1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2020: The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare. I wrote about my love for this novel here.
2. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2019: I haven’t read many sequels! I tend to read standalone novels. However, I just finished The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin and am working on The Obelisk Gate, the second novel in her Broken Earth series. I also guess that The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes by Suzanne Collins qualifies as a ‘quel’ because it’s prequel, but also, IT SUCKED.
3. New release you haven’t read yet, but want to: I am super excited to read Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel West! I picked it up a few weeks ago and have heard nothing but glowing reviews. I’m planning on reading that towards the end of July.
4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue sounds so good! I’m also really excited about Once & Future Witches by Alix Harrow. Their novel The Ten Thousand Doors of January was one of my favorites last year.
5. Biggest disappointment: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. BLECH.
6. Biggest surprise: One To Watch was absolutely ADORABLE. I wasn’t expecting much more than a Bachelor-esque romance, and it gave us so much more. It looked at the standards of beauty, the reality of reality TV, and even dove a little into race. It was fun and much deeper than expected.
7. Favorite new author (debut or new to you): Kate Williams, the author of The Babysitter’s Coven, is definitely an author I am keeping my eye on! That book was FUN and I can’t wait to check out the sequel in a few months. Her writing style was fun & quirky and I can’t wait to see what else she comes up with!
8. Newest fictional crush: I haven’t really read a lot of crush-worthy characters, but someone worth mentioning is Carson from The Lightest Object in the Universe by Kimi Eisele. He crossed the entire continent of the United States during an apocalypse to be with his girlfriend — that’s quite the gesture.
9. Newest favorite character: Judy from Separation Anxiety was an absolute BLAST to read about! I loved this quirky book and this really realistic character. My review about this novel is here.
10. Book that made you cry: Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith had me SOBBING. This novel tackles some HEFTY stuff like transphobia and does it so, so well. The ending was so beautiful.
11. Book that made you happy: Happy & You Know It by Laura Hankin was such a fun, happy, silly book. I enjoyed every minute of reading about this wacky mom group in Manhattan.
12. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received): The cover for Pride of Eden by Taylor Brown was just stunning!
13.What books do you need to read by the end of the year? Um, ALL OF THEM. More specifically, the stack in the photo are my ‘summer hopefuls’ so I’m really prioritizing those.