The best books of February 2021, according to Amazon's editors

February 2, 2021

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February is here, and with it comes Amazon’s top 12 reads for the month.
This month’s selections include powerful biographies, calls to climate action, and suspenseful novels.
Learn more about February 2021 picks below, with captions provided by Amazon’s book editors.

February is a great month to be a reader, whether supporting Black authors during Black History Month (as well as all-year-round), cozying up in the cold with a new novel, or returning to old favorites.

As such, Amazon’s book editors have curated another monthly list. February’s titles span from insight regarding the voice inside our head to biographies exploring the lives of the mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X., and James Baldwin.

The top pick of the month comes from Kristin Hannah, author of the ever-popular “The Nightingale.” Hannah’s newest novel, “The Four Winds,” vividly and poignantly details the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. February’s featured debut — Cherie Jones’ “How The One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House” — is what Vanessa Cronin describes as a “can’t-look-away winner” due to its lively and beautiful critique on the patriarchy, class, and race.

Here are Amazon’s top 12 books of February 2021:

Captions have been provided by Amazon’s book editors.

'The Four Winds' by Kristin Hannah

No, the grit stinging your eyes and getting stuck in your teeth isn’t real, that’s just how evocative Kristin Hannah’s descriptions of the Dust Bowl storms are. But unlikely heroine, Elsa Martinelli, will lodge herself into your heart. “The Four Winds” is a reminder, when we so urgently need it, of the resiliency not only of the human spirit, but of the country as well. — Erin Kodicek

'How The One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House' by Cherie Jones

“How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House” is the story of a fateful encounter between the haves and the have-nots in a Barbados resort town. It’s also about a woman who is the have-not in every role: daughter, wife, and mother. This allegorical tale of race, class, and patriarchy— with its vibrant, stunning prose — is a can’t-look-away winner. — Vannessa Cronin

'The Paris Library' by Janet Skeslien Charles

“The Paris Library” is a fresh and compelling World War II story that reminded this reader of Kristin Hannah’s breakout, “The Nightingale”. Toggling between France in 1939 and Montana in the 1980s, this novel is a love letter to the power of books. While it looks and smells like historical fiction, this book has even broader appeal. — Sarah Gelman

'How to Avoid a Climate Disaster' by Bill Gates

Sad news: Electric cars won’t save the world. But Bill Gates has some pretty good ideas as to what will. Logical, compelling, and ultimately optimistic, this book is a rousing call from an innovator who believes we have the right stuff to change our fate, and his fresh way of thinking is desperately needed to clear away the overheated emotions this subject ignites. — Adrian Liang

'The Bad Muslim Discount' by Syed M. Masood

Full of one-liners that will make you laugh out loud, “The Bad Muslim Discount” is as funny as it is a serious commentary on immigration, racism, and just plain growing up. Bubbling with irreverence and small kindnesses, Masood tells the story of a young man and a young woman who each yearn for a wildly different life than what their devout parents want for them. Forces conspire to bring them together — but not in the way you think. An immensely satisfying read.— Al Woodworth

'Girl A' by Abigail Dean

“Girl A” deserves the comparisons to “Room” and “Sharp Objects;” the characters are complicated, the writing strong, and it’s twisty and disturbingly gruesome. Dean somehow manages to makes even the most repugnant of characters sympathetic (at least momentarily). And readers are left with a gasp-worthy ending. — Sarah Gelman

'Chatter' by Ethan Kross

It turns out some of the most important conversations we have are with ourselves. Ethan Kross examines the voice that speaks inside our head, explains why it’s there, and reveals how we can learn to rely on it rather than being broken by it. “Chatter” is a revealing and masterful take on human nature. — Chris Schluep

'Animal, Vegetable, Junk' by Mark Bittman

Bittman has made a life in food, and he has clearly thought a lot about it. “Animal, Vegetable, Junk” is a passionate, informed look at the relationship between humans and food since early hunter-gatherer days, up to our current industrialized food system. Occasionally Bittman bites off more than can chew, but his ambition is what makes this book so special. — Chris Schluep

'The Three Mothers' by Anna Malaika Tubbs

By turns extraordinary and ordinary, inspiring and devastating, the lives of Alberta King, Louise Little, and Berdis Baldwin are worthy of attention, and so too is their biographer, Anna Malaika Tubbs. As I learned about these women — the discrimination they endured as young Black girls, what they overcame, what their mothers and their grandmothers overcame, how they raised their boys and witnessed their deaths — my eyes filled with tears at their resolute strength and how their lives, like those of so many other Black mothers, have been ignored. — Al Woodworth

'We Need to Hang Out' by Billy Baker

A treasure hunt in the Montana wilds and a New Kids on the Block cruise are among the adventures journalist Billy Baker explores on his charming odyssey to rebuild the male friendships that mysteriously eroded as he hit middle age. Armed with experts’ advice and a self-aware awkwardness, Baker valiantly and hilariously puts himself on the line over and over again, proving that great pals are worth struggling for. — Adrian Liang

'The Kindest Lie' by Nancy Johnson

Johnson’s perceptive debut speaks volumes about motherhood, family and race in America. Ruth Tuttle is a successful engineer with a devoted husband, a bright future, and the secret of a child she was forced to give up as a teen. An exploration of inherent bias, the secrets we keep from the ones we love, and a bond that defies small town racism, this sensitive, hopeful novel is perfect for your next book club. — Seira Wilson

'Good Neighbors' by Sarah Langan

Langan gives her novel a tantalizing spin as readers watch a shocking crime unfold both in real time and from the beguiling vantage of hindsight. To the Wilde family, Maple Street appears picture perfect, but beneath the surface their new neighborhood is as dark and fetid as the sinkhole that suddenly appears in the park. An emotionally palpable novel about classism, herd mentality, and crushing loneliness that kept me glued to the page. — Seira Wilson

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