The Must-Read Books of 2021 So Far

A magnificent new novel from Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro. Klara and the Sun is a thrilling book that offers a look at our changing world through the eyes of Klara—an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities—and one that explores the fundamental question: what does it mean to love?

We’ve been conditioned to believe that the path to success is paved with relentless work. But getting ahead doesn’t have to be as hard as we make it. We can find an easier path. Effortless offers actionable advice for making the most essential activities the easiest ones, so you can achieve the results you want, without burning out.

A magical realism coming-of-age story, Gold Diggers skewers the model minority myth to tell a hilarious and moving story about immigrant identity, community, and the underside of ambition.

The richly imagined story of Valora and Jamie Luck, twin British-Chinese acrobats traveling aboard the Titanic on its ill-fated maiden voyage.

A chorus of extraordinary voices tells the epic story of the four-hundred-year journey of African Americans from 1619 to the present. This collection of diverse pieces from ninety different minds, reflecting ninety different perspectives unlocks the startling range of experiences and ideas that have always existed within the community of Blackness.

From the bestselling author of Beach Read comes a sparkling new novel that will leave you with the warm, hazy afterglow usually reserved for the best vacations. Two best friends. Ten summer trips. One last chance to fall in love.

From the indie rockstar of Japanese Breakfast fame comes an unflinching, powerful memoir about growing up Korean American, losing her mother, and forging her own identity. Vivacious and plainspoken, lyrical and honest, Zauner’s voice is as radiantly alive on the page as it is onstage.

Four famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of the summer. But over the course of twenty-four hours, their lives will change forever and secrets that shaped this family’s generations will all come rising to the surface.

In a relatable and inclusive tone, Set Boundaries, Find Peace presents simple-yet-powerful ways to establish healthy boundaries in all aspects of life. These techniques will help you end the struggle, speak up for what you need, and experience the freedom of being truly yourself.

George Saunders offers a literary masterclass on what makes great stories work and what they can tell us about ourselves—and our world today.

The Sum of Us is a brilliant analysis of how we became divided and self-destructing, materially rich but spiritually starved and vastly unequal. It offers a powerful exploration of inequality and the lesson that generations of Americans have failed to learn: Racism has a cost for everyone—not just for people of color.

From celebrated national leader and bestselling author Stacey Abrams, a gripping thriller set within the halls of the U.S. Supreme Court—where a young law clerk finds herself embroiled in a shocking mystery plotted by one of the most preeminent judges in America.

A collection of funny personal essays from actor, writer, producer, director, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Seth Rogen. In Yearbook he talks about his grandparents, doing stand-up comedy as a teenager, Jewish summer camp, and way more stories about doing drugs than his mother would like.

What happens when you mix 1 (accidental) murder with 2 thousand wedding guests, and then toss in a possible curse on 3 generations of an immigrant Chinese-Indonesian family? You get 4 meddling Asian aunties coming to the rescue!

Seventeen-year-olds Lily Hu and Kathleen Miller find love and community in the lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club. But America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love. Lily and Kath will risk everything to let their love see the light of day.

In The Son of Mr. Suleman, Eric Jerome Dickey takes readers on a powerful journey exploring racism, colorism, truth and lies, family legacies, the power of death, and the weight of love. It is an extraordinary story, page-turning and intense, and a book only Dickey could write.

Unfolding over decades, Eternal is a sweeping epic of historical fiction. It tells the tale of a love triangle that unfolds in the heart of Rome…in the creeping shadow of fascism. Against this backdrop is a heartbreaking story of both the best and the worst that the world has to offer.

A grand, devastating portrait of three generations of the Sackler family, whose fortune was built by Valium and whose reputation was destroyed by OxyContin. Empire of Pain is a masterpiece of narrative reporting and writing, exhaustively documented, and ferociously compelling.

From the bestselling author of The Devil Wears Prada comes a highly entertaining, sharply observed novel about sisters, their perfect lives…and their perfect lies.

A startling new look at quantum theory, from the renowned theoretical physicist and bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, Carlo Rovelli. In Helgoland, Rovelli makes learning about quantum mechanics an almost psychedelic experience. He takes us on a riveting journey through the universe so we can better comprehend our place in it.

A marvelous new novel from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Lowland and Interpreter of Maladies—her first in nearly a decade—about a woman questioning her place in the world, wavering between stasis and movement, between the need to belong and the refusal to form lasting ties.

Amanda Gorman’s electrifying and historic poem “The Hill We Climb,” read at President Joe Biden’s inauguration, captivated the nation and brought hope to viewers around the globe with her call for unity and healing. This remarkable keepsake celebrates the promise of America and affirms the power of poetry.

The inspiring story of activist and poet Ian Manuel, who at the age of fourteen was sentenced to life in prison. He survived eighteen years in solitary confinement—through his own determination and dedication to art—until he was freed as part of an incredible crusade by the Equal Justice Initiative.

The true survival story of an early polar expedition that went terribly awry—with the ship frozen in ice and the crew trapped inside for the entire sunless, Arctic winter. Equal parts maritime thriller and gothic horror, Madhouse at the End of the Earth is an unforgettable journey into the deep.

In this ground-breaking book, Katy Milkman reveals a proven path that can take you from where you are to where you want to be. How to Change offers an invaluable, science-based blueprint for achieving your goals, once and for all.

A dark, twisty modern fairytale where three sisters discover they are not exactly all that they seem and evil things really do go bump in the night.

From one of the most iconic and influential writers: a timeless collection of mostly early pieces that reveal what would become Joan Didion’s subjects, including the press, politics, California robber barons, women, and her own self-doubt. Each piece is classic Didion: incisive, bemused, and stunningly prescient.