Top Ten Tuesday — Most Anticipated Non-Fiction Books Releasing In the First Half of 2022

This is a Top Ten Tuesday post, which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Click here form more on this weekly meme and for future topics

This week’s topic is anticipated releases and I am pretty much making a bunch of these types of lists already. However I don’t think in any those I mention non-fiction books. I’m making it a goal for 2022 to read at least 5 non-fiction books. I read about 3 in 2022 so I think it could be manageable. So here’s 10 non-fiction titles coming out this year that sounds the most interesting to me.

How We Can Win: Race, History and Changing the Money Game That’s Rigged by Kimberly Jones – Release Date: January 18

This is social issue book about Black lives focusing on economic and social issues facing Black people and other marginalized people in America. I believe this is a written form of the viral video that the author was in, which if you can watch it, I recommend it.

In Defense of Witches: The Legacy of the Witch Hunts and Why Women Are Still on Trial by Mona Challet – Release Date: March 8

A book about witches or well women who were persecuted as witches during the witch hunts and witch trials, can always manage to grab my attention so I am interested. Also I feel like having a forward by Carmen Maria Machado is a huge endorsement.

People Change by Vivek Shraya – Release Date: January 4

I have yet to read her other books (but I would like to), but I think this is a good place to start for me since it’s a sort of memoir while also being a story about personal growth and change. But I’ve heard great things about Vivek Shraya and I hope I can at least read this year.

Overdue: Reckoning with the Public Library by Amanda Oliver – Release Date: March 22

As a public librarian worker, I cannot wait to read this one. It seems like it will discuss many of the biggest issues public libraries have such as racism, class discrimination, mental health care issues and much more. I hope 1) this is actually good 2) People will read this. I think this book bringing up these issues about libraries will hopefully get more people to understand that not all libraries are these perfect little sanctuaries for book lovers. Libraries are a lot of things and I hope this author illustrates that.

The Unwritten Book: An Investigation by Samantha Hunt – Release Date: April 5

I’m currently reading The Seas by this author, Samantha Hunt, and enjoying it a lot. This is described as being genre-bending (kind of like how Carmen Maria Machado’s In the Dream House blends memoir with horror) as this book explores the authors own history as well as the unwritten stories of other authors as well as an unfinished story from her dead father.

Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled Times by Azar Nafisi – Release Date: March 8

In 2021, many schools & public libraries began to ban books for children and teens with many authors having to fight for their books to be read by their intended audiences. I don’t think my mind will be blown necessarily by this book because I know quite a bit about the history of censorship and banned books, but I just think it would still be worth reading more on the subject and from a non-white dude perspective.

Blood, Sweat and Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road by Kyle Buchanan – Release Date: February 22

Mad Max: Fury Road is one of my favorite films of all-time. Not even just action. It’s just a good film about so many things and I cannot wait to read the story of how it was made.

Pandora’s Jar: Women in the Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes – Release Date: March 1

Greek mythology retellings have been IN for a while now, and while I’m not the biggest Greek mythology retelling fan, I’m still interested in knowing more about them or about the women that most of these are interested in highlighting. Since a lot of have involved the women of Greek mythology such as Circe, Ariadne, Helen of Troy, etc.

Pathological: The True Story of Six Misdiagnoses by Sarah Fay – Release Date: March 15

As someone who is still being diagnosed with various mental illnesses, I feel the exhaustion and pain that comes with being misdiagnosed. As I am typing this I am still in the process of finding the right doctor to diagnose me with whatever.

Brace for Impact: A Memoir by Gabe Montesanti – Release Date: May 24

Me, a person who saw the movie Whip It, loved it and only has knowledge of roller derby from that film: “Getting a lot of Whip It vibes from this” I don’t know much about the author but it seems like it’ll make for an interesting read!

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Top Ten Tuesday — Christmas Wishlist

This is a Top Ten Tuesday post, which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Click here form more on this weekly meme and for future topics

This week’s topic is: Books I Hope Santa Brings/Bookish Wishes. I’m not going to link a wishlist here, so I’m just sharing some books I would love to get myself for Christmas when I get money. It’s actually been a hot while since I’ve gone book shopping which is a simple joy in my life.

1. Cultish by Amanda Montell

One of my favorite reads from this year! I checked this out from the library but would love to have a physical copy of my own so I can annotate it and highlight my favorite bits. Hopefully the paperback will be out in 2022.

2. Cooking at Home: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying about Recipes (And Love My Microwave) — David Chang and Priya Krishna

I swear every year I have some cookbook on my wishlist. Do I actually cook? No lol. I would love to at least learn to cook or just cook. This sounded like an interesting cookbook that focuses less on recipes and just fucking around and finding out which tbh is how I approach most things.

3. Devotions — Mary Oliver

I read Mary Oliver for the first time this year and I loved the three collections I have from her; Felicity, Dream Work and Blue Horses. Her poetry was so beautiful yet accessible and I am glad to have discovered her this year. I see Devotions brought up a lot in conversations about her work so I would to own a copy of it.

4. Ex Libris: 100+ Books to Read and Reread — Michiko Kakutani

I just kind of like coffee table/listicle books like this. I think they’re neat.

5. The Collected Poems — Sylvia Plath

I would love to really dig deeper into Sylvia Plath’s poetry. So why not try to get this collection? I am wary because I’ve heard that this version or a certain version is heavily edited and has some poems left out.

6. feminism is for everybody: passionate politics — bell hooks

Around the time of me writing up this post, bell hooks passed away. I have never actually read her works but I have always wanted to read, of course, this one. Seeing people on twitter talk about her story, life and works was nice to see.

7. All About Love — bell hooks

Another bell hooks book that a lot of people were talking about on Twitter. Seeing a few of the quotes from this being shared on Twitter really made me want to read this more.

8. How to Do Nothing — Jenny Odell

I’ve had my eyes on this for a while. It’s on a lot of lists of books that I want to read. This book is also apparently what made Lorde get off the internet so I’m interested to see what power it could have over me if it made Lorde disappear into the sun (or well to Antarctica).

9. Starting Point: 1979-1996 — Hayao Miyazaki

In 2022, as I will talk about at some point in the future, I would like to read more books about art and artists! Hayao Miyazaki, being one of my influences and favorite creators of all time, seemed like a good place to start. Both this and the one below, Turning Point, are collections of essays & interviews from Miyazaki.

10. Turning Point: 1997-2008 — Hayao Miyazaki

see above.

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Thanks for reading this list! I hope all of us can get something from our wishlists! Happy Holidays to everyone and Happy Reading!

Top Ten Tuesday — Books on My Winter 2021 To-read List

This is a Top Ten Tuesday post, which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Click here form more on this weekly meme and for future topics

Hello all! I hope everyone is having a chill time or fun time or just having a time. Happy Holidays as well to everyone! It’s been a hot minute since I last participated in TTT. However I think this post is a great jumping-back-into-it point, since I was planning on making my own Winter TBR post anyways. Now that is a sort of just a few books I want to read before the end of the year/following into 2022.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

I swear I will read The Winternight trilogy starting with this book!!! I have had this series on my TBR for years now and every winter I decide to add to my TBR, because its winter and so I should read this wintery series. Also its probably about time I read a book that I know way too much about because of Book Twitter and one that I will share fanart of because I like the main couple of the series!

White Ivy by Susie Yang

Since I work at the library I often come across books where I tell myself “I’m going to read that soon”. This is one of those books that I find myself always looking at and through when I go to shelve books. So now I finally decided that I want to read it. It sounds like an interesting take on the Talented Mr. Ripley-esque con artist story, this time from the POV of a Chinese-American woman who learned from her grandmother to lie and steal and eventually she falls in love with a rich guy and chaos ensues probably.

All’s Well & Bunny by Mona Awad

I’ve heard nothing but great things about Mona Awad’s books. I believe Bunny is a sort-of-dark academia novel and All’s Well is a Shakespearean horror story. I’m going into both with little knowledge of each but I think that’s for the best.

Necessary People by Anna Pitoniak

Part one of two books I’ve added to this TBR thanks to Ally @ Ally Writes Things. Ally has talked about this book a lot and I’ve wanted to read it for some time because I like disaster/messy/slightly unhinged and/or unlikeable female characters. Also since the author has a new release in 2022 called Our American Friend, that I am also super interested in, I’d like to read this before I get around to that one.

Social Creature by Tara Isabella Burton

And here’s part two of book recs from Ally! Thanks again! This is a book she described the same way as Necessary People, which means it sounds like my jam. The author also has a 2022 release I’m interested in, The World Cannot Give.

Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

This is another “I saw this book while shelving” book. The first sentence is what caught my eye. “When we were eight, Dad cut me open from throat to stomach.” Brutal. It sort of slips my mind every time I try to think of what the book is actually about. I think it has something to do with two sisters who are scientists and raising wolves and the wolves are maybe causing problems? IDK But I’ll give it a go.

We Can Only Save Ourselves by Alison Wisdom

This threw a buzzwords and buzz-titles (?) at me that I had to put a hold on this. If you know me, I like stories about cults and this apparently has that going for it, with a mix of The Virgin Suicides. From the synopsis this about a teenage girl who disappears, joins a cult and all that ensues of that.

We Play Ourselves by Jen Silverman

Similarly titled to the previous book I mentioned, this is about a writer, involved in a scandal, who goes off to Los Angeles, California and befriends a female filmmaker whose next project is a semi-documentary about a girls who start an actual fight club inspired by the book/movie Fight Club. This sounds wild and I am here for it.

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez

This is a 2022 release however it was a Book of the Month pick and I really wanted to read this one. I’m hoping it comes in soon because I have a Book of the Month related post I’m working on that I would like to have done by the end of December/beginning of January. There is also already a TV series in the works starring Aubrey Plaza so there’s that. I’m going into this not knowing much but we’ll see what we get.

(As I was typing this on my phone, it arrived! Sometimes manifesting works kids!)

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Thanks again to anyone who reads this! Let me know what your TBR plans are for the season.

Top Ten Tuesday: Fall 2021 TBR (Freebie)

This is a Top Ten Tuesday post, which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Click here form more on this weekly meme and for future topics

Thankfully this week’s topic is a freebie, so I can go back to last week’s topic being of course: Books on My Fall 2021 TBR List. Over the course of this year I’ve bought quite a few books and recently I have got a lot of books from my library. Out of all these books I have amassed I probably will read 10 at the most which is perfect for this list.

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My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

I also have The Only Good Indians on my TBR as well. But I just recently placed this on hold at the library and somehow I got it earlier than expected. I hope I enjoy this one and will want to read more of his novels. Also just in general I hope that I will be reading a lot of horror in the fall, especially in October.

For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing

This is a book that has fall vibes to me. I guess its the combination that its about academia and murder-mystery. I’ve heard great things about the author’s other books so I hope this one will get me into her other stories as well.

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

Yes I will be attempting to read this beast of a book. There is a cult following behind this one and its a book that people either find infuriatingly frustrating or fall in love with its horror. This will be the ultimate challenge for me this fall.

The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline

So I feel sort of obligated to read this, since I picked it up at my library because one of the patrons recommended it. But it does sound interesting. It’s a historical fiction about Australia and about women who are trying to survive in Australia. It has great ratings on Goodreads and I’m sure its good. I sometimes don’t gravitate towards historical fiction in the way I used to.

The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath

I got a copy of this for my birthday. I’ve always wanted to read this and I didn’t realize how thick this is in person. But it is thick, so it could take me all of fall to read this one.

Conversations with Friends / Normal People / Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney

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I am diving headfirst into the cult of Sally Rooney. I am ready to see what the fuss is all about.

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

This will actually be a re-read because I read this many moons ago. I remember liking it. It was in 2016 which is a while ago but doesn’t seem it. Its a horror graphic novel so its perfect for October aka spooky season. Hopefully it will hold up.

Various Manga Series

Monster by Naoki Urasawa
The Girl from the Other Side by Nagabe
Dorohedoro by Q Hayashida
Dai Dark by Q Hayashida
20th Century Boys by Naoki Urasawa

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This are horror/thriller manga adjacent. Naoki Urasawa is considered one of the greats, and these are two of his best known series, 20th Century Boys and Monster. I also have started collecting Dorohedoro and Dai Dark from Q Hayashida. I loved the anime series adaptation for Dorohedoro which convinced me to read more of Dorohedoro. Then there’s The Girl from the Other Side by Nagabe which I have read its just been a while and I would like to continue reading it!

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Thanks for reading! Let me know what you’ll reading in the fall/spring (for y’all in the southern hemisphere!)

Top Ten Tuesday – Floral Horror Covers

This is a Top Ten Tuesday post, which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Click here form more on this weekly meme and for future topics

Today’s topic is a Cover Freebie!! Freebie topics are always fun and easy and I had many ideas for this but I was led to this idea since it’s close to spooky szn 🎃!!! I wanted to share a a trend I’ve noticed recently (not saying it hasn’t probably been done before) when it comes to horror books: floral horror. Basically these are horror books that feature flowers/plants. I am going to admit that I am using the word “horror” loosely for some of these books which maybe would fit more into murder mystery or dark fantasy but let’s just pretend it’s all under the same umbrella of horror. Just for my sake 😉

I think this is an interesting trend because a pretty cover doesn’t typically go together with what most people associate with horror but I think that may be the intent of the artist and/or publisher. To attract people who like pretty covers to read horror stories. I like both so these appeal to my taste. Then again we did get a movie like Midsommar which is both pretty and disturbing.

Flowers can be deadly. Literally. There are flowers than can kill you.

I tried to look into the covers and see if the artists were going for metaphors or deeper meaning with the flowers in the covers. Some actually did, some seem to be for more ~ aesthetic~ purposes which is honestly fine. I did some deep dives on the internet and looked up what some of flowers meant. However I have also learned that I could not identify different types of flora if my life depended on it. Like I know what a rose and a sunflower looks like. But other than few other flowers, IDK. I’m not an expert on these things. I just think they’re pretty.

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WILDER GIRLS by Rory Power / Cover by Aykut Aydoğdu & Regina Flath – OUT NOW

Definitely the most attention grabbing one is this gorgeous yet horrifyingly creepy cover of WILDER GIRLS by Rory Power. It’s so pretty but if you think about it too long it’s kind of terrifying and twisted. This is how the author described the cover/story in an interview for the cover reveal.

“Girlhood is its own kind of horror. Girls grow up steeped in it, in that slow-burning fear, in that sneaking sense that our bodies aren’t our own. In writing Wilder Girls, I wanted to take that horror and make it something else. Something you can touch. Something you can fight against, if you want, or keep tucked inside. Wilder Girls is about agency; it’s about hope; it’s about the things girlhood tries to drive out of us. I’m so proud to be sending it out into the world with this stunning cover – I hope you enjoy it.”

HORRID by Katrina Leno / Cover by Tran Nguyen – Release Date: September 15 2020

It should not be a surprise that this cover is on this list because this one of my favorite covers for this year. But at the same time I’m not sure if the black flowers have any sort of deeper meaning. It just looks horrid but in a good way. I can’t wait to read this horror that’s inspired by Stephen King and Agatha Christie.

HOUSE OF HOLLOW by Krystal Sutherland / Cover by Aykut Aydoğdu – Release Date: April 2021

Of course the same artist for WILDER GIRLS goes absolutely hard on another YA horror. This one gives me Midsommar vibes and the insects and blood make it even more creepy and chilling. The artist definitely does pretty body horror very well. “Beautiful, unsettling, haunting” as described by the author. Which is a perfect description!

THE FOREST OF STOLEN GIRLS by June Hur / Cover by Pedro Tapa – Release Date: April 2021

This book is a historical murder mystery that takes place in Joseon Korea on Jeju Island. So I looked up what kind of flowers exist on Jeju Island. I found out that Jeju Island is most known for canola blossoms (which are a gorgeous yellow), cherry blossoms, red azalea, and rhododendron blossoms. I don’t know if any of the flowers on the cover are these variety of flowers but I’d like to think they are. But regardless this is such a lush cover that would be fill in with colors like a coloring book page. But use of flowers with the two girls sort of hiding or disappearing within the flowers may represent secrets lurking.

WHAT BIG TEETH by Rose Szabo / Cover by Corey Brickley – February 2021

I’ll be honest and say I don’t have much to say about the floral aspect of the cover design here since I think the most obvious draw is the face with fangs. BUT THERE ARE FLOWERS in the background. This is a horror story and it’s about a family with “monstrous” secrets. Mwahaha.

IN THE RAVENOUS DARK BY A.M. Strickland / Cover by Natalie C. Sousa – Release Date: May 2021

The author, via me looking at their Twitter, feed helped me figure out that the flowers are poppies and that this book is inspired by Greco-Roman culture and mythology. So with those little tidbits in mind, I did a quick Google search. Poppies in Greco-Roman myths were used as offerings to the dead and often represent eternal sleep. Cool. Also it’s a skull made from flowers!!!

PRIDE & PREMEDITATION by Tirzah Price / Cover by Dan Funderburgh & Corina Lupp – Release Date: March 2021

LOOK ANOTHER SKULL MADE OF FLOWERS!!! I can assume these are lillies, tulips etc. I don’t really know but it just looks pretty. Also this is a Pride & Prejudice murder mystery retelling so I’m in for a treat when I get my hands on this book!

MEXICAN GOTHIC by Silvia Moreno-Garcia / Cover by Tim Green – OUT NOW

The only adult title I have on here, I know, but I really think this is a beautiful cover. Also one book I can’t wait to read soon. Of course there’s the yellow flowers that the main character is holding. Then there’s the wall decor which is very stylish and gothic. But it also may represent the feelings of entrapment which is a common theme of horror/gothic tales.

CEMETERY BOYS by Aiden Thomas / Cover by Mars Lauderbaugh – OUT NOW

As described by the author in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, “Lady Death and the marigolds represent Dia de Muertos, the holiday during which Cemetery Boys takes place. This cover is the perfect mix of beauty, magic, mystery and unapologetically Latinx!” So glad to see that the flowers do play an important role in the story here. It’s also a book on my immediate TBR. I just got my copy in the other day!!

WATCH OVER ME by Nina LaCour / Cover by Pippa Young – Release Date: September 15 2020

It’s pretty!! And it’s a ghost story! I have no idea what these flowers are but again it’s pretty and I’m actually very hyped for this book!

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That’s that for my Top Ten! Let me know what you think and share your own posts if you joined in! Also let me know if you know anymore about these flowers than I do lol.

Also check out these artists. They are all amazing. They’re indivual work is so impressive my favorites are Tran Nguyen’s, Pedro Tapa, and Aykut Aydoğdu.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books With Single-Word Titles on My TBR

This Top Ten Tuesday topic comes from Kitty from Kitty Marie’s Reading Corner. Books with Single-Word Titles is a great topic and I have plenty of those on my TBR. So I turned this into a TBR thing. Which is a mix of old and future releases.

If you’re interested in seeing future topics and learning more about Top Ten Tuesday click here.

HORRID BY KATRINA LENO

First of all LOVE THE COVER, which itself is horridly beautiful. But I love this title because its such a great horror title. This is described as “a haunting contemporary horror novel that explores themes of mental illness, rage, and grief, twisted with spine-chilling elements of Stephen King and Agatha Christie”. All of that makes me want this book now.

LOBIZONA BY ROMINA GARBER

Again with another stunning cover! But I love the title because it comes from the Argentinian word, lobizón, for werewolf. Werewolves have never been a huge interest for me. Except for the movie Ginger Snaps which is really amazing and y’all should watch it if you like movies like Jennifer’s Body and The Craft. But I really like to see novels that explore horror lore from the perspective of other cultures and mythology (meaning non-Western/American). I actually have an arc of this and can’t wait to dig into this world.

RUINSONG BY JULIA EMBER

As described by the author this is “a queer Phantom of the Opera retelling with music magic and girls wearing pink ballgowns and ribbons while brutally destroying their enemies”. I’M SOLD! Also I love titles that have the word song in it. Another good example is Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

INCENDIARY BY ZORAIDA CORDOVA

Incendiary is such a good word. It’s the chief’s kiss of words. With fiery word comes a flaming hot cover. This is loosely based on the Spanish Inquisition with some magic thrown in. This will be one of Zoraida’s next series. I really enjoyed Labyrinth Lost so I can’t wait to see what’s in store for this story.

RUNNING BY NATALIA SYLVESTER

With the upcoming election, I think its great to see YA about elections. The title probably refers to many things. One that the protagonist’s father is running for president. Also running to find oneself. IDK But I think its a title that could suggest more.

MAYHEM BY ESTELLE LAURE

Mayhem is actually the characters name which is interesting enough but I honestly was sold by this being described as “a YA feminist mash up inspired by The Lost Boys and The Craft“. TWO THINGS I ADORE. Bring the mayhem on.

WENCH BY MAXINE KAPLAN

This sounds fun as heck. “A funny, fiercely feminist YA epic fantasy—following the adventures of a tavern wench”. Also I love the sound of a YA Fantasy that isn’t about royalty, a knight or some magical being. We need more tales about the average people in fantasy.

REVERIE BY RYAN LA SALA

Described as Inception meets The Magicians, Reverie sounds fantastical and enchanting. It’s also very gay so that’s fantastic.

PET BY AKWAEKE EMEZI

I’ve been interested in reading this more lately. This is a weird little tale about a world with no monsters…or maybe there is? Pet is a creature that emerges from the MC’s mother’s painting. Yes very weird but this sounds so unique and unlike anything I’ve ever heard of.

DIG BY A.S. KING

Dig seems like a boring word but it can mean so many things. I actually haven’t look a lot into this because I feel like it’s going to be a 5 star read. I know that its about rich people and exploring privilege which is always something I’m interested in seeing how an author explores it.

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Thanks for reading and let me know some great single word titles!

Top Ten Tuesday – Blue Books of 2020

Today’s topic is a Book Cover Freebie so I decided to do a little throwback to a similar Top Ten Tuesday post I did two years where the theme was Books With Your Favorite Color on the Cover or Title. Blue is my favorite color and there PLENTY of 2020 releases this year that feature that color beautifully.

Also I tried to give to credit to all the designers and artists. There were only a few I couldn’t find so if you happen to know let me know in the comments!

EDIT (1/28/20) totally forgot to talk more about some of these books so forgive me for editing this at a later time ✌🏻

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All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace
Release Date: February 4
Design by Natalie C. Sousa & Art by Gemma O’Brien

I love the blues in this one and the ocean theme is gorgeous. The perfect color for an epic sea fantasy!!!

Havenfall by Sara Holland
Release Date: March 3
Design by Peter Strain

First of all blue and gold is an excellent combo. Secdon, I definitely prefer this over the original US cover. Much like the color palette this cover gives off a gothic meets fantasy vibe.

Anna K. by Jenny Lee
Release Date: March 3

Minimalism is always the best way to go for covers. Also if you don’t know this is a retelling of Anna Karenina featuring a Korean American heroine! Also it’s been optioned as an HBO series!

The Winter Duke by Claire Eliza Bartlett
Release Date: March 3
Design by Billelis

Billelis is known for these kind of epic heavy metal as fuck covers.

The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu
Release Date: March 3
Design by David Curtis

I’m actually not too familiar with this book but that I think it’s about Mozart’s sister and her creating a fantasy world (??) It sounds kind of wrord but cool at the same time. Also this cover is so otherworldly. 💙💙💙

The Silence of Bones by June Hur
Release Date: April 21
Design & Illustration by Kasiq Jungwoo

I love the ominous and hazy vibes this shade of blue gives off which is perfect for a mystery such as this one! This is a historical mystery-thriller set in 1800s Korea! It just sounds so cool.

I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick
Release Date: June 2
Design by Debra Sfetsios-Conover & artist Levente Szabo

Not to be that person but I’m definitely bragging that I have an arc for this one already!! But I love the use of blue here set in a pool with just that one dash of red to make it more mysterious. I cannot wait to read this Rebecca inspired YA thriller!

A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow
Release Date: June 2
Design & Art by Alex Cabal

Aquatic vibes and black girl rep!! What more can you ask for???

Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
Release Date: August 4th
Design by Laura Eckes & Illustrated by Jeff Jeff Östberberg

You would never think to make a desert scene blue but it WORKS here. This is a sci-fi fantasy that I’m so hyped for because its got Roswell vibes and will also deal with some relevant topics of today such as immigration. Also it’s going to be a TV series which is very cool!

A Golden Fury by Samatha Cohoe
Release Date: October 2020
Design by Kerri Resnick

Another one I don’t know too much going into other than there’s some alchemist magic stuff and it’s basically historical fantasy? IDK but sounds like my thing™️

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Let me know your thoughts on these covers! What is your favorite color and/or color palette on book covers?

Top Ten Tuesday – Cover Redesigns I Love

This is a Top Ten Tuesday post, which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Click here for more on this weekly meme and for future topics!

I’m back!!! I’ll be talking more about my unannounced hiatus tomorrow-ish but in the mean time it’s been a while since I’ve done a Top Ten Tuesday and this is a very easy but fun topic to discuss.

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The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk

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I have a preference towards the new version because I love illustrated covers especially for YA contemporaries and it features teens of color listening to music. It really fits the story much better than the original one. The OG cover is nice to look at but it doesn’t really represent the story inside as much as the redesign.

Hold Still by Nina LaCour

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Hold Still has had quite a few redesigns but I think the winner for me is the latest 10th anniversary edition done by Adams Carvalho, who also designed the cover for We Are Okay and Darius the Great Is Not Okay. It’s such a gorgeous piece of art and again I’m going to restate my love for illustrated YA contemporary covers. The other two are perfectly fine but feel very dated and old-school YA.

Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers

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Speaking of older YA (and yes it feels weird saying that a book from 2008 is old because that means i’M GETTING OLDER!) there’s Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers. I’ve honestly only read one of her books, Sadie and I hope to remedy that soon when the redesigned cover comes out next year. They went with the minimalist style of Sadie for the new cover but still containing some of the essence the original one had and I LOVE IT. It really stands out to me while the original just seems kind of too generic for my taste.

Dangerous Girls / I’ll Never Tell by Abigail Haas

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Not only did Dangerous Girls get a redesign for its cover but also for its title. I don’t know the specifics of the title change, but the new cover works so much better for me. I don’t actually think the other two covers are bad by any means, but the new one feels newer and fresher. This is a book I got on my TBR, so I hope to see if the redesign has any sort of significance.

Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart

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I’ll be honest and say I don’t think I’ll ever actually read this one because I’ve seen reliable sources give this mediocre reviews but the redesign appeals to me much more. Again, illustrated covers do wonders for my taste. I get what the OG cover is going for and it works because symbolism or whatever but I definitely lean towards the redesign.

The Modern Faerie Tales by Holly Black

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This contains three stories in one. The OG cover is….in my personal subjective opinion bad. I definitely would not have picked it up if I saw this one in a bookstore. However the new cover appeals to me because 1) goes with The Folk of the Air aesthetic 2) aesthetically pleasing. It also makes sense to redesign it with TFOTA trilogy in mind since they’re both connected through their characters.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

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The entire series is getting a redesign and it seems fitting. I have yet to read this series but I’m interested in reading late 00s YA fantasy since I never got around to them in the first place. The old cover isn’t too bad to be honest, but I love a cover that has symbolism and aesthetically pleasing colors.

Katie Cotugno’s covers

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Katie Cotugno is another YA contemporary author I’ve yet to read but I’m pretty interested. The original covers are okay by me, I like the photos, but the redesigns fit my personal taste better.

The Diviners by Libba Bray – Dishonorable Mention

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We could have it all. I will never NOT be disappointed that this series had a cover change in the first place. The aesthetic of the first cover is magnificent.

Top Ten Tuesday – Summer 2019 TBR

This is a Top Ten Tuesday post, which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Click here for more on this weekly meme and for future topics!

Today’s topic is Books on My Summer 2019 TBR. So here’s a few books that I want to read before summer ends. I really wanted to read some of my backlist reads, so there’s a few here. I also want these books to have that summertime vibe, since its Summer here in Florida (BIG TIME) .

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Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno

This has been described as “queer Practical Magic”. So there’s going to be magical realism with some F/F romance.

Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moira Fowley-Doyle

More magical realism with queer girls. color me surprised. But this time in Ireland! I’ve had on my TBR since last year so I should get to it.

The Lost Cost by Amy Rose Capetta

Okay just another queer book with witches. I realize I have trend going on here.

Wild Blue Wonder by Carlie Sorosiak

I got this last year with the intention of reading it last summer but I never did. But it deals with a blueberry farm in Maine and a cute summer romance.

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

I actually started this…last October but never finished so I think I should finish it now because while its also a horror story it actually takes place during the summer.

Here We Are Now by Jasmine Warga

All I really know about this is that the MC finds out her dad is a famous rock star and they go on a trip together, so I’m kind of sold on that aspect alone. One of my fave bloggers Aurora mentions this quite a bit and I trust her recommendations.

If I’m Being Honest by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka

These covers give me life and also I’ve been dying to read this one ever since I saw it described as Mean Girls meets 10 Things I Hate About You. Also the idea of an author couple writing together makes me feel things.

Like Water by Rebecca Podos

Another summe-ry queer book featuring a bi MC and genderqueer love interest. Also featuring mermaids (performing mermaids at a water park) and the MC is named Savannah (like me but with an H). Which may or may not be weird for me.

This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura

The first sentence caught my attention immediately, “Hannah calls it a “state of becoming,” but most people would probably call it chaos. This deals with a Japanese-American teen and her family’s history during WWII Internment Camps and in the present with their flower shop. Bonus points for that gorgeous cover.

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Thanks for reading!!!

Top Ten Tuesday – My Most Anticipated Releases for the Rest of 2019

This is a Top Ten Tuesday post, which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Click here for more on this weekly meme and for future topics!

This Tuesday’s topic is Most Anticipated Releases for the second half of 2019. I have MANY MANY MANY most anticipated releases which I may make another post for to talk them some more. This is just a short little list of my most anticipated. It was super hard to narrow it down to just 10.

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The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black (The Folk of the Air #3 series)
✨How could I not mention THIS?
✨hoping jude gets her revenge!!! 🗡️
✨I NEED THIS NOW

The Light at the Bottom of the World by London Shah
✨UNDERWATER WORLD
✨British-Muslim protagonist!!!
✨#OWNVOICES

I Hope You Get This Message by Farah Naz Rishi
✨teens figuring their shit out before the world ends
✨#ownvoices
✨queer rep / Pakistani-American rep
✨maybe some aliens???

Beyond the Black Door by A.M. Strickland
✨ace MC!!!
✨DARK FANTASY
✨that cover though
✨villain love interest?!!?

The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco
✨described as “Frozen” meets “Mad Max”
✨4 POVs
✨there’s a bookish chaotic lesbian goddess
✨idk its Rin Chupeco so it’ probably going to be amazing
✨ownvoices

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Crier’s War by Nina Varela
✨F/F enemies to lovers romance
✨comps to Game of Thrones
✨#ownvoices
✨androids maybe?

The Babysitters Coven by Kate Williams
✨Adventures in Babysitting meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer
✨i MEAN WITCH BABYSITTERS! COME ON!

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
✨Portal Fantasy
✨early 1900s
✨I honestly don’t know that much but I’m sold anyways because of that cover

How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse by K. Eason
✨The Princess Bride meets Princess Leia!!!!
✨fariy tale tropes in a space opera
✨again Princess Bride and Princess Leia …need I say more?

The Liar’s Daughter by Megan Cooley Peterson
✨CULTS
✨girl who is the daughter of a cult leader
✨i’m just really into cults y’all
✨not that i would join one 👀

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There’s my lil top ten list. Let me know some of your most anticipated because I can always add to my neverending list.