Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Meant to Read in 2020

 

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly book blog meme now hosted by Jana over at The Artsy Reader Girl!

This week's topic is: Books I Meant to Read in 2020

 

For this week's topic, I'm going to look at my TTT anticipated release lists for the first and second half of the year and see what books from that list I actually read. I don't have high hopes and I have no idea what books were even on those lists at this point, but let's check it out, anyway!

 

 

From my 2020 winter anticipated releases...

So, 7/13 is technically a fail, but you know what, I'm pretty pleased with getting through that many knowing how easily my mood and whim changes. Also, I'm not sure if Master Artificer should count considering its release got pushed back to May 2021 and I just an eARC from NetGalley a couple weeks ago. If you for any reason want a closer look at these and my reasons for reading or not reading them...

• The Obsidian Tower: I was so excited for this and pretty much read the ARC as soon as it showed up at my door. This was a no-brainer. I am forever indebted to Orbit for sending me so many brilliant books.
• The Shadow Saint: Another book from Orbit, plus I was so excited to read this sequel!
• The Golden Key: Honestly? I completely forgot this book existed, and I feel bad about that now. The reviews on Goodreads are very discouraging, though, which almost makes me more intrigued now?
• A Time of Courage: This was a super anticipated finale (and also from Orbit so I got it right away!) and I knew I'd be reading it.
• The Girl and the Stars: This was sent to me from the publisher and I was excited for new Mark Lawrence.
• The Unspoken Name: I also somehow received an ARC of this one and had heard a lot of hype about it!
• A Witch in Time: And once again, thanks, Orbit!
• Lady Hotspur: I still actively want to read this, I just haven't gotten around to it and my library doesn't have it. :(
• Seven Endless Forests: Just didn't get around to it, unfortunately.
• House of Dragons: I think I lost a little bit of interest in this, plus if I recall I think I saw some problems with Jessica Cluess on social media? I don't spend too much time there so I'm not sure the details, but I think I'd definitely look into that before picking this one up.
• A Peculiar Peril: This wasn't necessarily a super high priority book, so I think that's why I didn't get to it.
• Master Artificer: As I mentioned above, this release got pushed back and I didn't even have access to a copy until recently! So ha! I have an actual, legitimate excuse.
• The Devil and the Dark Water: I read this after many weeks on the library waiting list! 
  

 

And from my 2020 fall anticipated releases...

 Wow, this one's, uh, a little embarrassing, to be honest. 3/10 is not great. Let's find out why.

• Rhythm of War: The longest book on this list (1200 pages is no joke, friends) and I finished it at the beginning of this year! It took a while to come in from the library, also.
• The Left-Handed Booksellers of London: Okay, so technically I didn't even read this one and I"m a huge liar. But I did check it out from the library and when I read a few pages I just could not for the life of me focus or get interested in the story, so I opted to put it down. I did check it out, though!
• Piranesi: I've been on my library's waiting list since October and I'm still #22 in line I don't have to take responsibility for this one, right? I'm saying it's out of my hands. And I still have no idea when I'll actually get a chance to read it.
• The Constant Rabbit: I still really want to read this, but my library doesn't have it and I have been trying to save some money, so hopefully I'll someone get a chance soon!
• The Space Between Worlds: I feel bad about this one. I started it, was enjoying it, and then just.. stopped? Not sure what happened, I don't tend to do that much these days.
• The Death of Vivek Oji: My library doesn't have this one, either. 
• Beowulf: I have no excuses, I just haven't gotten to it.

Well, that's that! This is pretty much exactly why I never make TBRs because I'm way too moody of a reader, so at least I'm consistent at something, right? 

 

Have you read any of these books? What books did you mean to read in 2020, but didn't get around to for one reason or anther?

Top Ten Tuesday: TBR Update--Have I Been Reading the Books I've Said I Will?

This week's topic is:  Anniversary Freebie--Update an Old TTT!

It's the tenth anniversary of Top Ten Tuesday, today! Huge thanks and appreciate go out to The Broke and the Bookish who first started and hosted this wonderful weekly post. :)
I've only been participating for the past four years or so, but I've had a really fun time exploring new topics and ideas about aspects of books I might've never considered. Today is a freebie with the overall theme of picking a past TTT post and updating it. There are so many topics that I could pick to update, but I finally decided to go back and look through some old TBR-style posts and see which books I've actually read since posting about them. I've selected four posts with TBR posts to look through and I'm going to put a red 'X' over the covers of the ones I've read. The reason I don't usually make TBRs is because I'm a mood reader and don't tend to stick to them... so we'll see how much that holds true, haha. Fingers crossed this doesn't turn out to be too embarrassing! And do let me know if you've read any of these and what your thoughts are on them!

August 23rd, 2016--Books That Have Been on My Shelf for Far Too Long

Read: In the Night Garden by Catherynne M. Valente, War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Unread: Hyperion by Dan Simmons, The Pelican Fables by Ian Grey, The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma, Codex by Lev Grossman

So, 2/6 isn't exactly promising, but I guess I can at least hold onto the fact that War and Peace was a pretty hefty tome to get through and I'm glad I actually read it (and mostly enjoyed it!). I still want to read all of the ones I haven't!

November 28th, 2017: My Ambitious Winter Reading Plans

Read: Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson, Child Thief by Brom, The Changeling by Victor Lavalle, Bird Box by Josh Malerman, The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie, Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski. 

Unread: This Darkness Mine by Mindy McGinnis, The Two of Swords by K.J. Parker, The Crown Tower by Michael J. Sullivan, Ilium by Dan Simmons, Malice by John Gwynne, The Goblins of Bellwater by Molly Ringle. 

I read 6/12, and I feel pretty good about 50%--honestly, it's a lot more than I expected! Dan Simmons once again goes unread--I'm not sure why I am so hesitant to actually pick up his work, but whenever I consider it I think I start to feel a bit intimidated by them. Maybe one day? Malice is one that I am still hoping to read semi-soon since I already own it, and The Crown Tower and This Darkness Mine are both high up on the list!

March 19th, 2019: Spring TBR

Read: Exhalation by Ted Chiang, The Grace Year by Kim Liggett, The Witch's Kind by Louisa Morgan, A Time of Blood by John Gwynne, Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City by K.J. Parker, The Unbound Empire by Melissa Caruso,  Little Darlings by Melanie Golding, The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley, Inspection by Josh Malerman, Westside by W.M. Akers,

Unread: Seven Blades in Black by Sam Sykes, A Wonderful Stroke of Luck by Ann Beattie, Miranda in Milan by Katharine Duckett, Finder by Suzanne Palmer,  Tangle's Game by Stewart Hotston

I read 10/15, which is even more surprising to me! I really enjoyed just about all of the books from this list that I read, and I'm still really interested in reading the ones I didn't. Miranda in  Milan is probably one I'm most interested in picking up.

December 17th, 2019: (Tentative) Winter TBR

Read: The Ranger of Marzanna by Jon Skovron, Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward, Providence by Max Barry, The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood, The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, The Light of All That Falls by James Islington, Apocrypha by Catherynne M. Valente, The Book of Dreams by Catherynne M. Valente, Deeplight by Frances Hardinge, Above the Treeline by Gregory Manchess

Unread:  A Queen in Hiding by Sarah Kozloff, Apeirogon by Colum McCann, Or What You Will by Jo Walton, The Throne of the Five Winds by S.C. Emmett, In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick, Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

10/16! Technically it's less than the previous post, but I'm not complaining about having more than half of this selection. Above the Timberline is a particularly beautiful book that I highly recommend if you love gorgeous illustrations and a unique and incredible journey. I really liked all the books I read from this one save The Ranger of Marzanna, which I DNF'd.


Have you read any of these books? Do you want to read any? Any you'd recommend that I haven't read yet? Let me know!

Top Ten Tuesday: Summer TBR

This week's topic is:  Summer TBR

I still don't really make TBRs because I'm too much of a TBR, and I especially don't have a summer TBR this year because my reading has been so sporadic lately. Because of this, I'm just going to share the books that I currently have waiting for me to read on NetGalley that I'm slowly but surely working through. I will finish them all! (...eventually?) I've actually finished a fair few already that aren't on this list, but they don't come out until the fall so I won't have reviews up for them anytime very soon, but they will be coming!



The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab: This seems to be one of the most highly anticipated fantasy releases of the fall so I was shocked when I got the email that I was approved for it! I actually got access to it back in March, but I've been trying to wait until it's a little closer to its release to read it--though I might be caving soon!

The Forgotten Kingdom by Signe Pike: This is a sequel to The Lost Queen which I just finally recently got around to reading, so I was excited to be invited to read it!

A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians by H.G. Parry: I'm so behind on reading this one, but I've found myself having a hard time focusing on it because it seems a bit more political/detail-heavy. I'm thinking I might see about getting a copy of this for audio!

Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles: And another one I've been holding onto for a while. I've actually been holding onto it because I'm really excited to see how it is and I wanted to read it closer to release when the hype is stronger so I can be a part of it!




Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashab: I've actually just started this! So far I am really enjoying it, the writing is beautiful.

The Cold Vanish by Jon Billman: I just featured this last week on a Can't Wait Wednesday and then noticed it had the 'read now' options on NetGalley, and since I apparently have no self-control, I grabbed it! Last I checked it was still 'read now,' so if it's one you're interested in you should go check it out!

Universe of Two by Stephen P. Kiernan: This is a fictionalized story of Charlie Fisk, the man who helped build to the atomic bomb. This is a really interesting area of history that I really haven't read too many historical fiction books about, so I'm really curious about it. I think it will be interesting to explore the morals surrounding his work and I'm curious to see how Kiernan handles that aspect.



Dear Child by Romy Hausmann: So the basic setup is this: "A windowless shack in the woods. Lena's life and that of her two children follows the rules set by their captor, the father: Meals, bathroom visits, study time are strictly scheduled and meticulously observed. He protects his family from the dangers lurking in the outside world and makes sure that his children will always have a mother to look after them." This seems like a really well-rated thriller, so when the publisher invited me to view it on NetGalley I was excited to accept! I hope to check it out soon (as I've said for all of these books so far...).

Goldilocks by Laura Lam: This is a sci-fi that I'm really excited for. Unfortunately, I haven't really been in the mood for something like this lately because, you know, anxiety, but I'm really hoping to pick it up in the next month.

Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy: From what I can tell, this is a story set in the future with extreme climate change where a woman embarks on a journey to track and follow the last flock of birds on earth. This sounds like it's going to be both bleak and hopeful, and it also sounds like it has some more complex points to it, so I'm looking forward to jumping in--though I'm hoping it's not too bleak right now, haha.


Have you heard of or read any of these books? What books are on your summer TBR, real or imaginary?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Forgot I Once Added to My TBR

This week's topic is:  Books I Forgot I Once Added to My TBR

This is a fun topic! I decided to use my Goodreads TBR for it since I have hundreds of books on my Goodreads TBR because it's just sort a catch-all for things that sound interesting to me--I've never been one of those people that actively manages their TBR number and it doesn't really bother me to have a huge one (In fact, I think I like it because it means I'll never run out of things to read--as if that was a realistic concern!). For this topic, I feel like I can figure out why I added most books to my Goodreads TBR, so I tried to look through the list for books that I added a long time and that I don't recognize at all! After reading the descriptions for some of these, I still remember nothing about most of them, but I think I need to bump some of them up on my active TBR when my library reopens!

Let me know if you've heard of or read any of these books, because I certainly haven't.

Exiles by J.R. Wagner

This one sounds like it could be majorly hit or miss and the reviews seem similarly mixed about it. I'm curious where I first heard about it!

About:

"Stripped of his powers and banished to The Never, James must save himself before he can save his fellow sorcerers from imminent demise. Prophesied by the greatest of all seers to be the sorcerer who would bring an end to the Epoch Terminus—the destruction of his kind—James grew up developing his powers under the watchful eye of his mentor, Akil Karanis. James's insular world is shattered when he is found guilty of murdering Akil and exiled to The Never, a mysterious and dangerous place reserved for the worst of the worst, a land from which no one returns. Powerless and alone, James quickly learns that the land itself poses a greater threat than its inhabitants. If he is to have any chance of returning to his family, any chance of proving his innocence, any chance of saving his kind, he must survive the dangers and temptations meant to ensnare both body and mind in order to discover what no one else has been able to discover a way home." Goodreads

Killing Adonis by J.M. Donellan

This sounds like a particularly quirky read. I feel like this one would have one of those wittier narrative tones that can also be hit or miss, but I do love the sound of the labyrinthine mansion and the entire "tragicomic tale" situation. This one might be worth checking out!

About:
"LIGHT DUTIES 
LARGE PAY 
NO QUESTIONS ASKED ... OR ANSWERED 

After seeing a curious flyer, Freya takes a job caring for Elijah, the comatose son of the eccentric Vincetti family. She soon discovers that the Vincetti’s labyrinthine mansion hides a wealth of secrets, their corporate rivals have a nasty habit of being extravagantly executed, and Elijah is not the saint they portray him to be. 

As well, Marilyn Monroe keeps showing up, unaware she’s very much deceased. And there’s something very strange about the story that Elijah’s brother Jack is writing … 

Killing Adonis is a tragicomic tale about love, delusion, corporate greed and the hazards of using pineapple cutters while hallucinating." Goodreads 

The Starboard Sea by Amber Dermont

I am definitely interested in this one! This sounds like something that might be right up my alley--though it's been a while since I've read something that sounds like it. 

About:"Set against the backdrop of the 1987 stock market collapse, The Starboard Sea is an examination of the abuses of class privilege, the mutability of sexual desire, the thrill and risk of competitive sailing and the adult cost of teenage recklessness. It is a powerful and compelling novel about a young man navigating the depths of his emotional life, finding his moral center, trying to forgive himself, and accepting the gift of love." Goodreads

Don't Fear the Reaper by Michelle Muto

Reviews for this one look pretty good! It sounds exceptionally dark, which I tend to like, and I think it's self-published, so it might be interesting to check out and support!

About:
"Grief-stricken by the murder of her twin, Keely Morrison is convinced suicide is her ticket to eternal peace and a chance to reunite with her sister. When Keely succeeds in taking her own life, she discovers death isn’t at all what she expected. 

Instead, she’s trapped in a netherworld on Earth and her only hope for reconnecting with her sister and navigating the afterlife is a bounty-hunting reaper and a sardonic, possibly unscrupulous, demon. But when the demon offers Keely her greatest temptation—revenge on her sister’s murderer—she must uncover his motives and determine who she can trust. 

Because, as Keely soon learns, both reaper and demon are keeping secrets and she fears the worst is true—that her every decision will change how, and with whom, she spends eternity." Goodreads

Hikikomori: Adolescence without End by Tamaki Saito, trans. Jeffrey Angles

After reading the synopsis, I think I actually remember this one! I'm still really interested in this concept of Hikikomori and it's definitely one I will need to check out still.

About:
"This is the first English translation of a controversial Japanese best seller that made the public aware of the social problem of hikikomori, or “withdrawal”—a phenomenon estimated by the author to involve as many as one million Japanese adolescents and young adults who have withdrawn from society, retreating to their rooms for months or years and severing almost all ties to the outside world. Saitō Tamaki’s work of popular psychology provoked a national debate about the causes and extent of the condition. 

Since Hikikomori was published in Japan in 1998, the problem of social withdrawal has increasingly been recognized as an international one, and this translation promises to bring much-needed attention to the issue in the English-speaking world. According to the New York Times, “As a hikikomori ages, the odds that he’ll re-enter the world decline. Indeed, some experts predict that most hikikomori who are withdrawn for a year or more may never fully recover. That means that even if they emerge from their rooms, they either won’t get a full-time job or won’t be involved in a long-term relationship. And some will never leave home. In many cases, their parents are now approaching retirement, and once they die, the fate of the shut-ins—whose social and work skills, if they ever existed, will have atrophied—is an open question.” 

Drawing on his own clinical experience with hikikomori patients, Saitō creates a working definition of social withdrawal and explains its development. He argues that hikikomori sufferers manifest a specific, interconnected series of symptoms that do not fit neatly with any single, easily identifiable mental condition, such as depression." Goodreads

A Soldier of the Great War by Mark Helprin

This sounds like some really great historical fiction, I'll be bumping it up the list.

About:
"Alessandro Giuliani, the young son of a prosperous Roman lawyer, enjoys an idyllic life full of privilege: he races horses across the country to the sea, he climbs mountains in the Alps, and, while a student of painting at the ancient university in Bologna, he falls in love. Then the Great War intervenes. Half a century later, in August of 1964, Alessandro, a white-haired professor, tall and proud, meets an illiterate young factory worker on the road. As they walk toward Monte Prato, a village seventy kilometers away, the old man—a soldier and a hero who became a prisoner and then a deserter, wandering in the hell that claimed Europe—tells him how he tragically lost one family and gained another. The boy, envying the richness and drama of Alessandro's experiences, realizes that this magnificent tale is not merely a story: it's a recapitulation of his life, his reckoning with mortality, and above all, a love song for his family." Goodreads

Wytches Vol. 1-6 by Scott Snyder, Jock, Matt Hollingsworth

This sounds incredibly spooky and creepy--I'm in! Plus, I'm always on the look out for new graphic novels to check out, and I'm always down for witches!

About:
"Everything you thought you knew about witches is wrong. They are much darker, and they are much more horrifying. Wytches takes the mythology of witches to a far creepier, bone-chilling place than readers have dared venture before. When the Rooks family moves to the remote town of Litchfield, NH to escape a haunting trauma, they're hopeful about starting over. But something evil is waiting for them in the woods just beyond town. Watching from the trees. Ancient...and hungry." Goodreads

Birdy by Jess Vallance

I feel like this synopsis is fairly vague, so I'm not sure what to expect, but it might still be one I'm interested in?

About:
"Frances Bird has been a loner for so long that she’s given up on ever finding real friendship. But then she’s asked to show a new girl around school, and she begins to think her luck could finally be changing. 

Eccentric, talkative and just a little bit posh, Alberta is not at all how Frances imagined a best friend could be. But the two girls click immediately, and it’s not long before they are inseparable. Frances could not be happier. 

As the weeks go on, Frances finds out more about her new best friend – her past, her secrets, her plans for the future – and she starts to examine their friendship more closely. Is it, perhaps, just too good to be true?" Goodreads

Nerve by Jeanne Ryan

I like the general concept of this one, though reviews don't seem overly positive. Still, if my library had it I'd take a look.

About:
"ARE YOU PLAYING THE GAME OR IS THE GAME PLAYING YOU? 

Vee doesn't know if she has the guts to play NERVE, an anonymous online game of dares. But whoever's behind the game knows exactly what she wants, enticing her with lustworthy prizes and a sizzling-hot partner. With Ian on her team, it's easy to agree to another dare. And another. And another. At first it's thrilling as the Watchers cheer them on to more dangerous challenges. But suddenly the game turns deadly. Will Vee and Ian risk their lives for the Grand Prize dare, or will they lose NERVE?" Goodreads

Marrow by Tarryn Fisher

A cursed hosue called Bone? That's pretty much all I need to know. Although this hunting down evil people is also pretty interesting....

About:
"In the Bone there is a house.

In the house there is a girl. 

In the girl there is a darkness. 

Margo is not like other girls. She lives in a derelict neighborhood called the Bone, in a cursed house, with her cursed mother, who hasn’t spoken to her in over two years. She lives her days feeling invisible. It’s not until she develops a friendship with her wheelchair-bound neighbor, Judah Grant, that things begin to change. When neighborhood girl, seven-year-old Neveah Anthony, goes missing, Judah sets out to help Margo uncover what happened to her. 

What Margo finds changes her, and with a new perspective on life, she’s determined to find evil and punish it–targeting rapists and child molesters, one by one. 

But hunting evil is dangerous, and Margo risks losing everything, including her own soul." Goodreads

Have you read any of these books? What are some books you added to your TBR and forgot about?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My (Tentative) Fall TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly book blog meme now hosted by Jana over at The Artsy Reader Girl!

This week's topic is: Books On My Fall 2019 TBR

I'm not someone that really makes active TBR lists because I'm far too much of a mood reader to ever follow a list of what to read. That being said, there are certainly some books that I'd really like to get to this fall, so I'm going to share those! Some of these are upcoming books that I have ARCs for and some are backlist titles that I need to catch up on or continue a series with. All of these books, however, are ones that I have in my possession either digitally or physically and that's why I'm prioritizing them to read this fall!

The Deep by Alma Katsu

NetGalley approved me for this ARC a couple weeks ago and I've been saving it for an October read--I can't wait to dive in!

"Someone, or something, is haunting the Titanic. 

This is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have plagued the passengers of the ship from the moment they set sail: mysterious disappearances, sudden deaths. Now suspended in an eerie, unsettling twilight zone during the four days of the liner's illustrious maiden voyage, a number of the passengers - including millionaires Madeleine Astor and Benjamin Guggenheim, the maid Annie Hebbley and Mark Fletcher - are convinced that something sinister is going on . . . And then, as the world knows, disaster strikes. 

Years later and the world is at war. And a survivor of that fateful night, Annie, is working as a nurse on the sixth voyage of the Titanic's sister ship, the Britannic, now refitted as a hospital ship. Plagued by the demons of her doomed first and near fatal journey across the Atlantic, Annie comes across an unconscious soldier she recognises while doing her rounds. It is the young man Mark. And she is convinced that he did not - could not - have survived the sinking of the Titanic . . ." Goodreads

A Fortress of Grey Ice by J.V. Jones

I've been meaning to jump into this sequel for far too long, so I'm challenging myself to actually do it this fall. Fingers crossed I get to it!

"Built on the backs of those who fell before it, Julius Caesar's imperial dynasty is only as strong as the next person who seeks to control it. In the Roman Empire no one is safe from the sting of betrayal: man, woman or child.

With impeccable research and captivating prose, The Confessions of Young Nero is the story of a boy's ruthless ascension to the throne. Detailing his journey from innocent youth to infamous ruler, it is an epic tale of the lengths to which man will go in the ultimate quest for power and survival." Goodreads 

The Poison Thread by Laura Purcell

I really enjoyed Purcell's spooky The Silent Companions a couple years back and I'm really intrigued to check out this one from her as well! Fall seems like the perfect time for it.

"Dorothea Truelove is young, wealthy, and beautiful. Ruth Butterham is young, poor, and awaiting trial for murder. 

When Dorothea's charitable work brings her to Oakgate Prison, she is delighted by the chance to explore her fascination with phrenology and test her hypothesis that the shape of a person's skull can cast a light on their darkest crimes. But when she meets one of the prisoners, the teenaged seamstress Ruth, she is faced with another strange idea: that it is possible to kill with a needle and thread--because Ruth attributes her crimes to a supernatural power inherent in her stitches. 

The story Ruth has to tell of her deadly creations--of bitterness and betrayal, of death and dresses--will shake Dorothea's belief in rationality, and the power of redemption. Can Ruth be trusted? Is she mad, or a murderer? The Poison Thread is a spine-tingling, sinister read about the evil that lurks behind the facade of innocence." Goodreads

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I am so overdue on reading this, but I decided I wanted to wait and read it near the end of the year (November/December) because it feels like that sort of cozy magical atmosphere that I love to read during those months. I cannot wait! Although I'll admit I'm slightly nervous since my expectations are so high.

"The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. 

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. 

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead." Goodreads

The Rosewater Redemption by Tade Thompson

"Life in the newly independent city-state of Rosewater isn't everything its citizens were expecting. T

he Mayor finds that debts incurred during the insurrection are coming back to haunt him. Nigeria isn't willing to let Rosewater go without a fight. And the city's alien inhabitants are threatening mass murder for their own sinister ends... 

Operating across spacetime, the xenosphere, and international borders, it is up to a small group of hackers and criminals to prevent the extra-terrestrial advance. The fugitive known as Bicycle Girl, Kaaro, and his former handler Femi may be humanity's last line of defense." Goodreads

The Dragon Reborn (The Wheel of Time #3) by Robert Jordan

I sort of got distracted from when I started this series a few years back, but I'm back on track and I want to continue so I'm going to try to get to this before the year is over!

"The Dragon Reborn—the leader long prophesied who will save the world, but in the saving destroy it; the savior who will run mad and kill all those dearest to him—is on the run from his destiny. 

Able to touch the One Power, but unable to control it, and with no one to teach him how—for no man has done it in three thousand years—Rand al'Thor knows only that he must face the Dark One. But how? 

Winter has stopped the war—almost—yet men are dying, calling out for the Dragon. But where is he? 

Perrin Aybara is in pursuit with Moiraine Sedai, her Warder Lan, and Loial the Ogier. Bedeviled by dreams, Perrin is grappling with another deadly problem—how is he to escape the loss of his own humanity? 

Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve are approaching Tar Valon, where Mat will be healed—if he lives until they arrive. But who will tell the Amyrlin their news—that the Black Ajah, long thought only a hideous rumor, is all too real? They cannot know that in Tar Valon far worse awaits..." Goodreads

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

I love Twelve Dancing Princesses retellings so I am beyond thrilled to see if I love this one as much as I'm hoping I will.

"Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls' lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods. 

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn't sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with? 

When Annaleigh's involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it's a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next." Goodreads

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

I won a copy of this book a while back and I've been saving it to read in December since it also takes place around that time! I know, it's a little much, but it just feels right!

"All of them are friends. One of them is a killer. 

During the languid days of the Christmas break, a group of thirtysomething friends from Oxford meet to welcome in the New Year together, a tradition they began as students ten years ago. For this vacation, they’ve chosen an idyllic and isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands—the perfect place to get away and unwind by themselves. 

They arrive on December 30th, just before a historic blizzard seals the lodge off from the outside world. 

Two days later, on New Year’s Day, one of them is dead. 

The trip began innocently enough: admiring the stunning if foreboding scenery, champagne in front of a crackling fire, and reminiscences about the past. But after a decade, the weight of secret resentments has grown too heavy for the group’s tenuous nostalgia to bear. Amid the boisterous revelry of New Year’s Eve, the cord holding them together snaps. 

Now one of them is dead . . . and another of them did it. 

Keep your friends close, the old adage goes. But just how close is too close?" Goodreads

Pride of Eden by Taylor Brown

I feel like this could either be really good or really weird and I don't know anything else about it, so we'll see!

"Vietnam veteran, retired racehorse jockey, and keeper of secrets, Anse Caulfield rescues exotic big cats, elephants, and other creatures for Little Eden, a wildlife sanctuary near the abandoned ruins of a failed development on the Georgia coast. But when Anse’s prized lion escapes and is killed, he becomes obsessed with replacing her—even if the means of rescue aren’t exactly legal. 

Anse is joined by Malaya, a former soldier herself, who after discharge hunted poachers decimating an elephant refuge in Africa; Lope, whose training in falconry taught him to pilot surveillance drones; and Tyler, a veterinarian who has found a place in Anse’s obsessive world. 

From an ancient crocodile scarred by forced combat with other animals, a panther caged in a yard, a rare tiger destined to be harvested for its glands, a lion kept as a tourist attraction at a gas station, to a pack of wolves being raised on a remote private island off the coast, Anse and his team battle an underworld of smugglers, gamblers, breeders, trophy hunters, and others who exploit exotic game." Goodreads

Islandia by Austin Tappan Wright

Every year I choose to tackle one big 1000+ page tome that I've been wanting to read and this year it's Islandia! I honestly don't know much about this book other than the synopsis, but I'm so intrigued by it. I plan to read this over the next few months and finish in December!
"Balam is a sleepy town on the eastern coast of Atlua, surrounded by forest and sea. It’s a village where nothing happens and everybody knows each other. But now, people are dying. 

"Austin Tappan Wright left the world a wholly unsuspected legacy. After he died in a tragic accident, among this distinguished legal scholar's papers were found thousands of pages devoted to a staggering feat of literary creation—a detailed history of an imagined country complete with geography, genealogy, literature, language and culture. As detailed as J.R.R. Tolkien's middle-earth novels, Islandia has similarly become a classic touchstone for those concerned with the creation of imaginary world.

Islandia occupies the southern portion of the Karain Continent, which lies in the Southern Hemisphere. Its civilization is an ancient one, protected from outside intervention by a natural fortress of towering mountains. To this isolated country - this alien, compelling and totally fascinating world - comes John Lang, the American consul. As the reader lives with Lang in Islandia, as he comes to know this magnetic land, its unique people, its strange customs, he may find himself experiencing a feeling of envy, a wish that he, like Lang, be permitted, at the book's end, to return once more and spend the rest of his days in Islandia." Goodreads

Have you read any of these books? What books are on your fall TBR?

Currently Reading + A Few Books I Plan to Read

I thought it might be nice to take some time to talk about some books I'm currently reading and those that I'm planning to pick up within the next few weeks. Of course, this only a small, tentative sample of books I know I'm going to be reading, but since I'm such a mood reader I'm sure many other unexpected and forgotten books will be thrown in there somewhere. :)

Currently Reading:
   

Vox by Christina Dalcher

This is a pretty weird dystopian-type novel with the basic premise that woman are only allowed to speak one hundred words a day. There's obviously more to it, but that's the main feature. It's definitely interesting and I am enjoying it, but I also have some issues with it. Regardless, I think it's a great discussion starter. I should probably finish this one today, though, as it's a fairly short book. 

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

We Ride the Storm by Devin Madson

This is a self-published review request and I am absolutely loving it. This is some grimdark fantasy that lives up to the name, but has me completely hooked so far. I'm almost halfway through this one and am dying to see where the story goes.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

Ongoing:

Jerusalem by Alan Moore

I'm reading this one from June-August and I just passed the halfway mark the other day! I am really impressed by how much I'm actually enjoying most of this book? I expected it to be much more difficult to read, but it's surprisingly accessible and fairly interesting (though definitely rambling!)

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey

This one is a re-read that I'm doing along r/fantasy for a read-a-long. I already love this book so re-reading it is just making me appreciate it that much more!

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

Peace and Turmoil by Elliot Brooks
I'm in the middle of beta reading for this book right and am really enjoying it! The author is Elliot Brooks and she is incredible--you should definitely check her out on Booktube (and keep an eye out for when her book comes out in 2019!)

To be Read:

      

The Tower of Living and Dying by Anna Smith Spark

This came in the mail last week and I'm beyond excited! I loved The Court of Broken Knives and can't wait to experience Anna Smith Spark's beautiful prose once again.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

ODY-C, Vol. 1: Off to Far Ithaca by Matt Fraction, Christian Ward

This is a graphic novel that is apparently a gender-flipped Odyssey retelling set in space. I've heard it's super weird and not for everyone, but I must read all things Odyssey-inspired and this looks insane (in the best way!) and I can't wait to read it.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

City of Kings Rob J. Hayes

This is another self-published review request that I'm really looking forward to reading! I've heard pretty much nothing but great things about Rob J. Hayes also, so that makes me even more excited.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

Melokai by Rosalyn Kelly

This is yet another self-published review request (and there are still more! I just can't say to no how good all of these sound) that I am thrilled to start. It was pitched to me as "a Game of Thrones meets Kushiel’s Dart set in a ruthless land ruled by women." Uh, yes!?

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

Blood of the Gods by David Mealing

I'm just really excited to finally continue this series that I have somehow still seen practically no one talking about. If you've read Soul of the Wold, let me know!

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

Munmun by Jesse Andrews

I've had this checked out from the library for far too long and I keep renewing and I'm starting to run out of renews, so, uh, I guess I should maybe actually read it? I'm fabulous at procrastinating when it comes to library books (even when I'm excited to read them!).

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

I didn't expect this one to come in from my library so soon since I was super low on a long waitlist, but somehow it came in over the weekend and now I only have another week-and-a-half to read it. I guess I'm picking this one up next!

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

Have you read any of these books? What books are you planning to read soon?

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