This week's topic is "Most Anticipated Releases For The First Half of 2016" and there are some really awesome books coming out before June 2016, which I'm going to share with you right now.
"When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi
Expected publication: January 12th 2016
Synopsis:
"A profoundly moving, exquisitely observed memoir by a young neurosurgeon faced with a terminal cancer diagnosis who attempts to answer the question What makes a life worth living?"
I love memoirs, I love sad reads, so this book sounds just like my cup of tea. If you have anything similar to recommend, I would very much appreciate it.
"The Killing Jar" by Jennifer Bosworth
Expected publication: January 12th 2016
Synopsis:
"“I try not to think about it, what I did to that boy.”
Seventeen-year-old Kenna Marsden has a secret.
She’s haunted by a violent tragedy she can’t explain. Kenna’s past has kept people—even her own mother—at a distance for years. Just when she finds a friend who loves her and life begins to improve, she’s plunged into a new nightmare. Her mom and twin sister are attacked, and the dark powers Kenna has struggled to suppress awaken with a vengeance."
Catchy title + Gorgeous cover + Interesting story = Adding this book to my TBR.
"The Forbidden Wish" by Jessica Khoury
Expected publication: February 23rd 2016
Synopsis:
"She is the most powerful Jinni of all. He is a boy from the streets. Their love will shake the world...
When Aladdin discovers Zahra's jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn't seen in hundreds of years -- a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes.
But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?"
I don't think I've read anything about Jinnis, so this book got me really intrigued. Plus, this is a retelling of Aladdin and I love the Disney animation.
"The Steep and Thorny Way" by Cat Winters
Expected publication: March 8th 2016
Synopsis:
"A thrilling reimagining of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, The Steep and Thorny Way tells the story of a murder most foul and the mighty power of love and acceptance in a state gone terribly rotten.
1920s Oregon is not a welcoming place for Hanalee Denney, the daughter of a white woman and an African-American man. She has almost no rights by law, and the Ku Klux Klan breeds fear and hatred in even Hanalee’s oldest friendships. Plus, her father, Hank Denney, died a year ago, hit by a drunk-driving teenager. Now her father’s killer is out of jail and back in town, and he claims that Hanalee’s father wasn’t killed by the accident at all but, instead, was poisoned by the doctor who looked after him—who happens to be Hanalee’s new stepfather.
The only way for Hanalee to get the answers she needs is to ask Hank himself, a “haint” wandering the roads at night."
I'm not a big fan of "Hamlet", bit this story sounds really interesting, so I would love to give it a try.
"Tell the Wind and Fire" by Sarah Rees Brennan
Expected publication: April 5th 2016
Synopsis:
"Tell the Wind & Fire is about a young girl called Lucie who lives in a New York very different from the New York we know: the city is torn between two very different kinds of magic, and Lucie’s own family was torn apart years ago by that conflict. Lucie wears magic rings and carries a burden of guilt she can’t share with anyone.
The light in her life is her sweetheart boyfriend Ethan, but it turns out Ethan has a secret too: a soulless doppelganger created by dark magic, who has to conceal the face identical to Ethan’s with a hood fastened by a collar nobody but a Light magician with magical rings can take off… and who introduces himself to both of them by, for reasons nobody can understand, saving Ethan’s life…"
Doppelgangers...
"Down With the Shine" by Kate Karyus Quinn
Expected publication: April 26th 2016
Synopsis:
"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 book sounds like a fun read with a fantasy touch, so I think I'll like it.
"Everland" by Wendy Spinale
Expected publication: April 26th 2016
Synopsis:
"Forget the story of Peter Pan you know. Because in Everland, the only way to grow up is to survive.
London has been destroyed in a blitz of bombs and disease. The only ones who have survived are children, among them Gwen Darling and her siblings, Joanna and Mikey. They spend their nights scavenging and their days avoiding the ruthless Marauders -- the German Army led by Captain Hanz Otto Oswald Kretschmer.
Unsure if the virus has spread past England's borders but desperate to leave, Captain Hook hunts for a cure, which he thinks can be found in one of the survivors. He and his Marauders stalk the streets snatching children for experimentation. None ever return. Until the day they grab Joanna. As Gwen sets out to save her, she meets a mysterious boy named Pete. Pete offers the assistance of his gang of Lost Boys and the fierce sharpshooter Bella, who have all been living in a city hidden underground. But in a place where help has a steep price and every promise is bound by blood, it will cost Gwen. And are she, Pete, the Lost Boys, and Bella enough to outsmart Captain Hook?"
Everyone who follows my blog may already know that I hate "Peter Pan". But Peter doesn't sound like a brat in this book, so fingers crossed...
"The Crown's Game" by Evelyn Skye
Expected publication: May 17th 2016
Synopsis:
"Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.
And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death."
This book sounds like the "Hunger Games" set in Russia. I haven't read anything set in this country before, so I'm really interested to find out what this book has in store for us.
"Age of Myth" by Michael J. Sullivan
Expected publication: June 28th 2016
Synopsis:
"What does it mean if the gods can be killed? The first novel in an epic new fantasy series for readers of Brent Weeks, Brandon Sanderson, Peter V. Brett, and Scott Lynch.
Set in the world of his popular series, the Riyria Revelations, The First Empire series unveils new truths for Sullivan’s long-time fans while providing a great entry point for new readers."
One passionate reader of Peter V. Brett right here! I'm sure I'll like this one.
"And I Darken" by Kiersten White
Expected publication: June 28th 2016
Synopsis:
"Ever since Lada Dragwlya and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.
Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, who’s expected to rule a nation, Radu feels that he’s made a true friend—and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her passion."
The synopsis got me so hooked. I hope this book will make it into my favorites list.
Some of the other books I'm excited about can be found in my Top Ten Tuesday: 2016 Debut Novels. I don't like repeating myself so you won't find any of that debut novels here.
Are you excited for any of these books? Share a link to your TTT in the comments and I'll be sure to check it out :)
Expected publication: January 12th 2016
Synopsis:
"A profoundly moving, exquisitely observed memoir by a young neurosurgeon faced with a terminal cancer diagnosis who attempts to answer the question What makes a life worth living?"
I love memoirs, I love sad reads, so this book sounds just like my cup of tea. If you have anything similar to recommend, I would very much appreciate it.
"The Killing Jar" by Jennifer Bosworth
Expected publication: January 12th 2016
Synopsis:
"“I try not to think about it, what I did to that boy.”
Seventeen-year-old Kenna Marsden has a secret.
She’s haunted by a violent tragedy she can’t explain. Kenna’s past has kept people—even her own mother—at a distance for years. Just when she finds a friend who loves her and life begins to improve, she’s plunged into a new nightmare. Her mom and twin sister are attacked, and the dark powers Kenna has struggled to suppress awaken with a vengeance."
Catchy title + Gorgeous cover + Interesting story = Adding this book to my TBR.
Expected publication: February 23rd 2016
Synopsis:
"She is the most powerful Jinni of all. He is a boy from the streets. Their love will shake the world...
When Aladdin discovers Zahra's jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn't seen in hundreds of years -- a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes.
But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?"
I don't think I've read anything about Jinnis, so this book got me really intrigued. Plus, this is a retelling of Aladdin and I love the Disney animation.
Expected publication: March 8th 2016
Synopsis:
"A thrilling reimagining of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, The Steep and Thorny Way tells the story of a murder most foul and the mighty power of love and acceptance in a state gone terribly rotten.
1920s Oregon is not a welcoming place for Hanalee Denney, the daughter of a white woman and an African-American man. She has almost no rights by law, and the Ku Klux Klan breeds fear and hatred in even Hanalee’s oldest friendships. Plus, her father, Hank Denney, died a year ago, hit by a drunk-driving teenager. Now her father’s killer is out of jail and back in town, and he claims that Hanalee’s father wasn’t killed by the accident at all but, instead, was poisoned by the doctor who looked after him—who happens to be Hanalee’s new stepfather.
The only way for Hanalee to get the answers she needs is to ask Hank himself, a “haint” wandering the roads at night."
I'm not a big fan of "Hamlet", bit this story sounds really interesting, so I would love to give it a try.
Expected publication: April 5th 2016
Synopsis:
"Tell the Wind & Fire is about a young girl called Lucie who lives in a New York very different from the New York we know: the city is torn between two very different kinds of magic, and Lucie’s own family was torn apart years ago by that conflict. Lucie wears magic rings and carries a burden of guilt she can’t share with anyone.
The light in her life is her sweetheart boyfriend Ethan, but it turns out Ethan has a secret too: a soulless doppelganger created by dark magic, who has to conceal the face identical to Ethan’s with a hood fastened by a collar nobody but a Light magician with magical rings can take off… and who introduces himself to both of them by, for reasons nobody can understand, saving Ethan’s life…"
Doppelgangers...
"Down With the Shine" by Kate Karyus Quinn
Expected publication: April 26th 2016
Synopsis:
"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 book sounds like a fun read with a fantasy touch, so I think I'll like it.
"Everland" by Wendy Spinale
Expected publication: April 26th 2016
Synopsis:
"Forget the story of Peter Pan you know. Because in Everland, the only way to grow up is to survive.
London has been destroyed in a blitz of bombs and disease. The only ones who have survived are children, among them Gwen Darling and her siblings, Joanna and Mikey. They spend their nights scavenging and their days avoiding the ruthless Marauders -- the German Army led by Captain Hanz Otto Oswald Kretschmer.
Unsure if the virus has spread past England's borders but desperate to leave, Captain Hook hunts for a cure, which he thinks can be found in one of the survivors. He and his Marauders stalk the streets snatching children for experimentation. None ever return. Until the day they grab Joanna. As Gwen sets out to save her, she meets a mysterious boy named Pete. Pete offers the assistance of his gang of Lost Boys and the fierce sharpshooter Bella, who have all been living in a city hidden underground. But in a place where help has a steep price and every promise is bound by blood, it will cost Gwen. And are she, Pete, the Lost Boys, and Bella enough to outsmart Captain Hook?"
Everyone who follows my blog may already know that I hate "Peter Pan". But Peter doesn't sound like a brat in this book, so fingers crossed...
Expected publication: May 17th 2016
Synopsis:
"Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.
And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death."
This book sounds like the "Hunger Games" set in Russia. I haven't read anything set in this country before, so I'm really interested to find out what this book has in store for us.
Expected publication: June 28th 2016
Synopsis:
"What does it mean if the gods can be killed? The first novel in an epic new fantasy series for readers of Brent Weeks, Brandon Sanderson, Peter V. Brett, and Scott Lynch.
Set in the world of his popular series, the Riyria Revelations, The First Empire series unveils new truths for Sullivan’s long-time fans while providing a great entry point for new readers."
One passionate reader of Peter V. Brett right here! I'm sure I'll like this one.
"And I Darken" by Kiersten White
Expected publication: June 28th 2016
Synopsis:
"Ever since Lada Dragwlya and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.
Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, who’s expected to rule a nation, Radu feels that he’s made a true friend—and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her passion."
The synopsis got me so hooked. I hope this book will make it into my favorites list.
Some of the other books I'm excited about can be found in my Top Ten Tuesday: 2016 Debut Novels. I don't like repeating myself so you won't find any of that debut novels here.
Are you excited for any of these books? Share a link to your TTT in the comments and I'll be sure to check it out :)
The Killing Jar sounds really intriguing! I've had to add that to my TBR! :-)
ReplyDeleteThe Crown's Game sounds so exciting, and it comes out on my birthday, so I might just self gift to myself (hah). Love your post!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great list - So many books I want to read! Age of Myth and The Crown's Game both look fantastic :D
ReplyDeleteMy TTT
I know right! The problem is that there are so many good books coming out next year, but I can't possibly buy them all :D
DeleteCat Winters has quickly become one of my favorites!
ReplyDeleteCheck out my TTT and my current giveaway.
I wish I lived in US or UK. So many giveaways missed because I don't live there :D
DeleteThe Crown's Game was on my list this week too!
ReplyDeleteMy TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2015/12/29/top-ten-tuesday-37/