Five Books I’m Looking Forward to in January

New year = clean reading slate, friends. I can’t believe how many excellent books are coming out this year, and how many of them are coming out THIS MONTH! 2013 is off to a great start, guys, and I’m particularly excited to start the year by reading these five books (among others, no doubt).

Amazon | Goodreads

Just One Day: Just One Day #1 by Gayle Forman 

I just loved Gayle Forman’s previous duo, IF I STAY/WHERE SHE WENT, and I’m hearing really excellent things about JUST ONE DAY. I’m dying to read it. DYING.

Amazon | Goodreads

Prodigy: Legend #2 by Marie Lu

DUH. LEGEND is one of my favorite dystopians. I even liked it a touch better than DIVERGENT. I’ve been fortunate enough to read PRODIGY already and, guys? I promise, this is one of the best series around right now. Great action, great pacing, great characters, great world-building. ALL GREAT THINGS.

Amazon | Goodreads

The Archived: The Archived #1 by Victoria Schwab

Umm, a book about kick-ass librarians who are keepers of the DEAD who exist as BOOKS?? I can’t even. It just sounds so clever and, if it’s anything like THE NEAR WITCH, a little dark and gorgeous, too.

Amazon | Goodreads

The Cadet of Tildor by Alex Lidell

Friends, I am reading this one right now and REALLY enjoying myself. It’s one of those fantasies where it just kind of effortlessly  (even though you can totally tell that so much thought went into the world-building) sucks you in and strings you along. I’m only about a quarter of the way through and I’m invested in the drama, and the characters are unique and have great relationships. (I’m loving the contentious doings between Savoy and Renee!)

Amazon | Goodreads

Shadowlands by Kate Brian

I’m totally fascinated by the sound of this one, friends. A contemp about a young girl who survives an attack by a serial killer who must go into witness protection when he gets out of jail, only to have mysterious things happen in the new home she shares with her father and sister. It sounds mysterious and awesome.

Five Books I’m Looking Forward to in October

Guys, I LOVE October. You start to get that first hint of nip in the air, the leaves start changing colors. Fall is officially upon us. This October is all of those great things PLUS the release of these five books. I’m stoked.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There (Fairyland #2) by Catherynne M. Valente

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Guys, the first book in this spectacularly imaginative series was amazing. Vibrant, clever, sumptuous, and pretty much captivating. I’m looking forward to more from September and her friends in Fairyland. I have total faith that Catherynne Valente will blow me away again. (October 2, 2012 from Feiwel and Friends.)

Through to You by Emily Hainsworth

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 I am really looking forward to this book. It’s got some science-fictiony vibes to it, with alternate universes where dead loved ones are alive. It sounds emotionally complicated and clever. (October 2, 2012 from Balzer + Bray.)

Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson

Amazon | Goodreads

Don’t even tease me with anything Norse-sounding, people. I can’t even deal with how much I love that shizz. This story about a girl visiting family in Norway where her brother is abducted and all kinds of epic mythological shenanigans ensue sounds FUN, and right up my alley. (October 9, 2012 from Harper Teen.)

The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: The Call of the Forgotten #1) by Julie Kagawa

Amazon | Goodreads

One of these days I’m going to review the original Iron Fey series because it is, hands down, my favorite fairie series of ever. This new series centers around Meghan Chase’s now-grown brother, Ethan. Julie Kagawa can do no wrong with the fairies, friends. (October 23, 2012 from Harlequin Teen.)

The Crimson Crown (Seven Realms #4) by Cinda Williams Chima

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YOOOO!!! I cannot WAIT to read this book. I have only recently caught up on the first three books in Cinda Williams Chima’s series, but I am so glad that I did. Because it basically rocks my socks. Han and Raisa have a war on their doorstep, not to mention their really complicated feelings for each other. It’s going to be GOOD. I know it. (October 23, 2012 from Hyperion Children’s.)

Five Books I’m Looking Forward to in September

Ahh, September. The end of summer. The beginning of fall. Also, the month I was birthed. Lots of things going on! Not the least of which are the release of these five books, which I am particularly excited about.

The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

Amazon | Goodreads

Honestly, ever since THE SCORPIO RACES became one of my legit favorite books of ever, I’ve been dying to read Maggie Stiefvater’s next book–the first in a new series–THE RAVEN BOYS. Bazillion bonus points because it sounds like some kind of pseudo-Arthurian legend retelling and I CAN’T EVEN DEAL. I love King Arthur legends. (September 18 2012 from Scholastic.)

Hidden (Firelight #3) by Sophie Jordan

Amazon | Goodreads

So this series was my first introduction to dragons. Or, at least, dragon-like creatures. The last we saw of Jacinda and Will and and Cassian, SHIZZ was hitting the fan in the escalating violence between the draki and the hunters: drama, kidnapping, confused emotions, etc. I can’t wait to see how things wind up.  (September 11, 2012 from Harper Teen.)

Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Amazon | Goodreads

Umm, teenage murder mystery? TEN sounds seriously spine-tingly good. And I don’t read nearly enough thrillers and mysteries, friends. I used to read TONS, but I feel like this is one kind of genre–a straight-up, non-paranormal mystery–that gets short-shrifted in YA, sadly. So I’m looking forward to this one. (September 18, 2012 from Balzer + Bray.)

Because It Is My Blood (Birthright #2) by Gabrielle Zevin

Amazon | Goodreads

Dystopian chocolate mafiya? Dude, I couldn’t be more in. The first book in this series–ALL THESE THINGS I’VE DONE–was really good. Not perfect, but solidly good, and absolutely engaging enough to keep me invested in the story of Anya Balanchine, daughter of a mob boss in not-too-distant future America. Guys, the Goodreads summary for the second book in this series quotes Michael effing Corleone. The mob angle in this series is so legit. (Although, why is Anya so pale on this cover?) (September 18, 2012 from Farrar, Straus and Giroux.)

Stormdancer (The Lotus War #1) by Jay Kristoff

Amazon | Goodreads

Japanese-based steampunk fantasy about a young girl who must go on a quest to find a mythic creature long believed to be extinct, only to find herself lost and alone and facing danger at every turn. Honestly. And seriously, this girl, Yukiko, must be badass. I die every time I look at that RAGINGLY AWESOME sleeve tattoo. (September 18, 2012 from Thomas Dunne Books.)

So I’m changing this up a little bit. As much as I love telling you guys about as many awesome books that are coming out each month, I’m feeling like I want to highlight just a few that I am most excited about. So that’s what we’re going to do from here on out. (Or until I change my mind again. Ha!) Without further ado, here are the 5 books (this is a totally arbitrary number) I’m most excited for in August.

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas.

Amazon | Goodreads

Friends, I just started reading this one and I’m already in love. I’ve been EAGERLY anticipating THRONE OF GLASS, the debut fantasy by Sarah J. Maas, for ages, and I can’t tell you how excited I am that it’s finally almost out in the world. Also, I was super lucky enough to get an ARC at BEA this past June, and I got to say “hey!” to the author herself. She was a DOLL, and so far her book is living up to every expectation of awesomeness that I had for it. (August 7, 2012 from Bloomsbury.)

The Waiting Sky by Lara Zielin.

Amazon | Goodreads

Excuse me while I DIE WITH EXCITEMENT over here. A book about tornadoes? STORM CHASING?! Like Twister, one of my favorite movies of ever?! I can’t deal. Plus, this one has some pretty juicy sounding family drama: an unstable mother, a brother who flew the coop, anger, bitterness.  There’s one thing that I love reading about above lots of other things, guys, and that’s brother/sister relationships. I don’t have a brother, so reading about girls who DO have brothers is the only taste of it that I get. I’m really looking forward to seeing how Jane and her brother Ethan get along. Or not. Also, WEATHER.  (August 7, 2012 from Putnam Juvenile.)

Palace of Stone (Princess Academy #2) by Shannon Hale.

Amazon | Goodreads

Lots of great fantasies coming out this month, friends! I seem to be looking forward to most of them. But honestly, Shannon Hale’s sequel to PRINCESS ACADEMY, a truly wonderful middle grade? Of course I’d be excited! I don’t want to spoil things too much if you haven’t read PRINCESS ACADEMY yet. Suffice it to say that Miri, the main character, is fantastically bright and smart, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing her and her friends in a new environment. (August 21, 2012 from Bloomsbury.)

Defiance (Defiance #1) by C.J. Redwine.

Amazon | Goodreads

The buzz I’ve been hearing about DEFIANCE has been pretty amazing. It’s another fantasy about a girl named Rachel who basically breaks all the rules of feminine submission and meekness to go searching for her presumed dead father against he wishes of the Commander. Of course, she goes on this road trip/quest with Logan, a guy who sounds like a MAJOR hot brooder whom Rachel once confessed her love to, to disastrous effect. FANTASY QUEST WITH FEELINGS. I’m dying over here. (August 28, 2012 from Balzer + Bray.)

If I Lie by Corrine Jackson.

Amazon | Goodreads

Friends, I love military-themed books. Not a secret. I also love books with complicated emotions. Plus I feel like the cover of IF I LIE is some kind of HUGE metaphor: Look at all that GRAY AREA! Totally makes sense when you take into consideration that this book is about a girl, Quinn, who cheats on her boyfriend, Carey, who’s serving in the military. There’s secrets, and lies, and drama. I love the sound of literally all of this. (August 28, 2012 from Simon Pulse.)