Tag Archives: new releases

Top 10 Tuesday – November 3rd, 2015

Posted in Top 10 Tuesday by

toptentuesday

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It’s time for the first Top 10 Tuesday list of November. This is an original weekly blog meme created over at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week, there is a new bookish topic for bloggers to create a list about. If you want to know more about Top 10 Tuesday, click here!

This week’s Top 10 Tuesday topic is either the top ten debut authors who have you looking forward to their sophomore novel, or the top ten sophomore novels that you loved just as much if not more than the author’s debut. I have had to put my own little spin on this topic because I actually have not read many debut authors recently. I have a sizeable number of 2014 and 2015 debuts on my TBR, but I’ve only gotten to a few thus far. However, in the past year or so, I have also discovered a lot of new to me authors whose debuts are the only works I have read by them.

So for today’s list, I’m going to list the top seven authors who are either recent debut authors I’m anticipating the sophomore novel of, or authors with already published sophomore novels that I am dying to read. The final three will be authors I’ve read whose sophomore novels I think are as good or even better than their debuts.

Now that we are all sufficiently confused, let’s jump straight into these lists! 🙂

Authors Whose Sophomore Novels I’m Dying to Read

fallingintoplace jackaby loveandotherunknownvariables hyperboleandahalf

1. Amy Zhang – Falling into Place

Amy Zhang is a 2014 debut author. I read this novel at the end of last year and was extremely impressed by it. Not only was it a very well told and skillfully constructed story, but I was also stunned to find out that this was written by a teenager! Her next novel is coming out in March and I am very interested to read more of her work.

2. William Ritter – Jackaby

Jackaby is a 2014 debut novel and I read it back at the beginning of this year. It is one of my favorite novels I have read in 2015 so far, and I’ve been very much anticipating the sequel, Beastly Bones, which was just recently released. It is definitely going to be one of my next reads.

3. Shannon Lee Alexander – Love and Other Unknown Variables

This is a 2014 debut novel that I read late last year and completely fell in love with. It took me by surprise because it is not the type of novel that I would generally enjoy, or even think to give a try to be honest. But it was fantastic and I loved Shannon Lee Alexander’s writing and storytelling style. I’m not sure if there is a sophomore novel in the works, but I certainly hope there is.

4. Allie Brosh – Hyperbole and a Half

I read this last year and absolutely loved it; this is one of the funniest books I have ever read. There is supposedly a second novel coming out (Solutions and Other Problems), but the date keeps getting pushed back, so I’m not sure if or when it is coming. At least I still have her blog to tide me over!

redqueen cinder legend

5. Victoria Aveyard – Red Queen

I feel like I have been talking about Red Queen and Victoria Aveyard a lot lately; and I know that is strange because I was not all that thrilled with the novel. However, I am still eager to read more of Victoria Aveyard’s work, because I thought her writing style was excellent. I’m still trying to decide if I will be reading the next novel in the series, Glass Sword, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be giving it a try at some point.

6. Marissa Meyer – Cinder

Marissa Meyer is not a recent debut author; Cinder came out in 2012. However, I just discovered her last year, and began The Lunar Chronicles at the beginning of this year. So far, I have only read this first novel, but I adored it and I cannot wait to continue on with the rest of the books (something I will be doing quite soon!).

7. Marie Lu – Legend

Marie Lu is another author whose first book is not a recent release, but so far I have only read her debut novel, Legend, after discovering it last year. I was hooked immediately and I soon got a box set of the entire trilogy. I need to get to the next book as soon as possible; I am dying to see what happens in the final two novels!

Sophomore Novels That Are As Good Or Better Than Debuts

hp2chamber catchingfire wonderstruck

1. J.K. Rowling – Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

This entire series is (obviously) absolutely fantastic all the way through. The Chamber of Secrets just so happens to be not only one of my favorite books ever, but my favorite of the series; it definitely had to make this list!

2. Suzanne Collins – Catching Fire

This is by far my favorite dystopian trilogy that I have ever read, and I’ve always found it incredibly hard to pick which of the novels is my favorite. Catching Fire was incredible, and is at the very least just as good as The Hunger Games. However, this may potentially be my favorite of the series; it’s just so hard to choose!

3. Brian Selznick – Wonderstruck

This is Brian Selznick’s second full novel and it is equally as good as his first, The Invention of Hugo Cabret. In fact, all three of his novels are absolutely spectacular; each one is a beautiful work of art. He is a very talented writer and artist, and easily makes this list!

Let me know in the comments which debut authors you’ve been enjoying this year and which sophomore novels you are dying to get your hands on!

-Ariana

logo2

November 2015 TBR

Posted in Wrap Ups And TBRs by

Screen Shot 2015-11-01 at 10.40.36 AM

Happy November, everybody!

I absolutely cannot believe how quickly this year has flown by! Sadly, my favorite month of the year has drawn to a close, but these next few months are just as exciting. First of all, we start the build up to the holiday season. I sing in a church choir, so we spend the next two months singing all of my favorite music of the choral season.

November, as I’m sure you all know, is also the start of NaNoWriMo. This is my sixth year doing it, but will be my first year trying to do it while also blogging, so it’ll be interesting to see how this all goes. NaNoWriMo is one of my favorite parts of every year, and I can’t wait to get started on my new novel!

As far as a TBR, I still have a few books from my previous ones that I would like to work on. However, my reading mood has definitely changed a bit, and there are a couple of books that I also need to read and review this month. As always, a TBR for me is more of a helpful suggestion than something set in stone that I really stick to. It works nicely for prioritizing my entirely too massive pile of unread books. So here are some of the books that I am most eager to read/need to get to in the coming weeks!

November TBR:

1. The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

therithmatist

I still have yet to read anything by Brandon Sanderson, though the Mistborn trilogy is high on my priority list. Since I have so many books to read right now, I think I would rather hold off on The Final Empire for a little while longer until I get through some of them. However, this novel is a much more manageable size for me currently. I am also just generally very intrigued by the premise of this novel, so I’m eager to see what it’s all about.

2. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

sixofcrows

This is one of my most anticipated books of the year and I finally have it in my possession! I have been hearing such amazing things about this novel, which has just been making me more enthusiastic about reading it. And may I just say, the book itself is absolutely beautiful!

3. Beastly Bones by William Ritter

Ritter_BeastlyBones_jkt_COMP.indd

I read the first book in this series, Jackaby, at the beginning of the year and absolutely loved it! So of course, as soon as I finished, I put this on preorder right away. I’m excited to see where these stories go and to get back into the world of these lovable characters. It should be a fun, quick read and I am definitely hoping to get to this very soon.

Click here to check out my review of Jackaby!

4. Wonder by R.J. Palacio

wonder

This is a book I just discovered this year and have heard nothing but wonderful things about. I got it out of the library a few months back, but didn’t have enough time to get to it. So I recently picked up a copy and I’m definitely hoping to finally get to it this month. It sounds like it will be a sad but extremely good read, and I can’t wait to see what I think of it.

5. Saga, Volume 5 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

sagav5

This will most likely be my first read of the month. I honestly can’t believe that I haven’t gotten around to this yet. It has been out for at least a month and a half now and I still need to read it. I’ve had it on hold at the library for quite a while and it’s finally available for me to check out, so I’ll probably be getting to this in the next day or so. I’m so excited to see what happens next!

6-8. Doctor Who: Deep Time by Trevor Baxendale, Doctor Who: Death Riders by Justin Richards, and Doctor Who: System Wipe by Oli Smith

doctorwhodeeptime doctorwhodeathriders doctorwhosystemwipe

These are all books that I have recently gotten through Netgalley, so I would like to get them all read and reviewed by the end of the month. I’d particularly like to get those last two done because they come out toward the second half of November. They should all be quick and entertaining reads, and I’m always up for anything Doctor Who related!

Here are some of the books that I have acquired over the last few months as well as my most anticipated releases of November!

September/October Book Haul:

Ritter_BeastlyBones_jkt_COMP.indd thereluctantsacrifice sixofcrows halfaking

1. Beastly Bones by William Ritter
2. The Reluctant Sacrifice by Kerr-Ann Dempster
3. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
4. Half a King by Joe Abercrombie

theswordofsummer doctorwhodeeptime doctorwhodeathriders doctorwhosystemwipe

5. The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
6. Doctor Who: Deep Time by Trevor Baxendale
7. Doctor Who: Death Riders by Justin Richards
8. Doctor Who: System Wipe by Oli Smith

Anticipated Releases of November:

doctorwhotimelordfairytales winter warrenthe13th

1. Doctor Who: Time Lord Fairy Tales by Justin Richards (November 3rd)
2. Winter by Marissa Meyer (November 10th)
3. Warren the 13th and The All-Seeing Eye by Tania del Rio (November 24th)

What are you guys planning on reading this month? What new releases are you most looking forward to? Are any of you participating in NaNoWriMo this year? Let me know in the comments!

-Ariana

logo2

October 2015 TBR

Posted in Wrap Ups And TBRs by

Screen Shot 2015-10-01 at 7.06.44 AM

Yet another month has flown by!

Between the cooling weather, beautiful changing leaves, warm sweaters and boots, and pumpkins galore, October is my favorite month of the entire year. It is also the perfect time to curl up with a good (preferably dark or spooky) book. Fall always makes me feel particularly inspired to both read and work on my own writing; I get some of my best work done in these cooler months.

Since I am very much a mood reader, I find that I can never follow an exact reading list for a long period of time. For me, a TBR ends up being more of a guideline than something set in stone; a record of titles to help me prioritize my insanely massive collection of unread books.

I am still planning on finishing up a few that I did not get to last month, so I definitely will not be able to get to everything on this list. But these are the books that I am currently most eager to get to and/or really feeling in the mood to read, and I’m hoping to get to quite a few of them.

On a brief side note, I did not feel like I had enough to say in a wrap up this past month, so I plan on doing a dual one at the end of October!

  1. The Reluctant Sacrifice by Kerr-Ann Dempster

thereluctantsacrifice

This is the book that I am currently reading, so it will be my first read of the month. I was sent this book for review, and so far I’ve really been enjoying it. I plan on finishing it up in the next couple of days, and there will be a review going up on here very soon after!

  1. Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

saintanything

This is a high priority read on my TBR for the month. I picked this book up and started it right when it was first released back in May. However, I ended up getting sidetracked with other books that I had either already started or was particularly excited to get to, so I ended up putting it aside for a while. Before that, I was really enjoying the story, so I would very much like to finish it up sometime this month.

  1. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

agameofthrones

I find that, during the fall and winter, I tend to be particularly in the mood to read a good fantasy novel, as well as some lengthier books. This definitely falls into both of those categories. I have completely fallen in love with the television show over the past few months, and that has made me very motivated to read the actual novels themselves. So, between that and the weather, I am finally read to brave these 800+ pages! Or at least get started on them…

  1. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

throneofglass

The Throne of Glass series is a series that I absolutely need to get started on! I’ve had this book for about a year now and I still have yet to get going on it. As I said, I’m definitely in the mood to read some fantasy right now, and this seems like it will be exactly what I am looking for. I have heard some mixed reviews about this first book, but overall positive thoughts about the series (so far) as a whole, so I am really hoping that I will enjoy these novels.

  1. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh

thewrathandthedawn

For as long as I can remember, I have always loved a good retelling. The Wrath and the Dawn sounds as if it will be exactly that. I must admit I was a bit on the fence about it at first because, though retellings are wonderful, there have been a lot releasing lately and I’m finding that some of them are become too repetitive or generic. This one, however, I keep seeing and hearing almost solely positive reviews about, so I’m actually really looking forward to it, and I believe it will have that dark tone that I’m in the mood for this month.

  1. Vicious by V.E. Schwab

vicious

Vicious has been a high priority book for me ever since I first discovered it earlier this year, and it was at the top of my Fall TBR list. Nevertheless, somehow, I still have not yet gotten around to it. I’ve heard nothing but great things about this book and Victoria Schwab’s work in general, and I am absolutely determined to read this novel by the end of the month!

  1. The Supernatural Enhancements by Edgar Cantero

thesupernaturalenhancements

This is a book that I have not heard much of anything about. I found it at the bookstore a few months back and the cover caught my eye instantly; it has a creepy, gothic type art style, which I love. As soon as I read the description, I thought it sounded like the kind of story I would enjoy, so I grabbed a copy, but I’ve been putting it off to use as an October/Halloween read. I’m definitely looking forward to finally getting to this novel and seeing what it’s all about.

  1. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

thegraveyardbook

This is another book that I purchased a copy of a long time ago and have been saving to use as an October/Halloween read. I am a massive fan of Neil Gaiman; he is one of my all-time favorite authors and a huge inspiration to me in my own writing. This is one of the few novels by him that I have not read yet, and I am very eager to get into it. I know that I will love it and it will fit the season perfectly!

My Most Anticipated Releases of October:

Screen Shot 2015-10-01 at 6.46.26 AM

  1. Binge by Tyler Oakely
  1. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
  1. Through the Dark by Alexandra Bracken
  1. The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
  1. The Amazing Book is Not on Fire by Dan Howell and Phil Lester

What’s on your TBR for October, and what are you most looking forward to reading this month? Let me know in the comments!

-Ariana

logo2

Top 5 Anticipated Releases of Fall 2015

Posted in Miscellaneous by

sept14header

It’s coming! The time of changing leaves and crisp breezes. The time of cozy sweaters and boots, of apple cider and pumpkin everything. The perfect time to curl up by the window with a cup of hot tea and a good book to read, as the leaves fall and cover the ground in a blanket of warm colors.

2015 has been a wonderful year for new releases, and there are still so many more to come in these final months. And since the official start of fall is just over a week away, I thought I would make up a list of my top five most anticipated releases of the season.

  1. The Marvels by Brian Selznick (September 15th, 2015)

themarvels

As I mentioned in my September TBR, I am a major Brian Selznick fan, and I have been looking forward to this book for a long time. I just love the unique format of his novels, and the spectacularly vivid stories he creates through both the text and the illustrations. This is one of my most anticipated books of the year, and I plan on picking this one up some time before the end of the week.

  1. Beastly Bones by William Ritter (September 22nd, 2015)

Ritter_BeastlyBones_jkt_COMP.indd

This is the sequel to Jackaby, which I read earlier this year and completely loved. It was such a fun, quirky read that totally captured my heart, so I’m dying to get my hands on this next one. I’ve had this on preorder for months, so I’ll most likely be getting started on it fairly soon after it releases!

  1. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (September 29th, 2015)

sixofcrows

I’ve wanted to read something by Leigh Bardugo for a while now, and though I do plan on trying out her Grisha Trilogy at some point, this one sounds more like my type of story. It seems like it will be a story filled with tons of action and magic, as it is a fantasy novel about criminals trying to pull off a major heist. A book about anti-heroes, magic, and heists? Yes please! This is an Ari book. It is very high on my TBR this fall.

  1. The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan (October 6th, 2015)

theswordofsummer

I’ve recently been working my way through the Percy Jackson series and have very quickly become a major Rick Riordan fan. I have always been absolutely fascinated by anything to do with the mythologies of different cultures, so his books are all definite must-reads for me. I’m so eager to see what this series has in store, and to learn more about Norse mythology, which I don’t know a whole lot about. And I swear I’m not letting my love of the Thor films affect my excitement at all…maybe.

  1. Winter by Marissa Meyer (November 10th, 2015)

winter

Of course this has to be on the list; it is my most anticipated book of the entire year. I’ve been making my way through The Lunar Chronicles this year, and I can safely say that it is on my list of favorite series ever. I can’t wait to see how it all wraps up, and I know this is going to be an epic conclusion to a fantastic set of stories!

Let me know in the comments what books you are most anticipating this fall, as well as your favorite parts of the season!

-Ariana

logo2