News in January 2021

News in January 2021

22th January, 2021

Kiese Laymon’s HOW TO SLOWLY KILL YOURSELF AND OTHERS IN AMERICA is featured on St. Louis Magazine’s “10 Must-Reads for 2021.” They quote author Ron A. Austin, who writes: “[Laymon’s] voice is fire and iron and steel…I’m excited to see how the original and extended compare and how this project speaks to the power and practice of revision.” Scribner published the book on November 10, 2020.

22th January, 2021

The Chicago Tribune, BuzzFeed News, and Vulture feature Maggie Nelson's forthcoming ON FREEDOM on their lists of most anticipated books for 2021. The Chicago Tribune writes: “Fittingly, considering the five-alarm fire playing out every day in the country, it’s a good time for essayists, and Nelson is among the originals. The author of such influential works as THE ARGONAUTS and THE RED PARTS considers our obsession with the idea of freedom, from its capacity to thrill to its ability to disgust.” Graywolf Press will publish the book on September 7, 2021.

22th January, 2021

David Hoon Kim’s PARIS IS A PARTY, PARIS IS A GHOST is featured on Vulture’s “46 Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2021.” They write: “This is the debut novel of American writer David Hoon Kim, who himself lived in Paris and studied at the Sorbonne. He writes a mean sentence.” Farrar, Straus, and Giroux will publish the book on August 3, 2021.

22th January, 2021

Dawnie Walton’s THE FINAL REVIVAL OF OPAL & NEV is featured on Book Riot's “10 Propulsive 2021 Books Everyone Will Be Talking About.” They write: "For readers who read and loved DAISY JONES AND THE SIX, and are looking for another book they’ll love just as much (if not more), THE FINAL REVIVAL OF OPAL & NEV could be just the answer…Dawnie Walton’s debut novel is doing its own thing, for sure, with a strong narrative voice and unforgettable characters." 37 Ink will publish the book on March 30, 2021.

22th January, 2021

Jamie Figueroa's debut novel BROTHER, SISTER, MOTHER, EXPLORER is featured on Bustle’s “Most Anticipated Debuts of 2021.” Catapult will publish the book on March 2, 2021.

15th January, 2021

CONCRETE ROSE, the prequel to Angie Thomas’s THE HATE U GIVE, has received four starred reviews. Publishers Weekly raves: “Thomas brings her trademark wit, nostalgic love of the 1990s and all things R&B and hip-hop, and her penchant for heartfelt characterization to this first-person exploration of Maverick Carter’s coming-of- age.” Booklist deems the book “a poignant prequel…that offers hope, encouragement, and optimism.” School Library Journal praises the “depth of humor and clarity that really allows readers to bond with the characters.” Kirkus calls it “a resounding success.” A favorite on various “Most Anticipated Books of 2021” lists, CONCRETE ROSE has been highlighted by Book Riot, Bustle, CNN, Entertainment Weekly, Essence, Forbes, PopSugar, Refinery29, TIME, USA Today, and The Washington Post. Angie was interviewed on CBS This Morning with Gayle King, and is the cover story of Kirkus Reviews’ January issue, as well as being included in various features for Entertainment Weekly, Goodreads, NPR’s Morning Edition, Shelf Awareness, Shondaland, The Week, Washington Post Live, and We Need Diverse Books. Balzer + Bray published the book on January 12, 2021.

15th January, 2021

Robert Jones Jr.’s debut novel THE PROPHETS is featured on numerous must-read lists for 2021, including Elle's “The 55 Most Anticipated Books of 2021” and The Millions’ “Most Anticipated: The Great First-Half 2021 Book Preview.” AP News writes that “THE PROHETS is a novel, but feels almost like poetry, with every word holding a weight and power that will continue to astound those who lose themselves in its pages,” while The Guardian compliments the narrative as possessing “a tremendous generosity of spirit; each character, slave and enslaver, ‘half-caste’ and overseer, is richly evoked, rendering the complexity of their desires and deprivations.” Jones Jr. was also interviewed by NPR, PEN Ten, and PopSugar. G.P. Putnam’s Sons published the book on January 5, 2021.

15th January, 2021

Buzz is building around Lucy Ives’s debut story collection COSMOGONY, which Publishers Weekly calls “an inventive collection” that “through juxtaposition and collage…illuminate[s] the trickier fringes of life right now.” Refinery29 recommends COSMOGONY as one of its “50 Books to Read in 2021,” and BuzzFeed lists it as one of its “Most Anticipated.” Soft Skull will publish the book on March 9, 2021.

15th January, 2021

Joss Lake’s debut novel FUTURE FEELING is featured on The Millions’ “Most Anticipated: The Great First Half of 2021 Book Preview.” They write: “Like every ambitious literary visionary, Lake uses his delirious imagination and potent narrative gifts to sharpen the mirror on how we live and feel now.” Additionally, Publishers Weekly praises the book: “Pen’s fairy tale ending hits the spot… [T]his coming-of-age journey through the surreality of gender will please readers seeking speculative queer fiction.” Soft Skull will publish the book on June 1, 2021.

15th January, 2021

In a starred review, Publishers Weekly calls Jakob Guanzon’s ABUNDANCE “a harrowing story of a man’s desperation and unyielding love for his son… This one hits hard.” It was also featured on The Millions’ “Most Anticipated: The Great First Half of 2021 Book Preview,” Electric Lit’s “27 Debuts to Look Forward to in the First Half of 2021,” and St. Paul Pioneer Press’ “We may still be stuck at home this spring, but we’ll have plenty to read.” Graywolf will publish the book on March 2, 2021.

15th January, 2021

The New York Times raves about Arvin Ahmadi’s HOW IT ALL BLEW UP in a roundup of young adult novels with crossover potential for adult readers. They praise the novel’s “frank and often funny insight” and “an immediately likable [protagonist] with whom we empathize… I could not put this book down.” Viking Books for Young Readers published the book on September 22, 2020.

15th January, 2021

Michael Zapata’s THE LOST BOOK OF ADANA MOREAU was named one of Los Angeles Public Library’s “Best of 2020.” They call the book “a wonderful story of resourcefulness, perseverance, and connections that transcend time, space and death itself.” OZY also named Zapata one of the best debut novelists of the year, and Latino Rebels featured the novel on its list of “21 Best Latinx Books of 2020.” Hanover Square Press published the book on February 4, 2020.