Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. This week’s topic is our most anticipated book releases coming in the first half of 2023.
January 10 Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
January 24 Retro by Sophie Lapuente & Jarrod Shusterman
Jan 31 The Ever Storms by Amanda Foody
February 14 The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi
March 7 The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten
March 14 A Long Stretch of Bad Days by Mindy McGinnis
April 18 The Fiance Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. This week’s topic is Most Recent Additions to My Book Collection.
Seasparrow by Kristin Cashore
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers
Children of Ragnarok by Cinda Williams Chima
The Choice by Nora Roberts
A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab
A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab
A Conjuring of Light by V. E. Schwab
I’ve been trying to be good about buying books lately so that’s all I have this week. What are your newest books?
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each week we talk about our top ten with a different topic provided by Jana. This week’s topic is the ten books I’ve most recently acquired.
Thronebreakers by Rebecca Coffindaffer
Devil in the Device by Lora Beth Johnson
Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel
Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare (B&N Special Edition)
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?
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
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. This week’s topic is Most Anticipated Books Releasing In the Second Half of 2022.
July 12 A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers
July 26 The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne
August 23 Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
September 1 The Lords of Night by J.C. Cervantes
September 6 Shades of Rust and Ruin by A.G. Howard
October 11 Ithaca by Claire North
October 11 The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal
October 13 The River of Silver: Tales from the Deavabad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty
November 1 The Vermilion Emporium by Jamie Pacton
November 22 The Choice by Nora Roberts
What books are you looking forward to in the second half of 2022?
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!
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
Hi, lovelies! While I was making my list for my ‘series to marathon’ post, I started to think about what series and sequels I’m excited to read that haven’t been published yet. A few of these just came out, but I’m including them anyway.
The Last Laugh by Mindy McGinnis “Tress Montor murdered Felicity Turnado—but she might not have to live with the guilt for long. With an infected arm held together by duct tape, the panther who clawed her open on the loose, and the whole town on the hunt for the lost homecoming queen, the odds are stacked against Tress. As her mind slides deeper into delirium, Tress is haunted by the growing sound of Felicity’s heartbeat pulsing from the “best friend” charm around her fevered neck. Ribbit Usher has been a punchline his whole life—from his nickname to his latest turn as the unwitting star of a humiliating viral video. In the past he’s willingly played the fool, but now it’s time to fulfill his destiny. That means saving the girl, so that Felicity can take her place at his side and Ribbit can exact revenge on all who have done him wrong—which includes his cousin, Tress. Ribbit is held by a pact he made with his mother long ago, a pact that must be delivered upon in four days. With time ticking down and an enemy she considers a friend lurking in the shadows, Tress’s grip on reality is failing. Can she keep both mind and body together long enough to finally find out what happened to her parents?”
Youngbloods by Scott Westerfeld “Frey has spent her life in a family of deceivers, a stand-in for her sister, manipulated at her father’s command. Free from them at last, she is finding her own voice — and using it to question everything her family stood for. Tally was once the most famous rebel in the world. But for over a decade, she’s kept to the shadows, allowing her myth to grow even as she receded. Now she sees that the revolution she led has not created a stable world. Freedom, she observes, has a way of destroying things. As the world is propelled further into conflict and conspiracy, Frey and Tally join forces to put a check on the people in power, while still trying to understand their own power and where it belongs. With Youngbloods, master storyteller Scott Westerfeld decisively brings back his most iconic character and merges his Impostors and Uglies series into a breathtaking tale of rivalry, rebellion, and repercussion.”
Aru Shah and the Nectar of Immortality by Roshani Chokshi “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 “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.”
The Last Fallen Moon by Graci Kim “For Riley Oh, life as the Godrealm’s last fallen star is not all it’s cracked up to be. Her new divine heritage doesn’t even come with cool magical powers; half of her friends and family (including her parents) can’t remember her; and to top it all off, the entire Gom clan is mad at her for killing the Cave Bear Goddess and stripping away their healing abilities. But when their anger boils over and a group of witches curses Riley’s home, she knows it’s up to her to restore magic back to her clan – even if it means sneaking into the Spiritrealm. Luckily, Riley has some backup. Along with her sister, Hattie, Riley meets Dahl, a heaven-born boy with shockingly white hair and a fondness for toilets who might not be telling the whole truth about who he is. Together they’ll fight vicious monsters, discover dark underwater worlds, and race to save the land of the dead from a fate that no one could have foreseen. And this time, Riley won’t let anything get in her way. Because she can’t shake the feeling that something terrible is coming their way – and the gifted community is going to need all the powers they can get.”
For the Throne by Hannah Whitten “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 “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?”
The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes “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 Shattered City by Lisa Maxwell “Once, Esta believed that she could change the fate of magic. She traveled to the past and stopped the Magician from destroying a mystical book that held the key to freeing her people from the Brink, an energy barrier that traps all Mageus who cross it. But the Book was more than she bargained for. So was the Magician she was tasked to steal it from. Hunted by an ancient evil, Esta and Harte have raced through time and across a continent to track down the powerful artifacts they need to bind the Book’s devastating power. They’ve lost family, betrayed friends, and done what they’d both vowed never to do: fallen in love with the one person who could truly destroy them. Now, with only one artifact left, their search has brought them back to New York, the city where it all began. But nothing in Manhattan is as they left it. Their friends have scattered, their enemies have grown more powerful, and as the deadly Brink beckons, their time is running out. If they can’t find a way to end the threat they’ve created, then the very heart of magic will die—and it will take the world down with it.”
A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow “Zinnia Gray, professional fairy-tale fixer and lapsed Sleeping Beauty is over rescuing snoring princesses. Once you’ve rescued a dozen damsels and burned fifty spindles, once you’ve gotten drunk with twenty good fairies and made out with one too many members of the royal family, you start to wish some of these girls would just get a grip and try solving their own narrative issues. Just when Zinnia’s beginning to think she can’t handle one more princess, she glances into a mirror and sees another face looking back at her: the shockingly gorgeous face of evil, asking for her help. Because there’s more than one person trapped in a story they didn’t choose. Snow White’s Evil Queen has found out how her story ends and she’s desperate for a better ending. She wants Zinnia to help her before it’s too late for everyone. Will Zinnia accept the Queen’s poisonous request, and save them both from the hot iron shoes that wait for them, or will she try another path?”
What series continuations are you looking forward to coming out this year?
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.
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?
Hello, lovelies! March is absolutely blessing us with exciting new book releases. I have a few of these preordered, but I’m hoping to borrow the rest from my library in an attempt to curb my book buying. I don’t know that I’ll manage to read all of these (or any of them, honestly) right away. But I thought it would be fun to share the books coming out in March, and their details, that I’m excited about.
March1st Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey “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?”
March1st Gallant by Victoria Schwab “Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home—to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways. Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from. Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?”
March1st Edgewood by Kristen Ciccarelli “No matter how far she runs, the forest of Edgewood always comes for Emeline Lark. The scent of damp earth curls into her nose when she sings and moss creeps across the stage. It’s as if the woods of her childhood, shrouded in folklore and tall tales, are trying to reclaim her. But Emeline has no patience for silly superstitions. When her grandfather disappears, leaving only a mysterious orb in his wake, the stories Emeline has always scoffed at suddenly seem less foolish. She enters the forest she has spent years trying to escape, only to have Hawthorne Fell, a handsome and brooding tithe collector, try to dissuade her from searching. Refusing to be deterred, Emeline finds herself drawn to the court of the fabled Wood King himself. She makes a deal—her voice for her grandfather’s freedom. Little does she know, she’s stumbled into the middle of a curse much bigger than herself, one that threatens the existence of this eerie world she’s trapped in, along with the devastating boy who feels so familiar. With the help of Hawthorne—an enemy turned reluctant ally who she grows closer to each day—Emeline sets out to not only save her grandfather’s life, but to right past wrongs, and in the process, discover her true voice.”
March8th Lakelore by Anna-Marie McLemore “Everyone who lives near the lake knows the stories about the world underneath it, an ethereal landscape rumored to be half-air, half-water. But Bastián Silvano and Lore Garcia are the only ones who’ve been there. Bastián grew up both above the lake and in the otherworldly space beneath it. Lore’s only seen the world under the lake once, but that one encounter changed their life and their fate. Then the lines between air and water begin to blur. The world under the lake drifts above the surface. If Bastián and Lore don’t want it bringing their secrets to the surface with it, they have to stop it, and to do that, they have to work together. There’s just one problem: Bastián and Lore haven’t spoken in seven years, and working together means trusting each other with the very things they’re trying to hide.”
March8th Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments by T.L. Huchu “Ropa Moyo’s ghostalking practice has tanked, desperate for money to pay bills and look after her family she reluctantly accepts a job to look into the history of a coma patient receiving treatment at the magical private hospital Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments. The patient is a teenage schoolboy called Max Wu, and healers at the hospital are baffled by the illness which has confounded medicine and magic. Ropa’s investigation leads her to the Edinburgh Ordinary School for Boys, one of only the four registered schools for magic in the whole of Scotland (the oldest and only one that remains closed to female students). But the headmaster there is hiding something and as more students succumb Ropa learns that a long-dormant and malevolent entity has once again taken hold in this world. She sets off to track the current host for this spirit and try to stop it before other lives are endangered.”
March15th The Last Laugh by Mindy McGinnis “Tress Montor murdered Felicity Turnado—but she might not have to live with the guilt for long. With an infected arm held together by duct tape, the panther who clawed her open on the loose, and the whole town on the hunt for the lost homecoming queen, the odds are stacked against Tress. As her mind slides deeper into delirium, Tress is haunted by the growing sound of Felicity’s heartbeat pulsing from the “best friend” charm around her fevered neck. Ribbit Usher has been a punchline his whole life—from his nickname to his latest turn as the unwitting star of a humiliating viral video. In the past he’s willingly played the fool, but now it’s time to fulfill his destiny. That means saving the girl, so that Felicity can take her place at his side and Ribbit can exact revenge on all who have done him wrong—which includes his cousin, Tress. Ribbit is held by a pact he made with his mother long ago, a pact that must be delivered upon in four days. With time ticking down and an enemy she considers a friend lurking in the shadows, Tress’s grip on reality is failing. Can she keep both mind and body together long enough to finally find out what happened to her parents?”
March15th The War of Two Queens by Jennifer L. Armentrout “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.”
March15th The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James “In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect–a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion. Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases–a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes. They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?”
March 22nd The Bone Orchard by Sara A. Mueller “Charm is a witch, and she is alone. The last of a line of conquered necromantic workers, now confined within the yard of regrown bone trees at Orchard House, and the secrets of their marrow. Charm is a prisoner, and a survivor. Charm tends the trees and their clattering fruit for the sake of her children, painstakingly grown and regrown with its fruit: Shame, Justice, Desire, Pride, and Pain. Charm is a whore, and a madam. The wealthy and powerful of Borenguard come to her house to buy time with the girls who aren’t real. Except on Tuesdays, which is when the Emperor himself lays claim to his mistress, Charm herself. But now–Charm is also the only person who can keep an empire together, as the Emperor summons her to his deathbed, and charges her with choosing which of his awful, faithless sons will carry on the empire—by discovering which one is responsible for his own murder. If she does this last thing, she will finally have what has been denied her since the fall of Inshil — her freedom. But if she does, she will also be betraying the ghosts past and present that live on within her heart. Charm must choose. Her dead Emperor’s will or the whispers of her own ghosts. Justice for the empire or her own revenge.”
March 22nd Savvy Sheldon Feels Good As Hell by Taj McCoy “Savvy Sheldon spends a lot of time tiptoeing around the cracks in her life: her high-stress and low-thanks job, her clueless boyfriend and the falling-apart kitchen she inherited from her beloved grandma—who taught her how to cook and how to love people by feeding them. But when Savvy’s world starts to crash down around her, she knows it’s time for some renovations. Starting from the outside in, Savvy tackles her crumbling kitchen, her relationship with her body, her work–life balance (or lack thereof) and, last but not least, her love life. The only thing that doesn’t seem to require effort is her ride-or-die squad of friends. But as any home-reno-show junkie can tell you, something always falls apart during renovations. First, Savvy passes out during hot yoga. Then it turns out that the contractor she hires is the same sexy stranger she unintentionally offended by judging based on appearances. Worst of all, Savvy can’t seem to go anywhere without tripping over her ex and his latest “upgrade.” Savvy begins to realize that maybe she should’ve started her renovations the other way around: beginning with how she sees herself before building a love that lasts.”
March29th Until the Last of Me by Sylvain Neuvel “Over 100 generations, Mia’s family has shaped Earth’s history to push humanity to the stars, making brutal, wrenching choices along the way. And now Mia finds herself about to help launch the first people into space. She can’t take them to the stars, not quite yet. But with her adversary almost upon her, and with the future of the planet at stake it’s becoming clearer that obeying the First Rule is no longer an option. For the first time since her line’s first generation, Mia will have to choose to stand her ground, knowing that the overwhelming odds mean that she risks not only her bloodline, but also the future of the human race. A darkly satirical thriller, as seen through the eyes of the women who sacrifice all to make progress possible and the men who are determined to stop them… Always run, never fight. Preserve the knowledge. Survive at all cost. Take them to the stars.”
March29th Four Aunties and a Wedding by Jesse Q. Sutanto “Meddy Chan has been to countless weddings, but she never imagined how her own would turn out. Now the day has arrived, and she can’t wait to marry her college sweetheart, Nathan. Instead of having Ma and the aunts cater to her wedding, Meddy wants them to enjoy the day as guests. As a compromise, they find the perfect wedding vendors: a Chinese-Indonesian family-run company just like theirs. Meddy is hesitant at first, but she hits it off right away with the wedding photographer, Staphanie, who reminds Meddy of herself, down to the unfortunately misspelled name. Meddy realizes that is where their similarities end, however, when she overhears Staphanie talking about taking out a target. Horrified, Meddy can’t believe Staphanie and her family aren’t just like her own, they are The Family–actual mafia, and they’re using Meddy’s wedding as a chance to conduct shady business. Her aunties and mother won’t let Meddy’s wedding ceremony become a murder scene–over their dead bodies–and will do whatever it takes to save her special day, even if it means taking on the mafia.”
What new releases are you looking forward to this month?
Hi, lovelies! I have noticed that some authors that I really love don’t have any additional books announced. For some of them, this is normal as they aren’t on the one book published each year track that so many authors seem to be on. But for others, I’m sad to not have any reading or writing updates from the authors that I really love.
Erin Morgenstern This is totally normal for her from her history. I loved The Starless Sea and I cannot wait to see what absolute magic she shares with the world next.
Heidi Heilig I absolutely loved both of Heilig’s previous series.The finale for her Shadow Players trilogy came out in 2021, so I’m not super surprised that there isn’t new book news from Heilig, but she doesn’t have a super huge presence on social media, so we don’t get many behind the scenes updates.
Lora Beth Johnson I actually just discovered Johnson in January 2022, but I’m already dying to see what she will come up with next because I adored the Goddess in the Machine duology.
Jeff Zentner I know he’s working on writing something from his social media updates, but we don’t know what and there haven’t been any book announcements. Whatever it is, I will read it and love it, for sure.
Maureen Johnson Honestly, I just want more of the Stevie Bell & Truly Devious mysteries and that’s all.
Erin A. Craig We get lots of writing updates from Craig’s social media. I don’t know what it’s about but I already can’t wait to read it.
Emily M. Danforth I read andloved Plain Bad Heroines in 2021. I’d love to see more books like that one from Danforth, but I haven’t seen any announcements.
Becky Chambers In 2022, Chambers is publishing A Prayer for the Crown-Shy which is one of my most anticipated releases of the year because I absolutely loved the first book. But after that, there’s no news of other books, so I’m incredibly curious as to what she’s currently working on.
Andy Weir I’ve loved all three of Weir’s books. He’s an author that doesn’t work by the one book published each year schedule, which is totally fine. But I would love to know what he’s working on coming out with next.
Moira Fowley-Doyle I know that she’s working on something and that she often describes it as ‘monstrous’ when she talks about it on her social media. I am dying for any bits and pieces of news that she shares with us and I cannot wait to see what this newest story is, just from the small pieces she’s shared online.
There you have it, here are 10 authors that haven’t announced their next book that I am absolutely dying to know what they are working on creating next. I love all of these authors and I absolutely want them to take their time to make their stories the best that they can be. But, I would be lying if I said that I didn’t regularly check to see if I’ve missed any news or announcements.
What authors are you waiting on new book announcements from?
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?
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