This post is co-written with Dana from DanaSquare as part of the Summer Blogger Promo Tour. Read our last post here!
A lot of amazing books have been released to far in 2018 and there are even more to come. This week, Dana and I are letting you know what our most anticipated releases are for July-December. Be sure to let us know which ones you are putting on your TBR!
A lot of amazing books have been released to far in 2018 and there are even more to come. This week, Dana and I are letting you know what our most anticipated releases are for July-December. Be sure to let us know which ones you are putting on your TBR!
Dana is anticipating...
Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson
I loved the Remnant Chronicles, well except for The Beauty of Darkness which didn’t go in the direction that I wanted, and I cannot wait to read more of her amazing world building. I hope some of the characters from the first series pop up in a cameo!
The Governess Game by Tessa Dare
This year I fell in love with historical romance novels and in particular Tessa Dare’s books. The Duchess Deal was one of my favorite reads of this year. Tessa Dare rights addicting romances that are offset by the sweeping royal setting. Many people are off put by historical romances because they have expectations of them based on books published years ago. However, Tessa Dare’s books are feminist featuring funny, headstrong women who go after what they want.
Sadie by Courtney Summers
At Book Expo, I attended the YA Editors Buzz panel in which the editor of Sadie spoke about and pitched the story. During the panel, the editor was in tears because of how dark and emotional this story is and in that instant I knew I had to read this book. Sadie is about a girl who is trying to solve the mystery of her sister’s death that ends up sending her on a dark path of revenge and is also told from the perspective of the true crime podcast that is telling Sadie’s story after she went missing.
Pride by Ibi Zoboi
As a lover of all things Jane Austen, I am always interested in a retelling of her work but Pride is one that immediately captured my attention because it features an Afro-Latina main character and is set in Brooklyn. The main plot line of Pride and Prejudice as well as the character structures remain similar, but the themes are timely and reflect the conflicts of today.
A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi
I will gladly read anything Tahereh Mafi writes! This book is unlike anything she has published in the past and is the most personal of her books as it is based on her own high school experiences as a muslim break-dancer right after the events of 9/11. Tahereh’s writing is always beautifully lyrical and with this being her first contemporary novel I am beyond excited to read it.
Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson
I loved the Remnant Chronicles, well except for The Beauty of Darkness which didn’t go in the direction that I wanted, and I cannot wait to read more of her amazing world building. I hope some of the characters from the first series pop up in a cameo!
The Governess Game by Tessa Dare
This year I fell in love with historical romance novels and in particular Tessa Dare’s books. The Duchess Deal was one of my favorite reads of this year. Tessa Dare rights addicting romances that are offset by the sweeping royal setting. Many people are off put by historical romances because they have expectations of them based on books published years ago. However, Tessa Dare’s books are feminist featuring funny, headstrong women who go after what they want.
Sadie by Courtney Summers
At Book Expo, I attended the YA Editors Buzz panel in which the editor of Sadie spoke about and pitched the story. During the panel, the editor was in tears because of how dark and emotional this story is and in that instant I knew I had to read this book. Sadie is about a girl who is trying to solve the mystery of her sister’s death that ends up sending her on a dark path of revenge and is also told from the perspective of the true crime podcast that is telling Sadie’s story after she went missing.
Pride by Ibi Zoboi
As a lover of all things Jane Austen, I am always interested in a retelling of her work but Pride is one that immediately captured my attention because it features an Afro-Latina main character and is set in Brooklyn. The main plot line of Pride and Prejudice as well as the character structures remain similar, but the themes are timely and reflect the conflicts of today.
A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi
I will gladly read anything Tahereh Mafi writes! This book is unlike anything she has published in the past and is the most personal of her books as it is based on her own high school experiences as a muslim break-dancer right after the events of 9/11. Tahereh’s writing is always beautifully lyrical and with this being her first contemporary novel I am beyond excited to read it.
Kitty is anticipating…
Hullmetal Girls by Emily Skrutskie
As someone who has recently discovered my love of sci-fi stories, I cannot wait for Hullmetal Girls. The story follows a protagonist who volunteers to become a mechanically enhanced soldier in order to save her ill brother and I was immediately drawn to this book because of the diversity. One of the two POV characters is aromantic and asexual and there are prominent side characters that are trans and pansexual. In addition, both main characters are women of color and the female friendships in this book are supposed to be amazing. This book is coming out in just over a week and I am counting down the days.
Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman
I loved Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman and I think I am going to like Summer Bird Blue even more. This author tackles the topic of identity with such a personal approach that it makes her protagonists so relatable and real. Summer Bird Blue tackles the topic of grief when the protagonist’s sister dies in a car accident and she grapples with the loss of her sister and the loss of music in her life. I’m expecting another amazing story about identity from this book and I’m very excited that it features an asexual main character
Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore
Anna-Marie McLemore’s books have been some of my favorite reads this year and I am hoping that Blanca & Roja quickly joins that list. All of Anna-Marie’s books are beautifully written novels with atmospheric, magical-realism storylines. They are enchanting books on the surface that also contain deeper messages. She always writes amazing latina and queer characters and gives them enchanting romances. I have such high expectations for this author and story and I’m convinced I won’t be disappointed.
Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria
My biggest weakness is ensemble casts of diverse characters and that is exactly what I’m expecting in this book. The characters all sound amazingly unique and interesting and I can’t wait to see them in a story of prophecy and rebellion. This is a standalone fantasy as well which isn’t something we see all the time in young adult books!
Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens edited by Marieke Nijkamp
There has been a big increase in young adult short story anthologies in recent years and I have been loving it. It’s such a fantastic opportunity to showcase diverse voices and #ownvoices stories about all sorts of topics. Unbroken is another wonderful addition showcasing stories about disabled teens by #ownvoices authors. This anthology features mentally ill, autistic, blind, chronically ill, and wheelchair-using protagonists among many others! The stories also range in genre including contemporary, fantasy, and sci-fi so there should be something for everyone.
Hullmetal Girls by Emily Skrutskie
As someone who has recently discovered my love of sci-fi stories, I cannot wait for Hullmetal Girls. The story follows a protagonist who volunteers to become a mechanically enhanced soldier in order to save her ill brother and I was immediately drawn to this book because of the diversity. One of the two POV characters is aromantic and asexual and there are prominent side characters that are trans and pansexual. In addition, both main characters are women of color and the female friendships in this book are supposed to be amazing. This book is coming out in just over a week and I am counting down the days.
Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman
I loved Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman and I think I am going to like Summer Bird Blue even more. This author tackles the topic of identity with such a personal approach that it makes her protagonists so relatable and real. Summer Bird Blue tackles the topic of grief when the protagonist’s sister dies in a car accident and she grapples with the loss of her sister and the loss of music in her life. I’m expecting another amazing story about identity from this book and I’m very excited that it features an asexual main character
Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore
Anna-Marie McLemore’s books have been some of my favorite reads this year and I am hoping that Blanca & Roja quickly joins that list. All of Anna-Marie’s books are beautifully written novels with atmospheric, magical-realism storylines. They are enchanting books on the surface that also contain deeper messages. She always writes amazing latina and queer characters and gives them enchanting romances. I have such high expectations for this author and story and I’m convinced I won’t be disappointed.
Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria
My biggest weakness is ensemble casts of diverse characters and that is exactly what I’m expecting in this book. The characters all sound amazingly unique and interesting and I can’t wait to see them in a story of prophecy and rebellion. This is a standalone fantasy as well which isn’t something we see all the time in young adult books!
Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens edited by Marieke Nijkamp
There has been a big increase in young adult short story anthologies in recent years and I have been loving it. It’s such a fantastic opportunity to showcase diverse voices and #ownvoices stories about all sorts of topics. Unbroken is another wonderful addition showcasing stories about disabled teens by #ownvoices authors. This anthology features mentally ill, autistic, blind, chronically ill, and wheelchair-using protagonists among many others! The stories also range in genre including contemporary, fantasy, and sci-fi so there should be something for everyone.
Bonus:
Dana and Kitty are both super excited for What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera. Both of these authors are amazing on their own and can only create good things when working together. We’re also super hyped for Wildcard by Marie Lu. Warcross was an amazing book and the sequel cannot come soon enough. |