Anticipated Reads for 2021

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Most Anticipated Reads of 2020

Hello there. And welcome back to my blog! I have massively neglected it the last few years. Won't lie, I've had an absolutely horrific 2019 and despite intentions to get back into blogging I have just had so much going on that I just didn't manage to find the time. However, one of my new years resolutions for 2020 is to try and work at it a bit more. I am really hoping that things calm down personally in 2020 so that I can have a bit more time to enjoy myself and to do things that I like. So hopefully the blog will get a lot more attention. 

And there are a lot of titles coming out next year that I cannot wait for! I have already been lucky enough to read one of the books that I was looking forward to the most, and that is Michelle Paver's long awaited return to the world of the Forest from her Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series. Viper's Daughter is the seventh instalment and picks up several moons after the events of Ghost Hunter which was published way, way, WAY back in 2009. I loved every page and a review will be making an appearance nearer to its April publication date!

That being said, there are tonnes of other books coming out in 2020 that I cannot wait for, so I thought I'd highlight a few of them. From a return to the world of The Hunger Games, to dragons, gay YA which I am dying for, and adventures in space, there is a lot too look forward to. 

I was going to try and put them in some kind of order. Publication. In order of my excitement, but there isn't an order I could stick to as my mind was getting too excited about them all so they're just here in order that they came to me!

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Wranglestone by Darren Charlton.

I'm lucky enough to have a copy of this already, thanks to the lovely publisher, and as I'm off work over Christmas I may read it before the New Year, but either way, it is a book I have been looking forward to for months. The synopsis had me hooked right away, and that cover... Gorge!

"Winter was the only season every Lake-Lander feared... In a post-apocalyptic America, a community survives in a national park, surrounded by water that keeps the Dead at bay. But when winter comes, there's nothing to stop them from crossing the ice. Then homebody Peter puts the camp in danger by naively allowing a stranger to come ashore and he's forced to leave the community of Wranglestone. Now he must help rancher Cooper, the boy he's always watched from afar, herd the Dead from their shores before the lake freezes over. But as love blossoms, a dark discovery reveals the sanctuary's secret past. One that forces the pair to question everything they've ever known."

SOLD! Give it to me! It is out 6th February!

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Hideous Beauty by William Hussey.

More gay YA! Yes please! I've been a long time reader of Will, actually reviewing his Witchfinder books back when the blog first started and this book sounds right up my street! I actually remember having a little convo with Will on twitter where we said all the mainstream YA books about gay teens are so Americanised and we said it would be nice to have something British feeling, and well, Will went and wrote it! The cover is gorgeous, the premise... I cannot deal...

"When Dylan and Ellis’s secret relationship is exposed on social media, Dylan is forced to come out. To Dylan’s surprise they are met with support and congratulations, and an amazing reception at their highschool dance. Perhaps people aren’t as narrow-minded as he thought? But Dylan’s happiness is short-lived. Ellis suddenly becomes angry, withdrawn, and as they drive home from the dance, he loses control of the car, sending it plunging into Hunter’s Lake. Barely conscious, Dylan is pulled free of the wreck, while Ellis is left to drown. Grief-stricken, Dylan vows to discover what happened to Ellis that night and piece together the last months of his boyfriend’s life – and realises just how little he knew about the boy he loved. "

To say I am anticipating this would be an UNDERSTATEMENT. I don't want it. I need it! Roll on 28th May!

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Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth.

Veronica Roth is pretty much an insta-buy author for me. I adored the Divergent trilogy, including the ending... Loved the Carve the Mark duology and wish there were more! I am also now reading her collection of short stories, The End and Other Beginnings which I am enjoying, so when this was announced, her debut adult novel I was intrigued...

"A decade ago near Chicago, five teenagers defeated the otherworldly enemy known as the Dark One, whose reign of terror brought widespread destruction and death. The seemingly un-extraordinary teens—Sloane, Matt, Ines, Albie, and Esther—had been brought together by a clandestine government agency because one of them was fated to be the “Chosen One,” prophesized to save the world. With the goal achieved, humankind celebrated the victors and began to mourn their lost loved ones. Ten years later, though the champions remain celebrities, the world has moved forward and a whole, younger generation doesn’t seem to recall the days of endless fear. But Sloane remembers. It’s impossible for her to forget when the paparazzi haunt her every step just as the Dark One still haunts her dreams. Unlike everyone else, she hasn’t moved on; she’s adrift—no direction, no goals, no purpose. On the eve of the Ten Year Celebration of Peace, a new trauma hits the Chosen: the death of one of their own. And when they gather for the funeral at the enshrined site of their triumph, they discover to their horror that the Dark One’s reign never really ended."

It's out on 7th April and I love the idea behind it all. Who hasn't wondered what their favourite heroes are up to years after the end of the story? After they've gone home from war, after they have stopped being the hero. What then? Very excited to see how this turns out!

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Burn by Patrick Ness.

It's Patrick Ness... Is there any explanation needed? Of course I'm going to bloody read it. But when it's about dragons (one of my fave!) and the cover looks like that, how the hell could I not?!

"In 1956 Sarah Dewhurst's father shocks her by hiring a dragon to work the farm. The dragon is a smaller blue rather than the traditional larger reds, though even the reds are now scarce. When the blue dragon, Kazimir, unexpectedly saves Sarah and her friend Jason Inagawa from the attentions of the racist police deputy, Kelby, everything changes. Sarah is part of a prophecy and she must escape the clutches of Malcolm, an assassin from a Believer Cell, the dragon-worshiping cult. When Sarah, Malcolm and Kazimir eventually converge, they are thrown into another universe, where dragons seem never to have existed. Can they save this world and the one they left?"

I mean, you want it... Right? It's published on 7th May!

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Boy Queen by George Lester.

If you're over on twitter, you've probably encountered George. He's a lovely guy and now he's about to become a published author too! Boy Queen is his debut and he's said the book is hella gay and I am hella here for it!

"Life's a drag until you try . . . Robin Cooper’s life is falling apart. While his friends prepare to head off to University, Robin is looking at a pile of rejection letters from drama schools up and down the country, and facing a future without the people he loves the most. Everything seems like it’s ending, and Robin is scrabbling to find his feet. Unsure about what to do next and whether he has the talent to follow his dreams, he and his best friends go and drown their sorrows at a local drag show, where Robin realises there might be a different, more sequinned path for him . . . With a mother who won't stop talking, a boyfriend who won't acknowledge him and a best friend who is dying to cover him in glitter make up, there's only one thing for Robin to do: bring it to the runway. Boy Queen by George Lester is a sparkling debut full of big hair, big heels and even bigger hearts."

Doesn't it sound great? I cannot wait to get stuck into it on 6th August!

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To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini.

He's been teasing it for years... Quite literally, years! Updating his twitter every time he has finished a chapter, every time that he has drafted the book. Always with the hashtag #TSiaSos, teasing the title from the very beginning. And now, it has finally been announced, a date has been set and the countdown is well and truly on!

"During a routine survey mission on an uncolonized planet, xenobiologist Kira Navárez finds an alien relic that thrusts her into the wonders and the nightmares of first contact. Epic space battles for the fate of humanity take her to the farthest reaches of the galaxy and, in the process, transform not only her—but the entire course of history."

I for one cannot wait for 15th September to get here to see what Christopher has been working on for all these years. The Inheritance Cycle is one of my all time favourite series and i am looking forward to seeing what he has in store. It's a stand alone and according to early repots we're looking at something well over 800 pages long! Yes, please!

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Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood  by Sarah J. Maas.

I am a massive SJM fan boy. Don't come for me. I adored the Throne of Glass series and miss it and the characters so, so much, it is insane. I also liked the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, but ToG is where it is at. But this is her latest offering. The first in a series for adults. We know SJM likes writing big books. I mean, Kingdom of Ash was only just shy of 1000 pages and my heart couldn't take it. According to the listing for House of Earth and Blood, it's 832 pages long! And just look at that freaking cover! Her covers are always so bloody good!

"Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life—working hard all day and partying all night—until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths. Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose—to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach. As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion—one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it. With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom—and the power of love."

Originally due early January, the book has actually been pushed back until 3rd March, but I am sure it'll 110% be worth the wait!

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The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins.

I actually am losing my mind over this, still! Months after the announcement I am still losing my mind! I have said time and time again that this world lends itself so well to tell so many stories. The possibilities are endless... And now Suzanne has heard our cries and has decided to bestow upon us a prequel! Set 64 years before we meet our beloved Katniss and our lovers, Peeta and Gale. Yes, both at the same time. It's 2019. Don't judge! I for one cannot wait. 

"The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will revisit the world of Panem sixty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting on the morning of the reaping of the Tenth Hunger Games."

Well the synopsis doesn't give a lot away does it?! The horrible font on the cover aside, the days cannot go by fast enough. Roll on 19th May!

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The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna.

This book has only been announced very recently, but already the buzz surrounding it is huge! Likened of Children of Blood and Bone, The Gilded Ones has an absolutely STUNNING cover which just makes me want to do heart eyes the entire time, and the premise itself just has me gagging to read it!

"The start of a bold and immersive West African-inspired, feminist fantasy series for fans of Children of Blood and Boneand Black Panther. In this world, girls are outcasts by blood and warriors by choice. Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs. But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity--and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death. Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki--near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire's greatest threat. Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she's ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be--not even Deka herself."

Is it 26th May yet? Asking for a friend... That friend is me and he is DESPERATE to read this book. One thing I do think is very, VERY cool is that the publisher have said they're going to be giving the book to BAME reviews first and I am HERE FOR IT!!! I wish more publishers sent the books to the audience they're primarily aimed at. I've seen a few books featuring gay males as the leads that seem to be shoved towards the straight females for review and I wish more gay readers had the chance to read them first and get their view out. So the fact that this is the case for The Gilded Ones. Props to the publisher. Killing it!

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I know I have missed off loads. There are tonnes and tonnes of new books coming out, and of course ones that haven't even been announced yet that may just spring up on us like sneaky gifts from the book gods. But these are the ones I could think of when I thought of the books I am looking forward to most and ones that I want to add to my ever growing and never shrinking tbr pile! Are there any here you're excited about? Is there something I have missed that you think I might like? Let me know! Tweet me. Comment. Whatever. Just let me know!

2015: Books of Interest

Well seeing as it is the time of the year to look back at the titles you have loved in the last twelve months, it is also time to look forward to lots of bookish goodness to come! Today I am going to highlight some of the books that I am VERY excited about! Let's go!

January sees the release of The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black. I have been excited about this one for a long time now, it just sounds so good - the children, a glass coffin - it sounds amazing and I cannot wait to finally have a ganders at it properly!! I am also deeply in love with that cover. It is just so blooming beautiful!

January also sees the release of The Mime Order, the second book in Samantha Shannon's epic The Bone Season series. If you haven't read any of Samantha's work yet then you are severely missing out. You will fall in love with the world, the characters and her writing style from the very first page. I cannot recommend it highly enough, and being lucky enough to have a proof copy I have read the first chapter and it is incredible - I cannot wait to give the full book a good read at the start of the year!

Moving on to February, this months sees the publication of The Sin Eater's Daughter by Mel Salisbury. Now, ever since I heard about this book and saw its INCREDIBLE cover I fell in love and couldn't wait to get a hold of it. I mean look at that cover! It just looks so amazing. The main character is the Goddess in human form and is the executioner, able to kill with a single touch. I mean... WOW! I need this book in my life... Now please!

Then we have, also in February, The Fire Sermon by Francesca Haig (which I am currently reading and ADORING!) and Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. Both books I am insanely excited about. Luckily I have an e-arc of Red Queen so I am hoping to get to it soon. I love both of these covers too. Wow, 2015 is already so strong in the cover game!

Moving on to March! There's only one book out this month that I am INSANELY excited for and that is the latest James Dawson offering, Under My Skin. I had the pleasure of unveiling the title and blurb earlier this year and it sounds amazing and has a stunning cover too! Bring it on!

April unleashes a boat load of titles that I am gagging to read! Forged by Erin Bowman, the final offering in the Taken trilogy. Simon VS the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli which sounds beautiful and touching. And The Death Code by Lindsay Cummings, the sequel to my favourite book of 2014, The Murder Complex. I am so excited for April! What a month!

May sees the release of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. Now, I fell in love with Sarah this year. I started the Throne of Glass series and immediately fell in love, so I cannot wait to read this. The world sounds amazing, the characters sound awesome and I am in love with the cover. It is so beautiful! Luckily, I have a proof copy so I am hoping to get around to it sooner rather than later! There is also a new Cat Clarke book due in May! The Lost and the Found is described as a phycological thriller, and knowing Cat's previous work I for one think it will be fantastic. There isn't a cover at the moment, but given the track record Cat has for amazing covers I cannot wait to see what it looks like!

June will see the publication of one of my most anticipated reads of all time. More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera. This book has been building hype for quite a while now and it is Adam's debut. It follows Aaron as he struggles to come to terms with being gay and falling for Thomas in the middle of the Bronx, where it isn't really okay for him to be this way. It is already getting rave reviews and I for one cannot wait. I am so excited it is unreal!

July is a bit of a dry spell, at the moment anyway, so maybe this will be a time for me to catch up on the books already released? But then August comes along and all hell breaks loose. There's the new Patrick Ness book, The Rest of Us Just Live Here, which sounds phenomenal and is about people who can only watch on as the chosen one battles to save the world. There's the new Michelle Paver book, The Crocodile Tomb, which serves as the fourth instalment in the Gods and Warriors series. And there is also the final book in Rick Yancey's The 5th Wave trilogy. None of them have any covers yet, but I cannot wait to read them! August is going to be an amazing month!

September brings with it the publication of Tonight The Streets Are Ours  by Leila Sales, which sounds incredible! And in October, there are a few titles I'm excited about. The first is the new Rick Riordan book. It's the first in the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series, which will centre around Norse gods and Norse mythology, in the same vein as that of his incredibly popular Percy Jackson series. I started reading Percy this year and have fallen in love so I cannot wait to get on board a series of his as it is being published and not having to play catch up!

It also sees the release of Fake by Beck Nicholas. It's about a girl who is humiliated when her date for the end of term part ditches her at the last minute for the new girl. Bent on revenge, she and her friend set about luring this new girl into a trap and create a fake online profile to ensnare her, much like the tv show Catfish which I am OBSESSED with! But she falls in love with the new girls brother and as things begin to unravel, so does the life she thought she had and she realises she doesn't know everyone in her life as well as she thought she did. I cannot wait for this! It sounds AMAZING!

And that folks, is all for 2015 that I know of so far. It sounds like it is going to be an AMAZING reading year for us all - with so many stunning sounding books to chose from I wonder how we are all going to fit it in! I for one cannot wait! I am so excited to get started - after a reasonably disappointing year reading wise I hope 2015 is a lot better!

Anticipated Titles for 2014

I had meant to finish this post so it could go live yesterday, but family butted in on plans so it had to be put on hold... Anyway, there are loads of titles I'm excited about that are due to be released this year. There are sequels, stand alones, debuts, all sorts, so lets have a ganders, shall we?

Kicking off things this year is Mr. Darren Shan. The sixth book in his Zom-B series hits shelves, and e-readers, today in the UK, and later on in the month for US readers. It'll be followed in March by book seven, Zom-B Mission, and books 8 and 9 later in the year. But not only that, there is another Zom-B edition set to hit the shelves in March! It's called Zom-B Circus and Darren wrote it with the intention of it being released as part of the £1 book scheme surrounding World Book Day, but the event organisers said it would be too gory so decided not to go with it, but Darren being the awesome man that he is is going to release it anyway. Full details are to follow but it's coming! GREAT! Lots of zombie action for us this year, looking forward to it!

We also get a new book from the wonderful Keren David in January! Something I am very excited about. If you've read my blog over the last few years you'll of no doubt seen me mention When I Was Joe, Almost True and Another Life. Well, those books are phenomenal and it sounds like her new book, Salvage is going to be just as good. Keren's writing is always amazing and she isn't afraid to shy away from gritty subjects. The books surrounding Ty/Joe dealt with knife crime and witness protection and Salvage is about adoption. Very excited to read it, and luckily it's high up in my to read pile at the moment so it won't be long!

Then in February something very exciting that looks and sounds right up my street. One of our very own is making her debut this year, oh yes! Book blogger turned authoress, Liz de Jager is about to publish the first novel in a trilogy surrounding faries, battles, and I've been told hot boys? Who doesn't want that, huh? I do. And the cover is a beaut as well. It's going to look so good on the shelves and in peoples hands whilst they read it. I for one cannot wait. It's called Banished and it is the first in The Blackhart Legacy trilogy! We're all rooting for you Liz! 

In March of course, a sequel comes that I have been dying to read ever since I read the last book in the series. Zero Hour is the fourth book in Will Hill's utterly incredibly Department 19 series. It hardly feels real, I remember getting the proof of the first book when there was all this secrecy around it, and now we're sat here waiting for the penultimate book in the series. I dread to think what sort of state I'm going to be in this time next year waiting to see what Will has in store for the finale. Bring it on, Will, bring it on!

May see's the return of James Dawson. After his debut in 2012 with Hollow Pike and last years Cruel Summer being so damn good, the fanbase for Mr. Dawson is growing daily. And this year he is set to take on a tale most horrifying - that of Bloody Mary. I for one am a little nervous about reading this book because I don't do all that well with phycological thrillers and scary things, just because I am generally a bit of a woos. It sounds amazing though and I love the cover. Cannot wait! 

June see's the release of another debut. I have already read this one actually, thanks to the wonders of Edelweiss and the awesome Harper Collins Teen US team who gave me access to a copy for my Kindle. It's creepy, it's dark, it's exciting and it is one that shouldn't be missed at any costs. I am of course talking about The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings. Again, blogger turned author, only Lindsay is from across the pond in America! I'm not aware of a UK publisher picking this book up yet but it's brilliant so it shouldn't be long. Fear not, though, good old Book Depository is on the case! You can pre-order it there for free worldwide shipping and it is so worth it! Trust me! Argh! So good. Before that though there will be a prequel novella, The Fear Trials on sale in May which you can pre-order for your Kindle right now, even in the UK! Buzz!

The summer will also see some annual publications that I always look forward to. The fifth book in Pittacus Lore's Lorien Legacies is due to be published in August, as is the third book in Michelle Pavers' awesome Gods and Warriors series. Neither of these books have names yet, but they're sure to be favourites for me upon their publication.

Other books that deserve an honorary mention that are due out this year are...

Stolen is a prequel novella set before the start of the first book in Erin Bowman's Taken trilogy which debuted last year with Taken. Stolen is due out on 4th February and is available to pre-order right now for your Kindle at the low low price of 99p. BAGAIN! It is followed in April by the second book in the trilogy, Frozen, which I personally cannot wait for. I'm so excited to see it in the flesh as well because the design of the covers of this trilogy is truly stunning!

This year also see's the end to a trilogy I am truly in love with. It's so good, so epic, so well written. I am of course talking about Elizabeth Richards Black City trilogy. The second book, Phoenix blew me away last year and was one of my favourite books too, so I have high hopes and excitement for this finale due in June. Wings also has my favourite cover of the trilogy. It's so cool. It looks like it should be framed and hung up for all to see, right? So excited!

Also, we get new Cat Clarke this year! YAYAYAYAYA! A Kiss in the Dark is Cat's fourth novel and one I am so excited to read. I read her last book, Undone right at the tail end of 2012 so it's been an awfully long time coming for me. Honestly, if you haven't read anything by Cat yet, just do it. Do it do it do it do it. Her writing is so addictive, so gritty, so good. Just do it.

And we get a sequel of sorts to Malorie Blackman's Boys Don't Cry which was one of my absolute favourites when it was published a few years back. Heart Break Girl tells the other side of the story, it shows why Mel dumped her baby with its father in the first book. It sounds great, I love the cover and I cannot wait to read more about these characters.

Now, I could go on and on and on and on. But then we'd be here all week and we've got places to go, people to see, books to read, right?! RIGHT! So I'm going to leave it there. There are so many more which just goes to show how exciting it looks like 2014 is going to be for us readers. It's already sounding like this years end of year lists are going to be even harder to judge than last years! Bring it on! Haha!

Have I missed off anything you're excited about? Maybe I haven't heard about it, just leave a comment below letting me know what you're excited for in 2014.

Happy reading.

The Hunger Games Movie Trailer

ARGH! The first official full length trailer of the long awaited adaptation of Suzanne Collin's utterly epic distopian novel, The Hunger Games, has at long last been released. And lawdy lawdy it is AMAZING. It has me so so so freaking excited. Already I cannot wait for Catching Fire and Mockingjay! God! MOCKINGJAY  WILL ROCK! Roll on March please!