While 2021 has kicked off in ways that we may have not expected, what we can surely count on are SO MANY amazing books to look forward to this year. If you’re like me, reading from a variety of genres helps diversify what you’re picking up, and prevents the dreaded reading slump. Here are five new releases, including fiction and non-fiction, adult and YA, that will challenge your thinking, make you reflect on your feminism, and mix up your reading life for the better.
Persephone Station
A space opera? Written by a woman? Yes, please. In this science-fiction, Rosie and Angel team up to fight against an evil corporation that seeks to exploit their home planet. This one has all the makings to be pretty epic. Release date: January 5th.
White Feminism
Author and editor Koa Beck traces the history of white feminism, how it has participated in white supremacy, and how that has affected women and the feminist movement over time. This is a must-read to build your feminist repertoire. Release date: January 5th. You can listen to Renee’s interview with Koa here.
The Echo Wife
This year is bringing us a new sci-fi thriller from Sarah Gailey that explores artificial intelligence and cloning through the story of a woman whose husband creates a “better” version of her, using HER own research. Plenty of plot twists are promised in this one. Release date: February 16, 2021.
Firekeeper’s Daughter
This debut YA thriller by Angeline Boulley features a young Native woman demanding accountability and advocating for victims amidst mystery and corruption in her community. According to own-voices early readers, you can find excellent Ojibwe representation here. I was able to read a sneak-peek of the first three chapters of this one, and I was left needing the rest! Release date: March 2, 2021.
Sorrowland
Described by Roxane Gay as “a fantastical, fierce reckoning,” Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon is a horror/sci-fi/gothic novel that defies genres. We follow Vern as she escapes a restrictive life to provide a better one for herself and her children, only to learn that leaving the past and facing the future is not simple, and that she must undergo otherworldly changes to be truly free. Release date: May 4, 2021.
