If one of your new year's resolutions is to broaden your reading horizons, then January's collection of new book releases [1] is the perfect place to start. This year's first crop of fresh reads includes stirring memoirs, fantasy adventures, and at least one space opera destined to charm fans of The Mandalorian. But the first month of the year is also bringing riveting thrillers and literary novels that are sure to spark interesting debates at book clubs everywhere.
No matter what kind of reading goals you've set for 2021 [2], this list of must-read new releases will get your year in books off to the right start. (And, just in case you want a few backlist titles to add to your TBR too, don't forget to check out our list of the best books of December [3].)
Better Luck Next Time by Julia Claiborne Johnson
Set at a 1930s dude ranch in the so-called "divorce capital of the world" Reno, Nevada, Better Luck Next Time [4] by Julia Claiborne Johnson is a funny tale of friendship and second chances. In 1938, women seeking a quick divorce head to the ranch in Reno where they spend six weeks to fulfil Nevada's resident requirement before they can secure their independence, and while the ranch's resident cowboy thinks he knows exactly how all of the guests operate, two women are about to upturn all of his expectations.
Out Jan. 5
Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour
When 22-year-old Darren becomes the only Black person at a cult-like tech startup, he quickly rises through the ranks to become one of the most ruthless salesmen around. However, Black Buck [5] by Mateo Askaripour is anything but predictable, and it's not long before Darren is using his talents to help other young people of colour enter the upper echelons of corporate America.
Out Jan. 5
Nick by Michael Farris Smith
The Great Gatsby narrator Nick Carraway finally becomes the star of his own story in Michael Farris Smith's Nick [6]. The book follows Nick as he avoids returning home in the wake of World War I and instead travels to Paris where he embarks on his own doomed love story.
Out Jan. 5
Outlawed by Anna North
Outlawed [7] by Anna North is a new kind of western that puts women right at the centre of the narrative. At the age of 17, Ada flees her home in fear of being declared a witch after she's unable to become pregnant within her first year of marriage. Now on the run, she joins up with a group of women outcasts and outlaws who are hatching a wild plan that might end in bloodshed.
Out Jan. 5
Persephone Station by Stina Leicht
Listen up The Mandalorian [8] fans, because Persephone Station [9] by Stina Leicht might just get you through the long wait for season three. Persephone Station isn't the kind of planet respectable folks inhabit, and its local watering hole, Monk's Bar, is even less hospitable. But it's there that the bar's owner, Rosie, hires ex-marine Angel to do a dangerous job for her that could kick off a deadly dispute with the Serrao-Orlov Corporation.
Out Jan. 5
The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr.
The Prophets [10] by Robert Jones, Jr. is a searing love story set against the backdrop of a southern plantation where two young slaves, Isaiah was Samuel, find love and comfort together. However, when one of their fellow slaves begins preaching on the plantation, the others begin to see Isaiah and Samuel's relationship as a sinful threat.
Out Jan. 5
The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins
Jane Eyre gets a 21st Century update in The Wife Upstairs [11] by Rachel Hawkins. In this reimagining, Jane is a dog walker who falls in love with the broody and incredibly wealthy Eddie Rochester. The only trouble is Eddie's first wife died under mysterious circumstances, and no matter how hard Jane tries, she can't seem to escape the woman's shadow.
Out Jan. 5
Aftershocks by Nadia Owusu
Nadia Owusu's memoir Aftershocks [12] is an exploration of the author's turbulent childhood, as well as her search to establish her own identity in New York City as a young adult. From the loss of her father to her struggle to care for her siblings, Owusu's book is a powerful tale of racial identity and finding her voice through writing.
Out Jan. 12
Bravery by Alexi Pappas
Olympian, filmmaker, and actress Alexi Pappas shares everything from her struggle with depression to her drive to pursue a multitude of dreams in her stirring memoir Bravery [13]. Despite its sometimes heavy subject matter, Pappas' Bravery will make you laugh, while also inspiring readers to reject the limitations society seeks to impose on us.
Out Jan. 12
The Charmed Wife by Olga Grushin
Ever wanted to read a book where Cinderella asks a witch to make a potion that will kill Prince Charming 13 years into their supposedly fairytale marriage? Then The Charmed Wife [14] by Olga Grushin is the wickedly inventive story you've been waiting for.
Out Jan. 12
The Frozen Crown by Greta Kelly
The Frozen Crown [15] by Greta Kelly is the first book in an epic fantasy duology about a princess who heads to a foreign court to seek help for her country. But Askia's arrival in the opulent land of Vishir only highlights how ill-equipped she is to navigate a world of treacherous court politics and tenuous political alliances.
Out Jan. 12
The House on Vesper Sands by Paraic O'Donnell
Victorian London roars to life in Paraic O'Donnell's The House on Vesper Sands [16]. This twisty mystery begins with a seamstress jumping out of a window, which in turn sparks an inspector, a journalist, and a lovelorn student to embark on an investigation that will take them into the city's darkest corners.
Out Jan. 12
The Last Garden in England by Julia Kelly
Spanning three eras and the stories of five different women, The Last Garden in England [17] by Julia Kelly tells the remarkable story of the gardens at Highbury House estate. Despite being separated by time itself, each woman in the story is connected to the others through the gardens and the secrets that lie within them.
Out Jan. 12
The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner
Sharply funny and endlessly creative, The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry [18] by C.M. Waggoner is a fantasy romp with romance, adventure, and even a conspiracy to unravel. Dellaria Wells is a down on her luck fire witch who takes on what she believes will be the easy job of protecting a wealthy client from assassins. However, her no-sweat gig quickly turns dangerous, but on the upside she finds herself smitten with one her fellow protectors, Winn Cynallum.
Out Jan. 12
Siri, Who Am I? by Sam Tschida
What would your life look like if you had to piece together your story using nothing but your social media accounts? That's the horrifying predicament Mia finds herself in after an accident leaves her suffering from amnesia in Sam Tschida's biting satire for the internet age Siri, Who Am I? [19].
Out Jan. 12
Waiting for the Night Song by Julie Carrick Dalton
Forestry researcher Cadie Kessler is called home to face a long-buried secret in Waiting for the Night Song [20] by Julie Carrick Dalton. For decades, Cadie has been trying to forget the events of one night that left the innocence of her childhood shattered and brought her friendship with Daniela Garcia to an end. Now, she has no choice but to return home to save the land she loves and finally deal with the ghosts of her past.
Out Jan. 12
The Divines by Ellie Eaton
The Divines [21] by Ellie Eaton explores the dark side of adolescence as a woman named Josephine delves into her past at an all-girls boarding school in England. Now in her 30s, Josephine hasn't spoken to any of her classmates since the school closed after a shocking act of violence. But after she returns to the school, she begins to remember the chain of events that led to it shutting its doors — and the role she played in the tragedy she would rather forget.
Jan. 19
The Rib King by Ladee Hubbard
Ladee Hubbard's The Rib King [22] is a historical novel that boldly explores America's exploitation of Black culture and the use of Black stereotypes to sell products to white America. The story follows the Black servants of the Barclays, a white family whose wealth is fading fast. In an attempt to revive their fortunes, the family sells their talented cook's barbeque sauce to a local store with an exaggerated portrait of groundskeeper August Sitwell on the bottle. However, neither August nor the cook will see a dime of the money, a reality that sets in motion a tragic course of events.
Out Jan. 19
Bride of the Sea by Eman Quotah
Eman Quotah's Bride of the Sea [23] is the story of a young woman caught between cultures and her parents. After her parents' divorce, Hanadi's mother disappears with her, leaving her father to search for his missing child for years. Once Hanadi is old enough to know the truth she must reckon not only with the choices her parents made, but what they mean for her and her future.
Out Jan. 26
Chatter by Ethan Kross
Through meticulous research, psychologist Ethan Kross has written Chatter [24], a book that tackles the science behind negative self-talk, and teaches readers how to harness their inner voice for good. This non-fiction ode to not only listening to your inner voice, but training it to stop being so hypercritical is the perfect read to kick off a new year.
Out Jan. 26
Everybody Else Is Perfect by Gabrielle Korn
No topic is off limits in Gabrielle Korn's collection of essays Everybody Else Is Perfect [25]. From her experience coming out in the age of The L Word to her struggles with anorexia, the former editor-in-chief of Nylon's essays are an honest exploration of what it's like to be a successful woman in a world driven by the desire to attain social media perfection.
Out Jan. 26