Amanda’s Traveling Library: Preorder Wishlist

Hey, lovelies! I’m absolutely done to do another preorder haul but with the move coming up, I knew I was going to need to wait until after we settled. So, since I can’t preorder anything, obviously all I can think about are the books coming out the rest of the year that I need to I’m buy once we’re in our new house. Since I’ve thought about this extensively, I wanted to share some upcoming releases that I will be preordering as soon as I’m unpacked.

The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publication date: August 30, 2022
“To inherit billions, all Avery Kylie Grambs has to do is survive a few more weeks living in Hawthorne House. The paparazzi are dogging her every step. Financial pressures are building. Danger is a fact of life. And the only thing getting Avery through it all is the Hawthorne brothers. Her life is intertwined with theirs. She knows their secrets, and they know her. But as the clock ticks down to the moment when Avery will become the richest teenager on the planet, trouble arrives in the form of a visitor who needs her help—and whose presence in Hawthorne House could change everything. It soon becomes clear that there is one last puzzle to solve, and Avery and the Hawthorne brothers are drawn into a dangerous game against an unknown and powerful player.
Secrets upon secrets. Riddles upon riddles. In this game, there are hearts and lives at stake—and there is nothing more Hawthorne than winning.”

The Yosemite Six by Tess Sharpe
Publication date: September 27, 2022
“This second action-packed Middle Grade Novel features Maisie Lockwood on all-new adventures along with everyone’s favorite dinosaurs from Jurassic World Dominion—roaring into theaters June 10, 2022!
Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic World Dominion releases in theaters on June 10, 2022, bringing with it all the wonder, adventure, and thrills of one of the most popular and successful franchises in cinema history. This all-new motion picture event sees the return of favorite characters such as Owen Grady, Claire Dearing, Maisie Lockwood, Dr. Ellie Sattler, and Dr. Ian Malcolm as well as all the dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures that fans love, including Blue; Tyrannosaurus rex; and Mosasaurus! This second book in the series tells the all-new adventures of Maisie Lockwood as she navigates a world filled with dinosaurs both ferocious and friendly.”

The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal
Publication date: October 11, 2022
“Tesla Crane, a brilliant inventor and an heiress, is on her honeymoon on an interplanetary space liner, cruising between the Moon and Mars. She’s traveling incognito and is reveling in her anonymity. Then someone is murdered and the festering chowderheads who run security have the audacity to arrest her spouse. Armed with banter, martinis, and her small service dog, Tesla is determined to solve the crime so that the newlyweds can get back to canoodling–
And keep the real killer from striking again.”

Partners in Crime by Alisha Rai
Publication date: October 18, 2022
“Indian Matchmaking meets Date Night in this fun, romantic adventure in which a match-made couple about to be engaged gets caught up in a caper that puts their future—and lives—in danger. At thirty-five, with a stable job as an accountant, Mira Chaudhary wants nothing more than to find a boring man to spend the rest of her life with. Having had enough excitement in her younger days and desperately trying to escape her dysfunctional past, she turns to a matching app specializing in Indian American singles to help her find someone to settle down with.
Enter Naveen Desai. An English professor with an uneventful, normal, and—dare she say it, boring—life, Naveen is perfect. But just when things are going well, Mira receives news that her aunt has died. Suddenly a trip to Las Vegas to settle her aunt’s affairs turns into a mad dash to escape kidnappers, evade art thieves, and consorting with hackers who can decipher just what it was Mira’s aunt was involved with. Mira just hopes that Naveen isn’t chased away by the very same life of “excitement” that she’s been trying to get away from. But maybe, over the course of one wild night, Mira and Naveen will find the love connection that neither expected.”

A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams
Publication date: November 1, 2022
“Country music’s golden boy Colton Wheeler felt the most perfect harmony when he was with Gretchen Winthrop. But for her, it was a love him and leave him situation. A year later, Colton is struggling to push his music forward in a new direction. If it weren’t about to be the most magical time of year and the support of the Bromance Book Club, he’d be wallowing in self-pity. It’s hard for immigration attorney Gretchen not to feel a little Scrooge-ish about the excess of Christmas when her clients are scrambling to afford their rent. So when her estranged, wealthy family reaches out with an offer that will allow her to better serve the community, she’s unable to say no. She just needs to convince Colton to be the new face of her family’s whiskey brand. No big deal…Colton agrees to consider Gretchen’s offer in exchange for three dates before Christmas. With the help of the Bromance Book Club, Colton throws himself into the task of proving to her there’s a spark between them. But Gretchen and Colton will both need to overcome the ghosts of Christmas past to build a future together.”

The World We Make by N.K. Jemisin
Publication date: November 1, 2022
“Every great city has a soul. A human avatar that embodies their city’s heart and wields its magic. New York? She’s got six.
But all is not well in the city that never sleeps. Though Brooklyn, Manny, Bronca, Venezia, Padmini, and Neek have temporarily managed to stop the Woman in White from invading–and destroying the entire universe in the process–the mysterious capital “E” Enemy has more subtle powers at her disposal. A new candidate for mayor wielding the populist rhetoric of gentrification, xenophobia, and “law and order” may have what it takes to change the very nature of New York itself and take it down from the inside. In order to defeat him, and the Enemy who holds his purse strings, the avatars will have to join together with the other Great Cities of the world in order to bring her down for good and protect their world from complete destruction.”

Gleanings by Neal Shusterman
Publication date: November 8, 2022
“There are still countless tales of the Scythedom to tell. Centuries passed between the Thunderhead cradling humanity and Scythe Goddard trying to turn it upside down. For years humans lived in a world without hunger, disease, or death with Scythes as the living instruments of population control.
Neal Shusterman—along with collaborators David Yoon, Jarrod Shusterman, Sofía Lapuente, Michael H. Payne, Michelle Knowlden, and Joelle Shusterman—returns to the world throughout the timeline of the Arc of a Scythe series. Discover secrets and histories of characters you’ve followed for three volumes and meet new heroes, new foes, and some figures in between.
Gleanings shows just how expansive, terrifying, and thrilling the world that began with the Printz Honor–winning Scythe truly is.”

A Light in the Flame by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publication date: November 15, 2022
“The truth about Sera’s plan is out, shattering the fragile trust forged between her and Nyktos. Surrounded by those distrustful of her, all Sera has is her duty. She will do anything to end Kolis, the false King of Gods, and his tyrannical rule of Iliseeum, thus stopping the threat he poses to the mortal realm. Nyktos has a plan, though, and as they work together, the last thing they need is the undeniable, scorching passion that continues to ignite between them. Sera cannot afford to fall for the tortured Primal, not when a life no longer bound to a destiny she never wanted is more attainable than ever. But memories of their shared pleasure and unrivaled desire are a siren’s call impossible to resist. And as Sera begins to realize that she wants to be more than a Consort in name only, the danger surrounding them intensifies. The attacks on the Shadowlands are increasing, and when Kolis summons them to Court, a whole new risk becomes apparent. The Primal power of Life is growing inside her, pushing her closer to the end of her Culling. And without Nyktos’s love—an emotion he’s incapable of feeling—she won’t survive her Ascension. That is if she even makes it to her Ascension and Kolis doesn’t get to her first. Because time is running out. For both her and the realms.”

Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail by Ashley Herring Blake
Publication date: November 22, 2022
“For Astrid Parker, failure is unacceptable. Ever since she broke up with her fiancé a year ago, she’s been focused on her career—her friends might say she’s obsessed, but she’s just driven. When Pru Everwood asks her to be the designer for the Everwood Inn’s renovation that will be broadcasted on a popular home improvement show, Innside America, Astrid knows this is the answer to everything that is wrong with her life. It’ll be the perfect distraction from her failed love life, and her perpetually displeased mother might finally give her nod of approval. However, Astrid never planned on Jordan Everwood, Pru’s granddaughter and lead carpenter for the inn’s renovation, who despises every modern design decision Astrid makes. Jordan is determined to preserve the history of her family’s inn, particularly as the rest of her life is in shambles. When that determination turns into a little light sabotage, ruffling Astrid’s perfect little feathers, the showrunners ask them to play up the tension. But somewhere along the way, their dislike for each other turns into something quite different, and Astrid must decide what success truly means. Is she going to pursue the life that she’s expected to lead, or the one she wants? “

Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca
Publication date: December 6, 2022
“A high-powered attorney from a success-oriented family, Louisa “Lulu” Malone lives to work, and everything seems to be going right, until the day she realizes it’s all wrong. Lulu’s cousin Mitch introduced her to the world of Renaissance Faires, and when she spies one at a time just when she needs an escape, she leaps into the welcoming environment of turkey legs, taverns, and tarot readers. The only drawback? Dex MacLean: a guitarist with a killer smile, the Casanova of the Faire… and her traveling companion for the summer. Dex has never had to work for much in his life, and why should he? Touring with his brothers as The Dueling Kilts is going great, and he always finds a woman at every Faire. But when Lulu proves indifferent to his many plaid charms and a shake-up threatens the fate of the band, Dex must confront something he never has before: his future. Forced to spend days and nights together on the road, Lulu’s interest in the kilted bad boy grows as he shows her a side of himself no one else has seen. The stresses of her old lifestyle fade away as she learns to trust her intuition and follow her heart instead of her head. But when her time on the road is over, will Lulu go with her gut, or are she and Dex destined for separate paths?”

It’s a few books, but I’m trying to be more selective about the books I’m buying. All of these (except for Partners in Crime) are sequels to series’ I already own. Once I find my new local library, I want to visit it more often and try to read most newer releases that way (depending on their selection and whatnot). Do you have any preorders for these final months of the year?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Amanda’s June 2022 Book Haul

Hi, lovelies! I’m sure you’re thinking, “Really, Amanda? A book haul? Aren’t you moving in like a month? Well, yes. Yes, I am. So, most of these I’ve made sure to read right away or they are books I bought and have already read.

New Books I’ve Read

For the Throne by Hannah Whitten
The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle
I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
Nightwork by Nora Roberts

New to my TBR

How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mathers
Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey
The Man Ban by Nicola Marsh
When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting
One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Off the Grid by Tess Sharpe
The Evolution of Claire by Tess Sharpe

Did you buy any books last month?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Amanda’s May 2022 Book Haul

Hey, lovelies. I did a bit of buying, a bit of trading, and had some preorders arrive. My haul for May is going to look large, but I didn’t spend much money, which is the goal.

Books I’ve Read

The Roommate by Rosie Danan
Little Thieves by Margaret Owen
Dark Age by Pierce Brown
Iron Gold by Pierce Brown

New to my TBR

Book Lovers by Emily Henry
When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill
The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas
Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena
Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan
None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney
The Lost World by Michael Crichton
The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

Did you buy any books in May? Let me know what new books you’re excited about!

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Amanda’s April 2022 Book Haul

Hey, lovelies! I went a little overboard last month with book buying. But I had some visitors and we went to the bookstore for the first time since just after Christmas. So, some of these were gifts and some of these were to restock my romance TBR.

New to my TBR List

Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
If You Ask Me by Libby Hubscher
The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper
Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May
The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Genesis Wars by Akemi Dawn Bowman

New Books I’ve Read

Aru Shah and the Nectar of Immortality by Roshani Chokshi
Four Aunties and a Wedding by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Skyward Flight: The Collection by Brandon Sanderson & Janci Patterson
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
The Dating Playbook by Farrah Rochon
The Suite Spot by Trish Doller

Did you buy any new books in April?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Amanda’s March Book Haul

Hi, lovelies! I almost decided not to share this post this month because my book haul is considerably smaller than usual, but I figured that it was an easy post and I could talk a bit about my buying this month.

Morning Star by Pierce Brown
I’ve been slowly collecting the hardcovers of this series since reading the audiobooks from my library and falling in love with the story. So, when I saw Morning Star in a buy/sell/trade facebook group for less than $10, I knew I couldn’t pass it up even though I’m not supposed to be buying.

Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey
This is one of the books that I preordered at the end of last year. I love some of Bailey’s other books, so I’m excited to read this series.

Gallant by Victoria Schwab
I honestly had to treat myself with this one. On Sunday’s, I take my daughter to swimming lessons. But one Sunday last month, we were on our way and got a call that the lesson was canceled. To keep her from totally melting down (swim lessons are the highlight of her week) we went to Target. It was my first outing with both kids and it was a lot. So, I rewarded myself for surviving with the purchase of Gallant.

Tarnished Empire by Danielle L. Jensen
I have no excuses for why I bought this book. I spent entirely too much money on shipping. I actually had changed my mind about buying it, but my phone had already registered my face ID and the purchase had gone through. But this book is absolutely stunning, so I’m not even mad about it.

The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
This was the book I picked for the book box subscription that my MIL gifted me for Christmas. I actually already read this and enjoyed it. It was fun and a little over the top.

Did you buy any books last month?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Amanda’s February 2022 Book Haul

Hey, lovelies! I know, I know, another book haul, Amanda? Really? But, in my defense, I just had a baby and I went full-on ‘treat myself mode’ so don’t judge me. Also, some of these are just books I’ve already talked about in my preorder book haul post, but they arrived in February, so, I’m including them here. And Target got me with their buy 2 get 1 free sale and I just couldn’t help myself.

The Weeping Tide by Amanda Foody

From Lukov With Love by Mariana Zapata

The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas

I didn’t buy too many books, but I did get some new ones. So, I thought I’d share those with you. Did you do any book buying in February?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Amanda’s 2022 Preorder Book Haul

Hey, lovelies! I did this last year a few times, and it was actually super helpful for me to remember which books I’d already preordered (rather than digging through my email). So, I’m here today to share with you the books that I’ve preordered for the first half of 2022.

Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Publication date: January 11, 2022
“Ari Abrams has always been fascinated by the weather, and she loves almost everything about her job as a TV meteorologist. Her boss, legendary Seattle weatherwoman Torrance Hale, is too distracted by her tempestuous relationship with her ex-husband, the station’s news director, to give Ari the mentorship she wants. Ari, who runs on sunshine and optimism, is at her wits’ end. The only person who seems to understand how she feels is sweet but reserved sports reporter Russell Barringer. In the aftermath of a disastrous holiday party, Ari and Russell decide to team up to solve their bosses’ relationship issues. Between secret gifts and double dates, they start nudging their bosses back together. But their well-meaning meddling backfires when the real chemistry builds between Ari and Russell. Working closely with Russell means allowing him to get to know parts of herself that Ari keeps hidden from everyone. Will he be able to embrace her dark clouds as well as her clear skies?”

The Weeping Tide by Amanda Foody
Publication date: February 1st, 2022
“Something is wrong at the Sea. The weeping tide, a carnivorous algae bloom, is eating up all the fish. Beasts are terrorizing the nearby Elsewheres. And Lochmordra, the Legendary Beast, is rising at random and swallowing ships whole. Barclay’s teacher, the famous Guardian Keeper Runa Rasgar, has been summoned to investigate, and as her apprentice, Barclay gets to join too. But Runa’s nemesis has also been called to the Sea, and he’s brought apprentices of his own. When the not-so friendly competition between them grows fierce, it’s Barclay—the only one from the Elsewheres—who can’t seem to keep up. The key to stopping Lochmordra lies in his mythical home, but as the flood of the weeping tide encroaches, time is running out to find it. If the rival groups can’t cast aside old grudges and learn to work together, soon the Sea will be destroyed completely. And all the while Barclay must ask himself: is there truly a place for him in the Wilderlands?”

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas
Publication date: February 15, 2022
“Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar are trying to get back to normal―they may have saved Crescent City, but with so much upheaval in their lives lately, they mostly want a chance to relax. Slow down. Figure out what the future holds. The Asteri have kept their word so far, leaving Bryce and Hunt alone. But with the rebels chipping away at the Asteri’s power, the threat the rulers pose is growing. As Bryce, Hunt, and their friends get pulled into the rebels’ plans, the choice becomes clear: stay silent while others are oppressed, or fight for what’s right. And they’ve never been very good at staying silent. In this sexy, action-packed sequel to the #1 bestseller House of Earth and Blood, Sarah J. Maas weaves a captivating story of a world about to explode―and the people who will do anything to save it.”

Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake
Publication date: February 22, 2022
“Delilah Green swore she would never go back to Bright Falls—nothing is there for her but memories of a lonely childhood where she was little more than a burden to her cold and distant stepfamily. Her life is in New York, with her photography career finally gaining steam and her bed never empty. Sure, it’s a different woman every night, but that’s just fine with her. When Delilah’s estranged stepsister, Astrid, pressures her into photographing her wedding with a guilt trip and a five-figure check, Delilah finds herself back in the godforsaken town that she used to call home. She plans to breeze in and out, but then she sees Claire Sutherland, one of Astrid’s stuck-up besties, and decides that maybe there’s some fun (and a little retribution) to be had in Bright Falls, after all. Having raised her eleven-year-old daughter mostly on her own while dealing with her unreliable ex and running a bookstore, Claire Sutherland depends upon a life without surprises. And Delilah Green is an unwelcome surprise…at first. Though they’ve known each other for years, they don’t really know each other—so Claire is unsettled when Delilah figures out exactly what buttons to push. When they’re forced together during a gauntlet of wedding preparations—including a plot to save Astrid from her horrible fiancé—Claire isn’t sure she has the strength to resist Delilah’s charms. Even worse, she’s starting to think she doesn’t want to…”

Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey
Publication date: March 1, 2022
“King crab fisherman Fox Thornton has a reputation as a sexy, carefree flirt. Everyone knows he’s a guaranteed good time–in bed and out–and that’s exactly how he prefers it. Until he meets Hannah Bellinger. She’s immune to his charm and looks, but she seems to enjoy his… personality? And wants to be friends? Bizarre. But he likes her too much to risk a fling, so platonic pals it is. Now, Hannah’s in town for work, crashing in Fox’s spare bedroom. She knows he’s a notorious ladies’ man, but they’re definitely just friends. In fact, she’s nursing a hopeless crush on a colleague and Fox is just the person to help with her lackluster love life. Armed with a few tips from Westport’s resident Casanova, Hannah sets out to catch her coworker’s eye… yet the more time she spends with Fox, the more she wants him instead. As the line between friendship and flirtation begins to blur, Hannah can’t deny she loves everything about Fox, but she refuses to be another notch on his bedpost. Living with his best friend should have been easy. Except now she’s walking around in a towel, sleeping right across the hall, and Fox is fantasizing about waking up next to her for the rest of his life and… and… man overboard! He’s fallen for her, hook, line, and sinker. Helping her flirt with another guy is pure torture, but maybe if Fox can tackle his inner demons and show Hannah he’s all in, she’ll choose him instead?”

The War of Two Queens by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publication date: March 15, 2022
“From the desperation of golden crowns…Casteel Da’Neer knows all too well that very few are as cunning or vicious as the Blood Queen, but no one, not even him, could’ve prepared for the staggering revelations. The magnitude of what the Blood Queen has done is almost unthinkable.
And born of mortal flesh…Nothing will stop Poppy from freeing her King and destroying everything the Blood Crown stands for. With the strength of the Primal of Life’s guards behind her, and the support of the wolven, Poppy must convince the Atlantian generals to make war her way—because there can be no retreat this time. Not if she has any hope of building a future where both kingdoms can reside in peace.
A great primal power rises…Together, Poppy and Casteel must embrace traditions old and new to safeguard those they hold dear—to protect those who cannot defend themselves. But war is only the beginning. Ancient primal powers have already stirred, revealing the horror of what began eons ago. To end what the Blood Queen has begun, Poppy might have to become what she has been prophesied to be—what she fears the most.
As the Harbinger of Death and Destruction.“

Aru Shah and the Nectar of Immortality by Roshani Chokshi
Publication date: April 5th, 2022
“The Pandavas only have until the next full moon to stop the Sleeper from gaining access to the nectar of immortality, which will grant him infinite power. But how can Aru, Mini, and Brynne hope to defeat him without their celestial weapons? The Sleeper and his army are already plundering the labyrinth, and the sisters can’t even enter. Their quest to get in will have them calling on old friends, meeting new allies, and facing fearsome trials, like…performing in a rock concert? When the moment of confrontation finally arrives, it’s up to Aru to decide who deserves immortality, the devas or the asuras. The most unexpected answer will come from a most unexpected place. More surprises and delights, gods and demons, and laughs and tears await in this immensely satisfying conclusion to the wild ride that began with the lighting of a lamp.”

The Genesis Wars by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Publication date: April 19th, 2022
“It’s been ten months since Nami narrowly escaped the Four Courts and Ophelia’s wrath. Ten months since she was betrayed by someone she once considered a friend. Someone she poured her heart out to. And now her family here in the afterlife are gone, captured, and Nami is utterly alone. On the run, only steps ahead of the AI forces pursuing her, and desperate to free her friends, Nami must take the allies she can find, even if she doesn’t fully trust them. And as she tests the limits of her own power, she must also reckon with the responsibility that entails. Stakes are high as Nami navigates old enemies, unexpected allies, and an ever-changing landscape filled with dangers and twists at every turn. Along the way, she’ll learn powerful truths about who she can trust and the sacrifices that must be made in order to fight for a better, freer world for all.”

Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Publication date: May 3, 2022
“Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby. Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute. If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.”

For the Throne by Hannah Whitten
Publication date: June 7th, 2022
“The First Daughter is for the Throne
The Second Daughter is for the Wolf…
Red and the Wolf have finally contained the threat of the Old Kings but at a steep cost. Red’s beloved sister Neve, the First Daughter is lost in the Shadowlands, an inverted kingdom where the vicious gods of legend have been trapped for centuries and the Old Kings have slowly been gaining control. But Neve has an ally–though it’s one she’d rather never have to speak to again–the rogue king Solmir. Solmir wants to bring an end to the Shadowlands and he believes helping Neve may be the key to its destruction. But to do that, they will both have to journey across a dangerous landscape in order to find a mysterious Heart Tree, and finally to claim the gods’ dark, twisted powers for themselves.”

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers
Publication date: July 12, 2022
“After touring the rural areas of Panga, Sibling Dex (a Tea Monk of some renown) and Mosscap (a robot sent on a quest to determine what humanity really needs) turn their attention to the villages and cities of the little moon they call home. They hope to find the answers they seek, while making new friends, learning new concepts, and experiencing the entropic nature of the universe.
Becky Chambers’s new series continues to ask: in a world where people have what they want, does having more even matter?”

These are all of the books that I’ve preordered for the first half of 2022. I’m sure I’ll end up buying others, but I won’t be preordering to many other than this because I’m moving sometime this year and I’m not sure of all the details for that yet. Have you preordered any books for 2022?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Amanda’s December 2021 Book Haul

Hello, lovelies! I have one final haul from 2021 that I wanted to share. It’s a big of a huge one and I’m a little mad at myself for going as overboard as I did. But, in my defense, some of these books were gifted to me and some were bought with gift cards that were sent to me. Regardless, I bought too much, and now I’m not allowed to buy any more books (aside from some preorders which I plan to do a post about in February) until after I move (later in 2022).

New to my TBR

The Girl and the Goddess: Stories and Poems of Divine Wisdom by Nikita Gil
The Name of all Things by Jenn Lyons
The Memory of Souls by Jenn Lyons
The House of Always by Jenn Lyons
Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
The Sisters Grimm by Menna van Praag
The Messengers by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore
The Stars are Legion by Kameron Hurley
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer
The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz
Goddess in the Machine by Lora Beth Johnson
The Helm of Midnight by Marina Lostetter
Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson
The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey
Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman

Read

In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
This is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone & Amal El-Mohtar (Illumicrate Special Edition)
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Among the Imposters by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Among the Brave by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Among the Enemy by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Among the Free by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout
The Bone Shard Emperor by Andrea Stewart
The Last Fallen Star by Graci Kim
The Accidental Apprentice by Amanda Foody
Fresh by Margot Wood
Dustborn by Erin Bowman
A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins
The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities by Rick Riordan & others

What does your December 2021 book haul look like? Did you get any books as gifts or shop any of the sales?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Blogtober Day Seven: Amanda’s September Book Haul

Hello, lovelies! No huge surprise really, but I bought more books in September. I’m happy with what I bought and how many of them I’ve already read. Some were belated birthday gifts, some were given from others that don’t hoard books like I do, and the rest were absolutely impulse buys.

Books I’ve Read

For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Half Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Deity by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Apollyon by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Last Legacy by Adrienne Young

The Bronzed Beasts by Roshani Chokshi

Books New to my TBR

The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Pahua and the Soul Stealer by Lori M. Lee

You’d Be Home Now by Kathleen Glasgow

The All-Consuming World by Cassandra Khaw

Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer

Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore

I bought a few of these so that I could reread them. And I’m incredibly excited to read the ones new to my TBR. Some of them are on my TBR for October, so hopefully I’ll have them read by the end of the month. Did you buy any new books last month?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Amanda’s Birthday Book Haul!

Hi, lovelies! My birthday was in August and I usually end up with a decent amount of books gifted to me. So, this is also sort of my August book haul, but I didn’t buy any of these because they were all birthday gifts. My lovely best friend, Antonia, bought me quite a few books for my birthday so thank you very much babe!

New Books I’ve Read

Isn’t It Bromantic? by Lyssa Kay Adams

Small Favors by Erin A. Craig

That Weekend by Kara Thomas

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee

New Books for my TBR

Ace of Spades by by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

My Contrary Mary by Jodi Meadows, Brodi Ashton, & Cynthia Hand

The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson

The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen

The Traitor Queen by Danielle L. Jensen

The Push by Ashley Audrain

In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner

How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao

I think I’ve read a good amount of these new books and I have plans to immediately read some of the others. Did you buy any books in August?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Amanda’s July Book Haul

Hello, lovelies! It’s been another month and I have some books to haul! My birthday is August 1st, so I have some early birthday gifts, and I will have some more in my August book haul as I’m visiting family and they usually buy me a few books when I visit. I also have some books that were unhauled by a friend and she gifted them to me (thanks Ari!) and a couple I bought myself! I liked the haul post I did where I sorted them into books I’ve read and haven’t read. So, I’m going to continue that and maybe have a check in later in the year with whether I’ve read more of them or not.

New Books I’ve Read

Seven Devils by Laura Lam & Elizabeth May

Furyborn by Claire Legrande

New Books for my TBR List

Recursion by Blake Crouch

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos

A Memory Called Empire by Arkday Martine

Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine

These are all the books I’m hauling for July! I am unhauling quite a few books this month as well, so I’m not super worried about running out of space or anything. Did you buy any new books this month?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Amanda’s May Book Haul

Hey, lovelies! May was an unreasonably large haul for me, especially considering that I’m still supposed to be on a book buying ban. But! In my defense, much of these books were gifts. My in-laws came to visit, now that we’re all vaccinated, and they really spoiled me while they were here. I also went a bit overboard with buying books I haven’t read yet. I’ve curbed my buying a bit by limiting myself to books I’ve read and loved, but don’t own yet. So, that didn’t really happen this month. I did buy some books I’ve already read, but I bought or was gifted more that I haven’t read. I will link my reviews for those that I’ve read and reviewed. And then my little to no reasonable rational for why I bought the ones I haven’t read. Let’s get into it!

Books I’ve Already Read

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

The Lives of Saints by Leigh Bardugo

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers

Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert

New Books on my Owned TBR

Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron

The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He
This was another preorder because I wanted to support the donations that the author was running with the preorder incentive.

Dial A For Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Thank you to my in-laws for this one. It was an impulse target pick.

Take Me Home Tonight by Morgan Matson
Another gift from my husband’s amazing parents, that I impulsively picked.

Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
My final impulse pick/gift from my in-laws. I’ve heard mixed reviews about this one. But I could say the same about Red Queen and I really liked those books.

I Would Leave Me If I Could: A Collection of Poetry by Halsey
I barely read poetry so I have no excuse for this other than I have a small infatuation with Halsey.

Share Your Icy Crown by Amanda Lovelace
Seriously, why did I buy this? I have four other collections by Lovelace and I’ve read maybe two of them.

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
This one is legitimate because this is my June book club book with my local ladies.

Tools of Engagement by Tessa Bailey
Last month, I bought some of Bailey’s other books and this was the only one I was missing.

Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
I love this series and I’ve been meaning to buy this newest installment since it came out.

Written in my Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon
I didn’t even know this exisisted. I thought I owned all all published books (just the books though, not the novellas) in this series. But now I do, just in time for the release of the final book later this year.

These are the books that I bought or were gifted to me in May. Quite a few of them are on my TBR list for June. So, I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to add many of these to my ‘read’ list pretty quickly. Did you buy any books in May? Are any of these books you’ve read or want to read? Let me know!

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Amanda’s April 2021 Book Haul

Hey, lovelies! It’s been a pretty good month for new releases. I’ve had a good time with catching up on eARC’s from NetGalley and other audiobooks. But I did finally do some book shopping. I’ve been trying to stop myself when I want to buy new books. I did some preordering at the beginning of 2021 and I’ve been trying to focus on getting my owned TBR down (so of course, this means that I only want to reread books). But, I ended up grabbing quite a few books when I made a Target trip for some new clothes. I also planned a trip to the bookstore to buy my next book club, but ended up grabbing some new and backlist books that caught my eye. So, I want to share all the new titles that I bought this month with you.

Aru Shah and the City of Gold by Roshani Chokshi
“Aru Shah and her sisters–including one who also claims to be the Sleeper’s daughter–must find their mentors Hanuman and Urvashi in Lanka, the city of gold, before war breaks out between the devas and asuras. Aru has just made a wish on the tree of wishes, but she can’t remember what it was. She’s pretty sure she didn’t wish for a new sister, one who looks strangely familiar and claims to be the Sleeper’s daughter, like her. Aru also isn’t sure she still wants to fight on behalf of the devas in the war against the Sleeper and his demon army. The gods have been too devious up to now. Case in point: Kubera, ruler of the city of gold, promises to give the Pandavas two powerful weapons, but only if they win his trials. If they lose, they won’t stand a chance against the Sleeper’s troops, which will soon march on Lanka to take over the Otherworld. Aru’s biggest question, though, is why every adult she has loved and trusted so far has failed her. Will she come to peace with what they’ve done before she has to wage the battle of her life?”

Float Plan by Trish Doller
“Since the loss of her fiancé, Anna has been shipwrecked by grief—until a reminder goes off about a trip they were supposed to take together. Impulsively, Anna goes to sea in their sailboat, intending to complete the voyage alone. But after a treacherous night’s sail, she realizes she can’t do it by herself and hires Keane, a professional sailor, to help. Much like Anna, Keane is struggling with a very different future than the one he had planned. As romance rises with the tide, they discover that it’s never too late to chart a new course. In Trish Doller’s unforgettable Float Plan, starting over doesn’t mean letting go of your past, it means making room for your future.”

First Comes Like by Alisha Rai
“Beauty expert and influencer Jia Ahmed has her eye on the prize: conquering the internet today, the entire makeup industry tomorrow, and finally, finally proving herself to her big opinionated family. She has little time for love, and even less time for the men in her private messages—until the day a certain international superstar slides into her DMs, and she falls hard and fast. There’s just one wrinkle: he has no idea who she is. The son of a powerful Bollywood family, soap opera star Dev Dixit is used to drama, but a strange woman who accuses him of wooing her online, well, that’s a new one. As much as he’d like to focus on his Hollywood fresh start, he can’t get Jia out of his head. Especially once he starts to suspect who might have used his famous name to catfish her… When paparazzi blast their private business into the public eye, Dev is happy to engage in some friendly fake dating to calm the gossips and to dazzle her family. But as the whole world swoons over their relationship, Jia can’t help but wonder: Can an online romance-turned-offline-fauxmance ever become love in real life?”

Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez
“Vanessa lives life on her own terms — one day at a time, every day to its fullest. She isn’t willing to waste a moment or miss out on an experience when she has no idea whether she shares the same fatal genetic condition as her mother. Besides, she has way too much to do, traveling the globe and showing her millions of YouTube followers the joy in seizing every moment. But after her half-sister suddenly leaves Vanessa in custody of her infant daughter, she is housebound, on mommy duty for the foreseeable future, and feeling totally out of her element. The last person she expects to show up offering help is the unbelievably hot lawyer who lives next door, Adrian Copeland. After all, she barely knows him. But as they get closer, Vanessa realizes that her carefree ways and his need for a structured plan could never be compatible for the long term. Then again, she should know better than anyone that life’s too short to fear taking the biggest risk of all…”

The Electric Kingdom by David Arnold
“When a deadly Fly Flu sweeps the globe, it leaves a shell of the world that once was. Among the survivors are eighteen-year-old Nico and her dog, on a voyage devised by Nico’s father to find a mythical portal; a young artist named Kit, raised in an old abandoned cinema; and the enigmatic Deliverer, who lives Life after Life in an attempt to put the world back together. As swarms of infected Flies roam the earth, these few survivors navigate the woods of post-apocalyptic New England, meeting others along the way, each on their own quest to find life and love in a world gone dark. The Electric Kingdom is a sweeping exploration of art, storytelling, eternal life, and above all, a testament to the notion that even in an exterminated world, one person might find beauty in another.”

The Serpent’s Curse by Lisa Maxwell
“Evade the serpent. Heed the curse. Rewrite the present. Esta isn’t a stranger to high-stakes heists. She’s a seasoned thief who has no reservations about using her affinity for time to give her an edge, and she’s trained her whole life for one mission: travel back to 1902 New York, steal the ancient Book of Mysteries, and use its power to destroy the Brink and free the Mageus from the Order’s control. But the Book held a danger that no one anticipated—Seshat, an angry goddess was trapped within its pages. Now that terrible power lives within Harte, and if given the chance, Seshat will use Esta to destroy the world and take her revenge. Only Esta and Harte stand in her way. Yet in their search to recover the elemental stones needed to bind Seshat’s power, Esta and Harte have found themselves stranded in time with a continent between them. As Esta fights to get back to Harte, the Order is no longer the only obstacle standing in her way. Saving Harte—and magic itself—will put even Esta’s skills to the test. And all the while, another danger grows, one more terrible than both Seshat and the Order combined…”

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth
“Our story begins in 1902, at The Brookhants School for Girls. Flo and Clara, two impressionable students, are obsessed with each other and with a daring young writer named Mary MacLane, the author of a scandalous bestselling memoir. To show their devotion to Mary, the girls establish their own private club and call it The Plain Bad Heroine Society. They meet in secret in a nearby apple orchard, the setting of their wildest happiness and, ultimately, of their macabre deaths. This is where their bodies are later discovered with a copy of Mary’s book splayed beside them, the victims of a swarm of stinging, angry yellow jackets. Less than five years later, The Brookhants School for Girls closes its doors forever—but not before three more people mysteriously die on the property, each in a most troubling way. Over a century later, the now abandoned and crumbling Brookhants is back in the news when wunderkind writer, Merritt Emmons, publishes a breakout book celebrating the queer, feminist history surrounding the “haunted and cursed” Gilded-Age institution. Her bestselling book inspires a controversial horror film adaptation starring celebrity actor and lesbian it girl Harper Harper playing the ill-fated heroine Flo, opposite B-list actress and former child star Audrey Wells as Clara. But as Brookhants opens its gates once again, and our three modern heroines arrive on set to begin filming, past and present become grimly entangled—or perhaps just grimly exploited—and soon it’s impossible to tell where the curse leaves off and Hollywood begins. A story within a story within a story and featuring black-and-white period illustrations.”

The Infinity Courts by Akemi Dawn Bowman
“Eighteen-year-old Nami Miyamoto is certain her life is just beginning. She has a great family, just graduated high school, and is on her way to a party where her entire class is waiting for her—including, most importantly, the boy she’s been in love with for years. The only problem? She’s murdered before she gets there. When Nami wakes up, she learns she’s in a place called Infinity, where human consciousness goes when physical bodies die. She quickly discovers that Ophelia, a virtual assistant widely used by humans on Earth, has taken over the afterlife and is now posing as a queen, forcing humans into servitude the way she’d been forced to serve in the real world. Even worse, Ophelia is inching closer and closer to accomplishing her grand plans of eradicating human existence once and for all. As Nami works with a team of rebels to bring down Ophelia and save the humans under her imprisonment, she is forced to reckon with her past, her future, and what it is that truly makes us human. From award-winning author Akemi Dawn Bowman comes an incisive, action-packed tale that explores big questions about technology, grief, love, and humanity.”

Axiom’s End by Lindsay Ellis
“Truth is a human right. It’s fall 2007. A well-timed leak has revealed that the US government might have engaged in first contact. Cora Sabino is doing everything she can to avoid the whole mess, since the force driving the controversy is her whistleblower father. Even though Cora hasn’t spoken to him in years, his celebrity has caught the attention of the press, the Internet, the paparazzi, and the government—and with him in hiding, that attention is on her. She neither knows nor cares whether her father’s leaks are a hoax, and wants nothing to do with him—until she learns just how deeply entrenched her family is in the cover-up, and that an extraterrestrial presence has been on Earth for decades. Realizing the extent to which both she and the public have been lied to, she sets out to gather as much information as she can, and finds that the best way for her to uncover the truth is not as a whistleblower, but as an intermediary. The alien presence has been completely uncommunicative until she convinces one of them that she can act as their interpreter, becoming the first and only human vessel of communication. Their otherworldly connection will change everything she thought she knew about being human—and could unleash a force more sinister than she ever imagined.”

Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle
“Maybell Parish has always been a dreamer and a hopeless romantic. But living in her own world has long been preferable to dealing with the disappointments of real life. So when Maybell inherits a charming house in the Smokies from her Great-Aunt Violet, she seizes the opportunity to make a fresh start. Yet when she arrives, it seems her troubles have only just begun. Not only is the house falling apart around her, but she isn’t the only inheritor: she has to share everything with Wesley Koehler, the groundskeeper who’s as grouchy as he is gorgeous—and it turns out he has very different vision for the property’s future. Convincing the taciturn Wesley to stop avoiding her and compromise is a task more formidable than the other dying wishes Great-Aunt Violet left behind. But when Maybell uncovers something unexpectedly sweet beneath Wesley’s scowls, and as the two slowly begin to let their guard down, they might learn that sometimes the smallest steps outside one’s comfort zone can lead to the greatest rewards.”

Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey
“Georgette Castle’s family runs the best home renovation business in town, but she picked balloons instead of blueprints and they haven’t taken her seriously since. Frankly, she’s over it. Georgie loves planning children’s birthday parties and making people laugh, just not at her own expense. She’s determined to fix herself up into a Woman of the World… whatever that means. Phase one: new framework for her business (a website from this decade, perhaps?) Phase two: a gut-reno on her wardrobe (fyi, leggings are pants.) Phase three: updates to her exterior (do people still wax?) Phase four: put herself on the market (and stop crushing on Travis Ford!) Living her best life means facing the truth: Georgie hasn’t been on a date since, well, ever. Nobody’s asking the town clown out for a night of hot sex, that’s for sure. Maybe if people think she’s having a steamy love affair, they’ll acknowledge she’s not just the “little sister” who paints faces for a living. And who better to help demolish that image than the resident sports star and tabloid favorite? Travis Ford was major league baseball’s hottest rookie when an injury ended his career. Now he’s flipping houses to keep busy and trying to forget his glory days. But he can’t even cross the street without someone recapping his greatest hits. Or making a joke about his… bat. And then there’s Georgie, his best friend’s sister, who is not a kid anymore. When she proposes a wild scheme—that they pretend to date, to shock her family and help him land a new job—he agrees. What’s the harm? It’s not like it’s real. But the girl Travis used to tease is now a funny, full-of-life woman and there’s nothing fake about how much he wants her…”

Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey
“Rosie and Dominic Vega are the perfect couple: high school sweethearts, best friends, madly in love. Well, they used to be, anyway. Now, Rosie’s lucky to get a caveman grunt from the ex-soldier every time she walks in the door. Dom is faithful and a great provider, but the man she fell in love with 10 years ago is nowhere to be found. When her girlfriends encourage Rosie to demand more out of life and pursue her dream of opening a restaurant, she decides to demand more out of love, too. Three words: marriage boot camp. Never in a million years did Rosie believe her stoic, too-manly-to emote husband would actually agree to relationship rehab with a weed-smoking hippie. Dom talking about feelings? Sitting on pillows? Communing with nature? Learning love languages? Nope. But to her surprise, he’s all in, and it forces her to admit her own role in their cracked foundation. As they complete one ridiculous – yet surprisingly helpful – assignment after another, their remodeled relationship gets stronger than ever. Except just as they’re getting back on track, Rosie discovers Dom has a secret… and it could demolish everything.”

These are the books that I bought in the month of April. I’ve been trying to combat my book buying addiction by buying books I’ve already read. So, some of these are books that I’ve read rather than just more books for my TBR. Some of these were completely planned and some of these were spontaneous buys while I was browsing. I’m really excited to add all of these to my TBR and to read them, hopefully soon. Did you buy any books this month?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Amanda’s 2021 Preorder Book Haul

Hello, lovelies! I know I’ve said this in some of my earlier posts this year, but I am really trying to get my owned TBR down to a small amount of books. It’s currently at 65 physical books, 25 eBooks, and 10 graphic novels. So, 100 books total. I’m happy with the number of graphic novels (though I recently discovered that I actually like reading graphic novels on my Kindle so I think I can get this number to 0 and still continue reading graphic novels I’m excited about). I’d like to get my eBooks down closer to 10 or even less since most of the eBooks I’ve read lately are ARCs. As for my physical books, I want this number to be closer to 20-25 books. Ideally, I’ll have a TBR that fits on one shelf of my bookshelves. So, with all of this in mind, I’m trying really hard not to buy new books that will get added to my TBR. The one exception to this is buying books I’ve read through my library or as an ARC that I want to buy a copy to add to my collection. I also have allowed myself some preorders because there is no way that I’m going to wait to buy some of the 2021 releases until my TBR is smaller. Since I am hoping to not have any book hauls for most of this year, today I have my preorder haul from January-June. These are not all of the books that I’m excited about this year, but these are the ones that I definitely want to own and I’m pretty sure I’m going to love them.

January 26th, 2021
The Mask Falling by Samantha Shannon
“Dreamwalker Paige Mahoney has eluded death again. Snatched from the jaws of captivity and consigned to a safe house in the Scion Citadel of Paris, she finds herself caught between those factions that seek Scion’s downfall and those who would kill to protect the Rephaim’s puppet empire. The mysterious Domino Program has plans for Paige, but she has ambitions of her own in this new citadel. With Arcturus Mesarthim-her former enemy-at her side, she embarks on an adventure that will lead her from the catacombs of Paris to the glittering hallways of Versailles. Her risks promise high reward: the Parisian underworld could yield the means to escalate her rebellion to outright war. As Scion widens its bounds and the free world trembles in its shadow, Paige must fight her own memories after her ordeal at the hands of Scion. Meanwhile, she strives to understand her bond with Arcturus, which grows stronger by the day. But there are those who know the revolution began with them-and could end with them…”

February 9th, 2021
Game Changer by Neal Shusterman
“All it takes is one hit on the football field, and suddenly Ash’s life doesn’t look quite the way he remembers it. Impossible though it seems, he’s been hit into another dimension—and keeps on bouncing through worlds that are almost-but-not-really his own. The changes start small, but they quickly spiral out of control as Ash slides into universes where he has everything he’s ever wanted, universes where society is stuck in the past…universes where he finds himself looking at life through entirely different eyes. And if he isn’t careful, the world he’s learning to see more clearly could blink out of existence…”

February 16th, 2021
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
“Nesta Archeron has always been prickly-proud, swift to anger, and slow to forgive. And ever since being forced into the Cauldron and becoming High Fae against her will, she’s struggled to find a place for herself within the strange, deadly world she inhabits. Worse, she can’t seem to move past the horrors of the war with Hybern and all she lost in it. The one person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred warrior whose position in Rhysand and Feyre’s Night Court keeps him constantly in Nesta’s orbit. But her temper isn’t the only thing Cassian ignites. The fire between them is undeniable, and only burns hotter as they are forced into close quarters with each other. Meanwhile, the treacherous human queens who returned to the Continent during the last war have forged a dangerous new alliance, threatening the fragile peace that has settled over the realms. And the key to halting them might very well rely on Cassian and Nesta facing their haunting pasts. Against the sweeping backdrop of a world seared by war and plagued with uncertainty, Nesta and Cassian battle monsters from within and without as they search for acceptance-and healing-in each other’s arms.”

March 2nd, 2021
Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare
“Cordelia Carstairs seems to have everything she ever wanted. She’s engaged to marry James Herondale, the boy she has loved since childhood. She has a new life in London with her best friend Lucie Herondale and James’s charming companions, the Merry Thieves. She is about to be reunited with her beloved father. And she bears the sword Cortana, a legendary hero’s blade. But the truth is far grimmer. James and Cordelia’s marriage is a lie, arranged to save Cordelia’s reputation. James is in love with the mysterious Grace Blackthorn whose brother, Jesse, died years ago in a terrible accident. Cortana burns Cordelia’s hand when she touches it, while her father has grown bitter and angry. And a serial murderer is targeting the Shadowhunters of London, killing under cover of darkness, then vanishing without a trace. Together with the Merry Thieves, Cordelia, James, and Lucie must follow the trail of the knife-wielding killer through the city’s most dangerous streets. All the while, each is keeping a shocking secret: Lucie, that she plans to raise Jesse from the dead; Cordelia, that she has sworn a dangerous oath of loyalty to a mysterious power; and James, that he is being drawn further each night into the dark web of his grandfather, the arch-demon Belial. And that he himself may be the killer they seek.”

March 9th, 2021
Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
“Eve Brown is a certified hot mess. No matter how hard she strives to do right, her life always goes horribly wrong—so she’s given up trying. But when her personal brand of chaos ruins an expensive wedding (someone had to liberate those poor doves), her parents draw the line. It’s time for Eve to grow up and prove herself—even though she’s not entirely sure how… Jacob Wayne is in control. Always. The bed and breakfast owner’s on a mission to dominate the hospitality industry—and he expects nothing less than perfection. So when a purple-haired tornado of a woman turns up out of the blue to interview for his open chef position, he tells her the brutal truth: not a chance in hell. Then she hits him with her car—supposedly by accident. Yeah, right. Now his arm is broken, his B&B is understaffed, and the dangerously unpredictable Eve is fluttering around, trying to help. Before long, she’s infiltrated his work, his kitchen—and his spare bedroom. Jacob hates everything about it. Or rather, he should. Sunny, chaotic Eve is his natural-born nemesis, but the longer these two enemies spend in close quarters, the more their animosity turns into something else. Like Eve, the heat between them is impossible to ignore—and it’s melting Jacob’s frosty exterior.”

March 30th, 2021
Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo
“The Demon King. As Fjerda’s massive army prepares to invade, Nikolai Lantsov will summon every bit of his ingenuity and charm—and even the monster within—to win this fight. But a dark threat looms that cannot be defeated by a young king’s gift for the impossible.
The Stormwitch. Zoya Nazyalensky has lost too much to war. She saw her mentor die and her worst enemy resurrected, and she refuses to bury another friend. Now duty demands she embrace her powers to become the weapon her country needs. No matter the cost.
The Queen of Mourning. Deep undercover, Nina Zenik risks discovery and death as she wages war on Fjerda from inside its capital. But her desire for revenge may cost her country its chance at freedom and Nina the chance to heal her grieving heart.
King. General. Spy. Together they must find a way to forge a future in the darkness. Or watch a nation fall.”

April 20th, 2021
The Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer L. Armentrout
“She’s been the victim and the survivor…
Poppy never dreamed she would find the love she’s found with Prince Casteel. She wants to revel in her happiness but first they must free his brother and find hers. It’s a dangerous mission and one with far-reaching consequences neither dreamed of. Because Poppy is the Chosen, the Blessed. The true ruler of Atlantia. She carries the blood of the King of Gods within her. By right the crown and the kingdom are hers.
The enemy and the warrior…
Poppy has only ever wanted to control her own life, not the lives of others, but now she must choose to either forsake her birthright or seize the gilded crown and become the Queen of Flesh and Fire. But as the kingdoms’ dark sins and blood-drenched secrets finally unravel, a long-forgotten power rises to pose a genuine threat. And they will stop at nothing to ensure that the crown never sits upon Poppy’s head.
A lover and heartmate…
But the greatest threat to them and to Atlantia is what awaits in the far west, where the Queen of Blood and Ash has her own plans, ones she has waited hundreds of years to carry out. Poppy and Casteel must consider the impossible—travel to the Lands of the Gods and wake the King himself. And as shocking secrets and the harshest betrayals come to light, and enemies emerge to threaten everything Poppy and Casteel have fought for, they will discover just how far they are willing to go for their people—and each other.
And now she will become Queen…”

June 1st, 2021
Grace and Glory by Jennifer L. Armentrout
“Trinity Marrow has lost the battle and her beloved Protector. Even with both demons and Wardens on her side, Trin may not win the war against the Harbinger. Bringing Lucifer back to the world to fight the Harbinger is probably a really, really bad idea, but they’re out of options—and the world’s ultimate fallen angel is the only being powerful enough to impact the outcome. As Trin and Zayne form a new and more dangerous bond and Lucifer unleashes Hell on earth, the apocalypse looms and the world teeters on the end of forever. Win or lose, one thing is certain—nothing will ever be the same.”

As you can see, most are the next in a series, except one that is by one of my long time favorite authors. I have plans for another haul post, but the next one will be my library holds, I think. My library often shows books that are ‘coming soon’ so I can place a hold on new releases before they come out. So, I think that will be a fun way to share what other new books I am excited to read once they’re released (or books I’m waiting to read that have already been released). Are any of these books on your TBR? What books have you preordered for 2021?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Blogmas Day Sixteen: Black Friday Book Haul

Hellllo, lovelies! I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for those Black Friday sales. There were two sales in particular that I hit up this year: Book Outlet & Barnes and Nobel. Both were impulse purchases. I originally went to Barnes and Nobel to pick up two specific books, a new release and a gift for Antonia. I ended up spending $100 on random books I found and a few books for my daughter. Book Outlet was 100% a middle of the night feeding session shopping spree. It’s always those late night baby feeds when it’s dark and I’m vulnerable that get me to make that Book Outlet order I don’t need. But! Some of the books I got were gifts. So, in this post I’m only going to include the books I bought for myself.

Barnes & Nobel

The Matchmakers List by Sonya Lalli

The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.S. Fletcher

Twisted Twenty-Six by Janet Evanovich

Book Outlet

The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James

The Light Between Worlds by Laura E. Weymouth

The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons

The Test by Sylvain Neuvel

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

I plan to wrap a few of these to put under the Christmas tree from Santa. I’m pretty proud of myself for not going overboard like I did last year. While I did buy these for myself, I also bought books for Antonia, my daughter, and another friend. I’m excited to get these books for Christmas, but I’m more excited about the books I’m gifting for the holiday.

What did you buy for Black Friday? Anything for yourself? Any gifts for your loved ones? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

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