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February Releases I Can't Wait to Read
Updated: Feb 10
As January Comes to A Close, Here Are Some Books You Can Add to Your TBR for February.
As I was sitting down to redo this list for the umpteenth time because HarperCollins won't get its shit together, I decided to go a different route. Rather than rewrite the list because the strike terms expanded to include all HarperCollins entities, I've just blackout their new release, which I would have otherwise recommended. The HarperCollins contract dispute with their workers has been going on for fifty-seven days. Per the HarperCollins Union press release, HarperCollins Publishing has finally agreed to mediation. While that is good news, the fight is far from over. To support the strike and enjoy some guilt-free reading visit their storefront at Bookshop.org. (Also, if the HPC Union add the book to their affiliate shop, I'll uncover the book.
I am an ARC reader, but I haven't had a chance to preview any of these books. So this list could be a collection of remarkable new releases or they could be duds -- we'll find out together. These are titles I found intriguing. Some ended up on the list because of my personal reading goals, and others because I've read and enjoyed previous works by the author. This is a two-part series, so check back in February for part two!
Six Books (Minus One) to Check Out This February
This is now a part of my Five Book series because, well, you can't see one of my recs. So yay for consistency but boo for labor exploitation. I pulled these titles from a combination of Goodreads, Publisher's Weekly, and Book Riot. And if you're local bookseller is awesome like mine, they can pre-order titles for you.
Obviously, this list was constructed in solidarity with the HarperCollins Union (who, at the time this list is published, still have no contract), so no books by that publisher appear on this list. For more information on how you can contribute to the strike, click here.
The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscar by Robin R. Means Coleman, Ph.D. and Mark H. Harris
WHY I'M EXCITED
Not only am I a bibliophile (hence the first iteration of this blog's name), but I am also a cinephile. While modern horror is often too gory for me, I do love a good psychological thriller, and what I've noticed about the emerging genre that is Black horror is it is fascinatingly layered. I cannot wait to delve into the discussion of how Black folk went from background characters to vibrant storytellers.
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This Time It's Real by Ann Liang
WHY I'M EXCITED
While I'm not as familiar with C-dramas (Chinese Dramas), I am an avid watcher of Korean Dramas or K-dramas. And the plot of this novel reads like a K-drama. Not just any K-drama, and one of my favorite tropes. Eliza has gotten herself into a pickle by inventing a fictitious boyfriend. Caz, a famous actor and classmate, steps in to save the day. Will fake dating turn into a real romance? I don't know, but I can't wait to find out!
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The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson
WHY I'M EXCITED
The Yellow Wife lit one of the reading groups I'm a part of on fire (in the best way possible). It seemed like every other post was about it. After the hype, I had to get a copy and see what all the hubbub was about. I was not disappointed. That, coupled with the fact that one of my favorite authors (Robert Smith Jr.) gave it five stars, means it absolutely had to make the cut.
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Saying it Loud: 1966 -- The Year Black Power Challenge the Civil Rights Movement by Mark Whitaker.
WHY I'M EXCITED
At a time when there are some seeking to erase history, it is more important than ever to actively participate in remembering it. As Black folks are not a monolith, I want to read about the other movements associated with (and often overlooked) when it comes to the revolution of Civil Rights Movements and Black identity.
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PromiseS of Gold by José Olivarez.
WHY I'M EXCITED
I let the author explain: “For those of us who are hyphenated Americans, where do we belong? Promises of Gold attempts to reckon with colonial legacy and the reality of what those promises have borne out for Mexican descendants. I wrote this book to imagine and document an ongoing practice of healing—healing that requires me to show up for myself, my community, my friends, my family, and my loves every day.” (Jose Olivarez, Henry Holt & Company)
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Mystery Book by An Author
WHY I'M EXCITED
Because this book seems really awesome and I hope that HarperCollins removes its head from its rectum so we can stop censoring the books we want to talk about. In the meantime, support the strike by using the link below.
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What February releases are you excited about?