2018 Releases on My Radar (and that might not be on yours)

January tis the month to post about upcoming book releases! I have seen quite a few posts highlighting books that will be released in 2018, but I haven't seen a lot of the books that have caught my eye on many lists. I thought I would share some of the books on my 2018 watch-list that may not be on yours. Book titles lead to Goodreads of course!

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson 
Release Date: January 16th

This is a mystery that flips back and forth in time that takes place at a boarding school. I love Johnson's humor and thought the first two books in her Shades of London mystery series were hilarious and so well-done, so I think this one will be a really great read. It looks as if this will be the first book in a trilogy.  

The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson

Release Date: February 6th 

I loved the writing and magical realism of Hutchinson's We Are the Ants which I read in 2016, so I'm really looking forward to this release. This one also sounds like it will have some magical realism as the main character, a girl-who-likes-girls, is able to perform miracles, including healing her crush from a gunshot wound as her mysterious shooter disappears into the clouds. 

Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartmen

Release Date: February 27th 

This one is set in Medieval times and is about a rebellious girl who avoids being sent to a nunnery by her parents by running away and disguising herself as a boy. Oh, yeah, and there's dragons. 

Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough 

Release Date: March 6th 

Books about art and artists always catch my eye and this one sounds really interesting as it centers around an Italian teenage female artist in the early 1600s. It's written in verse, and centers around a young woman's struggle to make a name for herself in a world that doesn't approve of her lifestyle. 

The Price Guide to the Occult by Leslye Walton

Release Date: March 13th 

This one deals with family curses, witches, and love. I haven't read Walton's first novel, but I've heard lots of great things about the lyrical writing and the magical realism elements. 

Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson

Release Date: May 8th 

This one has a super unique premise! Mila tries to solve the mystery of her best friend and the school's mean girls' deaths by bringing them back from the dead. I love the vibes of this cover, and the premise sounds like it has a lot of potential! 

Scream All Night by Derek Milman

Release Date: July 24th

I have to rely on Goodreads for this one because its another one with a unique premise. 

Dario Heyward knows one thing: He’s never going back to Moldavia Studios, the iconic castle that served as the set, studio, and home to the cast and crew of dozens of cult classic B-horror movies. It’s been three years since Dario’s even seen the place, after getting legally emancipated from his father, the infamous director of Moldavia’s creature features.

But then Dario’s brother invites him home to a mysterious ceremony involving his father and a tribute to his first film—The Curse of the Mummy’s Tongue. Dario swears his homecoming will be a one-time visit. A way for him to get closure on his past—and reunite with Hayley, his first love and costar of Zombie Children of the Harvest Sun, a production fraught with real-life tragedy—and say good-bye for good. But the unthinkable happens—Dario gets sucked back into the twisted world of Moldavia and the horrors, both real and imagined, he’s left there.

With only months to rescue the sinking studio and everyone who has built their lives there, Dario must confront the demons of his past—and the uncertainties of his future. But can he escape the place that’s haunted him his whole life?

The Truth Lies Here by Lindsey Klingele 

Release Date: August 21st

This one has lots of great elements. It takes place in my home state, it's a mystery with paranormal elements, and a conspiracy theory obsessed father who goes missing. 

The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke 

Release Date: October 2nd 

There's not a lot of information about this one out yet besides that it's a gender-bent Beowulf, which you can sign me up for. 

Blanca and Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore 

Release Date: October 9th 

Goodreads: A magical realist Snow-White & Rose-Red meets Swan Lake, in which two sisters become rivals in a game that will turn the losing girl into a swan.  I enjoyed McLemore's first novel. Her writing was super lyrical and the magical realism was super interesting, and I'm hoping this one will be similar.  

Pulp by Robin Talley

Release Date: 2018

Goodreads: About a closeted teen in the 1950s finding a way to express herself by writing a lesbian pulp novel and a contemporary out-and-proud lesbian who discovers the book years later and becomes fascinated by its pseudonymous author.

Girls on the Verge by Sharron Briggs Walker

Release Date: 2018 

Goodreads: When 17-year-old Camille discovers she can't obtain an abortion anywhere near her small hometown, she sets off for a Planned Parenthood clinic in the next state. Accompanied by Annabelle, the one-time star of her high school who has wound up stocking shelves, Camille embarks on a road trip of self-discovery in this coming-of-age story pitched as Going Bovinemeets Thelma and Louise. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Young Adult New Releases I'm Looking Forward To

I haven't done a Top Ten Tuesday in quite a while, but I'm back today with some new releases I'm looking forward to! This year has had a lot of great new releases already that I need to catch up on, but here's a look at what's coming up that I'm excited about.

Hosted by: The Broke and the Bookish

Book Titles Link to Goodreads

Juniper Lemon's Happiness Index by Julie Israel  

Release Date: May 30

This YA contemporary sounds fun and poignant. It puts me in mind of Nelson's The Sky is Everywhere, which makes me very interested. 

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon 

Release Date: May 30

I know a lot of people are anticipating this YA contemporary with two Indian-American main characters just as much as I am. 

 Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moira Fowley-Doyle

Release Date: June 1

I enjoyed Fowley-Doyle's debut The Accident Season, and this one seems to have a similar magical-realism atmosphere to it.  

The Gentlemen's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee 

Release Date: June 27

This looks like a really entertaining historical fiction read! The early reviews have been pretty good. 

The Gallery of Unfinished Girls by Lauren Karcz

Release Date: July 25

I'm always interested in books that center around art! 

Little and Lion by Brandy Colbert 

Release Date: August 8

I haven't read very many contemporaries with female LGBTQ characters, so this one is high on my list. 

Wicked Like Wildfire by Lana Popovic  

Release Date: August 15

The first book in a duelology about a family where the women can manipulate beauty. 

Before she Ignites, Jodi Meadows

Release Date: September 12

This fantasy series sounds quite interesting. The main character seems to have OCD and anxiety, and there is dragons. Sounds great to me. 

Odd and True by Cat Winters

Release Date: September 12

I love Cat Winters and need to get caught up on her books before this one comes out. Her books always have a supernatural element that mixes perfectly with a historical fiction setting.

All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater 

Release Date: October 10 

And of course I am looking forward to Stiefvater's newest release. Another author I need to catch up on the back-log of! 

Link me to your post so I can add even more books to my TBR! 

Recently Read: The Hate U Give

Author: Angie Thomas
Genre: Young Adult- Contemporary
Publication Date: 2017
Page Count: 453
Rating: 5/5

Add on Goodreads 

I'm sure you don't need to hear a synopsis of this book since it's been everywhere lately, so I will keep it short. Starr feels like she maintains two versions of herself. The version of herself that goes to a suburban prep school and the version of herself that she is at home in the poor black neighborhood where she lives. One day. Starr is the only witness to the shooting of her best friend by a white police officer, and she must decide if, and how, to use her voice to speak up for her friend and her neighborhood. 

I loved this book, and I'm so glad that everyone else is loving it too. This is one of the only books that I actually thought that the use of slang and pop culture added to the book instead of just being an aspect that will leave the book feeling quickly outdated. Starr talks and thinks like a REAL teenager and I loved that. Of course, I also loved the political themes in the novel and the accurate representation of the current political culture and movements such as Black Lives Matter. I thought the political events and story line were realistic and very well done. I love that teenagers are getting involved in the political culture of today and using their voices through social media, and this story reflected that. 

This book covers many important topics very well including youth activism, police brutality, gang violence, love between different cultures, and the importance of using your voice. Of course this book deals with very serious and harrowing topics, but it also contained large amounts of humor and love. This book never felt too heavy or hopeless, and all of the characters felt real, despite how small of a part they may have played in the story, I couldn't read the second half of this novel fast enough and flew through it. 

This is a book that I would love to use in my classroom in the future, as well as a book I will be buying a copy of to have on my classroom library shelves. I think this book is so important, but also entertaining and heartfelt. It delivers its important message, but it also delivers a message of hope and persistence, which is equally important for the younger generation to receive through art. 

Have you read this? Did it live up to the hype for you? I'm very glad this book exists and is getting the recognition it deserves!  

Library Haul (and what I will be reading next)

I've got a few things out from the library right now, both in physical form and ebook form, so I thought I would share them with you as they will be what I am reading and reviewing next. I've really been loving getting my YA new releases from the library lately, especially contemporaries, as those tend to be really hit-or-miss for me.

The Hate You Give 

by Angie Thomas

Add on Goodreads

This book has been everywhere lately, and rightfully so! I've already read this one and loved it! I'll be reviewing it soon, as well as buying a copy for my classroom! 

This book is inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and follows Starr who witnessed the shooting of her best friend by a police officer. 

The Inexplicable Logic of my Life

by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Add on Goodreads

I'm currently reading this one, so again watch out for a review soon. I didn't even though this book existed until a couple weeks ago, is it just me or is no one talking about it? I read Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe earlier this year and loved it, so I was eager to pick this one up. It's not grabbing me as fast as Ari and Dante did, but I'm only about fifty pages in. 

This novel focuses on a Mexican-American teenager starting his senior year of high school. Sal is the adopted son of a gay dad, and that's really all I know at the moment! This one has a lot of potential and I have high hopes. 

Piper Perish

by Kayla Cagan

Add on Goodreads

I really don't know much about this one expect the main character is an artist. Art is a book buzzword for me, so I decided to place a hold on it. I've been eager for more YA books with art elements ever since Nelson's I'll Give You the Sun.

Piper is in her senior year and dreaming of art school in NYC. But as things start to shift in all parts of her life, will her art be enough to get her through?

Let me know if you've read any of these! 

Recently Read: The Serpent King

Author: Jeff Zentner
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Publication Date: 2016
Page Count: 384
Rating: 4/5

Add on Goodreads

Dill lives in small-town, religious America. His father is a Pentecostal minister of a church that deals in dangerous trusts with God, well he was until he was arrested. Now Dill is feeling stuck in his life and town, trying to make ends meet with his mom and shouldering guilt for his father's actions. The two bright spots in his life are his best friends Travis and Lydia. The three teens battle to both accept and escape their small town as they graduate from high school,

I had heard a lot of good things about this book but didn't really know what it was about when I picked it up so I was pleasantly surprised with the themes that it dealt with. I loved the theme of the small-town struggle and how religion was dealt with in this novel. I haven't read a lot of YA novels that deal with questioning and accepting religion the way this one does. I come from a small rural town myself and know the large part religion plays in the lives of many that live this way. The religion in this novel is intense, bordering on a cult, and it's hold is a vital part of Dill and his character development. I am not religious myself, but I found this element of the novel really fascinating and it felt very authentic.

I loved Travis; he was unashamedly himself at all times, which I admired very much. He is fiercely loyal and adds great contrast to Dill. Lydia, I had some issues with. To me, she almost felt a little too typical teenage-girl-in-a-YA-novel but at times she had moments of growth and development that I appreciated. Dill was a great character, he was real and complicated and deserving of sympathy; he made real and important growth. 

This book did a great job of honestly portraying the struggle that many kids from small towns face when trying to move on to better and bigger things. I really felt for Dill and was happy for the progress he made in this novel; I thought this was a great and unique coming of age novel that dealt with issues beyond the typical YA issues that were still very much real. I'm not the biggest fan of contemporaries, but I really enjoyed this and flew threw it in two days. I would recommend picking this one up if you are a contemporary buff looking for something a little different, or if you aren't a fan of the typical contemporary. I'm very interested to see what Zentner will do in the future. 

Top Ten Tuesday: New Release 2016 (Part 2)

As usual, I'm totally behind in the new release department, so I haven't even read half of the new releases from the first half of the year yet! But, here I am today with ten more 2016 releases that I want to read.
You can see my first list of 2016 releases I want to read here.
Hosted by: The Broke and the Bookish

1. The Muse by Jessie Burton
Release Date: July 16, 2016
I just bought Burton's debut the other day, and I can't wait to get into it. I already know I will love The Miniaturist and will be wanting this one too. Also very interested in the crossing timelines and art world mentioned in the premise!  

2. A World Without You by Beth Revis
Release Date: July 19th
I have yet to read anything by Revis, but all of her books intrigue me! This one is about time travel and superpowers.

3.  A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Release Date: September 6, 2016
The Rules of Civility is one of my all-time favorite books and I have been eagerly waiting for Towels to come out with his second book! Regardless of premise, I was going to be picking this up automatically.

4. Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
Release Date: September 20, 2016
Love the sound of triplet teen queens. Also love that cover.

5. Bright Smoke, Cold Fire by Rosamund Hodge
Release Date: September 27, 2016
I'm a sucker for Romeo and Juliet retellings and I liked Hodge's dark twist on Beauty and the Beast in Cruel Beauty so I think she will do R&J justice.

6.The Good People by Hannah Kent
Release Date:October 2016
The premise of this one sounds so interesting. 1825 Ireland mixed with magical realism in the form of changelings! I haven't read Kent's first novel, but I really want to and this one sounds great too.

7. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Illustrated Edition 
Release Date: October 4, 2016
AHHHHH!!!!!!

8. The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton
Release Date: 2016
Crossing my fingers that this book where women can "manipulate beauty" has some feminist themes!

9. Black Widow: Red Vengeance
Release Date: 2016
I thought book one (Review here) was a lot of fun, so I'm looking forward to book two. I'm all about that female super hero action.

10. Captain Marvel Novel by Shannon and Dale Hale
Release Date: 2016
See! I told you, female super heroes.

What made your list? No way I need more books on my TBR, but we all know that's not going to stop me.

Recently Read: Back Widow: Forever Red

Author: Margartet Stohl
Genre: Young Adult/ Super Hero/ Comic Character
Release Date: 2015
Page Count: 400
Rating: 3.5/5

Add on Goodreads

Natasha Romanoff is one of S.H.I.E.L.D's biggest names and deadliest assets, going by the name of Black Widow. Trained in the art of fighting, survival, and espionage as an orphan child in Russia, Natasha has joined the Avengers in an attempt to protect the world. When she hears word that Ivan the Strange, the man who abused and trained her in the Red Room is still alive and looking for her and another girl she saved from the Red Room years ago, Natasha is forced to attempt to save the girl and the world from the destruction of Ivan the Strange.     

I love Black Widow and have been dying for a Black Widow movie just like the rest of the world. I won't get into the sexism that's very obvious in the Marvel movie franchise, but I thought this book would help to fill the void a little for me, and it did. I thought this book was a lot of fun; it was fast paced and set up exactly like a Marvel movie. The book fit in with the already existing movie timeline, which I thought was a nice touch, and the characters were pretty true to their movie and comic book personalities. 

This is not a novel about Natasha's origin and transition into the Black Widow, which is kind of a bummer, as I would have loved to read that. However, I did enjoy the other two main characters who are teens, Ava and Alex. I also really loved the parts of the novel set in Russia and it really made me want to do more research on Russia and their traditions and legends because I love the dark twist they always have.

I thought Stohl did a really great job of capturing Natasha's personality and hard exterior for the novel. There was lots of action and kicking butt, which made the pace quick and exciting. I'm really excited about the events that took place at the end of the novel to set up the sequel, and I will be picking it up for sure when it comes out. This book wasn't mind-blowing by any means, but it was a lot of fun to read and just what I was in the mood for after seeing Civil War. 

I plan to pick up some Black Widow graphic novels or comics next, so let me know if you have any recommendations. I'm really glad to see the large number of female comic book characters that are getting their own YA novels, as that means someone has finally recognized that there is a willing and excited audience for female superheros.   

Just Added (15)

It's been quite a while since I did a Just Added post so I thought I would catch you guys up on some of the newest additions to my TBR.

Just Added (14)
Just Added (13)

Bohemian Gospel by Dana Chamblee Carpenter 

Summary from Goodreads:

Thirteenth-century Bohemia is a dangerous place for a girl, especially one as odd as Mouse, born with unnatural senses and an uncanny intellect. Some call her a witch. Others call her an angel. Even Mouse doesn’t know who—or what—she is. But she means to find out.

When young King Ottakar shows up at the Abbey wounded by a traitor's arrow, Mouse breaks church law to save him and then agrees to accompany him back to Prague as his personal healer. Caught in the undertow of court politics at the castle, Ottakar and Mouse find themselves drawn to each other as they work to uncover the threat against him and to unravel the mystery of her past. But when Mouse's unusual gifts give rise to a violence and strength that surprise everyone—especially herself—she is forced to ask herself: Will she be prepared for the future that awaits her?

Why I added it: I really enjoy historical fiction and I was drown to the unique setting of this one. I don't read a lot of books that take place that far back in history so it will be a nice change of pace. 

Wicked Like Wildfire by Lana Popovic
Release date: 2017

No Cover Yet!

Summary from Goodreads:
All the women in the Iris and Malina's family are born with a gleam—a unique way of experiencing and manipulating beauty through magic. Seventeen-year-old Iris sees flowers as fractals and turns her kaleidoscope visions into glasswork, her twin sister Malina interprets moods as music, and their cold, distant mother bakes scenery into decadent treats at her confectionery in Old Town Cattaro. But when a mysterious, white-haired woman attacks their mother and leaves her hovering between life and death, the sisters must trace their way back to the ancient curse that haunts their line. To break the curse and save each other, the sisters must untangle a thousand years of lies and come to terms with their own secrets. Pitched as the sensory magic of The Night Circus meets the Eastern European flavors of Uprooted. 

Why I added it: This one sounds really magical and atmospheric. I really enjoyed The Night Circus which it's compared to, so I think I will enjoy this one too. I will be keeping my eye out for this one's cover. 

The Muse by Jessie Burton
Release Date: July 26, 2016

Summary from Goodreads:

From the internationally bestselling author of The Miniaturistcomes a captivating and brilliantly realized story of two young women—a Caribbean immigrant in 1960s London, and a bohemian woman in 1930s Spain—and the powerful mystery that ties them together.

England, 1967. Odelle Bastien is a Caribbean émigré trying to make her way in London. When she starts working at the prestigious Skelton Art Gallery, she discovers a painting rumored to be the work of Isaac Robles, a young artist of immense talent and vision whose mysterious death has confounded the art world for decades. The excitement over the painting is matched by the intrigue around the conflicting stories of its discovery. Drawn into a complex web of secrets and deceptions, Odelle does not know what to believe or who she can trust, including her mesmerizing colleague, Marjorie Quick.

Spain, 1937. Olive Schloss, the daughter of a Viennese Jewish art dealer and English heiress, follows her parents to Arazuelo, a poor, restless village on the southern coast. She grows close to Teresa, a young housekeeper, and her half-brother Isaac Robles, an idealistic and ambitious painter newly returned from the Barcelona salons. A dilettante buoyed by the revolutionary fervor that will soon erupt into civil war, Isaac dreams of being a painter as famous as his countryman, Picasso.

Raised in poverty, these illegitimate children of the local landowner revel in exploiting this wealthy Anglo-Austrian family. Insinuating themselves into the Schloss’s lives, Teresa and Isaac help Olive conceal her artistic talents with devastating consequences that will echo into the decades to come.

Why I added it: I haven't read Burton's first uber popular and praised historical fiction novel yet, but it's on my list too. This one sounds really interesting as well. I tend to enjoy historical fiction novels with two cross-over time periods and I love the sounds of the art world featured in this novel. 

Book Haul!-- Recent Purchases

Hey guys! I haven't been able to keep up with the weekly wrap-up posts lately which is where I usually show you what I have bought lately, so I thought I would do a little haul post. I have picked up various books from various places and I would love to hear your thoughts on them.

  I picked up A Walk in the Woods really cheap at my local Goodwill, and I was excited to see it there. Bill Bryson has been on my list for a long time, and this is the one of his I hear the most about. I'm not sure what to expect for it, but I have been loving nonfiction lately, so I'm excited to give this one a go.

Waters is another author I have been meaning to get to for ages, and I finally found one of her novels at my local used bookstore so I snatched it up! I don't know much about this plot, besides the fact that it is historical fiction with a lesbian couple, but I don't really want to know any more.

I have been waiting for this anthology to come out because it sounds absolutely perfect! It's a compilation of historical fiction short stories with kick-ass female leads. There are some authors I love in here, and some that are new to me but that I have heard lots of great things about; I will be getting to this one ASAP! 

This one I picked up as a birthday treat for myself, I love the Virago Modern Classic Editions but didn't own any. I think i will enjoy this novel, and I really want to get some more in these editions. I can see the beginning of a new obsession starting. 

Another b-day treat; I couldn't resist this cute little penguin edition because I have had my eye on this novel for ages! This will be my first Muriel Sparks and I think I'm going to love her. 

Finally, we have The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West. I have heard some great things about this novella, so I picked it up when I came across it in the used section of my bookstore. 

Have you read any of these? What did you think? What have you bought lately? 

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten 2015 Releases I Didn't Get To (But I Need To)

At no surprise to anyone, I didn't get to all of the 2015 releases that I wanted to read last year. So here's a list that I didn't get to yet, but I still really want to.

Hosted by: The Broke and Bookish

 

1. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

2. The Game of Life and Death by Martha Brockenbrough

3. The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

4. Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein 

5. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

6. Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente

 

7. The Uninvited by Cat Winters

8. Velvet Undercover by Teri Brown

9. Black Widow: Forever Red by Margret Stohl

10. Da Vinci's Tiger by L.M. Elliot