Bookish Virginia

So, I’m turning this dusty old space into a reading/writing blog. I’ve become quite active as a bookstagrammer (check out my Instagram feed over on the sidebar and go give me a follow if you like) and I think it’d be fun to write longer book reviews and share some of the jumbled thoughts from my head about attempting to write a novel while working full-time and being a good wife/mom (is this an impossible dream?). Anyway, without further ado, I present to you my first post: a list of all the books coming out in 2018 over which I am already drooooooooooling. Are you looking forward to these books? Others? Let me know what I’ve missed so I can check it out!!

In chronological order (click on the picture of a book to go to its Goodreads page):

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Release Date: Jan 2, 2018

 

This book has already come out, and I even have an ARC of it that I won on a bookstagram giveaway. I read the first chapter–because I could not resist–when I received it, but I put it down so I could keep reading my current read. I cannot wait to get back to it, and I saw that Barnes & Noble has a beautiful special hardcover edition–I may just have to get that! This book already has gotten great reviews, and it’s by an author I haven’t read before but who also gets rave reviews from all my book nerd buddies, so I’m gonna trust them and just go for it. It’s about the fae, which is a topic I seem never to tire of.

Between the Blade and the Heart by Amanda Hocking
Release Date: Jan 2, 2018

Another one that is already out! I have always been fascinated by the concept of Valkyrie, but I have never read any fiction about them. This one sounds like it will be right up my alley, with a strong female character trying to solve a mystery about her mother and deal with moral qualms. Plus, there’s romance. Despite the fact that the description of said romance hints at a love triangle–one of my least favorite literary devices–I’m willing to give it a try. And look at that gorgeous cover. *wipes up drool*

White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht
Release Date: Jan 18, 2018

Okay, so I get newsletters in my inbox from Penguin’s VINTAGE collection, and they had a list of 2018 releases they were looking forward to, and oh my goodness, so many looked good. This is one of them. I admit, it is clearly going to be a festival of tears, so I probably will have to buy a whole crate of Kleenex from Amazon Prime Pantry before I even crack the book open. But it also sounds like an incredible story, and I love me some historical fiction, especially set in Asia and/or during World War II.  This checks so many boxes for me, so it’s a must-read. Check it out!

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
Release Date: Jan 30, 2018

I feel like I have seen this book everywhere on Goodreads and bookstagram, and it isn’t even out yet. That has to be a good sign! (Or they’ve put a lot of $$$ into marketing, I suppose–but I choose not to be so cynical.) I love how this storyline–a young girl returns to her grandmother’s creepy estate after her death, her mother disappears, and she has to solve the mystery of what happened–is a little creepy, a little fairytale-ish, and also still very much a young adult plot, including the main character having to befriend a classmate she’s not sure she likes. Add in the fact that there is an element of a book talking about books (the grandmother was a writer with a cult following), and it’s a recipe for a fun ride indeed. Can’t wait!

Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging by Afua Hirsch
Release Date: Feb 1, 2018

This is another one that I read about in the Penguin VINTAGE newsletter, but I had also seen a hint of it in another list somewhere (I wish I could remember where), and it sounds really interesting. Even though I’m not British, I am fascinated by issues of race, culture, and identity in British society (and comparing to the same issues in American society) and this just sounds like an incredible book on that issue. It’s the only non-fiction book on my list, but it’s a topic that is so near and dear to my heart. I cannot wait to read it.

Shadowsong by S. Jae Jones
Release Date: Feb 6, 2018

I read Wintersong, the first in this series, last year, and I absolutely devoured it, and went into a serious book hangover afterward. I was so relieved when I realized there was a sequel planned! I know this one was not everyone’s favorite, but I honestly loved it. I was so into the romance between Liesl and the Goblin King, and I loved the hazy, ethereal quality of so much of the setting. I am really intrigued to see where Jones takes this story next. And I think this one might win for my favorite cover of 2018 that I’ve seen so far. It’s just stunning. (Hmm, maybe I should have bought that Kleenex already to wipe up all this drool…)

Immortal Reign by Morgan Rhodes
Release Date: Feb 6, 2018

This is one of a couple dates in 2018 where I’m going to lose my little booknerd mind. I can’t believe these two books come out on the same day. How will I ever choose which to read first? Well, honestly, I have only read the first in the Falling Kingdoms series, and as this is the sixth in the series, I clearly will have a lot of reading to do in the second half of January to even get close to being ready to read this on its release date. But: I am going to try! If you like fantasy series with a bigger cast of characters and shifting points of view (think Game of Thrones young-adult-style), this series is for you. I loved the world-building in the first book, and the characters were wonderfully gray in that there were not clear “good guys” and “bad guys.” I can’t wait for the rest! And again—this cover is just incredible!

Stormcaster by Cinda Williams Chima
Release Date: April 3, 2018

This is yet another next-in-a-series release, and I can’t wait for it! I read Flamecaster and Shadowcaster, the first two in the series, last year. They were my first reads by this author and I was not disappointed! I love her unexpected plot twists and great character development. They are characters that I’d love to hang out with and have as friends, seriously! And she does such a good job with multiple, intricate plot lines that converge in unexpected and exciting ways. I don’t understand how this series hasn’t gotten more attention. I can’t wait for the latest installment to see what happens next. (How many times will I say that? I guess I just love series and when stories go on for a while before ending.)

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young
Release Date: April 24, 2018

A Viking book with a strong female main character? Sign me right on up for that! I love books that rely on the premise of a main character who *thinks* they know how the world is, only to slowly and dramatically have the veil before their eyes lifted and–usually hard–truths revealed for them. This sounds like that kind of book, but it also has the historical element of Vikings and the fun of battles. I am really intrigued by it, and am excited to read a new author. Check this one out!

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
Release Date: May 1, 2018

This novella is the first of THREE! books being published by Maas in 2018. Not bad for a pregnant lady, right? Seriously, I adore Maas and love both the Court and the Throne of Glass series, and I could not be happier that there will be new books in both series this year. This one is from the alternating points of view of Feyre and Rhysand, and as much as I love Feyre, can I just tell you how excited I am to get more of Rhysand’s snarky, delicious take on things. I just wish May 1 was here NOOOOOOOW!

Furyborn by Claire Legrand
Release Date: May 22, 2018

This one came as an ARC in a Fairyloot box at the end of 2017, and I haven’t turned to it yet, but based on flipping through it and the synopses/early reviews I’ve seen online, I have a really good feeling about it. The concept of a “cosmic war that spans millennia” just sounds really unique and I know I’m going to get sucked right in.

Rage by Cora Carmack
Release Date: June 5, 2018

I loved Roar. The main characters were intriguing to me, and I’m actually not so sure Rora ended up with the right guy, so I’ll be curious to see if my hunch is correct or if I’m just totally crazy. I think Carmack has done some interesting world-building here, and I love the idea of magical storms as the “enemy.” There are so many directions this story could go, and I think the sequel is going to be really fun to read. Can’t wait! And oh my goodness, the cover is so pretty. I am going to have fun with that one on bookstagram!

Smoke in the Sun by Renee Ahdieh
Release Date: June 5, 2018

Did you read Flame in the Mist? I actually haven’t read it yet, but it’s high (like in the top 10) on my TBR. I’ve heard so many good things about it, and I love that it’s set in another culture. I am so glad I have a few months to get it read before this, its sequel, comes out. But I’m including it on my anticipated list because I know I’m going to want to read it. Also, it’s another gorgeous cover.

Throne of Glass #7 by Sarah J. Maas
Release Date: Sept 4, 2018

To be honest with you, I still don’t quite know how I am expected to wait until freaking September for the rest of this story. It feels like forever and a half ago that we got Empire of Storms. I love me some Chaol, and I thought Tower of Dawn was everything I’d hoped for an more (I mean, Yrene and Sartaq are just fantastic characters), but Rowaelin is my number 1 OTP, and I have been *DYING* waiting for the rest of their story, not to mention all the totally amazing side characters in this series. I’m pretty sure that this is my favorite contemporary fantasy series, and so of course, this is my most anticipated book of 2018. Eeeep. Excuse me while I go take deep breaths and breathe into a paper bag. [I have no picture for this one because there is no cover yet…]