Friday, December 16, 2022

Most Anticipated Book Releases of 2023


One of my favorite times of year is when I get to wrap up one reading year and look ahead to the excitement of the next. I typically do a series of blog posts over the span of a few weeks around this time of year and this marks the third in that series and also one of my favorites.

Today I'm going to be discussing my most anticipated book releases for the new year. I'll be honest, I'm anticipating a lot of them. I have a document tracking book releases that includes dozens of titles over multiple years from authors and series I love, debuts I'm excited about, and series installments for books I already own. It'd be way too long to talk about them all, though, so I've narrowed it down to my top 10 releases for the new year (listed in chronological order).




Up first, we have my most anticipated book of 2023: City of Souls and Sinners by Kayla Edwards which releases on January 31st. This is the second book in the House of Devils series, just after City of Gods and Monsters, which was my favorite book of 2022. The first book was everything to me and was a reminder of why I love reading (you can also find my review here). I haven't stopped thinking about it since I finished it over the summer and I'm just grateful that the sequel is coming so soon at the beginning of the year. The author has been sharing snippets on her socials that have just got me so excited...plus it's going to be longer than the first! 




Following that on the same day we have The Ever Storms by Amanda Foody. This is the third book in the Wilderlore series, following The Accidental Apprentice and The Weeping Tide. Amanda Foody is a recent favorite in the past few years and I absolutely adored The Accidental Apprentice when I read it. Now, I haven't yet read the sequel like I thought I would have, but I'm still excited for the third book nonetheless. I plan on doing a reread of the first book and then diving into the sequels for a binge-a-thon. These books are middle grade adventure fantasy and feel just like a warm hug. 




And with another title releasing on the same day, we have Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare, the third and final book the The Last Hours trilogy set in the Shadowhunters world. I have heard nothing but good things about this trilogy and I've read every other Shadowhunters series thus far. The only reason I haven't read this one yet is because I've been waiting for this final book. Now that it's almost out, I can finally dive into these new books and meet an entirely new cast of characters while also revisiting some favorites. 




Up next, on February 14th, we have the new editions of the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. As many of you know, this is one of my favorite series. It's recently undergone a cover change with the new editions coming out in 2023. I am one of the minority who actually really like the new covers. Of course, I love and prefer the old covers but since I already own all of them I am happy to get new ones. Having read all the books, I can also see the symbolism behind each cover and I quite like them for that. It'll be a while before I actually buy all of them, though. 




Then, on February 28th, we have the first of three new exciting releases from Chloe Gong this year. This one, and the one I'm probably most excited about thus far, is Last Violent Call, a collection of two novellas set in the overall Secret Shanghai world (aka These Violent Delights and Foul Lady Fortune). It was recently revealed a few weeks ago what (and who) the novellas were about and I am beyond excited. Obviously I won't give spoilers here but let's just say that I am going to flip out when I finally have this in my hands. 




April 4th brings A Shadow Crown by Melissa Blair, the second book in the Halfling Saga following A Broken Blade. A Broken Blade was one of my favorite books of 2021 and was recently republished this year with a traditional publisher. The wait for the sequel has been agonizing but I am beyond excited that we finally have a date, a title, and a cover! This is a fantasy that I absolutely fell in love with and I am very much looking forward to seeing where the series goes. However, April still seems so far away. 




Up next on May 9th is A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand, the first book in her new Middlemist trilogy. I love Claire's writing and when this was announced I was beyond excited to read it. It's a New Adult fantasy romance trilogy and I am such a sucker for fantasy romance. I also trust Claire to make it a good story. Of course, I still have about six months to go until I can read it but that doesn't mean I'm any less excited. 




Then we have the second of Chloe Gong's 2023 releases I'm excited for: Immortal Longings, the first in her Flesh and False Gods trilogy, which is also her adult debut. This was inspired by Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra and Chloe is nothing if not a master at Shakespeare retellings. As I stated earlier, I love her Secret Shanghai books and while this one is not set in the same world, I'm very excited, especially to see how she does with making the leap into adult writing. 




August 29th brings Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao. This is the sequel to Iron Widow, which was one of my favorite books of 2021. I couldn't put it down and I flew through it. The ending absolutely shook me and I've been eagerly anticipating the sequel's arrival (I'd hoped 2022 but alas). It's still quite far away but I'm excited nonetheless (having a goal to look towards helps). 




And, finally, we have the second untitled Foul Lady Fortune book (or the fourth Secret Shanghai) by Chloe Gong. I loved Foul Lady Fortune when I read it and I very desperately need the sequel to come soon after the cliffhanger ending. I'm pretty sure it's the last book in the Secret Shanghai (at least that's been announced). I'm not sure I'm ready for the world to be done but I'm also excited to read it nonetheless. 



And, of course, here are some honorable mentions...
  • Realm Breaker #3 by Victoria Aveyard (I haven't read the first two but I'm hoping to binge them when the third book releases) 
  • A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon (I've loved everything by Samantha, even though I haven't read Priory yet)
  • The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty (I've been excited for this since it was announced as I loved her other trilogy)
  • A Soul of Ash and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout (This is Hawke's POV book and I'm definitely intrigued by it)
  • A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal (I enjoyed her other duology and I've been looking forward to this one since it was announced)
  • Crescent City #3 by Sarah J. Maas (This one is almost certainly coming in 2024 but if it does come in 2023, it would have made the #2 most anticipated release on this list) 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Wednesday, December 7, 2022

End of the Year Book Tag: 2022 Edition


We're almost to the end of 2023 which means it's time for my annual End of the Year Book Tag! I've been doing this tag every year for the last few years and it's always quite fun to do and then look back at in the new year. 



1. Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

This year I adopted a mentality of not finishing books if I wasn't feeling them. This wasn't DNF-ing as the majority I still plan to finish but I was basically giving books trial runs to see if I was in the right mood. There's definitely a handful that could work for this, but none that I plan on finishing before the end of the year. However, some honorable mentions for ones I hope to finish in 2023 are Queen of Volts by Amanda Foody and Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard.



2. Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

I'd like to read A Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna to end out autumn and then read A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone to enter into the winter/Christmas season.  I just feel like I've heard they're both cute and wholesome and that's pretty much what I need for the stress that is life right now. 



3. Is there a new release you're still waiting for?

There's a couple but one that really pops out is A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar. This is a sapphic heist story set on the Titanic and everything about that just sounds amazing to me. Plus, I loved the other book I read by Adiba so I have high hopes for this one. Plus, the cover is absolutely stunning! 



4. What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?

Apart from the two I mentioned earlier, I want to read The Song of the Marked by S.M. Gaither, The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen, and A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross. I don't know if I'll get to all of them but they're all on my current TBR list for the rest of the year. 



5. Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favorite book of the year?

Maybe The Song of the Marked or The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy. I also think any book has the potential to shock me but I don't know if any will top my current favorite of the year (City of Gods and Monsters). 



6. Have you already started making reading plans for 2023? 

Definitely. I'm 100% an overplanner and I have tentative TBRs through the end of the summer centered around book releases that are coming out. I also have a list of backlist series that I'd love to get through in 2023. Overall, I'm just also hoping that 2023 is a lot better of a reading year for me than the last two have been. 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Sunday, December 4, 2022

November 2022 Book Haul


While I only read three books in November, my book buying was a lot more impressive. I got nine books in total but a lot of them were ones I'd purchased previously. I also had a gift card. So the amount I actually spent was less than you'd expect. Either way, this is all just a way for me to feel better about having a bigger book haul this month. 



The first book I got was The Awakening by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti. It's the first book in the Zodiac Academy series that I've heard so much about. I got a gift card and decided to use part of it on this one as I've been wanting to read it for a long time. However, now that there's going to be a ninth book in 2023 instead of the series finishing in December, I'm not sure when I'll start it. I was planning on binging them all in one go but I may just start it now and take it slow. 

The second book I got with my gift card with The Song of the Marked by S.M. Gaither. This is the first book in a series I've heard a lot of good things about and has been at the top of my mental TBR for a while. I'm not sure when I'll read it, but I keep feeling the urge to start it soon so it may be before the end of the year or right at the start of 2023. Also, can we just talk about how gorgeous this cover is?

The next book I got was the Waterstones edition of The Atlas Paradox by Olivie Blake. I preordered this ages ago and I finally was able to pick it up from the bookstore this month. I must say, this edition is a lot better than their edition of the first book. I haven't yet read the first book (shame, I know) but I am excited to finally get to them hopefully in 2023 as I've heard overwhelmingly good things. 

Up next is the Waterstones edition of Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong, which I was supposed to get in September but got delayed due to system issues. I've already read this (over the summer, actually) and really enjoyed it. I didn't mind the delay because of this but it's nice to finally have this one on my shelf. I can't wait to see all my other editions I've ordered eventually next to each other. 

Then I had some time to kill at our local supermarket and, naturally, ended up in the book section. They had a deal going so I picked up a few books. The first book I got was A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone. This looks absolutely adorable and I have been meaning to get into some Christmas romcoms this year. It's on my tbr for December so we'll see if I actually get around to it. 

The second book I got was The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas. This is the sequel/spin-off to The Spanish Love Deception which is one of the most popular romcoms I've seen around. I have it (but haven't read it yet) but thought I'd go ahead and pick this one up too when it was so cheap. I can't decide if I want to read the first one first or just dive into this one since I have it with me.

The last book I got at the supermarket was Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton. It's an autobiography/memoir so a bit different than my usual genres but I'm excited about it nonetheless. It's rather short and I've heard good things online about it. Plus, it was really cheap at the supermarket so I was 100% suckered into it when trying to kill time.
Then I got my Waterstones edition of Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan. This is the sequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess, which I got earlier this year. I've not yet read it as I've been waiting for the sequel to drop but I've heard good things. Plus, all of the editions for this duology are absolutely stunning. This one on the shelf next to the first book is so beautiful and I can't wait to see if the story is as beautiful inside. 
The last book I got in November was Fairyloot edition of The Dragon's Promise by Elizabeth Lim. I had the Fairyloot edition of the first book and I've been very much looking forward to this matching edition arriving. I am hoping to do a read of these soon, as I'm feeling very into duologies lately since they're such a short commitment. These editions are also some of the most beautiful books I own and I can't wait to have a shelf just full of stunning books like these. 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Friday, December 2, 2022

November 2022 Wrap-Up


Well, I can't say November was exactly the reading month I had planned. I definitely thought I'd get through a lot more than I did, but life and stress got in the way. I read a total of three books this month and they were all rereads of a series I used to be obsessed with as a child. I must say...they're a lot darker than I remember. Hopefully December will be a better reading month for me, though. 


1. 
Title: Into the Wild
Author: Erin Hunter
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
-reread-

2.
Title: Fire and Ice
Author: Erin Hunter
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
-reread-

3. 
Title: Forest of Secrets
Author: Erin Hunter 
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
-reread-





Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Sunday, November 6, 2022

October 2022 Wrap-Up + Haul


Well, October was another underwhelming reading month. I had hoped to read a bunch of spooky books, get through some newly hauled books, and just have a better reading month than September. However, I only read a single book again. I struggled a lot with reading due to our current living/working/commuting situation. However, I've already read two books in November so I'm hopeful this upcoming month will be a turning point in my reading year. Who knows, maybe I'll get quite a bit more in before the year is concluded. 

I also only hauled four books this month, which was good for my bank account and I honestly was too stressed to think about buying books. I am really excited about all of the books that I got this month, though, and can't wait to talk about them. 


1. 
Title: A Lair of Bones
Author: Helen Scheuerer 
Rating: 4 // 5 stars 
Review TK




The first book that I got this month was my Fairyloot edition of The Blood Traitor by Lynette Noni. I ordered this all the way back in April (and was lucky enough to snag a matching stenciled edge) and it finally shipped! I knew it wasn't going to ship until around this time but the wait was still quite long. Now that I finally have my copy of the third book in this trilogy, though, I can binge read it all at once! 

Then I picked up The River of Silver by S.A. Chakraborty. This is a collection of stories that is a companion to the Daevabad trilogy. The stories are set before, during, and after the trilogy (I think) and I'm so excited to give these a go on my next read through. I love this world so having more time with characters I love is going to be quite exciting, I think. 

The third book I got was my Illumicrate edition of The Atlas Paradox by Olivie Blake. This is the sequel to The Atlas Six (which I've still not read) and is absolutely stunning. I love the edges and that it has a completely redesigned cover. I can't wait to put it on the shelf with the first book and see how they look together. Hopefully I'll also enjoy reading them. 

The last book I got in October was my Fairyloot edition of These Twisted Bonds by Lexi Ryan. I ordered this even farther back in February and was lucky enough to snag the stenciled edge version and have no issues with the shipping. This is absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to finally finish this duology now that I have this. It came out during the summer but wasn't scheduled to ship until now so I'm just glad the wait is finally over for it.  



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Wednesday, October 5, 2022

Unboxing: Fairyloot's "Farewell My Love" (September 2022)


Another month, another Fairyloot. From the moment they announced this box, I was excited for it. It shipped quite early this month, which was a real treat, and I was so excited when it arrived. They announced there would be a blanket in this box, as well as the last trinket dish in their collectible series. Additionally, this is the first month of there only being four items instead of five. To be honest, I didn't really notice. Between the bigger, high quality items, tarot cards, extra prints and bookmarks, and the book, I think we still get a lot for our money. I really liked this box (it was one of their better ones I've gotten recently) so let's just dive in! 



The first item was a set of botanic themed coasters designed by @stellabookishart. These are quite pretty and I do think they're a useful item. I like that they're fandom neutral as I can definitely use them around our home. However, I am not quite sure when I'll get use out of them as I have a lot of coasters but not enough space to need that many just yet. 

Up next was the final trinket dish in the collectible series designed by @arz28. This one features Cardan from The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. These dishes are gorgeous but I'm not sure if I'll get much use out of them. I have other trinket dishes but I tend to prefer covered storage to prevent dust on things. Also, I've not read any of the books that are featured with the trinket dishes, though all are on my TBR. In that, maybe on day I'll be able to display these on bookshelves when my stuff is out of storage but for now these will stay boxed away with other book merch. 

Then there was a tea tin inspired by this month's book, Belladonna by Adalyn Grace, that was designed by @chattynora. It is another beautiful tea tin that Fairyloot seems to really enjoy including in their boxes. I think this is the fourth tea tin I own from them now? They're pretty cute and I like that they have lids so I can keep dust out of things. I think I'll store various bookish merch items in them or I might even use them for stationary stuff. 

The last full item was a blanket designed by @afterblossom_art inspired by Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim. This and the book of the month were the main reasons that I got this box. I've gotten Fairyloot blankets in the past and I was quite excited. I haven't yet unrolled this fully as we're in the process of moving, but I've seen pictures of it online and it's beautiful. Plus, it's super soft and fluffy. It'll definitely come in handy this winter when it's too expensive to turn on our heating. 

The tarot cards this month were also themed after this month's book, Belladonna. We have Signa as The Hanged Man and Death as the Death card. These, like usual, are beautiful. I'm actually really enjoying collecting the tarot cards this time around. I say this every month but I really like that the tarot cards are themed after books they include in their boxes.  

This month's book was Belladonna. It came with an exclusive cover, stencil sprayed edges, artwork printed on the hardcover designed by @taratjah, artwork on the endpages by @monolimeart, and was signed. I've read books by Adalyn Grace and really enjoyed them, so I was definitely looking forward to her newest book. I was quite excited that it was going to be in this box and this edition is stunning. I much prefer this darker, purple themed edition over the standard UK edition. Plus, the edges are stunning. The art print was designed by @kudriaken. 






Overall, I loved this box. I think Fairyloot have really upped their game the last couple years and I've enjoyed all their boxes since I resubscribed last December. I will be skipping all subscriptions in October, as I will be in the process of moving, but I am eagerly looking forward to my next box in the future (hopefully November). I think my favorite items were the blanket and the book for sure. 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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