2021 books

The seven essays in this book, subtitled “In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading and Life,” are derived from the Russian literature class that George Saunders has taught for decades at Syracuse University, examining how fiction works and why it matters. Penguin Random House, Jan. 12

A prequel to Angie Thomas’ mega-bestselling YA novel “The Hate U Give,” this book revisits Garden Heights 17 years before the events of the first book, focusing on the life of teenager Maverick Carter. HarperCollins, Jan. 12

Now 96, with a remarkable stage and screen career dating back to the 1950s (following success as a model), the Presidential Medal of Freedom winner is telling her life story, describing the book as “my truth. It is me, plain and unvarnished, with the glitter and garland set aside.” HarperCollins, Jan. 26

This essay collection unites 12 Didion pieces, published from 1968 to 2000, on a variety of topics: journalism, California robber barons, not getting into Stanford, Martha Stewart. Penguin Random House, Jan. 26

Ninety writers each take on a five-year period of Black history in this unique volume, edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain, authors of, respectively, “How to Be an Antiracist” and “Set the World on Fire.” Penguin Random House, Feb. 2

Jane Harper sets tense, moody mysteries in remote Australian locations (“The Dry,” “Force of Nature”).

This one takes place in a small coastal town where a body washes up on the beach. Flatiron Books, Feb. 2

Russell Banks, the bestselling author of “The Sweet Hereafter” and “Affliction,” returns with his first novel in 10 years. It’s the story of a dying documentary filmmaker and draft evader who agrees to one final interview. Ecco, March 2

This one’s been eagerly awaited: It’s Ishiguro’s first book since being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2017.

The author of “The Remains of the Day” and “Never Let Me Go” dips into science fiction here, with his main character being an Artificial Friend in a futuristic shop window. Penguin Random House, March 2

Stephen King’s latest sure-to-be-a-bestseller thriller has at its center a young boy with unnatural abilities who becomes involved in a police search for a killer. Penguin Random House, March 2

A sequel to Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Sympathizer,” this new book follows the main character — an unnamed, conflicted spy — as he arrives in 1980s Paris with his brother. Grove, March 2

Hudes, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, tells her own coming-of-age tale in this memoir about growing up in a West Philly barrio. Penguin Random House, April 6

Author of the enchantingly witty novel “Bowlaway,” Elizabeth McCracken here presents her latest collection of short stories, with settings ranging from a Scottish island to a Texas water park. HarperCollins, April 13

Jhumpa Lahiri’s first novel in nearly a decade is also her first written in Italian and translated into English. She is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Interpreter of Maladies” and “The Namesake,” among other works. Penguin Random House, April 27

The acclaimed British author of the “Outline” trilogy sets her latest novel in a remote coastal region, where a woman has invited a famed artist to visit her. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, May 4

Andy Weir hit the bestseller jackpot with “The Martian”; his new novel is another interstellar adventure, with an astronaut who’s the sole survivor of a last-chance mission. Penguin Random House, May 4

The Georgia politician, voting rights activist and bestselling author makes her debut as a writer of political thrillers; this one takes place within the U.S. Supreme Court. Penguin Random House, May 11

Ashley C. Ford, a journalist and host of the “Chronicles of Now” podcast, makes her much-buzzed book debut with an intensely personal story: her relationship with her incarcerated father. Flatiron Books, June 1

Tolkien wrote extensively about his imaginary land of Middle-earth. Many of those essays are published here for the first time. HarperCollins, June 24

A psychological thriller set at a ballet school? Megan Abbott, author of numerous masterfully tense novels, often sets her books within intense circles of women, each looking over her shoulder. Penguin Random House, July 6

The latest offering from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “The Underground Railroad” is the playful tale of a heist, set at a Harlem hotel in the early 1960s. Penguin Random House, Sept. 14