T5W | Books I Want To Re-read

Top 5 Wednesday was created by gingerreadslainey and is moderated by Sam of Thoughts on Tomes. Here is the Goodreads group if you want to join!

I do confess to thinking a lot about this topic, although not in a nostalgic way; I usually see a high star rating in my history on Goodreads for a book that I'm convinced I would hate now and have the urge to pick up whatever book it is to prove that I'm right. These particular books are from when I was still obsessed with the Young Adult genre which has a lot of atrocious content. Here's a few of them now.

1) Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

This is an obvious one to a lot of people. While I'm grateful to Stephenie Meyer and the Twilight Saga for getting me into reading, there is no denying that this book has a buttload of problems and no amount of vampire sparkles can gloss over them. 

2) House of Night series by Kristin and P.C. Cast

Although I love that these books are written by a mother-daughter team, I can't help remembering that I had to stop halfway through the series because the books were such stinkers. They had no sense of continuity or sense and the heroine had a horde of boys trailing after her. Bleh.

3) Maximum Ride series by James Patterson

To be fair, these books were a big part of my childhood. However, they declined in quality as I get older and I feel like if I were to go back and re-read the first book, I wouldn't find it nearly as engaging as I did when I was young.

4) Gone series by Michael Grant

I remember having issues with the writing of this series right off the bat. I have no inkling of what made me give the first book five stars. If I re-read this book and the following, I think the rating would be a LOT lower.

5) Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Probably the only item on this list that isn't a series. I think I was being kind when I gave this three stars - I absolutely hated it. As someone who deals with depression and suicidal ideation, I felt like the subject matter was romanticized, The focus was taken off of the girl who had killed herself and put more on the main character and how he felt about everything, then only alluded to the girl as a mystery for him to figure out. It made me feel icky the whole time I was reading it.

Review | The Muse by Jessie Burnton

Rating: 1/5 Stars

Genre: Historical Fiction

Published: July 26th 2016

Goodreads Summary:

"A picture hides a thousand words . . .

On a hot July day in 1967, Odelle Bastien climbs the stone steps of the Skelton gallery in London, knowing that her life is about to change forever. Having struggled to find her place in the city since she arrived from Trinidad five years ago, she has been offered a job as a typist under the tutelage of the glamorous and enigmatic Marjorie Quick. But though Quick takes Odelle into her confidence, and unlocks a potential she didn't know she had, she remains a mystery - no more so than when a lost masterpiece with a secret history is delivered to the gallery.

The truth about the painting lies in 1936 and a large house in rural Spain, where Olive Schloss, the daughter of a renowned art dealer, is harbouring ambitions of her own. Into this fragile paradise come artist and revolutionary Isaac Robles and his half-sister Teresa, who immediately insinuate themselves into the Schloss family, with explosive and devastating consequences . . ."

Review:

I'm sorry to say that I am disappointed by this book. I hyped myself up for it because The Miniaturist was so awesome, but this was so...boring. And that's the worst thing a book can be.

The first half was okay but by the second I was wishing it would just end - I could see what was coming and I desperately did not care. I even scanned the last few pages without really reading them, just so I could close the damn book and say I read the whole thing.

The thing that annoyed me the most: the characters. The character in the 'present day' I guess you would call it, Odelle, was fine. I was interested in her experience as a Carribean woman moving to the UK, about the racism she experienced and how British imperialism affected her worldview. But that story could have easily been applied to a better character. One who had a personality. You could call Odelle an empty vessel - the author used her to push the story along without filling her up with character traits and a distinct voice. 

The characters in the flashbacks were worse. Olive was so incredibly unlikable. The whole Schloss family was. They were just as blank as Odelle. And Isaac. Dear God. What a fucking Gary Stu. He's handsome and the ladies love him. He's edgy and brave and stands up for the poor. And he is as bland as mashed potatoes. Not only that, but he's kind of an asshole. Teresa was the only character I could stand.

The angsty one-sided romance between Isaac and Olive was so sparkless and dull; reading from Olive's point of view made me want to tear my hair out. Oh really? She only found the inspiration to paint gorgeous pictures after she met him? How original! Girl power, amirite?

Whatever mystery the author tried to set up was obvious by the fifth chapter. I rolled my eyes so hard when it was revealed I think I could see my brain. If you want to keep your readers guessing, don't spell it out for them at the very beginning. 

The plot was transparent, the characters sucked, and I nearly fell asleep while reading it; not much else to say about this book.

I still have faith in Jessie Burton though. I think she's a great writer. Let's just see this as a bump in the road in a hopefully successful career.

T5W | Characters You Wouldn't Want To Trade Places With

Top 5 Wednesday was created by gingerreadslainey and is moderated by Sam of Thoughts on Tomes. Here is the Goodreads group if you want to join!

I'm not sure there's any character I would want to trade places with; one of the key parts of the story is usually that there is a conflict, and I have trouble dealing with my own boring life. I don't need more problems added to it. But there are, of course, characters that are much worse off that I am. Here are the ones I wouldn't trade places with for a billion dollars.

1) Winston Smith from 1984

The universe of 1984 was my first exposure to dystopia and the one that's scared me the most. Any show of disloyalty to the country is either met with torture or death. Every single aspect of your life is controlled. It's what I imagine North Korea is like.

2) The Baudelaire children from A Series of Unfortunate Events

Not only are both their parents dead and their house burned to the ground, not only are they ripped from the only life they've ever known and subject to the will of adults who don't seem to know what to do with three orphans; they're also stalked by a crazy man who wants to kill them and steal their inheritance away. To add to the misfortune, any time their luck seems to be looking up or they find a home with a person that treats them well, something inevitably goes wrong and their nice new guardian dies.

The title says it all really; who would want to be the victim of a series of unfortunate events? Not me.

3) Astrid from White Oleander

Besides having a murderess for a mother, Astrid has to experience some truly horrific things at a young age. I'm so glad my mother is not homicidal!

4) Anyone from The Hunger Games

This one doesn't really need an explanation.

5) Ma from Room

Not only was Ma kidnapped at a young age, she was raped for years and years, trapped in a tiny room. She even had to have her baby, by herself, in the microscopic room. Awful.

Review | Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Published: May 19th 2015

Goodreads Summary:

"Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.

Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.

The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.

But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose."

Review:

I've been lucking out lately with the five-star books! First Homegoing, then What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours, and now Uprooted! Thank you benevolent Book Gods.

If you have the same problem that I have, where you are reading or watching something and halfway through you are impatiently waiting for it to be over already God, then you will love Uprooted! I got through this whole book without once wishing it would finish. In fact, it was the opposite; I didn't want it to end at all. I was looking at the growing number of pages I'd read and then at the dwindling number of pages I had left and stressing about how soon it would be before the book was done and I would no longer be immersed in this magnificent, magical world. I was so sad when I got to the last sentence, I think I teared up a little.

Agnieszka was such a good character. I've seen people calling her a Mary Sue and I couldn't care less. The whole 'you don't know you're special/always saves the day' tropes are overdone, of course, and I recognized that she wasn't the most original character ever. However, she always stood up for what was right and fought for what she believed in, plus had this deep connection to the earth, and I relate to that a lot.

The magic system was really fascinating to me; instead of relying on rules and caveats and precision, it focused on more on words and intent, with a witch's abilities being tailored to who they were. This felt unique (at least to me) and reading about the magic was one of my favorite parts.

I liked a lot of the themes Novik explored, like the underlying tensions and unspoken words in relationships, loyalty to the people you love, and the toxicity of anger. They really rang true with me.

I did not like the love interest nor the romance itself (if you could even call it that). The Dragon was an enormous asshole; he was angry all the time. Why? Why was he so endlessly irritated and touchy and insulting? What did Agnieszka see in him? He was insufferable. When the author suddenly had them kissing and ripping at each other's clothes, I was baffled. It's one of my only complaints about the book.

The plot gripped me. I found myself reading for longer and longer stretches whenever I picked the book up. A lot of people seemed to have found the book boring, which confuses me. There was a lot of mystery and suspense I believe, and the villain was actually really scary. A whole forest that was slowly consuming a country, that could make a person turned evil if they even got to close to it? The Wood was a badass antagonist.

I would recommend this book to just about anyone. Including you! Go pick it up!

Review | What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Short Stories

Published: March 8th 2016

Goodreads Summary:

"The key to a house, the key to a heart, the key to a secret—Oyeyemi’s keys not only unlock elements of her characters’ lives, they promise further labyrinths on the other side. In “Books and Roses” one special key opens a library, a garden, and clues to at least two lovers’ fates. In “Is Your Blood as Red as This?” an unlikely key opens the heart of a student at a puppeteering school. “‘Sorry’ Doesn’t Sweeten Her Tea” involves a “house of locks,” where doors can be closed only with a key—with surprising, unobservable developments. And in “If a Book Is Locked There’s Probably a Good Reason for That Don't You Think,” a key keeps a mystical diary locked (for good reason). 

Oyeyemi’s tales span multiple times and landscapes as they tease boundaries between coexisting realities. Is a key a gate, a gift, or an invitation?"

I was pleased to go back and find out that this was on my 16 Most Anticipated Books of 2016 list. I hadn't even remembered that I had read the description for this when I picked it up by coincidence at the library. 

I've said it before and I'll say it again - I love short story anthologies. There is so much potential for storytelling if they are done right. And What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours is done so right! Starting each new story felt like opening a present. Each is unique, and although all of the stories are connected, they felt like their own little strange universes. I would definitely classify What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours as magical realism, but it ventured beyond that and took on a level of absurdity that was so entertaining to read.

One of the most surprising things about the book is the effortless diversity in each story. Oyeyemi integrates everyone into her book and I couldn't help feeling happy that so many people might find reflections of themselves inside.

I think the best way to review this book is by reviewing each story, so here goes:

Books and Roses might be my least favorite. Although the setting is creative and I cared about the characters, it didn't feel like it had a solid resolution. It might just be that I missed The Point, but it felt like it ended abruptly without answering some of the most important questions.

Sorry Doesn't Sweeten Her Tea might be my favorite. It's so grounded in reality - the fangirl disappointed by her erring idol - but it has this mounting feeling of magic like you're waiting for something extraordinary to happen. I was much happier with the ending of this one.

Is Your Blood As Red As This? gets a little confusing at times; it switches perspectives and the relationships between the characters are kind of unclear, although that might just be a reflection of real life. I did like the element of puppetry and the unique way that the puppeteers...puppetted? It was a fun read.

Drownings, I wasn't really fond of. It felt different from the other stories, kind of detached like it was from a different world. I guess it was set in some medieval time, which felt wrong and incompatible with every other story. I feel like it could've been taken out and the book would be the same or maybe even better.

Presence was sad. It made me really sad and I don't know why. Marriage and children are minefields and Oyeyemi definitely portrayed them well. I did enjoy it, though.

A Brief History of the Homely Wench Society was short, a little like Romeo and Juliet, but it was cute and the message was sweet.

Dornicka and the St. Martin's Day Goose was an inventive Little Red Riding Hood retelling and one of the stories that really blew me away. I'm not even sure why; it was just so well-written and fantastical, but with an earthy feel.

Freddie Barradov Checks...In? I don't really remember; in fact, I barely remember reading it, which means it must not be very remarkable.

If A Book Is Locked There's Probably A Good Reason For That Don't You Think (what a long-winded title) is the last one, and it wasn't the best story, but it was good. The mysterious character of Eva was intriguing and her weird demonic book even more so. I wish I knew what was up with that thing... It was a nice way to end the collection.

Phew, that was a lot of stories. I hope at least one of them interests you because I seriously recommend this book!!!!

Review | Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Historical Fiction

Published: June 7th 2016

Goodreads Summary:

"Two half-sisters, Effia and Esi, are born into different villages in eighteenth-century Ghana. Effia is married off to an Englishman and lives in comfort in the palatial rooms of Cape Coast Castle. Unbeknownst to Effia, her sister, Esi, is imprisoned beneath her in the castle’s dungeons, sold with thousands of others into the Gold Coast’s booming slave trade, and shipped off to America, where her children and grandchildren will be raised in slavery. One thread of Homegoing follows Effia’s descendants through centuries of warfare in Ghana, as the Fante and Asante nations wrestle with the slave trade and British colonization. The other thread follows Esi and her children into America. From the plantations of the South to the Civil War and the Great Migration, from the coal mines of Pratt City, Alabama, to the jazz clubs and dope houses of twentieth-century Harlem, right up through the present day, Homegoing makes history visceral, and captures, with singular and stunning immediacy, how the memory of captivity came to be inscribed in the soul of a nation. 

Generation after generation, Yaa Gyasi’s magisterial first novel sets the fate of the individual against the obliterating movements of time, delivering unforgettable characters whose lives were shaped by historical forces beyond their control.Homegoing is a tremendous reading experience, not to be missed, by an astonishingly gifted young writer."

Review:

I first heard about this book from shemightbemonica and the premise really grabbed me; I'm grateful to her because without her channel I would never have picked up this fantastic book!

I was so moved by this book. I don't even know how to accurately describe it; this book is just so much. So much history and pain, but also love and healing and family. 

At the beginning of the book, there is a little genealogy chart that shows you all of the generations that will be followed throughout the book. The book starts with Effia and Esi, two sisters who never meet, and from there, Yaa Gyasi dives deep into the movings of the two branches of this family. I felt like I was personally getting to know each of the descendants, even though each chapter only gives a brief glance into their lives. It was an almost surreal feeling, reading each relative's chapter and finding the hints of their parents and grandparents in their lives, and flashing forward to read about their children. 

And each character was so alive, so nuanced, with their own hurts and desires; I almost felt like a peeping tom, intruding on something I shouldn't have. I half-expected the characters to jump from the page and start breathing and speaking in front of me. 

As the book is about the dual histories of one family in Ghana and the States, of course this book deals with racism and its effects on both lines of the family. I learned so much by reading this book, parts of American history I'd never heard mentioned before, like the arresting of free black men post-slavery so they could be sent to labor camps (which is just slavery under a different name) and the diffusion of drugs throughout Harlem in the 60's. I also learned a lot about Ghana and the wars with the British. The whole book is so informative!

Yaa Gyasi's writing is no joke. I wish I had the book in front of me so I could give some examples but instead, I'll just say how gorgeous it is. It's lush and has this crispness to it, a naturalness like she was born to put words down on paper. Even as I'm writing this, I know I'm not doing it justice. You need to read it firsthand to understand the beauty of it.

So long story short: read Homegoing! Like, for real! Go get it right now right this minute right now go!

Review | Excellent Daughters: The Secret Lives of Young Women Who Are Transforming the Arab World by Katherine Zoepf

Rating: 2.5/5 Stars

Genre: Political/Feminist Nonfiction

Published: January 12th 2016

Goodreads Summary:

"For more than a decade, Katherine Zoepf has lived in or traveled throughout the Arab world, reporting on the lives of women, whose role in the region has never been more in flux. Only a generation ago, female adolescence as we know it in the West did not exist in the Middle East. There were only children and married women. Today, young Arab women outnumber men in universities, and a few are beginning to face down religious and social tradition in order to live independently, to delay marriage, and to pursue professional goals. Hundreds of thousands of devout girls and women are attending Qur’anic schools—and using the training to argue for greater rights and freedoms from an Islamic perspective. And, in 2011, young women helped to lead antigovernment protests in the Arab Spring. But their voices have not been heard. Their stories have not been told.

In Syria, before its civil war, she documents a complex society in the midst of soul-searching about its place in the world and about the role of women. In Lebanon, she documents a country that on the surface is freer than other Arab nations but whose women must balance extreme standards of self-presentation with Islamic codes of virtue. In Abu Dhabi, Zoepf reports on a generation of Arab women who’ve found freedom in work outside the home. In Saudi Arabia, she chronicles driving protests and women entering the retail industry for the first time. In the aftermath of Tahrir Square, she examines the crucial role of women in Egypt's popular uprising.

Deeply informed, heartfelt, and urgent,Excellent Daughters brings us a new understanding of the changing Arab societies—from 9/11 to Tahrir Square to the rise of ISIS—and gives voice to the remarkable women at the forefront of this change."

Review:

Before I start the review, I'd like to inform you all that I found a way to avoid that awkward double colon problem that happened with my Quarantine: Stories review, that way being to not have a colon after the word 'Review' in my title. Not a groundbreaking discovery but I'd thought I'd share why my titles will look different from now on.

Now, Excellent Daughters is by no means a terrible book. It shows that Katherine Zoepf has had a career in writing for a long while. The real problem with it is that it misrepresents itself.

Excellent Daughters is not really about the lives of young Arab women who are changing the East's perspective on women's rights; instead, it's about Zoepf and her travels around the Arab world, vaguely telling the stories of people she met while she was employed as a stringer. It all comes off as a little naive. She writes as though she's too afraid to make any judgments  on the culture, even in the face of horrific civil rights violations like brutal honor killings and humiliating virginity tests.

It is also rife with run-on sentences. I wish I could speak to her editor, to ask why they didn't say anything to her. There were some sentences that were so long that they took up an entire paragraph. It was ridiculous and easily avoidable. If you think you would run out of breath speaking the sentence out loud, that's a good indication that you should trim it down. This might sound nit-picky but it took away from the reading experience.

Despite all of this, I was happy to learn about the Arab World, something far removed from the United States. Zoepf makes a point in the beginning of the book that because of all of the terrible things going on between the West and the Middle East, that we are eager to learn about this culture that's so different from ours that we're clashing with; it's similar to how interest in Russia increased during the Cold War, as she mentioned. She went into detail on the intricacies of the manners and laws that govern Islam and the Arab nation as well.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book unless someone is interested in learning about the Arabian peninsula and its surrounding countries. 

September 2016 TBR

I think September's going to be a good month for me, reading-wise; I don't have too much to do, and I have a bunch of books I have checked out from the library that I'm anticipating. I hope I'll be able to get to them before I have to take them back. Overdue fees are the woooorst.

A book I started reading last month and hope to finish in September is Uprooted by Naomi Novik. I'm almost done with it and I'm so sad because I don't want it to be over! This is one that would make an amazing movie or miniseries. 

The books I'm hoping to read this month are:

Ash by Malinda Lo. I need more LGBT books in my life! Hopefully, this will fulfill my mighty need, I've never read Malinda Lo before and I don't hear people talk about her very often, but it's a gay Cinderella retelling and that sounds right up my alley.

The Muse by Jessie Burton. The Miniaturist was an absolutely fantastic book, brilliant storytelling, and going off that example, this book should be great as well!

In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom by Yeonmi Park. I find North Korea fascinating in a morbid kind of way; there are millions of people trapped there, living under a sick dictatorship and escape seems unlikely. However, this girl was able to do it, and I'm interested to hear her story. 

Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown. This book only came out on the last day of last month. It's another LGBT book, a contemporary romance this time. I'm really excited for this one.

Coping with Anxiety: 10 Simple Ways to Relieve Anxiety, Fear, and Worry by Dr. Edmund Bourne. This last one is just a self-help book that I wanted to read, to learn some coping mechanisms. I'm sure there are a lot of readers who also struggle with anxiety; I know they go hand-in-hand a lot of the time. 

So that's what I'm hoping to read this month! We'll see if I'll be able to get to them all - it's unlikely but a girl can dream, right?

August 2016 Wrap Up

I read about 4 books with month, which I think is a pretty good number (for me at least), considering that school started this month and I've been sick. I have gotten a lot of reading done while I've been sick; not much else to do when you're stuck on the toilet!

The first book I read this month was Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton. I really enjoyed it and I'm excited for the second! I gave the book 4 out of 5 stars. My review is here.

I haven't written reviews yet for the other three books I read, but here they are:

Excellent Daughters by Katherine Zoepf, which is pretty good although not as good as it could've been.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, which was amazing! Beyond my highest expectations.
















What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi and I have to say, this might be one of my favorite books of the year!



















I did try to read two other books this month but didn't finish them because I didn't like them. They were:

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. I didn't enjoy the writing style. It's hard for me to stomach first-person in any circumstance but the weird 80's fetish really put me off and I didn't feel like sitting through the rest of the book.
















The Incarnations by Susan Barker, which wasn't necessarily bad but was too focused on location and not enough on character and didn't capture my attention in the way I was wishing it would. I might try to read it again in the future.
















I am still reading one book at the moment:


Uprooted by Naomi Novik. This book has got its claws in me! I am so obsessed with this story I can't stop reading. This looks like it'll be a five-star review from me.

16 Most Anticipated Books of 2016

The best part of starting a new year is thinking about all of the books that will be coming out in a few months' time. I love charting the weeks and days as the release day of novels I can't wait to read gets closer and closer. Here are some of the books I'm waiting for in 2016:

1) The Good Goodbye by Carla Buckley

Release Date: January 19th, 2016

Goodreads Summary: 

"Two cousins, Rory and Arden, lie unconscious in a hospital burn unit. The fire, which broke out in their shared college dorm room, killed another student, and the police want answers. Tension between Rory and Arden’s parents was already at an all-time high before the fire, owing to a recent financial crisis and the decline of the family business. As the parents huddle anxiously in the waiting room, carefully avoiding the subject of their own unraveling relationships, disturbing truths come to light. This is the deeply moving story of a family’s struggle to hold together while their secrets threaten to tear them apart."

The description of this book makes me think of another book I read last year, The Dinner by Herman Koch. It's also a story about strained family relationships and covered-up secrets. I always love reading about broken families. Maybe it's a little morbid, but they're just so fascinating to me. Hopefully, this will be as chockful of tension and drama as I think it is.

2) The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee

Release Date: Feburary 2nd, 2016

Goodreads Summary:

"Lilliet Berne is a sensation of the Paris Opera, a legendary soprano with every accolade except an original role, every singer’s chance at immortality. When one is finally offered to her, she realizes with alarm that the libretto is based on a hidden piece of her past. Only four could have betrayed her: one is dead, one loves her, one wants to own her. And one, she hopes, never thinks of her at all.  As she mines her memories for clues, she recalls her life as an orphan who left the American frontier for Europe and was swept up into the glitzy, gritty world of Second Empire Paris. In order to survive, she transformed herself from hippodrome rider to courtesan, from empress’s maid to debut singer, all the while weaving a complicated web of romance, obligation, and political intrigue."

I've never really been a fan of historical fiction but I love mysterious, cunning female main characters and Lilliet Berne sounds exactly my type. Add in 'a complicated web of romance, obligation, and political intrigue' and you've got me hooked.

3) Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin

Release Date: February 2nd, 2016

Goodreads Summary:

"Riley Cavanaugh is many things: Punk rock. Snarky. Rebellious. And gender fluid. Some days Riley identifies as a boy, and others as a girl. The thing is . . . Riley isn’t exactly out yet. And between starting a new school and having a congressman father running for reelection in uber-conservative Orange County, the pressure—media and otherwise—is building up in Riley’s so-called “normal” life.

On the advice of a therapist, Riley starts an anonymous blog to vent those pent-up feelings and tell the truth of what it’s REALLY like to be a gender-fluid teenager. But just as Riley’s starting to settle in at school—even developing feelings for a mysterious outcast—the blog goes viral, and an unnamed commenter discovers Riley’s real identity, threatening exposure. Riley must make a choice: walk away from what the blog has created—a lifeline, new friends, a cause to believe in—or stand up, come out, and risk everything."

I will always, always be here for books about the LGBT community. There needs to be more diversity in YA and the fact that this book is about a genderfluid teenager is so exciting to me, that other genderfluid teenagers will get to see themselves in books they read.

4) A Tyranny of Petticoats: 15 Stories of Belles, Bank Robbers & Other Badass Girls by Various Authors

Release Date: March 8th, 2016

Goodreads Summary:

"Criss-cross America — on dogsleds and ships, stagecoaches and trains — from pirate ships off the coast of the Carolinas to the peace, love, and protests of 1960s Chicago. Join fifteen of today’s most talented writers of young adult literature on a thrill ride through history with American girls charting their own course. They are monsters and mediums, bodyguards and barkeeps, screenwriters and schoolteachers, heiresses and hobos. They're making their own way in often-hostile lands, using every weapon in their arsenals, facing down murderers and marriage proposals. And they all have a story to tell."

I love love love anthologies, and I love love love badass female characters, so this is right up my alley. Also, it has a story by Marissa Meyer, and I love her writing so I'm two times as excited.

5) What is Not Yours is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi

Release Date: March 8th, 2016

Goodreads Summary:

"Playful, ambitious, and exquisitely imagined, What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours is cleverly built around the idea of keys, literal and metaphorical. The key to a house, the key to a heart, the key to a secret—Oyeyemi’s keys not only unlock elements of her characters’ lives, they promise further labyrinths on the other side. In “Books and Roses” one special key opens a library, a garden, and clues to at least two lovers’ fates. In “Is Your Blood as Red as This?” an unlikely key opens the heart of a student at a puppeteering school. “‘Sorry’ Doesn’t Sweeten Her Tea” involves a “house of locks,” where doors can be closed only with a key—with surprising, unobservable developments. And in “If a Book Is Locked There’s Probably a Good Reason for That Don't You Think,” a key keeps a mystical diary locked (for good reason). "

As I said before, I just really love short story anthologies. The premise for this sounds really cool, too. 

6) The Two-Family House by Lynda Cohen Loigman

Release Date: March 8th, 2016

Goodreads Summary:

"Brooklyn, 1947: in the midst of a blizzard, in a two-family brownstone, two babies are born minutes apart to two women. They are sisters by marriage with an impenetrable bond forged before and during that dramatic night; but as the years progress, small cracks start to appear and their once deep friendship begins to unravel. No one knows why, and no one can stop it. One misguided choice; one moment of tragedy. Heartbreak wars with happiness and almost but not quite wins."

As I said, I love family drama. This sounds like my jam.

7) Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

Release Date: April 5th, 2016

Goodreads Summary:

"Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children
No Solicitations
No Visitors
No Quests

Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter.No matter the cost."

The summary kind of reminds me of Alice in Wonderland, and that has always been one of my favorite stories. I also love dark fantasy, so this sounds awesome.

8) Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel

Release Date: April 26th, 2016

 Goodreads Summary:

"17 years ago: A girl in South Dakota falls through the earth, then wakes up dozens of feet below ground on the palm of what seems to be a giant metal hand. Today: She is a top-level physicist leading a team of people to understand exactly what that hand is, where it came from, and what it portends for humanity. A swift and spellbinding tale told almost exclusively through transcriptions of interviews conducted by a mysterious and unnamed character, this is a unique debut that describes a hunt for truth, power, and giant body parts."

This sounds too cool! Books that are told through transcripts and diary entries, etc., are always so interesting to read. Also, the giant hand thing reminds me of The Iron Giant.

9) Down with the Shine by Kate Karyus Quinn

Release Date: April 26th, 2016

Goodreads Summary:

"There's a reason they say "be careful what you wish for." Just ask the girl who wished to be thinner and ended up smaller than Thumbelina, or the boy who asked for "balls of steel" and got them-literally. And never wish for your party to go on forever. Not unless you want your guests to be struck down by debilitating pain if they try to leave.

These are things Lennie only learns when it's too late-after she brings some of her uncles' moonshine to a party and toasts to dozens of wishes, including a big wish of her own: to bring back her best friend, Dylan, who was abducted and murdered six months ago.

Lennie didn't mean to cause so much chaos. She always thought her uncles' moonshine toast was just a tradition. And when they talked about carrying on their "important family legacy," she thought they meant good old-fashioned bootlegging.

As it turns out, they meant granting wishes. And Lennie has just granted more in one night than her uncles would grant in a year.

Now she has to find a way to undo the damage. But once granted, a wish can't be unmade... "

This has the makings for a really interesting story. Wishes have always held a really big importance for me, so I'm curious to see how the subject is handled.

10) Burning by Danielle Rollins

Release Date: April 5th, 2016

Goodreads Summary:

"After three years in juvie, Angela Davis is just a few months shy of release, and she'll finally be free from the hole that is Brunesfield Correctional Facility. Then Jessica arrives. Only ten years old and under the highest security possible, this girl has to be dangerous, even if no one knows what she did to land in juvie. As strange things begin happening to Angela and her friends that can only be traced to the new girl's arrival, it becomes clear that Brunesfield is no longer safe. They must find a way to get out, but how can they save themselves when the world has forgotten them?"

Books about teenage criminals should be around more than they are. The idea of a ten-year-old in prison for some unknown reason has me asking questions, which is always a good sign before you read a book. I hope it's as mysterious as it sounds.

11) The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry

Release Date: April 12th, 2016

Goodreads Summary:

"Buried deep within the archives of a convent in medieval France is an untold story of love, loss, and wonder and the two girls at the heart of it all. 

Dolssa is an upper-crust city girl with a secret lover and an uncanny gift. Branded a heretic, she’s on the run from the friar who condemned her mother to death by fire, and wants Dolssa executed, too.

Botille is a matchmaker and a tavern-keeper, struggling to keep herself and her sisters on the right side of the law in their seaside town of Bajas.When their lives collide by a dark riverside, Botille rescues a dying Dolssa and conceals her in the tavern, where an unlikely friendship blooms. Aided by her sisters and Symo, her surly but loyal neighbor, Botille nurses Dolssa back to health and hides her from her pursuers. But all of Botille’s tricks, tales, and cleverness can’t protect them forever, and when the full wrath of the Church bears down upon Bajas, Dolssa’s passion and Botille’s good intentions could destroy the entire village."

A book?! About female friendship??!! Miracle of miracles! 

12) Please Don't Tell by Laura Tims

Release Date: May 24th, 2016

Goodreads Summary:

"Joy killed Adam Gordon—at least, that’s what she thinks. The night of the party is hazy at best. But she knows what Adam did to her twin sister, Grace, and she knows he had to pay for it.
What Joy doesn’t expect is that someone else saw what happened. And one night a note is shoved through her open window, threatening Joy that all will be revealed. Now the anonymous blackmailer starts using Joy to expose the secrets of their placid hometown. And as the demands escalate, Joy must somehow uncover the blackmailer’s identity before Joy is forced to make a terrible choice."

The title alone drew me in, along with that spooky cover art. I loooove mystery and this one sounds so good. Exposing hometown secrets? I'm in, man, I'm in.

13) The Fireman by Joe Hill

Release Date: May 17th, 2016

Goodreads Summary:

"No one knows exactly when it began or where it originated. A terrifying new plague is spreading like wildfire across the country, striking cities one by one: Boston, Detroit, Seattle. The doctors call it Draco Incendia Trychophyton. To everyone else it’s Dragonscale, a highly contagious, deadly spore that marks its hosts with beautiful black and gold marks across their bodies—before causing them to burst into flames. Millions are infected; blazes erupt everywhere. There is no antidote. No one is safe. 

Harper Grayson, a compassionate, dedicated nurse as pragmatic as Mary Poppins, treated hundreds of infected patients before her hospital burned to the ground. Now she’s discovered the telltale gold-flecked marks on her skin. When the outbreak first began, she and her husband, Jakob, had made a pact: they would take matters into their own hands if they became infected. To Jakob’s dismay, Harper wants to live—at least until the fetus she is carrying comes to term. At the hospital, she witnessed infected mothers give birth to healthy babies and believes hers will be fine too. . . if she can live long enough to deliver the child.
Convinced that his do-gooding wife has made him sick, Jakob becomes unhinged, and eventually abandons her as their placid New England community collapses in terror. The chaos gives rise to ruthless Cremation Squads—armed, self-appointed posses roaming the streets and woods to exterminate those who they believe carry the spore. But Harper isn’t as alone as she fears: a mysterious and compelling stranger she briefly met at the hospital, a man in a dirty yellow fire fighter’s jacket, carrying a hooked iron bar, straddles the abyss between insanity and death. Known as The Fireman, he strolls the ruins of New Hampshire, a madman afflicted with Dragonscale who has learned to control the fire within himself, using it as a shield to protect the hunted . . . and as a weapon to avenge the wronged."

This sounds really weird but, at the same time, cool. I don't know what kind of disease would make you burst in to flames. I'm a little hesitant about that aspect but hopefully it won't feel to hokey.

14) The May Queen Murders by Sarah Jude

Release Date: May 3rd, 2016

Goodreads Summary:

"Stay on the roads. Don’t enter the woods. Never go out at night.

Those are the rules in Rowan’s Glen, a remote farming community in the Missouri Ozarks where Ivy Templeton’s family has lived for centuries. It’s an old-fashioned way of life, full of superstition and traditions, and sixteen-year-old Ivy loves it. The other kids at school may think the Glen kids are weird, but Ivy doesn’t care—she has her cousin Heather as her best friend. The two girls share everything with each other—or so Ivy thinks. When Heather goes missing after a May Day celebration, Ivy discovers that both her best friend and her beloved hometown are as full of secrets as the woods that surround them."

More mystery! More secrets! I'm there.

15) Look Both Ways by Alison Cherry

Release Date: June 14th, 2016

Goodreads Summary:

"A summer away from the city is the beginning of everything for Brooklyn Shepard. Her theater apprenticeship at Allerdale is a chance to prove that she can carve out a niche all her own, surrounded by people who don’t know anything about her or her family of superstar performers. 
Brooklyn immediately hits it off with her roommate, Zoe, and soon their friendship turns into something more. Brooklyn wants to see herself as someone who’s open to everything and everyone, but as her feelings for Zoe intensify, so do her doubts. She’s happier than she’s ever been—but is it because of her new relationship? Or is it because she’s finally discovering who she wants to be?"

As someone who belongs to the LGBT community, I can't describe how happy it makes me every time I see a new book about gay teenagers. Seeing yourselves in the books you read is so important when your young! Diversity in YA really needs to be prioritized, but I'm glad that at least a few books with LGBT characters are coming out (no pun intended).

16) On the Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher

Release Date: July 14th, 2016

Goodreads Summary:

"Evie Snow is eighty-two when she quietly passes away in her sleep, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. It's the way most people wish to leave the world but when Evie reaches the door of her own private heaven, she finds that she's become her twenty-seven-year-old self and the door won't open.

Evie's soul must be light enough to pass through so she needs to get rid of whatever is making her soul heavy. For Evie, this means unburdening herself of the three secrets that have weighed her down for over fifty years, so she must find a way to reveal them before it's too late. As Evie begins the journey of a lifetime, she learns more about life and love than she ever thought possible, and somehow , some way, she may also find her way back to her long lost love . . ."

This is apparently also a LGBT book, which of course means I'm bound to pick it up. It's also by Carrie Hope Fletcher, the youtuber, and I'm curious to see how she rights.