Hello hi, long time no write!
So I’m still technically on hiatus, but I’ve been building this list of anticipated book releases for so many months that I figured I’d pop back just to tell you about all of them before slinking away again. (I mean, I meant to post this before the May releases started coming out and didn’t get to it until now. Ain’t that just the way.)
As always, there are way too many incredible books coming out in the next few months and I don’t know how to handle it! Let’s just get into these, shall we?
For reference: 1️⃣ = debut, 🏳️🌈 = LGBTQ+ representation, 🖤 = author of color
I did my best to research representation in each of these books but it’s entirely possible that I’ve missed something. Please let me know if so!
The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He
May 4
YA sci-fi
🖤
I still haven’t read Joan He’s debut, Descendant of the Crane, but this futuristic YA book sounds like it’ll be an emotional journey, all about sisterhood and memory and science.
Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace
May 4
adult sci-fi
🏳️🌈
Another futuristic story involving virtual reality, war, and child supersoldiers. Sounds bleak, but I’m in! Also, it apparently has #ownvoices aro-ace representation.
Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
May 4
YA fantasy
I heard that this fantasy book has Lord of the Rings vibes, a ragtag group forming a found family, and pirates, so, you know, yes please.
Black Water Sister by Zen Cho
May 11
adult contemporary fantasy
🏳️🌈🖤
A Malaysian ghost story with gods and gangs, following a closeted young woman returning to her birth country and possibly avenging her grandmother. I just love the sound of this.
Heartstopper: Volume Four by Alice Oseman
May 13
YA contemporary graphic novel
🏳️🌈
Okay, the release date on Goodreads still says May 13 even though I’ve already gotten my copy and I’m pretty sure this one is out in the world by now. But anyway, you know I adore Nick and Charlie and these books fill me with happiness!
Mister Impossible by Maggie Stiefvater (Dreamer Trilogy #2)
May 18
YA urban fantasy
🏳️🌈
ONE OF MY MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF THE YEAR!! Call Down the Hawk ended up being among my favorite books of 2019, so its sequel is absolutely going to be top priority as soon as it’s in my hands. I can’t wait to see more of Ronan and Adam and Jordan and Hennessy and Declan and everyone else!!
The Lights of Prague by Nicole Jarvis
May 18
adult historical fantasy
1️⃣🏳️🌈
Gaslight-era historical fantasy set in Prague with a secret society of monster hunters! This book also seems to feature a vampire romance, which isn’t something I’d typically reach for, but you know what, I’ll give this one a chance because everything else about it sounds fantastic.
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
May 25
adult historical fiction
Yes, I’ve already read this one, but I’m very excited about it being out in the world. This follows four siblings over the course of the day that the oldest, Nina, throws her famous annual end-of-summer party. If you’ve read TJR’s other books, you might see a few familiar characters in this one…
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
June 1
adult romance
🏳️🌈
Once again, I’m lucky enough to have already read this book, and it ended up among my favorite books that I read in 2020! Seriously, if this book isn’t already among your most anticipated, it should be. A New York subway romance with a sci-fi twist and Casey McQuiston’s absolutely breathtaking writing!
The Ghosts We Keep by Mason Deaver
June 1
YA contemporary
🏳️🌈
Following a kid whose brother dies in a car accident, this book sounds like it’s going to absolutely tear my heart out. I loved Mason Deaver’s debut, I Wish You All the Best, so I’m sure I’ll love this too!
The Tea Dragon Tapestry by K. O’Neill (Tea Dragon #3)
June 1
middle grade graphic novel
🏳️🌈
I have no doubt that the third Tea Dragon book will be just as sweet and heartwarming as the first two! We’re once again following Greta and Minette in this one, and I’m sure it’ll be the perfect book to ring in the summer.
The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin
June 1
YA fantasy
1️⃣
Funny enough, I actually know this author and happen to be reading a copy of this book right now…but it probably would have ended up on this list even if that weren’t the case! All about witches who control the weather, what I’ve read from this book so far has been great and I’m excited to continue.
The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag
June 1
YA graphic novel
🏳️🌈
A graphic novel about a girl falling in love with a selkie in a small coastal town! This sounds like it’ll be sweet and lovely and maybe a little sad, and I can’t wait.
Fire with Fire by Destiny Soria
June 8
YA urban fantasy
🏳️🌈🖤
We’re pulling out the dragon books! Following two dragon-slaying sisters who end up on opposite sides of a magical conflict, this sounds right up my alley.
Afterlove by Tanya Byrne
June 10
YA contemporary fantasy
🏳️🌈🖤
A girl who gets the chance to become a reaper after her untimely death, though all she wants is to see the girl she loves again. I get the feeling this one is going to make me cry and I can’t wait.
Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon
June 22
YA contemporary, short story collection
🖤
A collection of short stories set during a summer blackout in New York City by just about the coolest team of Black YA authors I can imagine.
Darling by K. Ancrum
June 22
YA thriller
🏳️🌈🖤
All I know about this one is that it’s some kind of Peter Pan retelling, but all of K. Ancrum’s books have messed with my head in the best possible way and I doubt this will be the exception!
The All-Consuming World by Cassandra Khaw
June 22
adult sci-fi
🏳️🌈🖤
Sci-fi heist! A band of criminal cyborg women! Evil AI! Listen, those buzzwords are pretty much all I know about this book so far but that’s really all I need in order to be hooked.
The Bone Way by Holly J. Underhill
June 26
adult fantasy
1️⃣🏳️🌈
SAPPHIC ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE RETELLING, THIS IS NOT A DRILL. This fantasy about a woman on a quest to bring her wife back from the realm of the dead is screaming my name.
Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta
June 29
YA sci-fi
1️⃣🏳️🌈🖤
Following two girls on the opposite sides of a war full of huge mechanized weapons who end up falling for each other, this book is compared to Pacific Rim and sounds incredible.
Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell (Simon Snow #3)
July 6
YA urban fantasy
🏳️🌈
The last (as far as I know??) book with Simon and Baz, which I’m trying to come to terms with but will definitely be a mess when I have this book in my hands. It’s fine, I’m fine.
Incense and Sensibility by Sonali Dev (The Rajes #3)
July 6
adult romance
🖤
This series of modern day Jane Austen retellings continues with a reimagining of Sense and Sensibility! The other two books melted my heart and made me extremely hungry, and I get the feeling this will do the same.
Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson
July 6
YA contemporary
🏳️🌈🖤
Leah Johnson’s debut, You Should See Me in a Crown, was incredible, so I have high hopes for her follow-up, which follows two girls at a summer music festival.
Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
July 6
YA fantasy
🖤
This retelling of the Wild Swans fairy tale (one of my childhood favorites!) has the most beautiful cover I’ve ever seen. Also, I recently found out that it takes place in the same world as Spin the Dawn, which has me even more excited!
The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass
July 13
YA horror
1️⃣🏳️🌈🖤
Heck yeah, dark academia horror with ghosts and examinations of race and privilege!
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
July 13
adult sci-fi
A sci-fi novella about a robot befriending a tea monk. The description says that this one “gives us hope for the future,” which I think we could all use right now, huh?
Sword Stone Table: Old Legends, New Voices, edited by Swapna Krishna and Jenn Northington
July 13
anthology
🖤
A short story anthology reimagining Arthurian lore in more inclusive and genre-bending ways! Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Roshani Chokshi are two of the many amazing authors on this list and I can’t wait to see what this collection brings.
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
July 20
adult fantasy
1️⃣🏳️🌈🖤
I still remember seeing this book’s description of Mulan meets The Song of Achilles for the first time and gasping aloud. An epic, fantastical reimagining of Chinese history that I’ve heard nothing but incredible things about so far!
The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould
August 3
YA horror
1️⃣🏳️🌈
The daughter of TV ghosthunters investigating teens going missing in a small Oregon town. This sounds spooky and wonderful!
A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee
August 3
YA contemporary fantasy
🏳️🌈
Yet another spooky dark academia book, this one about witches and girls uncovering a dark history. (It actually sounds a lot like my NaNoWriMo novel from last year but…way better.)
The King of Infinite Space by Lyndsay Faye
August 10
adult fiction
🏳️🌈
A queer modern day Hamlet retelling! How did Lyndsay Fayre read my mind?? As one might expect, this follows a young man investigating his father’s death, with not quite the results he hopes for.
Hope I was able to add some fun books to your TBR! Now I’ll just be slipping back into hiatus mode…
x Margaret
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Weird Zeal 
There are so many amazing sounding books coming out recently I don’t know how my bank account will survive 😂
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Truly! As always there are just way too many incredible books to read…
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this is such a good list, Margaret! I haven’t heard of a few of these and will def be adding them to my tbr 🙂
ok one thing though – I’m so confused why goodreads has The Tea Dragon Tapestry as being released this year because it’s already out? Like, I read the physical copy last year from my library 🤔🤔 Very weird lol (it’s quite good btw!)
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That’s so weird about Tea Dragon Tapestry?? I know that the official release date got pushed back from last fall bc there were some problems with print quality on the first run I believe, but perhaps that didn’t apply everywhere somehow??? Idk I just know that at work we can’t sell them till June! 🤷♀️
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Soo many amazing books! I’m especially interested for She Who Becomes the Sun and Six Crimson Cranes ❤
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Yesss! I just started She Who Became the Sun today and so far so good 😍
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Thank you for bringing so many delightful stories to my attention?? I didn’t know about that King Arthur one. Arthurian legend is a huge hyperfixation of mine so needless to say I am mildly (very, very, very) excited for that one
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You’re so welcome! Glad I could bring that one to your attention – it sounds incredible 😄
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I have a copy of The Lights of Prague on the way for a book tour later this month. One Last Stop sounds like a fun read, and I’ve been anxiously awaiting She Who Became the Sun, but . . . and OMG, how is this the first I’m hearing of The Bone Way?
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The Bone Way sounds amazing – glad I could bring it to your attention! 😀 And yesss One Last Stop is so much fun.
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Margaret!! I loved reading your anticipated releases post, there are so many great books coming out this year ❤ I’m also excited for Realm Breaker, The Ghosts We Keep, The Nature of Witches, and especially the new Heartstopper volume, I need that wholesomeness!! I have an Arc of The Dead and the Dark and hope to read it next month 🥰
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Ahh thanks, Caro! ❤ So many good books, so little time, as always. And yesss Heartstopper's wholesomeness is always appreciated 😄 Ooh I hope you end up enjoying The Dead and the Dark!
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as someone who loves contemporary, summer is *the best* time for releases. i haven’t picked up call down the hawk yet which is very embarrassing for me, but i genuinely love the cover of mister impossible (tho the title is a bit cringe lol). i need to get on this series ASAP!
one of my most anticipated releases is ace of spades, coming out this june. it’s queer and dark academia, which is very much up my alley. i hope to love it!
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Yesss get excited for all the summer contemporaries! I love Mister Impossible’s cover too, though I agree that the title is, uh, not the best. (I actually just finished it this morning and you should definitely read them!!)
Ooh I feel like I’ve heard about Ace of Spades but didn’t realize it was queer and dark academia! I’ll have to add that to my list… 😄
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