We’re here to share 10 upcoming book releases everyone is crossing their fingers to see released as scheduled. By extension, that’s our hope to see the world healing enough for publishers to feel safe premiering their exciting new titles.
While the pandemic has led many in self-quarantine to start reading their way through classic “bucket-list novels,” the literary landscape has seen numerous cancellations of book festivals, author tours, and publishing events. In mid-April, Reedpop canceled the 2020 BookExpo and BookCon, two of the industry’s largest events in the United States.
Arguably one of the biggest book events of 2020 is the release of the “Hunger Games” prequel, “The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes” by Suzanne Collins, out now. The May 19 release date has come to fruition in spite of the pandemic, and the book’s successful launch stands in strong contrast to all the titles that have been delayed until later this summer.
Naturally, we’re left to think of what will come if the state of the world doesn’t improve by even then, and which upcoming book releases we’re hoping won’t be hit with perhaps the industry’s second round of delays. See below for our top 10 picks.
1. “Party of Two”
This young adult romance novel by Jasmine Guillory is expected June 22 from Berkley Books. Although it’s the fifth entry in Guillory’s Wedding Date series, “Party of Two” has standalone potential. The story follows L.A. newbie Olivia Monroe and her initially reluctant fall for Max Powell, a senator far more humble than his highly public profile suggests. When their relationship also goes public, the trials of media scrutiny will put their love to the test.
You can pre-order “Party of Two” today.
2. “Mexican Gothic”
Premiering on June 30 is a twist on the classic gothic suspense novel, coming from Del Rey Books and written by “Gods of Jade and Shadow” author Silvia Moreno-Garcia. The mystery ensues at High Place in the 1950s Mexican countryside. The heroine, Noemí Taboada, is drawn here by her cousin, a young bride who has sent her a harrowing cry for help. What happens upon the debutante’s arrival is perhaps nothing you’ll expect, but it is altogether seductive and terrifying.
You can pre-order “Mexican Gothic” today.
3. “The Order”
The latest from best-selling author Daniel Silva and Harper Books, this spy thriller hits shelves (or delivery trucks, given the pandemic) on July 14. It’s the 20th entry in the Gabriel Allon Series, and finds the titular hero in Venice suddenly being recruited for a new mystery in the Vatican. Under the suspicious circumstances of Pope Paul VII’s death, Gabriel stumbles upon the conservative and dubious Order, a secret Catholic society he’ll have to pursue if he’s to unlock the secrets of their conspiracy against the papacy.
You can pre-order “The Order” today.
4. “1st Case”
The internationally famed James Patterson teams up with Chris Tebbetts for this tech thriller from Little, Brown and Company, one of the most talked about upcoming book releases. The July 27 release finds MIT graduate and programmer Angela Hoot on her first mission as intern for the FBI’s Boston field office. But her perfectionist attitude that led her to success in college may lead her only to danger now that she’s in the workforce, especially when up against the murderous duo of the Poet and the Engineer.
You can pre-order “1st Case” today.
5. “Midnight Sun”
From “Twilight” author Stephenie Meyer comes this companion novel, which was originally started in 2008 before its abandonment when a chapter leaked online. Some have reason to speculate that, years later, the success of E. L. James’ “Grey: Fifty Shades of Grey as Told by Christian” gave Meyers the encouragement to return to her work. Whatever the inspiration, times have changed and the full book will now see the light of publication on August 4 from Little, Brown and Company. If you somehow haven’t heard of Meyer’s blockbuster book series, “Twilight” is a young adult paranormal romance following high school student Bella Swan in the grey town of Forks, Washington. This new novel, however, will take the perspective of her vampire boyfriend, Edward Cullen.
You can pre-order “Midnight Sun” today.
6. “Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family”
Heading our way on August 11, this deep dive into the lives of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle promises new details on the drama surrounding their marriage. Authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand come equipped with up-close, first-hand reporting experience from the couple’s most controversial days in and out of the Royal Palace. The book, from HarperCollins, also offers an analysis of how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex might have altered the ways of the Royal Family forever.
You can pre-order “Finding Freedom” today.
7. “The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks”
From Katherine Tegen Books comes the third installment in Mackenzi Lee’s “Montague Siblings” series. The novel, expected August 18, blends young adult and historical fantasy for a revisionist approach and is chock full of pastiche-ridden adventures from the fields of Barbados to the streets of New Orleans. Against the backdrop of the 18th century, this story sketches up queer romance and family curses like you’ve never seen them before. If this entry’s anywhere near as well-received as the first two books in the series, we’re all in for a treat.
You can pre-order “The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks” today.
8. “Skywatchers”
This serving of young adult science fiction is written by acclaimed Carrie Arcos and published by Philomel Books. You can see your copy on August 18, and perhaps you’ll set it next to Arcos’ “We Are All That’s Left” (2018), or “Out of Reach” (2012), a National Book Award Finalist. This upcoming novel carries promise too, following a group of teenagers in 1952 who trace a green light in the sky to the mysterious object that soon comes falling down in the woods. As “Operation Skywatch,” it’s now the group’s task to somehow save a country that could be under attack.
You can pre-order “Skywatchers” today.
9. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
October 6 seems far away, but with talks of multiple waves of COVID-19, and possibly multiple strains, we’re counting fall books under the umbrella of threatened upcoming book releases. No matter when this Tor Books title arrives, though, it’s sure to fly off the shelves. After all, “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” comes from best-selling fantasy author V. E. Schwab, who’s best-known for the 2015 hit, “A Darker Shade of Magic.” This new story is said to defy genres and sees the titular character on a 300-year journey to change the world, all in the midst of a curse that locks her out of everyone’s memory.
You can pre-order “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” today.
10. A Time for Mercy
Another distant release date, October 13, has us holding our breath for John Grisham’s latest. This Doubleday thriller finds the return of 1989’s “A Time to Kill” protagonist Jake Brigance caught in midst of a Mississippi murder trial. We saw Brigance in 2013’s “Sycamore Row” as well, so this third entry in the character’s life is bound to be of epic proportion. So much can be safely said when talking about one of the most popular legal fiction writers working today.
You can pre-order “A Time for Mercy” today.
About the Author/s
Tom Garback is currently pursuing a BA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing at Emerson College, where he is a Staff Writer, Blogger, Copy Editor, and Reader at various on-campus magazines. His fiction, poems, and essays have been featured in Thin Air, Blind Corner, Teen Ink, Oddball, The Magazine, Generic, Polaris, Gauge, and Sonder, among others.
