Sorry for disappearing yet again. I really want to say that I’m back but honestly it’s going to be another couple of weeks as I’m still stuck in this ridiculous reading slump. I majorly want to push passed it before blogging about books and to be honest I’m also feeling a little low lately. On the bright side I do have a lot of blogging inspiration so once I’m back I have a lot of ideas for future content dancing around in my head. So I will definitely be back fully soon. I just need another few weeks to shake off this mood and slump.
Anyway onto today’s post. I didn’t just want to write a paragraph saying I’d be disappearing so instead I thought I’d start off a new series about my TBR for now. Why? Because it gives me a chance to remind myself of why I wanted to read some of the books on it in the first place – something that will hopefully reignite my passion for reading. Plus it means I can hopefully bring some fantastic sounding books to your attention too.
These are ten of my most anticipated releases for the rest of 2020. (I was so heartbroken to see that Empire Of The Vampire has been pushed to 2021!) I decided to start it from July onwards as we’re almost at the end of June already.
As soon as I saw this described as ‘Downton Abbey with magic’ it went straight onto my TBR. I mean honestly, what more could I ask for in a book? There’s also a mystery element, it’s set in 19th century Denmark and it states that ‘secrets can kill and magic is a deadly gift’. Plus I love the cover… I may actually just have to go and pre-order this…
Let’s be honest it was probably the title that first drew me to this book – we need more witch fiction! – but how could I possibly resist it with a blurb like that? Four dead witches, a land that sounds chilling, a secret journal and just… I Need This Book! Seriously. Plus I love the cover again… why is the UK version different?
Magical competition,check.Mysterious death, check.A fortune up for grabs, check.Illegitimate daughter, check. Basically it’s magic, murder and a fascinating sounding world. I need this book. And here’s a little quote from the blurb: ‘Incredible tests, impossible choices and deadly odds await both girls. But there can only be one winner.’
Moulin Rogue & magicians. Need I say more? There’s unseen danger,a powerful showgirl,disappearing magicians,an enigmatic keeper and a brooding judge with a dark past. This book sounds dark, twisted, magical and just flat out incredible.
Speaking of incredible books… how did I not learn about this one sooner? It’s set in a school for the magically gifted where failure quite literally means death. There’s no escape until it’s students graduate. There are monsters lurking everywhere. And the main character has dark magic so powerful that it could kill everyone. Basically this went on my TBR as soon as I saw it described as a ‘dark, feminist Harry Potter’.
Ah this book. I’ve been waiting for it for what feels like forever! How could I resist a book about a girl who sells her soul for a chance to live forever, only to then be cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Amazing. I. NEED. THIS. I better be back to my reading game when this releases as it’s one I intend to read as soon as humanly possible.
Is it bad that I was first drawn to this simply because it said the words ‘Philosopher’s Stone’? Yes I’m the girl who instantly thought of Harry Potter at that point. But seriously this sounds so, so amazing. It’s about a girl, Thea, who learns that creating said stone will lead to madness, but will she have to go ahead and sacrifice her sanity to save the people she loves?
I know hardly anything about this book but after devouring Stepsister I must have it! I absolutely adored Jennifer Donnelly’s retelling of Cinderellaso I simply can’t wait to see what her take on Snow White will be like. Will it involve Fate & Chance again?(please, please, be yes!)And will more follow? I hope so. Ugh, I literally can not wait.
Two sisters, a brutal murder, an intoxicating romance,witches, princes of Hell! and long forbidden dark magic. I’ve seen a couple of quotes from this book on Instagram and I need it. I may actually cry due to the wait (even if I am stuck in a slump right now) because it sounds absolutely phenomenal. I actually joined the author’s newsletter to get the prologue so I majorly hope that I wasn’t too late!!
This one doesn’t have a Goodreads page yet so I’ve linked the title to the author’s page about the book instead.
Cover To Come.
From what I read in Melissa Marr’s email newsletters this is going to be her take on vampires after she was inspired to write about them following a nasty snake bite. And it sounds incredible. There’s murder, magic and a faery prince; and trust me, Melissa Marr really knows how to write addictive tales about the fae.
So there you have it, the ten books that release over the second half of 2020 that I’m most excited for. Has writing this helped spark up some more reading enthusiasm for me? Yes!! So fingers crossed that it stays. Obviously I can’t get on with any of these yet but I have plenty of other beautiful books waiting to be read that I’m also incredibly stoked for including The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes, The Beautiful, Blood Countess, Queen Of Nothing (how have I not read that yet?!?)House Of Blood And Earth, Chain Of Gold and Serpent & Dove to name a few. Plus the library stack that I mentioned in my previous post. So yeah, I definitely have lots of wonderful sounding books to keep me busy. And lots of other wonderful sounding ones releasing in the future.
Ideally I’m going to get reading over the next two to three weeks then return properly with a LOT of blogging and reading inspiration buzzing about inside of me. I’m planning to return with another of these lists, this time totally shaming myself with the books that have been on my physical TBR pile for the longer (*hides*). And then I’ll naturally also catch up on my other posts, features, tags and read all of your wonderful content too.
What are you most anticipated books for the rest of 2020?What have been your favourite reads of the year so far? Is there any particular category that you’d like to see for this series in the future? Let me know everything in the comments.
I honestly can’t believe that we’re almost in April already; where has the time gone? This month I definitely hope to return to my blog and get caught up with everything – including all of your posts which I look forward to reading. Initially I thought April was a quieter month than March book release wise but apparently I was wrong as there are a lot of books here, many of which I can’t wait to get my hands on. I believe May is quieter (although I’m probably wrong) but June is definitely going to be another top ten month as a LOT of the releases that I’m super excited for are coming out then.
May is a survivor. But she doesn’t feel like one. She feels angry. And lost. And alone. Eleven months after the school shooting that killed her twin brother, May still doesn’t know why she was the only one to walk out of the band room that day. No one gets what she went through–no one saw and heard what she did. No one can possibly understand how it feels to be her.
Zach lost his old life when his mother decided to defend the shooter. His girlfriend dumped him, his friends bailed, and now he spends his time hanging out with his little sister…and the one faithful friend who stuck around. His best friend is needy and demanding, but he won’t let Zach disappear into himself. Which is how Zach ends up at band practice that night. The same night May goes with her best friend to audition for a new band.
Which is how May meets Zach. And how Zach meets May. And how both might figure out that surviving could be an option after all.
A decade ago near Chicago, five teenagers defeated the otherworldly enemy known as the Dark One, whose reign of terror brought widespread destruction and death. The seemingly un-extraordinary teens—Sloane, Matt, Ines, Albie, and Esther—had been brought together by a clandestine government agency because one of them was fated to be the “Chosen One,” prophesized to save the world. With the goal achieved, humankind celebrated the victors and began to mourn their lost loved ones.
Ten years later, though the champions remain celebrities, the world has moved forward and a whole, younger generation doesn’t seem to recall the days of endless fear. But Sloane remembers. It’s impossible for her to forget when the paparazzi haunt her every step just as the Dark One still haunts her dreams. Unlike everyone else, she hasn’t moved on; she’s adrift—no direction, no goals, no purpose. On the eve of the Ten Year Celebration of Peace, a new trauma hits the Chosen: the death of one of their own. And when they gather for the funeral at the enshrined site of their triumph, they discover to their horror that the Dark One’s reign never really ended.
I have a mouth, but I mustn’t speak; Ears, but I mustn’t hear; Eyes, but I mustn’t see.
1800, Joseon (Korea). Homesick and orphaned sixteen-year-old Seol is living out the ancient curse: “May you live in interesting times.” Indentured to the police bureau, she’s been tasked with assisting a well-respected young inspector with the investigation into the politically charged murder of a noblewoman.
As they delve deeper into the dead woman’s secrets, Seol forms an unlikely bond of friendship with the inspector. But her loyalty is tested when he becomes the prime suspect, and Seol may be the only one capable of discovering what truly happened on the night of the murder.
But in a land where silence and obedience are valued above all else, curiosity can be deadly.
I am Renata Convida. I have lived a hundred stolen lives. Now I live my own.
Renata Convida was only a child when she was kidnapped by the King’s Justice and brought to the luxurious palace of Andalucia. As a Robari, the rarest and most feared of the magical Moria, Renata’s ability to steal memories from royal enemies enabled the King’s Wrath, a siege that resulted in the deaths of thousands of her own people.
Now Renata is one of the Whispers, rebel spies working against the crown and helping the remaining Moria escape the kingdom bent on their destruction. The Whispers may have rescued Renata from the palace years ago, but she cannot escape their mistrust and hatred–or the overpowering memories of the hundreds of souls she turned “hollow” during her time in the palace.
When Dez, the commander of her unit, is taken captive by the notorious Sangrado Prince, Renata will do anything to save the boy whose love makes her place among the Whispers bearable. But a disastrous rescue attempt means Renata must return to the palace under cover and complete Dez’s top secret mission. Can Renata convince her former captors that she remains loyal, even as she burns for vengeance against the brutal, enigmatic prince? Her life and the fate of the Moria depend on it.
But returning to the palace stirs childhood memories long locked away. As Renata grows more deeply embedded in the politics of the royal court, she uncovers a secret in her past that could change the entire fate of the kingdom–and end the war that has cost her everything.
Beth, Portia, and Eddie Morgan haven’t all been together in years. And for very good reasons—we’ll get to those later. But when their wealthy grandfather dies and leaves a cryptic final message in his wake, the siblings and their respective partners must come together for a cross-country road trip to fulfill his final wish and—more importantly—secure their inheritance.
But time with your family can be tough. It is for everyone.
It’s even harder when you’re all keeping secrets and trying to forget a memory—a missing person, an act of revenge, the man in the black truck who won’t stop following your car—and especially when at least one of you is a killer and there’s a body in the trunk. Just to name a few reasons.
But money is a powerful motivator. It is for everyone.
Firstly sequel wise I just want to mention Empress Of Flames by Mimi Yu; I didn’t include it above as it came out last month but I somehow missed it off of my March post (I had it listed as May so I’m guessing the date changed?). As I can’t wait to read book one I wanted to make sure to include it, especially in case others had also missed the change of date. Other than that I unsurprisingly need to start most of the series that I’ve included here. There are a fair few that I’m determined to pick up soon though (I’d say which but to be honest it’s about half of them).
There are a lot of books that came incredibly close to being included in this month’s top five. The ones that I’m most curious about are The Southern Book Club, Pretending, Queen Of Coin And Whispers, Don’t Call The Wolf and Q (called Master Class in some places). Contemporary wise I’m very interested in Meet Me At Midnight and Clique Bait. And I’m incredibly curious about The Girl And The Stars but I’m not sure if I’d be better off reading Red Sister first (how have I not read that series yet?). So all in all it’s definitely another busy month for books.
What are your most anticipated April releases? Have you read any of them yet; if so which would you most recommend? Let me know and, of course, I hope you all enjoy your reading.
Firstly sorry once again for my absence. I really do hope to be back soon and I look forward to catching up on all of your posts and comments. So please do know that I’m not ignoring anything. I’m only posting this now, whilst still on break, as I’m determined not to fall behind on these monthly release features.
Anyway onto March’s most anticipated releases and let’s just say that it’s an incredible month release wise. I had to pick a top ten – five would have been impossible! – and a rather alarming number of the books here are released on the third. I honestly can’t wait for all ten of the books that I’ve included the blurbs of – they all sound absolutely incredible!
Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life—working hard all day and partying all night—until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.
Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose—to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.
As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion—one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.
Two siblings. Two brilliant talents. But only one Mozart.
Born with a gift for music, Nannerl Mozart has just one wish—to be remembered forever. But even as she delights audiences with her masterful playing, she has little hope she’ll ever become the acclaimed composer she longs to be. She is a young woman in 18th century Europe, and that means composing is forbidden to her. She will perform only until she reaches a marriageable age—her tyrannical father has made that much clear.
And as Nannerl’s hope grows dimmer with each passing year, the talents of her beloved younger brother, Wolfgang, only seem to shine brighter. His brilliance begins to eclipse her own, until one day a mysterious stranger from a magical land appears with an irresistible offer. He has the power to make her wish come true—but his help may cost her everything.
Welcome to Edwardian London, a time of electric lights and long shadows, the celebration of artistic beauty and the wild pursuit of pleasure, with demons waiting in the dark. For years there has been peace in the Shadowhunter world. James and Lucie Herondale, children of the famous Will and Tessa, have grown up in an idyll with their loving friends and family, listening to stories of good defeating evil and love conquering all. But everything changes when the Blackthorn and Carstairs families come to London…and so does a remorseless and inescapable plague.
James Herondale longs for a great love, and thinks he has found it in the beautiful, mysterious Grace Blackthorn. Cordelia Carstairs is desperate to become a hero, save her family from ruin, and keep her secret love for James hidden. When disaster strikes the Shadowhunters, James, Cordelia and their friends are plunged into a wild adventure which will reveal dark and incredible powers, and the true cruel price of being a hero…and falling in love.
Where Nirrim lives, crime abounds, a harsh tribunal rules, and society’s pleasures are reserved for the High Kith. Life in the Ward is grim and punishing. People of her low status are forbidden from sampling sweets or wearing colors. You either follow the rules, or pay a tithe and suffer the consequences.
Nirrim keeps her head down and a dangerous secret close to her chest.
But then she encounters Sid, a rakish traveler from far away who whispers rumors that the High Caste possesses magic. Sid tempts Nirrim to seek that magic for herself. But to do that, Nirrim must surrender her old life. She must place her trust in this sly stranger who asks, above all, not to be trusted.
Tala Warnock has little use for magic – as a descendant of Maria Makiling, the legendary Filipina heroine, she negates spells, often by accident. But her family’s old ties to the country of Avalon (frozen, bespelled, and unreachable for almost 12 years) soon finds them guarding its last prince from those who would use his kingdom’s magic for insidious ends.
And with the rise of dangerous spelltech in the Royal States of America; the appearance of the firebird, Avalon’s deadliest weapon, at her doorstep; and the re-emergence of the Snow Queen, powerful but long thought dead, who wants nothing more than to take the firebird’s magic for her own – Tala’s life is about to get even more complicated….
At sixteen, Hadley Moore knows exactly who she is—a swimmer who will earn a scholarship to college. Totally worth all the hard work, even if her aching shoulders don’t agree. So when a guy dressed as Hollywood’s latest action hero, Heath Hall, crashes her swim meet, she isn’t amused. Instead, she’s determined to make sure he doesn’t bother her again. Only she’s not sure exactly who he is.
The swim meet isn’t the first event the imposter has interrupted, but a little digging turns up a surprising number of people who could be Heath Hall, including Hadley’s ex-boyfriend and her best friend’s crush. She soon finds herself getting caught up in the mysterious world of the fake Heath Hall.
As Hadley gets closer to uncovering the masked boy’s identity she also discovers some uncomfortable truths about herself—like she might resent the long shadow her late brother has cast over her family, that she isn’t as happy as she pretends to be with her life choices… and that she is falling for the last guy she ever thought she would like.
Seventeen-year-old Tempe was born into a world of water. When the Great Waves destroyed her planet, its people had to learn to survive living on the water, but the ruins of the cities below still called. Tempe dives daily, scavenging the ruins of a bygone era, searching for anything of value to trade for Notes. It isn’t food or clothing that she wants to buy, but her dead sister’s life. For a price, the research facility on the island of Palindromena will revive the dearly departed for twenty-four hours before returning them to death. It isn’t a heartfelt reunion that Tempe is after; she wants answers. Elysea died keeping a terrible secret, one that has ignited an unquenchable fury in Tempe: Her beloved sister was responsible for the death of their parents. Tempe wants to know why.
But once revived, Elysea has other plans. She doesn’t want to spend her last day in a cold room accounting for a crime she insists she didn’t commit. Elysea wants her freedom and one final glimpse at the life that was stolen from her. She persuades Tempe to break her out of the facility, and they embark on a dangerous journey to discover the truth about their parents’ death and mend their broken bond. But they’re pursued every step of the way by two Palindromena employees desperate to find them before Elysea’s time is up–and before the secret behind the revival process and the true cost of restored life is revealed.
Bone Criers have a sacred duty. They alone can keep the dead from preying on the living. But their power to ferry the spirits of the dead into goddess Elara’s Night Heavens or Tyrus’s Underworld comes from sacrifice. The gods demand a promise of dedication. And that promise comes at the cost of the Bone Criers’ one true love.
Ailesse has been prepared since birth to become the matriarch of the Bone Criers, a mysterious famille of women who use strengths drawn from animal bones to ferry dead souls. But first she must complete her rite of passage and kill the boy she’s also destined to love.
Bastien’s father was slain by a Bone Crier and he’s been seeking revenge ever since. Yet when he finally captures one, his vengeance will have to wait. Ailesse’s ritual has begun and now their fates are entwined—in life and in death.
Sabine has never had the stomach for the Bone Criers’ work. But when her best friend Ailesse is taken captive, Sabine will do whatever it takes to save her, even if it means defying their traditions—and their matriarch—to break the bond between Ailesse and Bastien. Before they all die.
Hidden deep in the mountains of Colorado lies the Inn at Havenfall, a sanctuary that connects ancient worlds–each with their own magic–together. For generations, the inn has protected all who seek refuge within its walls, and any who disrupt the peace can never return.
For Maddie Morrow, summers at the inn are more than a chance to experience this magic first-hand. Havenfall is an escape from reality, where her mother sits on death row accused of murdering Maddie’s brother. It’s where Maddie fell in love with handsome Fiorden soldier Brekken. And it’s where one day she hopes to inherit the role of Innkeeper from her beloved uncle.
But this summer, the impossible happens–a dead body is found, shattering everything the inn stands for. With Brekken missing, her uncle gravely injured, and a dangerous creature on the loose, Maddie suddenly finds herself responsible for the safety of everyone in Havenfall. She’ll do anything to uncover the truth, even if it means working together with an alluring new staffer Taya, who seems to know more than she’s letting on. As dark secrets are revealed about the inn itself, one thing becomes clear to Maddie–no one can be trusted, and no one is safe . . .
Sara Holland takes the lush fantasy that captured readers in Everless and Evermore and weaves it into the real world to create a wholly captivating new series where power and peril lurk behind every door.
Welcome to dinner, and again, congratulations on being selected. Now you must do the selecting.
What do the queen bee, star athlete, valedictorian, stoner, loner, and music geek all have in common? They were all invited to a scholarship dinner, only to discover it’s a trap. Someone has locked them into a room with a bomb, a syringe filled with poison, and a note saying they have an hour to pick someone to kill … or else everyone dies.
Amber Prescott is determined to get her classmates and herself out of the room alive, but that might be easier said than done. No one knows how they’re all connected or who would want them dead. As they retrace the events over the past year that might have triggered their captor’s ultimatum, it becomes clear that everyone is hiding something. And with the clock ticking down, confusion turns into fear, and fear morphs into panic as they race to answer the biggest question: Who will they choose to die?
I’ve still got to start all of the series that I’ve included but I definitely plan to get to a couple of them soon – especially the ones by Patricia Briggs, Jennifer Estep, Suzanne Young and Julie Kagawa. I’m hoping to get a few of the thrillers listed here read soon too as they sound incredible! I’m particularly excited about Darling Rose Gold (called The Recovery Of Rose Gold in the UK), Eight Perfect Murders (called Rules For Perfect Murders in the UK) and The Familiar Dark (because the authors first adult novel was amazing). I’m also pretty curious about The Pottery Cottage Murders (a true crime novel that I learnt about after watching a TV show based on another real life crime that the author had written about) and My Dark Vanessa which I have a feeling is going to be one of the majorly hyped books of the year. So basically March is a majorly busy book month!
What are your most anticipated March releases? Have you read any of them yet; if so which would you most recommend? Let me know and, of course, I hope you all enjoy your reading.
Hello and welcome to another ‘most anticipated releases’ feature. Firstly I just want to say that I’m sorry that this post is a couple of days late but I was determined to try and catch up a little with my comments (if I’ve missed any please do let me know) and your blog posts before adding the final touches to this post. Secondly I just want to say that I’ve decided to extend my absence for another couple of weeks. I’ve been reorganizing my TBR (note to future self…DON’T) and don’t really feel like I’ve had much of a break as a result. Plus I’m still not reading and I want to get started with that before blogging properly again. How can I book blog if my current 2020 total is 0? So I want to apologize but I am going to be absent for another couple of weeks. I’ve scheduled my Literacy List & TBR Thursday for this month and hope to be back soon. If anyone wants to contact me at all in the meantime feel free to send me a message on Instagram.
Anyway onto this month’s releases… and let’s just say there’s a lot of them. If you think this month is scary though just wait until you see March!
In the heart of the frigid North, there lives a demon known as the Face Stealer. Eyes, nose, mouth—nothing and no one is safe. Once he returns to his lair, or wherever it is he dwells, no one ever sees those faces again.
When tragedy strikes, Apaay embarks on a perilous journey to find her sister’s face—yet becomes trapped in a labyrinth ruled by a sinister girl named Yuki. The girl offers Apaay a deal: find her sister’s face hidden within the labyrinth, and she will be set free. But the labyrinth, and those who inhabit it, is not as it seems. Especially Numiak: darkly beautiful, powerful, whose motives are not yet clear.
With time slipping, Apaay is determined to escape the deadly labyrinth with her sister’s face in hand. But in Yuki’s harsh world, Apaay will need all her strength to survive.
As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer—the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it’s never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy’s dangerous soul magic.
When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he’ll help her prove she’s fit to rule, if she’ll help him reclaim his stolen magic.
But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder—and more peril—than Amora anticipated. A destructive new magic is on the rise, and if Amora is to conquer it, she’ll need to face legendary monsters, cross paths with vengeful mermaids, and deal with a stow-away she never expected… or risk the fate of Visidia and lose the crown forever.
I am the right choice. The only choice. And I will protect my kingdom.
Before the massacre at Nariin, Enebish was one of the greatest warriors in the Sky King’s Imperial Army: a rare and dangerous Night Spinner, blessed with the ability to control the threads of darkness. Now, she is known as Enebish the Destroyer―a monster and murderer, banished to a monastery for losing control of her power and annihilating a merchant caravan.
Guilt stricken and scarred, Enebish tries to be grateful for her sanctuary, until her adoptive sister, Imperial Army commander Ghoa, returns from the war front with a tantalizing offer. If Enebish can capture the notorious criminal, Temujin, whose band of rebels has been seizing army supply wagons, not only will her crimes be pardoned, she will be reinstated as a warrior.
Enebish eagerly accepts. But as she hunts Temujin across the tundra, she discovers the tides of war have shifted, and the supplies he’s stealing are the only thing keeping thousands of shepherds from starving. Torn between duty and conscience, Enebish must decide whether to put her trust in the charismatic rebel or her beloved sister. No matter who she chooses, an even greater enemy is advancing, ready to bring the empire to its knees.
Celia Sand and her best friend, Anya Burtoni, are inklings for the esteemed religion of Profeta. Using magic, they tattoo followers with beautiful images that represent the Divine’s will and guide the actions of the recipients. It’s considered a noble calling, but ten years into their servitude Celia and Anya know the truth: Profeta is built on lies, the tattooed orders strip away freedom, and the revered temple is actually a brutal, torturous prison.
Their opportunity to escape arrives with the Rabble Mob, a traveling theater troupe. Using their inkling abilities for performance instead of propaganda, Celia and Anya are content for the first time . . . until they realize who followed them. The Divine they never believed in is very real, very angry, and determined to use Celia, Anya, and the Rabble Mob’s now-infamous stage to spread her deceitful influence even further.
To protect their new family from the wrath of a malicious deity and the zealots who work in her name, Celia and Anya must unmask the biggest lie of all—Profeta itself.
Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power:
1) Woo the Shadow King. 2) Marry him. 3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.
No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King’s power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she’s going to do everything within her power to get it.
But Alessandra’s not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen—all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen?
As per usual I’m completely behind with all of the series that I’ve shared. I don’t think I’ve started one yet. But I do seriously want to start playing catch up during my break. I’m also not convinced that Rage Of Storms is out as it doesn’t have a cover yet.
Besides the usual top five I’m most excited for Ninth Sorceress (which with a blurb like that should have been in it to be honest) and What Kind Of Girl (which sounds amazing!!). There are others listed that I absolutely adore the sound of too so if you want to know which they are just ask.
What are your most anticipated February releases? Have you read any of them yet; if so which would you most recommend? Let me know and, of course, I hope you all enjoy your reading.
For the whole of January I’ve decided to do something a little different with my ‘literacy list’ feature. Rather than one post a month I’ll have one per week mentioning ten of the authors who I most want to catch up on. Some of them are new to me; some I’ve read books by in the past. All have several novels or series that are pretty high priority to me. It was originally going to be a two part feature but, as you can probably tell, I got a little carried away…
I remember loving the Poison Study series back when I first read it and I can’t wait to re-read these books and refresh my memories of the series so that I can read all of the new additions in the Soulfinders and Glass series. Another high priority series by Maria V. Snyder is the Sentinels Of The Galaxy – from the blurb alone I already know that I need to discover what the deal with these Terra Cotta Warriors on various planets is. I’ve had her Healer series on my Kindle for years now and somehow completely forgot about it! How? It sounds so good! This year I’ll make sure I finally get it done. I’ve also always been intrigued by her Insiders series. I’ve also just discovered another series of her that starts with The Eyes of Tamburah; unfortunately it’s only available in Australia right now. I believe that was also the case with Sentinels Of The Galaxy at first though and that’s available in the UK now. So fingers crossed it’ll be released elsewhere soon.
First up on my TBR when it comes to Anna-Marie McLemore is definitely Blanca & Roja; not only does it sound magical but the cover is absolutely gorgeous. All of the authors books sounds mystical, unusual and unique though and they’re all books that I hope to get read soon. I think the first that I learnt about is The Weight Of Feathers which I’ve got to admit I’m incredibly intrigued by. As I said I love the sound of all of these books though so When The Moon Was Ours and Wild Beauty are definitely high priority on my TBR now.
Once again this sounds like a beautifully magical story and it comes with yet another gorgeous cover! I love the sound of both the past and present story and seriously need to know more! This might well end up being my first book by the author actually; I’m seriously tempted to treat myself to a copy once it’s out.
Written with Tehlor Kay Mejia this book sounds fantastic! Yet again it sounds both gorgeously magical and incredibly unique. I also can’t wait to see what the cover of this one looks like!
I keep saying that I want to get Winterspell read then running out of time to do so. Hopefully this month I’ll finally get it done though. Sawkill Girls is another book by Claire Legrand that I think sounds amazing. And then there’s the Empirium series which has definitely enticed me. Hopefully by the end of the year I’ll have read both novels plus caught up on the series.
Yet another sequel with no real details yet available. I think it’s the final one? Although I’m not entirely sure as I try to avoid looking up too much information about series that I’m yet to read. Either way hopefully it’ll release this year; and hopefully by the time that it does so I’ll be up to date with the first two.
I honestly don’t know which of Courtney Summers books I’ll get to next. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about Sadie so it could be that one but I’ve also had Cracked Up To Be & Some Girls Are on my TBR for quite some time now. I’ve found both of the books that I’ve read by the author amazingly powerful so I definitely plan to read the rest of her work soon.
Yet another author who has a lot of series that I really want to read! I’m not entirely sure how I never finished the Blue Bloods series but I definitely want to re-read the first few (it’s been years and my memories are pretty hazy) and finish the series. Lost In Time is the first that I still need to read and I’d also like to read Wolf Pact. There’s also the Witches Of East End series that I’m desperate to pick up soon along with it’s sequel series Summer On East End. And I’d love to read the Descendants series too; it may be for a slightly younger audience but I actually love the sound of these.
I haven’t actually read a graphic novel before although I keep telling myself that I should check some out eventually. This one sounds like it could be quite intriguing but I’ll wait for more information to decide.
Written with Margaret Stohl this is a sequel to Little Women and I really hope that it works out as the pressure must be enormous. I’m definitely curious enough to check this out but I do need to hurry up and read the original first.
Okay unless I get super into Melissa de la Cruz’s books (I did used to love Blue Bloods) I doubt I’ll read this one. But, as I’ve listed all the 2020 releases by the authors I’ve included in this series so far I’ll add this one in too in case anyone else is interested.
What I most want to read by this author absolutely has to be The Raven Cycle; everybody loves that series so much and I definitely need to get it read this year. It’s been on my TBR for a long time after all and the plot sounds super interesting. If I enjoy it then I’ll hopefully dive straight in to Call Down The Hawk. And from there.. I’m not sure? I’d like to re-read Shiver and finish The Wolves Of Mercy Falls series although I’m not sure if I was that into it? It’s been so long since I read it that I don’t really remember much of anything now. I definitely want to check out All The Crooked Saints as it sounds pretty unique. And then there’s the ever popular The Scorpio Races which I didn’t think I was that desperate to read…until I read the blurb. Plus would I even be me if I didn’t include her faerie series – Books Of Faerie – on this list?
I honestly don’t know anywhere near enough about this to have an opinion about it. I’m guessing it’s linked to the Batman book that I mentioned above? But I don’t have a clue who Swamp Thing is.
First up is definitely The Darkest Minds because, seriously, how have I not read this yet? The series sounds absolutely phenomenal and is exactly the sort of story that I love! Then it’s Passenger & Prosper Redding in no particular order as I adore the sound of both of them for different reasons.
Topping my ‘need to read’ list when it comes to Kasie West are By Your Side (how can I not want to read a story where the main character gets trapped in the library?) and Love, Life And The List (which also sounds incredible). All of her books sound amazing to be honest and I have no idea how I haven’t picked any up before now. As I’m trying to limit how many books I include by each author I’ll mention just a few others that I think I’ll get to first which are: Listen To Your Heart, The Distance Between Us and Pivot Point (as that one sounds completely unlike the rest). Believe me though, all of her books are already on my TBR.
Like the rest of Kasie West’s books this one sounds incredibly interesting and I can’t wait to check it out. Apparently it’s a standalone but with crossover characters from two other novels, the first of which is actually one of the two that I’m most desperate to read.
Up first is definitely The Conqueror’s Saga as I seriously can not believe that I haven’t finished it yet. I loved book one! Why on earth have I not read books two and three yet? This year I’m definitely going to try and catch up on some of the series that I started and loved. Then I’ll probably start The Guinevere Deception as I absolutely adore the sound of it and I’m pretty tempted to buy this one in print because the cover is gorgeous. And then it’s on to The Dark Descent Of Elizabeth Frankenstein which also sounds like my kind of book; maybe I just have a thing for dark retellings? I expect that I will finish Paranormalcy one day too but these three are my priority for now.
I didn’t love Slayer as much as I hoped I would; I thought the tone of Buffy had been captured incredibly well but something was missing for me. I think I expected it to be a bit grittier? I still want to read this too though and hope that I’ll love it as much as I thought I would the first one.
Firstly whilst researching this list I found out that there’s a new Iron Fey book coming out!!! It’s not due until 2021 but I literally can not wait!
I honestly don’t know how I haven’t read the Blood Of Eden series yet; its got vampires and it’s dystopian … that’s me all over. I’ve gone through phases of reading lots of both so how have I not read this one? It’s definitely on my TBR for the year. I also absolutely adore the sound of the Shadow Of The Fox series! Talon is also one that I hope to pick up soon. So fingers crossed that I get all three series read this year.
This isn’t out until the end of March so fingers crossed, if I stay as motivated as I am now and don’t get too many headaches and slumps, I can get up to date with this series in time for the finale.
I was only going to include new releases – not releases in new formats – but I saw the cover of the Iron Fey Special Editions and couldn’t resist sharing the series here.
The Iron King: 05/05/2020 The Iron Daughter: 14/07/2020 The Iron Queen: 13/10/2020 The Iron Knight:
Goodreads has them all listed as the 05/05/2020 but Amazon has different dates listed so I’m not entirely sure which is correct.
So there you have it; the fourth and final part of this series. Are these all the authors that I want to catch up on? No. But they’re definietely some fo the main ones. I hope you’ve enjoyed this series that I thought up to kick start the year, hopefully push myself to start reading some of these series and also give a shout out to any upcoming books by all the authors that I’ve mentioned here.
Are you looking forward to any of the books mentioned here? Do you love any of the authors? Has anything new caught your eye? Please do let me know in the comments as I’d love to hear from you.
Please note I’m currently on a semi-hiatus but I’ll be back sometime in January. After doing a lot of blog post planning I needed a bit of a break. But I’ll try to check in with comments a couple of times a week (probably after the first week in January as I would like a total blogging break over Christmas) and try to read other people’s posts fairly regularly so that I don’t totally fall behind.
For the whole of January I’ve decided to do something a little different with my ‘literacy list’ feature. Rather than one post a month I’ll have one per week mentioning ten of the authors who I most want to catch up on. Some of them are new to me; some I’ve read books by in the past. All have several novels or series that are pretty high priority to me. It was originally going to be a two part feature but, as you can probably tell, I got a little carried away…
I think it goes without saying that the first two books which I plan to read by Taylor Jenkins Reid are The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six. I’m also really intrigued by a book that I learnt about from this fantastic post by Sofii @ A Book A Thought called Evidence Of The Affair. It’s a short story about an affair that’s told through letters and the concept and idea really intrigues me. To be honest if I end up enjoying these books as much as everybody else does then I’ll definitely be checking out all of this authors work over time. I’ll just mention one more for now though and that’s Maybe In Another Life as I adore the sound of the two alternative storylines that come from such a simple choice.
Once again I think I want to read everything by this author but I’ll just mention the few that I’m most interested in for now. The Missing is the first book that I heard of by C.L. Taylor and it’s also probably the one that intrigues me most. What really happened in this book? I definitely need to pick it up and find out soon! Sleep is another that I’m desperate to get on with. Then there’s The Treatment which sounds like it could make a pretty twisty, compelling and chilling read. Two other books that are high on my TBR are The Fear and The Escape.
I’m ashamed to say that I’ve seen the Divergent movies but not read the books yet. I’m determined to pick them up and read them all this year although I’ll admit I’m pretty worried about the finale after how many negative reviews I’ve seen. Still I want to check out these books as I loved the films. I also adore the sound of Carve The Mark! The gifts are something that I’m super interested in and I’m pretty curious about the world too. I own both of these and, once again, fully intend to get them read this year!
Last time that I looked this up I knew I wanted to read it based on the few details that it had. Now it has a blurb and OMG! I. NEED. THIS! It truly sounds amazing and I’m incredibly curious about the villain. Plus I didn’t realize it was an adult book. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for this.
How have I not read Delirium yet? I honestly don’t even know the answer to that question. This year I’m definitely going to get this series read. Series wise I also really want to get Replica read as well. And then there are several novels by Lauren Oliver that I’d love to get read too; the main ones are Broken Things and Vanishing Girls but I’m also pretty curious about Panic and Rooms.
If I end up enjoying some of the authors other books I may well check this out. I always say that I want to read more middle grade fiction and this one sounds like it could be an interesting mixture of cute, adventurous and mysterious. Plus the ‘monsters’ make me pretty curious.
How on earth do you even decide where to start with Stephen King’s books? There are just so many of them! As I’ve mentioned once before I’d love to see his take on vampires so I’d really like to pick up Salem’s Lot sometime soon. It’s also now possible that I’ll read the Bill Hodge trilogy and The Outsider first though as I’ve learnt about the upcoming adaptation and I’d seriously like to read the books before watching the TV series, if I decide to do so. Other books that are high on my TBR are Carrie, Christine, It, Sleeping Beauties(written with Owen King) and The Institute. That is by no means a complete list however. There are a lot of Stephen King books that I hope to one day read.
This is a collection of four new stories, one of which is the sequel to The Outsider. I may well check this out as I’d like to find out what one of Stephen King’s story collections are like.
This is another one of those authors that I can’t believe I’ve read nothing by yet! I actually was pretty intrigued by the sound of Mistborn and almost brought it once but, as I have so many books and I hadn’t heard of the author at that time, I was good and resisted the temptation to do so. Now I’m kicking myself for missing out on that ridiculously cheap Kindle edition. But oh well. I’ll probably still start with the Mistborn series. Then I have no idea what I’ll read next. Any recommendations? I think I’ll probably go for The Reckoners first then either Skyward or The Stormlight Archive.
According to Goodreads this will be out sometime in 2020 but I know sometimes dates change so I’m not certain of this. If I enjoy the first few series that I read by Brandon Sanderson then I’ll definitely have to try and get the first of these ready before this comes out too. I’m really starting to get the impression that I’ll be busy this year.
I know, I know… how is it even possible that I haven’t read one of John Green’s books yet? I’ve seen two of the film adaptations and loved them so this year I seriously want to start playing catch up with these books. I don’t know if I’ll start with one of the stories that I’ve enjoyed as films – The Fault In Our Stars & Paper Towns – or one that’s new to me such as Looking For Alaska or Turtles All The Way down. Ideally I’d like to get all four read this year though.
First up I’m definitely either re-reading and finishing the Menagerie series as I absolutely adored book one or starting with 100 Hours as I also love the sound of that one. Once I’ve read both of those series I’d also like to read the Soul Screamer series, Unbound, Wildcats(although I’ll probably re-read Shifters first as it’s been a few years since I read that) and Brave New Girl.
First up on my TBR when it comes to Gena Showalter is The Evil Queen which I actually plan to read as soon as possible. I love the sound of this series and can’t wait to sink my teeth into book one. Then I’ll probably read Firstlife which honestly sounds like nothing else that I’ve ever came across. I’ve wanted to read the Otherworld Assassin series for quite a while but I’ve realized I’m probably best off reading the Alien Huntress series first. So, let’s be fair, I’ll probably check out the Young Adult Alien Huntress series at some point too. As I never read it back when I read the first three, I’d also like to read A Mad Zombie Party. And, of course, I’d like to check out what appear to be her most popular series – Lords Of The Underworld.
As this is book fifteen in the series and I have other books that I want to pick up first I definitely won’t be up to date by the time that this releases. Still I’m sure I’ll get start on this series and catch up eventually.
As book one in the series is one on my immediate TBR I’m pretty confident that I should be up to date with this series before the sequel comes out.
So there you have it; the third part of this series. Whilst writing these posts I was surprised by how long they took but then, whilst typing this paragraph, I’ve realized that there’s forty different authors that I’ve written about in this series (counting part four). It’s kind of daunting when I look at it that way; even if that was one book each it’s a lot. Instead most have numerous series for me to read. Oh well. I shall catch up with my TBR one day!
Are you looking forward to any of the books mentioned here? Do you love any of the authors? Has anything new caught your eye? Please do let me know in the comments as I’d love to hear from you.
Please note I’m currently on a semi-hiatus but I’ll be back sometime in January. After doing a lot of blog post planning I needed a bit of a break. But I’ll try to check in with comments a couple of times a week (probably after the first week in January as I would like a total blogging break over Christmas) and try to read other people’s posts fairly regularly so that I don’t totally fall behind.
For the whole of January I’ve decided to do something a little different with my ‘literacy list’ feature. Rather than one post a month I’ll have one per week mentioning ten of the authors who I most want to catch up on. Some of them are new to me; some I’ve read books by in the past. All have several novels or series that are pretty high priority to me. It was originally going to be a two part feature but, as you can probably tell, I got a little carried away…
Kelley Armstrong has written a lot of books and I honestly think that I want to read all of them… I’m pretty sure that’ll take quite some time. As I already have the first books in the Rockton & Cainsville series I’ll probably start by reading one of those two. Also high on my TBR list when it comes to this author though is the Nadia Stafford series and The Women Of The Underworld. There are also a couple of her novels that I’m desperate to get read but, as I’ve already got 4 different series listed here I’ll pick just one to mention now and that’s her latest: Wherever She Goes.
As I said above Rockton is one of the series that I’m hoping to read first so this one’s definitely on my TBR. This is one series that I’m adamant to catch up on this year!
I’m pretty sure this is a spin off/sequel series to The Women Of The Otherworld. So hopefully I’ll enjoy that series and start on this one sometime too BUT it will probably take quite some time to get that far.
This is book two in a Middle Grade series that I only learnt about whilst writing this list. It sounds like it could be interesting though so if I love the rest, I’ll probably check this out eventually too.
I’ve wanted to read the Gemma Doyle series and The Diviners for years. I even brought some secondhand copies of the former a few years back to push me to read them yet they’re still unread. This year I fully intend to get both read. They both sound so, so amazing after all. I do hope to check out some of her novels too but it’s these two series that are easily my highest priority right now.
As the finale is out in February I’m now very tempted to pick up The Diviners first and try to get it read by then. I’m very much a mood reader so I’ll see what happens though. Either way I’m definitely planning to have read both by the end of the year.
Wow have I really read that many books by Rachel Caine? Lately I constantly feel so far behind that I don’t even feel like a reader but here’s the proof that at one point I definitely have been! This year I seriously want to stop falling into slumps and get my reading back up to what it used to be. But anyway onto my list:
My main priorities are to carry on the Stillhouse Lake series as I really enjoyed the first one and am pretty curious to see where the rest will take me. I’d also love to read Midnight Bites as I’ve never read that short story collection linked to the Morganville series although I may have read some of the content as I have read short stories linked to the series elsewhere, including on the author’s website.. And I really want to start The Great Library series. There are definitely other books by Rachel Caine on my TBR though.
As stated above this is one series that I really want to catch up & carry on with. I love the different point of view that this novel was written from and honestly it was just fascinating.
This series is written along with Ann Aguirre and although I didn’t mention it above it’s definitely still on my TBR and I’d love to get the series read this year if possible. A petty criminal gets recruited into the Honors – a race of sentient alien ships – and discovers a dark, ominous truth. Doesn’t that sound intriguing?
According to Goodreads this is out this year but I’m not entirely certain. At some point I’ll have to refresh my memory of the series with a re-read in preparation for this. I’m certainly curious about it though.
I basically want to read everything that this author has written. I’m not entirely sure what book I’ll start with – although it may even be her new one as it’s out fairly early in the year. Her books so far are the Daughter Of The Pirate King series and Warrior Of The Wild; both of which sound amazing.
OMG, this one sounds absolutely amazing and I can not wait for it to come out! I’ll definitely have to treat myself to this one. It’s about Alessandra’s plan to gain power by wooing the Shadow King so that, once he marries her, she can kill him and take the kingdom for herself. If that doesn’t sound amazing enough she then finds herself having to fight both to keep him alive, long enough for him to marry her, and her own growing feelings for him… I NEED THIS!!
I’ve been meaning to read some of these forever! Top of my TBR, when it comes to Sarah Dessen, is Once And For All which I absolutely adore the sound of. Then it’s kind of a tie between The Rest Of The Story, Saint Anything & Dreamland. As the pictures shows I also really want to get on with Just Listen and Lock & Key. But I think I probably have all of her books on my TBR. It’s definitely time that I got picking up more contemporary novels.
When I was younger I fell in love with Sarra Manning’s books and would always be on the lookout for them. Over the years, after first reading them from the library, I built up quite a collection of her books but then I fell behind and I now majorly need to catch up. I wouldn’t be surprised if I read The Rise & Fall Of Becky Sharp first as I couldn’t resist buying it when I found it in the supermarket when it first came out and I’d love to get it read. Then it’ll probably be Nine Uses For An Ex Boyfriend and You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me as I have copies of those as well. From there it’ll probably be either It Felt Like A Kiss or After The Last Dance as I adore the sounds of each for different reasons. Then it’s back to a YA book by her as I’m pretty tempted by the blurb of The Worst Girlfriend In The World. I do, yet again, have other books by her on my TBR but there are the ones I’m most desperate to get on with.
The Witchlands series and Something Strange And Deadly have both been on my TBR for quite some time. One sounds like it’s set in a fascinating fantasy world with some rather interesting witches. And the other I think is a steampunk zombie novel that, from the few pages that I’ve looked at, sounds amazing. So I’m definitely hoping to read these two series this year.
As I said above I definitely want to get reading this series soon. Maybe, as there’s no name or date for this one yet, I’ll even get it done before the next in the series comes out. Fingers crossed anyway.
The Half Bad trilogy has been on my TBR for ages now; I can’t remember if I saw it compared to Harry Potter or if the blurb just gave me similar vibes but it’s definitely one series that I’m desperate to check out. And then The Smoke Thieves sounds like it could be a pretty epic fantasy series to me. I already love the sound of the characters from the blurb and need to know more!
Once again this book doesn’t have a title or definite date yet so hopefully I can catch up on this series before the next book comes out. It’s definitely one that I’m itching to sink my teeth into.
The main series that I want to finish by Maureen Johnson is the Truly Devious one; I loved book one and seriously can not believe that I haven’t picked up book two yet! I didn’t get quite as hooked by the Shades Of London series as I expected to but I do want to re-read the first book some time and finish the series. I’m kind of hoping that, at the time of reading, I just wasn’t in the mood for the book. Or that I’m mis-remembering my enjoyment level as it sounds like the sort of story that I’d generally love. And then I just adore the sound of Little Blue Envelopes; I always say that I need to read more contemporary and this sounds like a pretty awesome one to get stuck into.
As I said above I seriously can not believe that I haven’t read book two of this series yet! Hopefully the release of the new one will push me to get on with it.
I’m pretty sure that people will look at the number of books that I’ve read by this author and think to themselves ‘What? How is that even possible?’ and the truth is I honestly don’t know. I’ve seen the first Percy Jackson movie and owned the book for years but never got around to picking it up. This year I definitely want to do so. I think most of these series are linked in some way but I’ve still listed them all as Rick Riordan is certainly one author that I want to get up to date with. So I’m starting with the Percy Jackson And The Olympian series. I don’t actually know where to go from there though; there are so many books! I might go for The Heroes Of Olympus series and The Trials Of Apollo first as they’re listed as all being part of the ‘Camp Half-Blood Chronicles’ or I may mix it up with The Kane Chronicles And Magnus Chase And The Gods Of Asgard in-between. Does anyone know what the best reading order is? All advice is greatly appreciated.
I believe this is the last book in the Trials Of Apollo series? Maybe by some miracle I’ll be up to date by then?
So that’s it for part two of this series and I hope you’re all enjoying it. I love that this series is giving me a chance to mention some of the authors whose books most frequently appear on my TBR. Although it is pretty scary considering how many unread books I seem to be mentioning.
Are you looking forward to any of the books mentioned here? Do you love any of the authors? Has anything new caught your eye? Please do let me know in the comments as I’d love to hear from you.
Please note I’m currently on a semi-hiatus but I’ll be back sometime in January. After doing a lot of blog post planning I needed a bit of a break. But I’ll try to check in with comments a couple of times a week (probably after the first week in January as I would like a total blogging break over Christmas) and try to read other people’s posts fairly regularly so that I don’t totally fall behind.
I’ve decided to start off the year with something a little bit different than my usual ‘literacy list’ feature. It’ll still be a top ten on a certain topic but rather than one post a month I’m going to post one per week. And rather than mentioning just one book or series as I generally do I’m going to mention ten of the authors who I most want to catch up on, sharing some of their books on my TBR and also mentioning any releases that they have due this year. Some of the authors are new to me; some I’ve read books by in the past. All have several novels or series that are pretty high priority to me. It was originally going to be a two part feature but, as you can probably tell, I got a little carried away… All of the pictures are of the books by each author that are topping my TBR right now.
Right now I honestly want to re-read and finish everything by Cassandra Clare and I do hope to do so by the end of the year. The books by her that I most want to read though are Queen Of Air And Darkness(how have I not done so yet when I was so, so desperate to read this?), The Red Scrolls Of Magic & Ghosts Of The Shadow Market. Ideally I also want to re-read The Infernal Devices as soon as possible in preparation for Chain Of Gold.
This sounds amazing! And the cover is absolutely gorgeous! I’ve loved what I’ve read by Cassandra Clare so far and with yet another historic setting I’m so, so intrigued!!
I’ve got nine months so in theory I should have plenty of time to get book one read before then!
I also really want to read the Magisterium series (the blurb gives me major Harry Potter vibes) but as it’s by both Cassandra Clare & Holly Black I’ve listed it here, between both of them.
Naturally the major book that I need to read (and can’t believe that I haven’t yet!) is The Queen Of Nothing. After that the main two books that I want to read by Holly Black are The Coldest Girl In Coldtown & The Darkest Part Of The Forest although I’m pretty sure that I have all of her books on my TBR and I would ideally like to re-read the Modern Tale Of Faerie series soon as my memories of it are pretty hazy.
Let’s be honest here – I desperately want to read ALL of Richelle Mead’s books and honestly do hope to catch up on them by the end of the year. I guess if I had to pick the ones I’m most desperate to read though they would be Bloodlines(how have I still not read this series?), Age Of X and the last two books in The Glittering Court series.
Yet another author who I want to somehow read everything by this year. I desperately want to re-read and finish Throne Of Glass(I got up to Empire Of Storms) and finally start A Court Of Thorns And Roses. I also really would like to get Catwoman read. I always loved her in the movies so I definitely need to see what Sarah J. Maas has done with her story!
How have I not read a book by Marie Lu yet? I literally have everything by her on my TBR and own two of her books. So I seriously need to get reading some of her marvelous sounding books. I’ll probably end up reading The Young Elites first as I actually own the first book in the series as an ebook. Then either Batman (as I have that series) or Legend (as it’s so well loved). So Warcross will probably be last but it’s basically by default?
I don’t know what this is – I don’t even know if it’s real – but as I love the sound of every other book by Marie Lu it’s staying on this list!
As it’s by both Marie Lu & Jay Kristoff I’m placing the The Illuminae Files in-between their two listings. I’ve heard such fantastic things about this series and I’m seriously intrigued. Plus I’m kind of curious about the unusual way that it’s written? Fingers crossed I’ll get it read soon.
So once again I want to read everything that this author has written. I think I’ll probably start with Nevernight or possibly LIFE1K3. Both of them sound absolutely amazing! And then it’ll probably be Aurora Rising as I’ve heard good things about that book too.
Yet another author that I can’t believe I still need to read something by. Everything by Victoria Schwab is on my TBR and all of it sounds absolutely amazing. The first series that I’ll probably read is Shades Of Magic because I’ve heard it described as an adult Harry Potter and I just adore the sound of the four different Londons involved. Then it’s most likely to be either the Cassidy Blake or Monsters Of Verity.
This is a bind up of some of Victoria’s Schwab’s previous books and I’m pretty sure that it’s a younger series than most but I’ll probably still check this out if I enjoy her other books. Why? Because all of her ideas sound fantastic.
Basically I need to read all of Leigh Bardugo’s connected series and I seriously can not believe that I haven’t started any of them yet! This year I will definitely get up to date with her books though. And hopefully fall in love with the adaptation. I’ll probably start with The Shadow And Bone Trilogy, then read Six Of Crows & then King Of Scars.
Mostly I need to re-read and finish the Sookie Stackhouse series as I adored it the first time around yet never read the final three books. What is wrong with me? I seriously want to start reading the Gunnie Rose series too though. And from there… I’m not entirely sure. It’ll either be Midnight Texas or Aurora Teagarden though. I guess it’ll come down to my mood at the time.
The first of these may well be one of my first reads of the year in an effort to catch up. I’m a total mood reader though, and recently purchased other books, so I’ll just have to wait and see. This year I’ll definitely get up to date on the series though.
So the main series that I need to read is Strange The Dreamer as everybody loves it, and it sounds so, so amazing. I’d also love to re-read the Daughter Of Smoke And Bone trilogy though and finally read Night Of Cakes & Puppets at the same time. Then there’s Lips Touch which sounds absolutely amazing. And, of course, in my efforts to read all things Laini Taylor I also want to read Blackbringer. Let’s be fair I’d read it whatever; I have a thing about the fae.
So that’s it for part one; look out for part two next week. Also keep an eye out for my ‘TBR Thursday’ post tomorrow; it’ll feature some of the lesser mentioned books and series by five of the authors on this list. Are you looking forward to any of the books mentioned here? Do you love any of the authors? Has anything new caught your eye? Please do let me know in the comments as I’d love to hear from you.
Please note I’m currently on a semi-hiatus but I’ll be back sometime in January. After doing a lot of blog post planning I needed a bit of a break. But I’ll try to check in with comments a couple of times a week (probably after the first week in January as I would like a total blogging break over Christmas) and try to read other people’s posts fairly regularly so that I don’t totally fall behind.
Hello and welcome to my third and final ‘most anticipated’ list for 2020 releases, this time featuring twelve of the thrillers and contemporary novels on my TBR. I ended up with so many books that I was desperate to read that I decided to include some thrillers and contemporary novels separately – particularly as they’re two genres that I want to read more of. It was going to be a top five for each but…well you can see how that went. So without further ado let’s get this list started.
I honestly don’t know what to expect from this one but I’m seriously intrigued. When a young, penniless woman finds out she’s pregnant she decides to give her baby up for adoption. She can’t quite believe it when she finds out that a powerful celebrity couple want her baby. But when she arrives in their home things get a bit unsettling; and then she finds out there was another woman before her… one who hasn’t been seen since. How can you read a blurb involving such information and not immediately want to pick it up?
This one features Mal who, years ago, compiled a list of the mystery genre’s most unsolvable murders only to discover that now someone is committing a series of murders that are eerily similar to those on his list. There’s mentions of famous mystery novels, secrets that Mal has kept from all those around him and a killer watching his every move. Basically it’s another book with a blurb that immediately made me think ‘I want it now!’
Rose Gold spent years of her life believingshe was seriously ill only to find out that actually the only issue was her mother’s ability to lie. After her mother spends five years in prison everybody is surprised when Rose Gold agrees to take her in. But she’s no longer ‘her weak little darling’ and has ‘waited such a long time for her mother to come home’. And now, with that information, I need to know why! I’ve got a feeling that this ones going to be incredibly dark and twisty.
Shay is struggling to find love, stuck in a dead end job and isolated whilst the Moore sisters have an unbreakable circle of friends and live a glamorous life where they can get whatever they desire. So seeing ‘Shay thinks she wants their life. But what they really want is hers‘ on this book’s blurb instantly intrigued me. Why? Why do they want hers? I can’t wait to find out and see how this unfolds.
As I thought the author’s previous thriller was fantastic I immediately knew that I had to read this when I saw it. This ones about a mother who loses her daughter and goes on a search for answers over what really happened. It sounds like it’s got another twisted family dynamic at the center of it all too. So I’m pretty intrigued by this.
When their wealthy grandfather dies Beth, Portia and Eddie are all brought together again for the first time in years to fulfill his final wish and receive their inheritance. This is one family with a lot of secrets though; a missing person, an act of revenge, a man following their car… and then at least one of them is a killer with a body in the trunk. How on earth could I read that and not want to know more?
‘There are two sides to every story: yours and mine, ours and theirs, His & Hers. Which means someone is always lying.‘ Intrigued yet? This story follows Anna, a TV news presenter, and Jack, a detective. Both end up involved in a murder investigation but one knows much more than they’re letting on. Whose telling the truth? And what is truly happening? With two points of view – I’d imagine from that first line that they’re also contradictory of each other at times – this seems like it’ll be an incredibly interesting read. As well as one that’ll keep you guessing.
When a male student’s remains are found in alligator infested waters the university warns students to stay away from the reptiles, then another body is found and the link between the two is undeniable; both belonged to a fraternity with a reputation for preying on women. With every passing day those that know Ellie become increasingly convinced that she’s the vigilante killer responsible. ‘But if she is, stopping her might not be in everyone’s best interest…’ Another fantastically compelling sounding thriller. Plus the book that I’ve read by the author so far was incredibly good and disturbingly dark.
Every Riley Sager book is on my TBR right now and I can’t wait to finally start picking them up. This latest offering is about a woman returning to renovate the house that was made famous by her father’s bestselling horror memoir. The locals aren’t impressed by her father’s book and the house itself is fairly disturbing. Then the strange occurrences detailed in the book begin. Is the house truly haunted or ‘are there more earthbound—and dangerous—secrets hidden within its walls?’ I have a feeling that this one won’t just be incredibly compelling but probably pretty unnerving too.
When she was growing up Beth was invited to stay with Nina and had a wonderful time until she was asked ‘to play a very strange game – and nothing was the same again.’ Now Nina appears in her life once again, needing them to play one final game. What exactly is this ‘game’? I need to know thanks to the blurb and I just… I can’t figure it out. So I’ll definitely be picking this up once it comes out.
This ones blurb mentions three people whose lives are about to collide in a ‘shocking and unimaginable way’. Kate whose daughter comes home terrified after a strange man follows her home and who later learns that someone she knows was violently assaulted nearby. Owen whose lost his job, never had a girlfriend and stumbles into an online world full of lonely men where he meets William; a man in a similar position with a horrifying solution. And Saffyre, a troubled child whose been a patient of Roan (a child psychologist whose also Kate’s husband) for nearly two years; she’s basically dependent on him, and knows things about him that he wouldn’t want anyone, especially his wife,to know. OMG I need to read this. It sounds dark, twisted, disturbing and yet I need answers already. How on earth is this all going to come together?
College life is nothing like Emily expected until the Kingdom finds her. With them she finds acceptance, friends, a potential boyfriend and gets the chance to spend the summer in Italy on a mission trip. But once there everything goes wrong; the passports of those involved are taken along with their money, contact with people back home is cut off and the Kingdom’s practices become increasingly manipulative and dangerous…then someone ends up dead. Yes I need this too! I’m incredibly curious and need to know more. I know this will be dark but it sounds amazing too!!
I need this book! It’s about Mike Parker’s girlfriend showing up at school with a bruise on her face; a bruise she claims Mike gave her. But then why did she stay so long? And why go to the principal rather than the police? Sides are taken with some girls rallying around Mike and others crying out for his expulsion. ‘The only thing that the entire student body can agree on? Someone is lying. And the truth has to come out.’ And I need to know that truth now too! I have a feeling this is going to be one hell of a powerful book.
Although I still need to read them – this year I’ll finally start! – Kasie West writes some absolutely stunning sounding books and this is no exception. It sounds like it could simultaneously be sweet and heart-wrenching as it’s central character Hadley starts learning some truths about herself. And the guy who crashes her swim meet sounds like an interesting puzzle to solve. Who is he? Why is he doing this? And, most importantly, will this be as cute as it sounds? Because, as I always say, I seriously need to start picking up more warm, fuzzy books!
From sweet to harrowing. Seriously I’d be surprised if this one isn’t a hard read but it sounds so, so good. It’s about May who feels lost, alone and angry after the school shooting that killed her twin brother and Zach whose life fell apart when his mother decided to defend the shooter. One night they meet and from there maybe they’ll both ‘figure out that surviving could be an option after all.’
And we’re back to adorable! See I do like the sound of some upbeat reads too! Anyway this one’s about two star swimmers who spend every summer trying to find the ultimate way to prank one another. Their plans are ruined when their antics get their families kicked out of their beloved lake houses. Then Sidney gets a note and everything changes; instead of pranking each other they team up to get revenge on the woman who kicked them out. A growing attraction follows… see cute, potentially funny and romantic!
This is the story of a boy and a girl who went into the woods but only the girl came back. What truly happened that day? The theories are countless. That, in itself, is enough to intrigue me but this book is told from the perspective of everyone except from the girl in question. Her best friend, her sister, her enemy and her ex-boyfriend all have their say. But what’s really the truth? I know that I want to find out.
I’ve heard so many fantastic things about Alice Oseman’s books so this year will definitely be the year that I finally get reading them. This one sounds just as fascinating as the rest and follows Georgia who loves romance but feels loveless herself. She’s never had a relationship or even a crush but after a disastrous summer she starts to discover that maybe she doesn’t like anyone in that way; and maybe it’s okay.
Another wonderfully sweet sounding offering that I can’t wait to get my hands on. It follows Luke who wants nothing to do with fame and hides his gift, secretly hoarding songs in his bedroom at night. He also co-hosts a locally popular podcast with his twin brother and has an un-requited crush on music blogger, Vada. Vada is incredibly ambitious and has everything planned out; nowhere in her plan is Luke and yet his music knowledge makes her dizzy and when she hears him sing about a mystery girl she really wishes it was her. See, cute! And it sounds fascinating too. I get the feeling that this is the sort of contemporary I could happily curl up with and devour swiftly.
It’s another upbeat, warm-hearted sounding novel! And it’s by an author who I’ve heard fantastic things about. This is about Ruthie whose worked at the front desk of a retirement villa for six years and Teddy whose spent his time partying, sleeping in late and tattooing himself whilst bored. When his father sends him to work at the villa Ruthie hatches a plan to get rid of him – offering him up as the latest personal assistant for her two wealthiest and most eccentric residents. Nobody else has lasted a whole week but somehow Teddy succeeds. Then Ruthie finds out his father, a wealthy property developer, is planning to sell the complex, leading her to question everything. To me this whole story just sounds utterly charming and as if it has the potential to be seriously hilarious as well!
Whenever I go in Waterstones lately I see books by Juno Dawson among their most popular YA offerings which has led me to seriously want to check them out soon. This one is said to be ‘a searing exploration of mental health, gender and privilege’ and from the blurb it sounds like a pretty unique take on Alice In Wonderland. The central character’s best friend goes missing and in her hunt for answers Alice finds a mysterious invitation to ‘the party to end all parties’. But once there Alice is alone, miles from home, without her essential medication and unable to trust anyone, not even herself. I’m so intrigued by this one. It sounds like nothing else that I’ve ever read!
Not only have I heard fantastic things about the author’s previous two books but I also adore the sound of them. So fingers crossed that I’ll read all three of them at some point in 2020. This one sounds like it could be the perfect contemporary YA novel for me. Firstly it’s enemies to lovers!! Which I absolutely adore. Secondly it focuses on two rival overachievers who are forced to team up when they learn that a bunch of seniors are out to get them during Howl. They plan to wait until they’re the only two left then destroy one another. It’s set over the course of one day and sounds amazing!
I love reading books by Sara Shepard, they tend to be so scandalous, gossipy and addictive. Once picked up I find them impossible to put down so naturally this is on my TBR. It’s also about influencers and the world of internet stars. It follows four such individuals as one of them is about to get seriously burned. I just know that I’ll love this.
And the last book that I’m listing is another harrowing sounding one. But so, so important too. It’s the story of what happens when a favourite teacher gives out an assignment within which the students are asked to argue for ‘the final solution’ and two of them refuse to participate in the appalling debate. It shows what happens as the student body, parents and larger community are forced to deal with the issue. And I’m sure I heard that it’s based on a true story which is absolutely appalling; how could an assignment like this ever possibly be set?
If I was sure whether or not it’s out in 2020 then The Cousins would also definitely be included in this list because I’m seriously itching to get my hands on a copy of it. As I’ve seen conflicting informatiion concerning it’s release date I’ve left it off this list however.
So those are my most anticipated thrillers and contemporary novels of 2020. Are you looking forward to them? What other thrillers and contemporary novels are you counting down the days to? What genre would you like to read more of in 2020? Please do let me know in the comments section below as I’d love to hear from you.
Please note I’m currently on a semi-hiatus but I’ll be back sometime in January. After doing a lot of blog post planning I needed a bit of a break. But I’ll try to check in with comments a couple of times a week (probably after the first week in January as I would like a total blogging break over Christmas) and try to read other people’s posts fairly regularly so that I don’t totally fall behind.
Hello and welcome to my second ‘most anticipated’ list for 2020 releases. This time it’s all about the prequels and sequels that are coming out this year. I’m behind on most of these series – I need to start most of them sadly – but I didn’t want to put off mentioning sequels this year so I’ve decided to pick a top fifteen regardless in the hopes that I’ll actually get up to date with all of these series by the end of the year.
I loved book one so of course I want to read book two. I can’t wait to find out what happens next and I do adore the excuse to re-read book one soon. I’m also seriously excited for The Tales From The Hinterland book that’s in the works!
Okay I still need to read Crown Of Feathers but I definitely plan to pick it up soon as it sounds amazing. A world ruled by warrior queens, a tangled web of lies, phoenix riders and more!
Yep I still need to start this one too but I adore the sound of this series so, so much. What’s not to love about 1920s New York City when blended with an uncle who has a fascination with the occult and a girl who realizes her supernatural power could help her catch a serial killer? It sounds like a fantastic series and I’m definitely getting it read in 2020.
Yet another that I still need to start. Actually to save repeating myself let me just say that unless I say otherwise the series is still new to me but I’m desperate enough to read it to include the sequels here anyway. This one sounds fascinating too with the ‘otherworldly destruction’ that the children of founding families can cause and the bodies that start appearing in the woods. It sounds creepy and addictive!
A girl who can speak to the Gods, a prince in danger, a boy with a monstrous secret and a centuries long war all instantly made me want to read this. So how haven’t I yet? I will get up to date on this series this year.
Set in a world where bones are the source of all power this sounds like an incredibly interesting world. Plus it contains two potential paths for the central character; paths that she has to simultaneously live after a special set of bones are broken. So basically the first of these is one I need to pick up immediately.
Yay one that I’m up to date with! And it’s one that basically made my brain go ‘new Hunger Games’ non stop! So I am seriously here for this! I can’t wait to see what this prequels like but I have high, high hopes for it.
Ah how have I not started this series yet! The Beautiful is probably my most anticipated book of 2020 so naturally I’m already excited about it’s sequel. Vampires & New Orleans sound like a match made in heaven.
OMG I need this already! A prequel story about Irial in 1890s New Orleans! Yes, yes, yes! Plus let me just say that the start is stunning so I can’t wait to read the whole book. A Wicked Lovely re-read is definitely on the cards for 2020.
Spin The Dawn is another incredible sounding book that I can’t believe I haven’t read yet. Twelve tailors vying for a job amidst backstabbing, lies and a court magician?!? Naturally I need to read this. SOON.
I love the sound of the characters in this – a princess preparing for a loveless marriage, a servant seeking revenge on the prince who betrayed his people, a thief who drifts from town to town and a girl who plays bait for a gruff demon hunter. Plus it contains magic and war so I definitely need to get reading this series before the finale comes out.
I still think this book sounds amazing! The mix of characters is incredible and the history with the seven disappearing prophets sounds fascinating too. Basically why haven’t I picked book one up yet?
I love what I’ve read of Katharine McGee’s other series so why haven’t I started this one yet? I definitely will soon as I imagine it’s going to be a wonderfully addictive, scandal ridden book that I fly through thanks to my inability to put it down. Fingers crossed at least.
I’ve heard such incredible things about Serpent & Dove, plus it’s about a witch whose forced to go undercover as a thief to survive and the witch hunter that she’s pushed into a marriage with. This book sounds dark, addictive and heartbreaking; so basically like it’s made for me.
I’m not sure why but I wasn’t desperate to read The Last Magician at first but now I am. It involves magic, time travel and a mission back in time to 1902 to steal an ancient book containing the secrets of the Order before it can be destroyed. I definitely plan to get the first two read before the finale comes out.
I’m also incredibly interested in reading the Camelot Rising #2 book but I haven’t included it here as it doesn’t yet have a title. The same will hopefully also apply to Kingdom Of Souls #2 as I’m reading that one very soon; possibly even by the time that you’re reading this. And then there’s one final book that I absolutely have to mention and that’s Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly but I’m not including it in this list as I’m not entirely sure whether or not it’s a sequel? As it’s a fairytale retelling once again I’m hoping that it’s linked to Stepsister but I honestly don’t know.
So those are the fifteen sequels and prequels of 2020 that I most want to read. What sequels or prequels are you particularly looking forward to? Let me know in the comments section below (:
Please note I’m currently on a semi-hiatus but I’ll be back sometime in January. After doing a lot of blog post planning I needed a bit of a break. But I’ll try to check in with comments a couple of times a week (probably after the first week in January as I would like a total blogging break over Christmas) and try to read other people’s posts fairly regularly so that I don’t totally fall behind.