The Most Anticipated Books Of November 2021

Nov. 2

After June’s younger brother was accused of murdering a local couple in cold blood, she decided to swear off her hometown. But now that she’s all grown up — and has a teen daughter of her own — she’s can’t help but return to look for answers.

Nov. 2

Faithful to her people’s old ways, Simi is the Mami Wata: a mermaid who collects dead souls from the sea and helps them cross over safely into the afterlife. But when she defies the order of things to keep a young boy alive, Simi must undertake a treacherous journey to make her amends. There is much she does not understand — about herself, the boy she saved, and their Supreme Creator — but she will soon find her answers, in Natasha Bowen’s Skin of the Sea.

Nov. 2

Natashia Deón’s new novel centers on Lou, an immortal Black woman who wakes up in Los Angeles with no memory of who she is. Lou finds refuge with an adoptive family and slowly begins to build a life for herself in Great Depression-era California. But when she suddenly collides with a stranger from her past, Lou begins to realize who she is, and what she’s destined to do.

Nov. 2

Edited by The Bronx Is Reading founder Saraceia J. Fennell, Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed brings together 15 poems and essays from celebrated Latinx writers like novelist Ingrid Rojas Contreras (Fruit of the Drunken Tree) and poet Natalie Diaz (Postcolonial Love Poem).

Nov. 2

A former teenage pageant queen, Ruby is no stranger to competing in the spotlight — but she never expected to do so alongside her elderly neighbor’s chonky golden retriever. Wheezy needs a lot of work before he’s ready for the dog show, and at least one person doesn’t believe Ruby has what it takes to get him there: Spencer, the hunky veterinarian set to judge the dogs. He thinks Ruby should cut her losses before it’s too late, but she — and Wheezy — might just prove him wrong.

Nov. 2

As a pandemic forces Britain to shut down, an artist takes shelter in her sculpture studio with her new lover. Edith and Halit are just getting to know one another, but as the world changes rapidly outside their door, they find themselves forced to be more honest than ever before.

Nov. 2

Klara Hveberg’s debut novel centers on Rakel, a gifted mathematician who finds herself falling for her older teacher — and increasingly curious about the subject of his work-in-progress, the Russian-born mathematics professor Sofja Kovalevskaja. Rakel and Sofja, it turns out, have a lot in common.

Nov. 2

Rax King’s essay collection pays tribute to the cringiest fads of yesteryear, from Jersey Shore to the music of Creed. Just like with your favorite pop-culture train wrecks, once you start Tacky, you won’t be able to turn away.

Nov. 2

A burlesque Pride & Prejudice retelling? Yes, please! A Certain Appeal follows Liz, a down-on-her-luck interior designer, as she takes on a new side hustle: performing in a Manhattan burlesque revue. There, she meets Will Darcy, a financier with a stick up his butt about everything, including Liz. She wants nothing to do with him, so of course her best friend is dating his buddy. How long will she be able to grin and bear it?

Nov. 2

Sofia and Antonia, two Italian American girls living in 20th-century Brooklyn, were inseparable — until Antonia’s father mysteriously disappeared, shortly after he cut ties with the mafia. As they grow up and have children of their own, Sofia and Antonia lead parallel lives, their choices shaped by the community they were raised in: the Family.

Nov. 2

When her white lover and boss is murdered, hotshot attorney Ellice finds herself in charge of his Atlanta firm. She already stands out as the organization’s only Black lawyer, and the skeletons in her closet demand that she remain as low-profile as possible. But when Ellice uncovers a conspiracy that may tie together her past and present in unimaginable ways, she sees no clear way out.

Nov. 2

Ada Palmer’s Terra Ignota series comes to a close with Perhaps the Stars. In a world where nomadic Hives have replaced nations with fixed borders, humanity must come to grips with governments’ bloody actions, carried out in the name of peace.

Nov. 2

You Can Go Your Own Way, Eric Smith’s YA romance, is perfect for fans of You’ve Got Mail and Emma Lord’s Tweet Cute. The story follows Adam, who’s focused on protecting his late father’s pinball arcade from being bought out by a gaming café chain. Meanwhile, Whitney is dealing with a storm of recent losses by running the social media channels for her dad’s company — and engaging in a longstanding Twitter feud with a local pinball joint.

Nov. 2

In the latest novel in Sherry Thomas’ Lady Sherlock series, Charlotte Holmes must help her archenemy, Moriarity, find his daughter — but the missing persons case isn’t the only mystery for Charlotte to solve this go-’round. There’s also the issue of her sister’s beau — who may or may not be sending coded messages — and of Charlotte’s own love interest, Lord Ingram, who may finally be ready to make his move.

Nov. 2

The 2020s have been rough. We’ve lost more than 5 million people worldwide to the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to jobs, hobbies, and our general sense of stability. Anxiety is on the rise across the globe. If you’re feeling terrible right now, you’re not alone — and Dera White and Joe Bennett’s I Will Not Die Alone is just the injection of melancholy optimism you need.

Nov. 2

Wes and Britta may be the least well-advised match of the century. She’s a writer working on a story about FitMe, a fitness app that pairs users with body-positive personal trainers. He’s the CEO of the app company... and Britta’s assigned personal trainer. There are plenty of conflicts of interest at play here, but are they worth it for Wes and Britta’s shot at happily ever after?

Nov. 2

A biracial Chinese American woman and the daughter of divorced parents, Willa has always struggled to feel as though she belongs anywhere. When she takes a job working as a nanny in a wealthy white household, she finds herself re-analyzing her childhood experiences through a new lens.

Nov. 9

Laura’s traveling to the Channel Islands to write about her parents’ love story from the place it all started, but right from the get-go, her journey hits an unexpected snag: She’s just mixed up her luggage with someone else’s. Laura’s positive that the bag she carried out of the airport belongs to her soulmate. Now, she’s just got to figure out who he is.

Nov. 9

Set in a Minneapolis bookstore, Louise Erdrich’s The Sentence centers on Tookie, a formerly incarcerated person and newly hired bookseller. Over the course of a year, beginning on All Souls’ Day in 2019, Tookie must figure out why the shop is being haunted by its recently deceased patron.

Nov. 9

In Phoebe Fox’s The Way We Weren’t, a retiree spending his twilight years alone in Florida launches an out-of-character rescue mission when he sees a young woman collapsed on the beach near his home, sparking the most unlikely friendship imaginable.

Nov. 9

Divorce Court host Faith Jenkins’ new book draws from her own personal experiences as a single woman dating in her thirties to offer up more general advice for anyone who desperately wants to start a family of their own.

Nov. 9

Writers & Lovers author Lily King returns to bookstores this month with Five Tuesdays in Winter, a story collection that focuses on humanity’s capacity for love, in all its myriad forms.

Nov. 9

Court intrigue drives Makiia Lucier’s YA fantasy, The Reaper. The novel follows an ex-soldier and medium as he works to learn the truth about an assassination attempt at his brother’s home, which took place in the aftermath of a nationwide plague.

Nov. 9

From the author of The Antidote for Everything comes this new novel about three doctors whose lives are forever changed by the spread of a highly contagious virus. Shifting between New York City, San Diego, and Atlanta, Doctors and Friends takes a long, somber look at the lives of frontline health care providers struggling to keep it together as their worlds fall apart.

Nov. 9

L. E. Modesitt, Jr. transports readers to the fully realized world of Guldor — a land dependent on coal and emotional manipulation — in this fantasy series-starter. When a politician connected to a recent financial scandal dies, another goes missing, and a third is attacked by magical empaths, a bodyguard immune to empathic magic launches an investigation.

Nov. 9

Frida Kahlo biographer Marc Petitjean is back with a look into the life of Kunihiko Moriguchi, one of Japan’s most famous kimono painters and the inheritor of a fabric-dyeing legacy.

Nov. 9

Actor and model Emily Ratajkowski (Gone Girl) explores how Western culture fetishizes, commodifies, and demonizes women’s bodies in this collection of pointed essays.

Nov. 9

A teenage girl finds herself leading two lives on opposite coasts in this coming-of-age novel by Kate Sweeney. Marigold had a happy life in California, where she grew up as the middle child in a close-knit family of five. After Marigold’s father dies, though, her mom moves her and her younger sister to upstate New York, leaving her boyfriend and older sister behind. She’s trying to make the best of things, but when her new friendship in New York begins to turn into something more — and her long-distance relationship seems to grow more distant by the day — she must choose between the life she left behind and the one that could lie ahead.

Nov. 9

Catherynne M. Valente’s horror-fantasy novella centers on Sophia, a young wife living in the picture-perfect community of Arcadia Gardens, where a strict HOA code keeps everyone safe and happy. Sophia lives a normal suburban life — until she begins to notice some strange things. Why is there a lock of hair in her desk drawer? Why is there a bone in the knife block? And why can’t she go into her own basement?

Nov. 9

This collection of short stories from American Histories author John Edgar Wideman explores the lives of Black Americans, and how they intersect with history, headlines, and pop culture artifacts.

Nov. 16

Victories Greater Than Death author Charlie Jane Anders is back in stores with this new story collection. Even Greater Mistakes draws out the absurd in the mundane, painting entrancing portraits of contemporary life.

Nov. 16

Olivia Dade is back this month with another God of the Gates romance. This time, it’s Cupid actor and fanfic author Alexander Woodroe who’s been targeted by the god of love. When a bar fight results in bad press, Alex’s handlers hire a therapist to keep him from mucking up anything else. It’s a tall order for Lauren, who finds herself falling fast and hard for her charge. Another scandal’s about to rock the boat, but can Alex and Lauren weather the storm?

Nov. 16

Sara Desai’s The Singles Table centers on Zara, a matchmaker who has sworn off love, and Jay, a surly bodyguard whose celebrity clients could give Zara’s business a boost. They strike a deal — her matchmaking services for his famous clientele — but what happens when Zara herself begins to look like Jay’s most perfect match?

Nov. 16

Expounding on Nikole Hannah-Jones’ groundbreaking journalistic project, The 1619 Project brings together 18 essays and 36 works of fiction and poetry to examine the enduring marks that chattel slavery has left on American society.

Nov. 16

When religious fanatics who oppose AO’s cybernetic implants brutally attack her, she kills them in self-defense — and sets out to find a place to hide. Accompanying AO is DNA, a man whose Fulani heritage marks him as a terrorist. Together, they search for a place to call home, even as bounty hunters and corporate agents close in.

Nov. 16

Led by the respected Admiral Niko, a motley crew of retired soldiers must fight to keep their restaurant above water. If you like space pirates, sentient ships, and “they keep pulling me back in” stories, you’re going to love Cat Rambo’s You Sexy Thing.

Nov. 16

An aspiring doctor living with a mystery illness eschews modern medicine in favor of ancient medical theory in Mina Seçkin’s darkly funny The Four Humors.

Nov. 23

Part memoir, part novel, Fatima Daas’ The Last One revisits the author’s childhood in the French suburbs, where she grew up as the queer, youngest daughter in a family of Algerian Muslim immigrants.

Nov. 23

From the creator of Yes, I’m Hot in This comes Huda F Are You?, a coming-of-age graphic novel in which a young girl who used to being known for her hijab moves to Dearborn, Michigan, where most other girls at her school also wear the veil. Suddenly unoriginal, the fictional Huda sets out to find a new identity for herself.

Nov. 23

Commonwealth author Ann Patchett explores her own life and career in this poignant collection of essays. Drawing other authors’ works into her writing, Patchett situates herself among her contemporaries and forebears.

Nov. 30

If you’re searching for an erotic thriller to heat up those cold winter nights, look no further. In Briana Cole’s Couples Wanted, two newlyweds decide to swap spouses with a pair of seasoned swingers, only to find themselves drawn into a web of coercion and control.

Nov. 30

Faith Jones’ grandfather founded one of the world’s most infamous cults: The Children of God, aka The Family International. Growing up in one of the group’s communes in Macau, Jones taught herself about the outside world before finally escaping to the United States at age 23. In Sex Cult Nun, she tells her story as only she can.

Nov. 30

In this novella inspired by Irish history, Bill, a married father of five, uncovers a conspiracy of abuse in a laundry facility operated by the local Catholic convent.

Nov. 30

Fonda Lee brings the Green Bone saga to a striking conclusion with this new novel. In Jade Legacy, Kekonese jade has spread across the world, and a new generation of Kauls must struggle to maintain their supremacy over forces both within and without.

Nov. 30

When her neighbor admits to hiding the body of an overdose victim — a death linked to Candy Man, a local drug dealer — aspiring novelist and police transcriber Hazel is pulled into a taut investigation.

Nov. 30

Critical Role, a beloved RPG livestream, continues to expand into new mediums — this time with an origin story for its beloved sibling duo, Vax’ildan and Vex’ahlia. Penned by Before I Let Go author Marieke Nijkamp, Kith & Kin follows the half-elven twins (and Vex’s pet bear, Trinket, of course) as they attempt to free themselves from the grips of a sinister crime syndicate.

Nov. 30

Diana had her whole life planned out... until a global pandemic put a dark damper on things. Forced to turn her romantic birthday trip to the Galápagos into a solo jaunt, Diana quickly finds herself alone and isolated on vacation. After connecting with a local family, however, Diana begins to re-examine her life’s roadmap.

Nov. 30

In Kirthana Ramisetti’s debut novel, an elderly billionaire with terminal brain cancer plans to spread a rumor that she’s already dead. Dava wants to know how she’ll be remembered, but when her obituaries leak a secret she thought she’d buried for good, she’s left with a mess to clean up before she takes her final bows.

Nov. 30

Two women, an artist and an art researcher, can’t escape their increasingly fraught connection in Ayşegül Savaş’ White on White. Agnes has rented out her apartment to a student studying Gothic art, but she returns in the middle of the lease to take up residence in the attached art studio. As they get to know one another, the student begins to realize that Agnes’ sanity may be fraying.

Nov. 30

Isolde knows that the only way to protect her people is to marry the king of the vampires — and then murder him on their wedding night. So when she heads to the altar, she believes it to be her last day among the living. But when Adrian survives her assassination attempt, Isolde is left wondering why he really married her.

Nov. 30

Josie and Harriet Szász had a stable career as the Sisters Sweet — a vaudeville act in which they posed, convincingly, as conjoined twins. But when Josie leaves to pursue a Hollywood career, thereby exposing the truth about the Szász sisters, Harriet is left to pick up the pieces of her life and blaze her own trail.