Books Released In 2021

There have been so many books released in 2021 that my to-be-read pile is now huge.

We are changing things up today and instead of sharing books that we have read, I am sharing a list of books that I hope to read soon.

And I need your help deciding which ones should be moved to the top of the list.

We normally share only about books that we have read. We have a few posts that are about our TBR stack, but in general, we share about the books we can give a full review of because we have read them.

It is one of the things that makes our site unique. Most book sites share all kinds of booklists and book deals for books they know very little about. Our site is different in that we share almost exclusively about books that we have read.

This list of books released in 2021 is a rare exception. My backlist book challenge that I gave myself for 2021 has helped me read so many backlist books that I have been meaning to read for years.

I have also picked up some great backlist books from bookstores that I doubt I would have bought otherwise. I love to find a great backlist book that people have forgotten about or that never got the attention it deserved.

However, I had no idea that so many books would be released in 2021 that I wanted to read! I might have chosen the wrong year to avoid reading the new and shiny books.

Back in January, I started a 2021 wishlist of books. It was a list of all the books published in 2021 that I wanted to read once my backlist books challenge was over. That list is now huge and I keep adding to it.

I have had a couple of readers mention that they would love to see the list of books released in 2021 that I can’t wait to read. Although it isn’t our typical list, I decided to share my list of books published in 2021 that I am looking forward to reading.

These are books I want to read. I can’t give them a review or recommendation. I have shared why I want to read them, but I can’t give you a full review of the book until I read it. Keep that in mind if you find a book you want to read too.

Books Released in 2021

The Churchill Sisters by Rachel Trethewey

I have read a couple of books about Winston Churchill and this nonfiction book about his daughters sounds really interesting.

The London House by Katherine Reay

Kartherine Reay is an auto buy author for me. I will read just about anything she writes. This book is a little different than her other books, but it sounds like a great one.

The Last Checkmate by Gabriella Saab

I love a great WWII book and I have read great things about this one.

Becoming Trader Joe by Joe Coulombe

I love business books and memoirs. I also love Trader Joe’s so when I saw this I knew that it had to go on my must read list.

Black, White, and the Grey by Mashama Bailey

I always love finding a new memoir about food and cooking.

The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner

I have enjoyed several books by Susan Meissner so when I say this historical fiction book set during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake I knew that I wanted tor read it.

The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery by Amanda Cox

This southern story of a mother and daughter relationship sounds like a good read.

Lady Editor by Melanie Kirkpatrick

I read another book about Sarah Hale and thought is was interesting so this one caught my attention. It sounds like Lady Editor may go into more detail than the other book that I read.

Where Tomorrows Aren’t Promised by Carmelo Anthony

It is no secret that I love to read memoirs and Where Tomorrows Aren’t Promised sounds like a good one.

Soundtracks by Jon Acuff

I have read and enjoyed several books by Jon Acuff. I even heard him speak years ago at a blogging conference. But the main reason that I want to read this is that I am an overthinkier. I am actually a huge overthinker. Soundtracks is probably a book that I need to read.

Last Night In London by Karen White

I have read other books by Karen White and enjoyed them. Last Night In London looks interesting and a little different than her other books.

Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II by Daniel James Brown

Daniel James Brown is the author of one of my all-time favorite books. I think I would read just about anything he wrote. I really wanted to read this one when it came out, but I am sticking to my backlist book challenge of not reading any books in 2021 that was published in 2021. I am pretty sure that this will be one of the first books I read in 2022.

The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream: The Hunt for a Victorian Era Serial Killer by Dean Jobb

As soon as I read that this was a true crime book about a doctor in the late 1800’s I knew that it was going to be a must-read.

Sprinting Through No Man’s Land: Endurance, Tragedy, and Rebirth in the 1919 Tour de France

A nonfiction book about bringing a country and people together through bicycling after WWI. I have not read a lot about WWI and the years immediately following it. This sounds like a book that will share a story that I know nothing about.

Finding Freedom: A Cook’s Story; Remaking a Life From Scratch by Erin French

This memoir caught my attention because it involves food and the food world. It is also set in Maine and I love reading about places that I have never been to.

Crossing the Line: A Fearless Team of Brothers and the Sport that Changed Their Lives Forever by Kareem Rosser 

I love nonfiction books that make me care about a subject that I had no interest in. This book is about polo and how against the odds the author became part of the first all-Black national interscholastic polo championship team. It currently has over four hundred five-star reviews on Amazon, so I am guessing that it is a good read.

The Princess Spy: The True Story of WWII Spy Aline Griffith, Countess of Romanones by Larry Loftis

This book about a WWII spy sounds fascinating but has mixed reviews. I love to read WWII books, so I despite the mixed reviews this one went on my list.

This Beautiful Truth: How God’s Goodness Breaks Into Our Darkness by Sarah Clarkson

I read and enjoyed Sarah’s book Book Girl. This is a totally different topic, but it sounds like a book that I would enjoy.

The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai

I heard an interview with the author of this book and immediately put it on my to-read list. I loved the author’s story behind this book and why she wrote it. I haven’t read a lot about the Vietnam War, especially fiction books set during the war, so I am looking forward to reading this one.

Haven Point: A Novel by Virginia Hume

This fiction book is a little bit outside my normal read. Several people who have similar reading tastes as I do recommend it though so I added it to my to-read list.

House of Sticks: A Memoir by Ly Tran

House of Sticks is the story of Ly Tran’s family as they immigrated from Vietnam to Queens in 1993. It is another book about a time and place I know very little about.

Low Country: A Southern Memoir by J. Nicole Jones

Yes, another memoir. Memoirs are my favorite category of nonfiction. I love them. I would rather read a true story about a dysfunctional family than read a fiction story about a dysfunctional family. Real-life really is stranger than fiction.

Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee

Luck of the Titanic is a YA historical fiction book. I don’t read very many YA books, but I read The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee and really enjoyed it. When I saw she had a new YA book out I knew it had to go on my TBR list.

Ethel Rosenberg: An American Tragedy by Anne Sebba

I love to read books about little-known history. The Story of Ethel Rosenberg is one that I know very little about. A true crime book about espionage, the Soviet Union, and the U.S. in the 1950s sounds like a fascinating read.

Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica’s Journey Into the Antarctic Night by Julian Sancton

As soon as I heard this compared to Endurance by Alfred Lansing I knew that I had to read it. I loved Endurance and can’t wait to read this one.

Glimmers of Grace: A Doctor’s Reflections on Faith, Suffering, and the Goodness of God by Kathryn Butler

A trauma surgeon shares her story of patients, illness, loss, and more. I have read multiple reviews on this book that have said that it was a moving and honest memoir by a doctor It has been described as part memoir and part spiritual reflection. Since I love memoirs this had to go on my TBR.

Yours, Till Heaven: The Untold Love Story Charles and Susie Spurgeon by Ray Rhodes, Jr. 

I love to read biographies, especially Christian biographies. I read another book by Ray Rhodes and enjoyed it, so I am looking forward to reading this one.

The Last Exiles: A Novel by Ann Shin

A historical fiction book set in North Korea is all I needed to hear about this one. I love historical fiction books that take me to a place that I know very little about. I am hoping this one is as good as it sounds.

Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi

This is another fiction book that caught my attention because of where it is set. The author is a doctor who shares her family’s Afghan culture in her novel. This is another one that I hope is as good as it sounds.

The Nazi Granddaughter: How I Discovered  My Grandfather was a War Criminal by Silvia Foti

I love to read both nonfiction and fiction books about WW2, especially when they share stories that are not well known. This book sounds like a fascinating read.

The Piano Teacher by Kristie Self

I occasionally like to read a Christian romance book. They are kind of my go-to book when I need an easy mindless read that is clean. This one looks interesting and has good reviews.

The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen 

I have read a couple of Rhys Bowen books and enjoyed them, so as soon as I saw her new one I put it on my TBR.

Centered by Jason Brown

This is the story of an NFL player that gave up making millions as a football to become a farmer. Since I love biographies and memoirs this one had to go on my TBR list.

Ten Words to Live By Jen Wilkin

I like to have one nonfiction Christian book going at all times. I have read other books by Jen Wilkin and this book about delighting in what God commands sounds like a good read.

The Last Bookshop In London: A Novel of WWII by Madeline Martin

A book about books and WWII is a must-read for me. I have seen this one all over social media, so I hope that it is as good as all the hype.

Chasing My Cure: A Doctor’s Race to Turn Hope into Action by David Fajgenbaum

I have already mentioned, multiple times, that I love memoirs. This is the story of a doctor who searches for a cure for his rare disease.

The Music of Bees: A Novel by Eileen Garvin

This book is a little bit outside my normal reading, but it takes place in a small rural town in Oregon and I grew up in a small rural town in Oregon. I enjoy reading books that are set in the area I grew up, so this one went on my TBR list.

The Women with the Blue Star: A Novel by Pam Jenoff

I keep saying that I need to read a book by Pam Jenoff. This one looks like a good place to start.

The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler’s Ghettos by Judy Batalion

A nonfiction WWII book that has already been optioned for a Steven Speilberg movie had to make my TBR list.

The Last Garden In England by Julie Kelly

I heard an interview with the author of this WWII historical fiction book and was fascinated by it. There were quite a few WWII books that came out in 2021, it has been hard to narrow down which ones should go on my TBR list.

The Ravine: A Family, a Photograph, a Holocaust Massacre Revealed by Wendy Lower

Another WWII nonfiction book that sounds like a must-read.

The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict

Did you know that Agatha Christie went missing for eleven days in 1926? There was a massive manhunt in England to find her. No one knows what happened. She disappeared and then reappeared eleven days later.  In her latest historical fiction book, Marie Benedict writes about the mystery of Agatha Christie’s disappearance. I often struggle with historical fiction that is based on a well-known person. This book went on my list because I have liked other books that I have read by Marie Benedict.

Walking Through Fire: A Memoir of Loss and Redemption by Vaneetha Rinser 

The author shares her story of life with the effects of polio, miscarriages, the death of a child, and more. Another memoir that I can’t wait to read.

When Twilight Breaks by Sarah Sundin

I have read several books by Sarah Sundin. She is one of my go-to authors when I want a clean historical romance book. Since she is one of my go-to authors her new book was a must add to my list.

The Moonlight School by Suzzanne Woods Fisher

This one is a book about illiteracy and life in small-town Appalachia in 1911. I haven’t read a lot of historical fiction set in 1911 so this sounds like an interesting read.

Saints, Sufferers, and Sinners: Loving Others as God Loves Us by Michael R. Emelet 

I recently read a review of this book and since it is a subject our family has talked a lot about recently I knew that it needed to go on my list.

Our Darkest Night: A Novel of Italy and the Second World War by Jennifer Robson

Yes, another WWII novel is on my list. It seems like a lot of WWII books came out in 2021 and it was hard to narrow down which ones to add to my TBR. This one has great reviews but didn’t get a lot of attention. It sounds really good, so I added it to my list.

Laundry Love: A Book About a Common Chore by Patric Richardson

Laundry is one of the chores that I actually don’t mind, but I am not sure that I find joy in it. I have heard great things about this book. I can’t wait to read how laundry can be a little easier and a little more fun.

The Kitchen Front: A Novel by Jennifer Ryan

This is another WWII novel, but this one is about food and WWII. This one sounds a little different than most WWII novels, so I am looking forward to reading it.

The Girl From the Channel Islands: A WWII Novel by Jenny Lecoat

I bought this book at a bookstore without realizing that it was a 2021 release. I was excited to read it, but I am sticking to my backlist book challenge and saving this one for next year.

The Ride of Her Life: The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last Change Journey Across America by Elizabeth Letts

Grace has read several books by this author and loved them. This one sounded totally different than any other book that I have read so I put it on my to-read list. Then a reader recommended it to me and I knew I wanted to read it.

The Four Winds: A Novel by Kristin Hannah

I have read and loved several books by Kristin Hannah. This one has great reviews on Amazon, but I have read quite a few reviews on social media from people that didn’t really enjoy it. I plan to at least give it a try.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars: A Novel by Kristin Harmel

Kristin Harmel has become one of my must-read authors. This is one that I can’t wait to read. I am guessing that it will be one of the first books that I read in 2022.

Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan

My to-be-read list always seems to include a lot of WWII fiction. I am trying to add more historical fiction that is outside my normal reading so this book about a luxury steamship in 1838 sounds like a good way to add some 1800s read to my list.

The Incredible Winston Browne by Sean Dietrich

I have read and loved several books by Sean Dietrich. When I saw that he had a new book out I knew that I wanted to read it.

Where the Light Fell by Philip Yancey

This Christian memoir looks like an interesting read.

Home Made by Liz Hauck

I have already mentioned the I love memoirs especially food memoirs. This one is about food, grief, and showing up for those in need.

Twice a Daughter by Julie Ryan McGue

Another memoir. This one is about twins who were adopted and their journey to find their birth family.

The Happiest Man On Earth By Eddie Jaku

Born in Germany in 1920, Eddie Jake was sent to a concentration camp during WWII. He lived and despite all that he survived he promised he would live a life of thanks.

The Holly: Five Bullets, One Gun, and the Struggle to Save An American Neighborhood

I have found that I usually enjoy books written by journalists because the writing is often so well done. This book is a journalist’s account of the shooting and how it changed an American neighborhood.

Carved In Stone by Elizabeth Camden

Elizabeth Camden is one of my go to authors when I want clean light romance. I have read quite a few of her books and this looks like a good one.

Zero Fail by Carol Leonnig

I love nonfiction history and presidential type books. This one about the secret service sounds really interesting. It also sounds like a book that multiple people in my family would enjoy.

Immune by Philipp Dettmer

A nonfiction book about science and medicine is one that our family is sure to enjoy.

The Thrid Pole by Mark Synnott

This is a nonfiction book that I have heard great things about.

Yellow Wife Sadeqa Johnson

This historical fiction book almost didn’t make my list of books that I wanted to read, but then I saw an interview with the author. When I heard her share why she wrote the book and the research that she did I knew that it was a book I wanted to read.

Into the Forest by Rebecca Frankel

I have read reviews that said this nonfiction book reads like a novel. I love nonfiction books that are so well written that they read like fiction.

The Note Through the Wire