Books Of 2021: 5 Most-Anticipated Titles From Authors Like Viet Thanh Nguyen, Haruki Murakami

With the new coronavirus strain spreading fear, the pandemic seems to be far from over. So, in such times, our home remains the safest place for us. While being locked in the room, the best thing you can do is dive into a reading spree.

There’s an abundance of exciting literary debuts anticipated in the year 2021. Here’s our list of recommendations that will help you escape the realities of life and feel alive.

The Committed by Viet Thanh Nguyen​

Release date: March 2, 2021

Our top entry is “The Committed,” which is the much-awaited sequel of “The Sympathizer” - the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner. In the new book, the narrator arrives in Paris as a refugee. There, he and his brother find themselves involved in drug dealing. His new life-in-the-making involves several challenges of Capitalist culture and opposing political environment.

Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny​

Release date: April 13, 2021

The author of the bestseller “Standard Deviation” returns with a joyful love story, giving rise to moral concerns amidst tragedies. The book follows the romantic journey of Jane and lady’s man Duncan. As their relationship gets deeper, Jane realizes that it is not easy to be the partner of a man who is fancied by every other woman of the town. It is a real delight for romantic comedy lovers.

Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri​

Release date: April 27, 2021​

The novel “Whereabouts” is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Man Booker Prize finalist's first novel in nearly a decade. The book revolves around a woman in her mid-40s with a strong sense of independence and refusal to create permanent associations. But there is a lasting transformation on the horizon that strikes on a day at a beach. This happens to be Lahiri’s first novel in Italian that will be translated into English.

My Year Abroad: A Novel by Chang Rae Lee​

Release Date: Feb. 2, 2021

“My Year Abroad: A Novel” is a book about adventure and transformation as Tiller, an average American college student, joins Pong Lou, an entrepreneur, on a wild trip across Asia. It turns out to be a trip-of-the-lifetime for Tiller who emerges as a talented protégé. The author is known for his novels such as “Native Speaker,” Pulitzer finalist “The Surrendered,” and “A Gesture Life.”

First Person Singular: Stories by Haruki Murakami​

Release date: April 6, 2021

This is a classic collection of eight stories told in the first person by the author of “Kafka on the Shore” and “Norwegian Wood.” The author writes about childhood, baseball, young love, jazz albums, and more. As the stories reflect on aspects of love and solitude, expect to be struck by mind-bending Murakami style twists.