her father, D, as they travel across the country selling their wares to the locals. But as Chile's situation becomes more unstable, so does their idyllic life.
Out Feb. 16
20 No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
Patricia Lockwood's No One Is Talking About This is an intricate, unexpected story for the internet age. When a social media star finds herself sucked into the portal, a place of boundless voices and images, only texts from her mother can pull her back toward reality in this wonderfully strange novel that defies classification.
Out Feb. 16
21 Serena Singh Flips the Script by Sonya Lalli
Serena Singh Flips the Script by Sonya Lalli is a surprisingly emotional story about a woman who discovers that putting everything on hold in the name of her career isn't nearly as satisfying as she thought it would be. While Serena thinks her life is perfect thanks to her amazing job in DC, a new friendship shows her just how much she's been missing out on during her quest for success.
Out Feb. 16
22 The Marriage Pass by Briana Cole
If you're looking for a read that's as thrilling as it is sexy then The Marriage Pass by Briana Cole should be at the top of your list this month. When Dr. Dorian Graham's wife suggests they celebrate their wedding anniversary by spending the night with other people, he jumps at the chance to make a play for her sister. But when his dalliance turns into an unexpected game of cat and mouse, Dorian has no choice but to play along.
Out Feb. 23
23 The Upstairs House by Julia Fine
The Upstairs House by Julia Fine is at once a literary thriller and an examination of young motherhood. Shortly after the birth of her daughter, Megan Weiler discovers her house is haunted by the ghosts of famed children's book author Margaret Wise Brown and her lover. Now, Megan must try to calm these unpredictable spirits for the sake of her sanity and the safety of her child.
Out Feb. 23
