By: Amanda @ Bookish Brews
Blog Post, Lists, , , , , , , , ,

April 2021 Releases

Hey everyone! I hope everyone is having a wonderful start to SPRING. It has been a long and hard winter for many, many people, and so I wanted to share a little bit about what we can look forward to for the rest of the season! Here is a list of releases coming out next month that are at the top of my radar. Here we go!

Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q Sutanto

At a glance

When a blind date that turns into an accidental murder, a young woman can rely on her meddling mother and aunties to help cover up the crime and hide the body.

  • Rom-com
  • Mother-daughter-auntie relationships
  • own voices
  • cozy mystery

Goodreads | Pre-order it now

Why pick up this book?

Jesse Q. Sutanto actually lives on the same street at her mother and seven hundred meddlesome aunties, so she knows what she’s talking about in this one. In 2019 she was at Pitch Wars mentor, which is a program where agented and published authors pair up with newer writers to help mentor them and help with their writing. Jesse is especially interested in helping marginalized writers get their voices heard.

Publication date: April 27, 2021

Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart

At a glance

Two sworn enemy witches must enter a deadly alliance to take down a common enemy in this twisted cat and mouse, Jamaican inspired fantasy.

  • enemies working together
  • own voices
  • Jamaican inspired
  • dark fantasy

Goodreads | Pre-order it now

Why pick up this book?

This book has been featured on so many most anticipated lists that it would be an injustice not to include it here. This can be found on most anticipated lists on websites including Tor.com, Book Riot, Buzzfeed, Epic Reads. Ciannon Smart has also been a mentor author in Pitch Wars two years in a row.

Publication date: April 20, 2021

Malice by Heather Walter

At a glance

From the perspective of the villain, the fairy tale princess doesn’t fall in love with who you would anticipate in this Sleeping Beauty retelling.

  • retelling
  • Sapphic
  • villain main character
  • fast read

Goodreads | Pre-order it now

Why pick up this book?

Heather Walter was featured at WonderCon At Home 2021, and Malice is getting dazzling reviews by popular authors such as Chloe Gong, Sarah Beth Durst, and S.A. Chakraborty. PLUS I read this as a buddy read with (you guessed it) Sarah at Girl on Books. You can read my review here, and her review here!

Publication date: April 13, 2021

Infinity Courts by Akemi Dawn Bowman

At a glance

Nami dies on her way to a high school party and is thrown into an afterlife where an AI (think Siri or Alexa) has taken over the afterlife.

  • action packed
  • quick read
  • own voices
  • killer tech

Goodreads | Pre-order it now

Why pick up this book?

You can expect a more detailed reason why on April 9, as I am participating in a book tour for this book by Turn the Page Tours! I haven’t finished reading it yet, but I’m already obsessed!

As for Akemi Dawn Bowman, she is a critically-acclaimed author who writes across genres. Her novels have received multiple accolades and award nominations, and her debut novel, Starfish, was a William C. Morris Award Finalist.

Publication date: April 6, 2021

First, Become Ashes by K.M. Szpara

At a glance

After spending his entire life training for a magical quest, Lark’s partner is apprehended by the FBI. Lark and the reader must come to terms with the fact that there is no magic, and monsters aren’t real.

  • LGBTQIAP+
  • emotional
  • cults
  • dark fantasy

Goodreads | Pre-order it now

Why pick up this book?

KM Szpara is a queer and trans author who lives in Baltimore, MD. He has been nominated for both the Hugo and Nebula Awards and longlisted multiple times for the Otherwise Award. He is also the editor of Transcendent: The Year’s Best Transgender Speculative Fiction (Lethe Press), which received a starred review in Publishers Weekly.

Publication date: April 6, 2021

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

At a glance

An unflinching, powerful memoir about growing up Korean American, losing her mother, and forging her own identity.

  • memoir
  • emotional
  • family focused
  • mother daughter relationship

Goodreads | Pre-order it now

Why pick up this book?

A powerful look into what it is to grow up the only Asian American in school and into the life of the center of the solo musical project Japanese Breakfast. Japanese Breakfast has released two albums and multiple singles with several music videos! Zauner hopes that her work can influence more Asian Americans to be involved in music.

Publication date: April 20, 2021

Folklorn by Angela Mi Young Hur

At a glance

A young particle physicist uses her ambitions to run away from the family ghost, only to find out that the myths we inherit are always a part of us.

  • magical realism
  • emotional
  • family focused
  • korean mythology

Goodreads | Pre-order it now

Why pick up this book?

I saved this one for last, because I already know this is going to be one of my favorite reads this year. I cried so many times reading the advanced copy of this, I couldn’t even count. This book was written directly for any and all people of the Asian diaspora, especially Asian Americans and/or people of the Korean diaspora. Read my review for it here, or my dear friend’s (much better) review for it here.

Publication date: April 27, 2021

One last note:

There we go! There are, of course, way more releases coming out in April by so many wonderful authors, but these are the ones that are at the top of my radar! I hope you found some new books to add to your TBR! What is your most anticipated release for April? Are any of these going to find their home on your shelf in the near future? Let me know!

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