author: becky chambers

Upcoming Releases: Summer 2022

As a mainly-sff reader, summer isn’t usually the most exciting month for me in terms of new releases… but over the last couple of years I’ve been getting more and more into romance (and learning more about what I like in romance novels), and summer is absolutely an exciting season for romance releases! 💕 So here’s what I’m most looking forward to in June, July & August:

[All dates are taken from Goodreads unless stated otherwise, and are correct as of 5/6/2022.]

For the Throne by Hannah Whitten (9th June)

First up is the sequel to For the Wolf, a Beauty & the Beast-esque fantasy that I read & loved last year, in which Red, the second princess of Valleyda, is sacrificed to the Wolf of the Wilderwood by her people, in hopes that he will return their gods to them. For the Throne carries on from For the Wolf‘s dramatic ending, but will, I presume, have more of a focus on Red’s sister Neve – who was my favourite character in the last book, so I’m definitely looking forward to seeing more of her! 😆 (Side-note: I pre-ordered this in the Orbit sale last month and my copy shipped early! I’m not going to have the chance to read it straight away, but it’s pretty cool to have it in my hands already!) Excitement level: 8/10

Infamous by Lex Croucher (21st July)

Croucher’s second novel – though unrelated to the first – is another Regency-era rom-com, from the sounds of it, and I’m absolutely dying to get my hands on it. Reputation was one of my favourite books of last year, and if Infamous has even half the charm and wit, I’m sure to love it, too! 💕 Featuring (as far as I can tell): childhood sweethearts who are growing apart, and an artists’ retreat at a gothic estate. Excitement level: 9/10

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood (23rd August)

A new science-y romance from the author of The Love Hypothesis (which I only just read, and didn’t expect to love nearly as much as I did), featuring two college rivals who end up co-leading a project together at NASA. I’m not sure if its fandom history helped or hindered my enjoyment of The Love Hypothesis, but I’m looking forward to finding out! ☺️ … & Ali Hazelwood seems to be on a roll this summer, as two of her STEMinist novellas will also be getting physical releases soon: Stuck with You (7th June) and Below Zero (5th July)!   Excitement level: 7/10

Honourable Mentions:

  • The Martyr by Anthony Ryan (28th June) – the sequel to The Pariah, which I haven’t read but am very excited for.
  • A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers (12th July) – the second in the Monk and Robot novella series.
  • Husband Material by Alexis Hall (2nd August) – the sequel to Boyfriend Material.
  • Vampire Hunter D: Omnibus 2 by Hideyuki Kikuchi (31st August) – a bind-up of books 4 to 6 in the futuristic horror series, Vampire Hunter D.

November & December Wrap-Up

It feels weird to still be talking about 2020 so far into January, but alas, I’ve been very slow to collect my thoughts on my November and December reads… which weren’t numerous, I’m afraid (I hit a bit of a reading slump at the beginning of December), but made up for the quantity with pure quality! For although I only read 13 things, 5 of them were 5-stars! Which is more than half my 5-star reads for the whole year (excepting re-reads)! 😅

BOOKS I REVIEWED

[REVIEW]

[REVIEW]

[REVIEW]

OTHER BOOKS I READ

The Promise by Gene Luen Yang. [COMIC; Illustrated by Gurihiru]

A continuation of the Avatar: The Last Airbender TV series, in which Aang and Zuko’s friendship is tested by their different hopes for the future of the former Fire Nation colonies – particularly in the case of Yu Dao, which has existed for so long that its Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom residents have come to consider themselves a single people.

To be honest I love this world and these characters so much that Yang could have written basically anything and it would’ve pleased me, but this story surpassed all my expectations! 😁 I loved seeing Zuko continued to develop as a character even after achieving his goals, and his friendship with Aang and the pressure it came under here were perfectly characterised. And the side-story with Toph’s earthbending school nicely offset the more serious themes of the complexities of decolonisation…

Ravensong by T.J. Klune.

The sequel to Wolfsong, but this time following Gordo, his history with the Bennet pack, and how it’s changed over the years, and how it’s changed him. Gordo was my favourite character in Wolfsong, so it’s no surprise that I was excited for this book, but sadly I didn’t think it was quite as good. I still love Gordo, of course, and I found his backstory really heart-wrenching; the plot was also very solid, and continued on where Wolfsong left off, but I didn’t think the romance was quite as well-developed, and I didn’t manage to form much of an attachment to Mark beyond what rolled over from the last book… The best parts of this for me were probably the flashbacks, but I’m also looking forward to seeing where the plot goes in Heartsong.

A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole.

Emma Troy’s search for the truth about her late parents is interrupted by the sudden appearance of a powerful, half-crazed Lykae, furious with her for no apparent reason; Lachlain, meanwhile, finds the strength to break free of his ancient prison when he catches the scent of his destined mate… but he doesn’t expect her to be a vampire.

This was a fun, and pretty addictive read, but I found myself growing a little bored towards the end, and looking back, I’m finding it kind of difficult to remember the details… The good: Emma I liked well enough; she and Lachlain had decent chemistry; the steamy scenes were a good level of steamy. The less good: I didn’t care about much of the Valkyrie or Lykae lore, which was what this book mostly focused on, worldbuilding-wise; I find phonetically-written Scottish accents more comical than sexy, and the old-fashioned slang didn’t help with that; and I found the side characters beyond the main couple all kind of boring. Also, trigger warnings for kidnapping and dubious (at least) consent, and probably other things that I can’t think of right now…

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare.

The final book in the Mortal Instruments series, in which Clary & friends face off against the seemingly-unbeatable Sebastian and his growing army of Endarkened for the last time. As always, Clare delivered a pretty epic conclusion here, but although I really enjoyed it, I still kind of agree with the people who say that this second trilogy didn’t need to exist… The first half of this book, in particular, was a real slog (as were the two preceding novels), but I do feel like the ending made up for most of it. I’m mainly still in the Shadowhunter universe for the Infernal Devices cameos, which were finally delivered in this book (that epilogue was perfect), and other good things were: 1) Sebastian is still a really great, thoroughly hate-able villain, and 2) I’m glad that all the romances ended out well (kind of).

The Toll  by Neal Shusterman. [AUDIOBOOK; Narrator: Greg Tremblay]

Three years after the events of Thunderhead, Citra and Rowan wake to find themselves separated once again, each playing pieces for different sides of the Scythedom’s ideological split, and the world utterly changed. A great end to a great trilogy! I found the ending really satisfying, as well as the journey to get there – though, like in Thunderhead, I wish that there had been more interaction between Citra and Rowan. 😅 Some of the highlights for me were Citra’s search through the backbrain, the bits of worldbuilding we got via the chapter intros (especially all the Tonist analysis), and Grayson’s relationships with Jeri, Morrigan, and of course the Thunderhead itself… And while it wasn’t at any point as great as Thunderhead‘s most exciting moments, I found that it was much more consistently good the whole way through.

The Search by Gene Luen Yang. [COMIC; Illustrated by Gurihiru]

After the events of The Promise, Zuko finds a letter that may contain a new hint as to his mother’s location, and he sets out with the rest of Team Avatar to track her down – with a volatile Azula along for the ride! Of all the Avatar comics, this was definitely the one I was looking forward to the most, as the fate of Zuko’s mother is one of the biggest mysteries that the TV series left hanging… and it absolutely didn’t disappoint! I loved the tense interactions between Zuko and Azula, and the flashbacks to their childhood; the search itself takes a really interesting path; and the eventual reveal of Ursa’s fate was surprising and emotional… I’m really looking forward to reading more of these comics when my copy of The Rift, Volume 1 finally arrives! 😅

A Closed & Common Orbit by Becky Chambers.

Now stuck in an artifical body that she never asked for, Lovelace (now called Sidra) searches for a sense of purpose and self. Meanwhile, the young Jane 23 tries to make a life for herself outside the scrap-sorting facility that’s all she’s ever known.

I loved this so much. Becky Chambers’ books have always been great, but I this is my favourite thing she’s written by far; the characterisation is just so thoughtful (I’m not sure how else to describe it, but of course the security-AI would prefer to stand in the corner, it makes so much sense)! Naturally I loved Sidra (I’m a sucker for a good, multi-faceted AI character), but Pepper’s backstory was also incredibly touching. And the plot was basically perfect, too. There’s not much of it – the book is almost entirely character- (and relationship-) driven – but it blends the two timelines together wonderfully, and makes for a natural and gratifying conclusion to both Pepper and Sidra’s character arcs.

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone. [AUDIOBOOK; Narrators: Emily Woo Zeller & Cynthia Farrell]

In a war that spans all of time, two rival agents send each other letters, and slowly fall in love. This is very poetically written, and I can see why it’s such a hit-or-miss book for a lot of people, but I really loved the vivid imagery, and I think this may have been my favourite book of last year. (If not, it definitely came close.) The romance was slow-building and it was wonderful to see it develop so gradually, and although there’s not much else of plot in this story, it was interesting to see the small, often arbitrary-seeming actions that Red and Blue took in order to shift the timeline.

A lot of the reviews I’ve seen for the audiobook in particular say that the two perspectives aren’t distinct enough, but I never found that a problem myself, and I think that the narrators both performed excellently.

The Novice by Taran Matharu.

And we go from an incredibly unique book to an incredibly boring one. The Novice follows a young orphan called Fletcher who accidentally summons himself a demon familiar, and must then attend a fancy magical school, where he’s out of place because of his common background, and the unorthodox way that he bonded with his demon. I liked the concept of a demon-summoning school, at least, and the three-way war between humans, orcs and elves made for a potentially intriguing storyline, especially as the series goes on… But! The characters were so awful. 😑

The villains were all comically evil, actual-enemy-of-the-nation and petty bullies alike – and Fletcher! Fletcher was the most annoying protagonist I’ve had the displeasure of reading about in a while. He’s the most open-minded person in the book, uniqely capable of accepting people for who they are; he’s the most un-racist human you’ll ever meet, able to convert the most stubborn or bigots with one encounter; he’s not naturally talented at all and has to work really hard for his skill, we’re told, even as we’re shown the exact opposite; and he’s so eloquent that he must have his own personal speech-writer following him around, scripting everything he says. Seriously, it’s not even as though he doesn’t talk like a teenager – it’s that he doesn’t talk like a person.

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff.

Thankfully, though, I was able to end the year on a high note with Nevernight, which tells the story of another orphan – Mia Corvere – who swears revenge on the men who ruined her family, and heads off to join the Red Church – an organisation of deadly assassins – in order to learn the skills she needs. Dark, witty, frequently edgy and over-the-top (which I love… sometimes), with well-developed and surprisingly likeable (for murderers) characters, and a plotline that kept me on the edge of my seat – with some truly shocking twists (though admittedly, some of them I was probably more shocked by than I should’ve been). I was given the sequel to this for Christmas, and I can’t wait to get to it as soon as my new TBR game allows… 😅🤞

 

2020 in Review: Highlights

🎉 Happy New Year’s Eve, all! 🎉 Once again, the year is at an end and so everyone has to pick a favourite book (or several)! And, once again, I can’t do it. 😓 So these are some of the highlights of my reading year, rather than a top 10, and it’ll definitely include some 4-star reads as well as the usual 5-stars:

Starting with my most recent read, which was Nevernight by Jay Kristoff! I feel as though I haven’t read as much really great fantasy this year as I usually do, so I was delighted to end 2020 on such a high point! Super-edgy, with a witty narrative, a really memorable cast of characters, and a plot that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through; this book was everything I wanted it to be, and more. 🤩

However! To me, the most notable thing about my reading this year is just how much re-reading I’ve done; with my book-buying ban finally starting to cut my physical TBR down to a less anxiety-inducing size, I’ve felt a lot more comfortable with re-reading old favourites rather than always reaching for something new, and it’s been wonderful to revisit worlds that I haven’t been to in ages! I’ve discovered a new appreciation for Tamora Pierce’s Circle of Magic series (which I already thought very highly of), and I loved Tim Curry’s reading of the original Old Kingdom trilogy, which I listened to in order to prepare to finally read the more recent entries in the series. And although Twilight has never been and will never be my favourite series, my chapter-by-chapter re-read of the first two books along with the Twilight in Quarantine podcast kept me sane through the first bout of lockdown-and-return-to-work; I’m very much hoping that book three will do the same for this most recent one… 🤞

Besides re-reads, another thing I’ve read a surprising amount of this year is science fiction! I don’t know how the numbers would hold up compared to genres like fantasy, or even romance, but so many of the sci-fi stories I’ve read this year have been truly fantastic. Notable among them were Becky Chambers’ A Closed & Common Orbit, a book which not only lived up to my sky-high expectations, but actually managed to surpass them; and Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee, who may well be one of my favourite new(-to-me) authors… I’ve yet to finish up his Machineries of Empire trilogy, but I got a collection of his short stories for Christmas, and I’m dying to make a start on it, even though traditionally I don’t like short fiction that much.

And! On the subject of sci-fi short stories, I also really, really loved This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone. Was it my favourite book of the year? … Maybe? I’m not entirely sure, to be honest, but if not, it definitely comes close. The writing and imagery were absolutely beautiful, the story itself was unlike anything I’ve read before, and the audiobook – which was how I consumed this story –  was expertly narrated by Emily Woo Zeller & Cynthia Farrell.

And finally, the last book I want to mention is I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman, which was a surprise favourite early on in the year. I won’t say much about it here, since I talked about it already in my Mid-Year Book Freakout post, but it’s definitely stuck with me, despite all the other really great books I’ve read since. 😁

Upcoming Releases: Winter 2020-21

As we all know, basically everything is delayed at the moment, so it’s no surprise that I haven’t put together a particularly long list of exciting winter releases… but there are still a few things worth taking note of! So here are my most-anticipated for December, January & February:

[All dates are taken from Amazon UK unless stated otherwise, and are correct as of 20/11/2020.]

A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir (10th December)

The fourth and final instalment in the An Ember in the Ashes series, which I haven’t looked too much into since I still haven’t got around to reading book three… 😓 I absolutely loved the first two books, though, so hopefully I’ll have a chance to catch up on the series sometime soon! I’m hoping (but not holding my breath) for a reasonably happy ending for all our main characters (except Marcus, who I guess kind of has main character status by now). Excitement level: 6/10

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas (16th February)

The first in a new set of A Court of Thorns & Roses novels, following side characters from the main trilogy… In this case, Nesta and Cassian, who had a rather fiery relationship in the previous books, but are now presumably going to (eventually) admit their feelings for one another? A Court of Wings & Ruin ended this series’ main plotline pretty definitively, so I’m intrigued to see what Maas is going to do with these next three books (other than romance, of course), though admittedly Nesta is my least favourite of ACoTaR‘s extended cast… Excitement level: 4/10

The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers (18th February)

The newest entry in the Wayfarers series! Like with An Ember in the Ashes, I’m not up to date on this series at all (at the time of writing I’m halfway through book two), but I figure it doesn’t matter quite so much in this case, as they’re companion novels rather than a continuous series… This book looks like it’s going to follow three stranded strangers as they come to know and care for one another. I don’t know much else about it, but I’m expecting something quiet and thoughtful and character-driven. And I’ve also heard that this will be the last of the Wayfarers books, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that that’s a lie. 🤞 Excitement level: 8/10

Honourable Mentions:

  • Deadly Dreams by K.J. Sutton (1st December) – the third book in the Fortuna Sworn series; a dark fae romance.
  • Dune: The Graphic Novel, Book 1 by Frank Herbert, Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson (10th December) – an adaptation of the classic sci-fi novel.
  • Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Rift by Gene Luen Yang (25th February) – a bind-up of the three volumes of this storyline, now in paperback.

Mid-Year Book Freakout, 2020 edition

Though lockdown’s been pretty awful in most ways, it’s been great for my reading! I’m 13 books ahead of schedule on my Goodreads challenge, I’ve read almost my entire 2020 bucket list, and I’ve filled in all but one square on my book bingo challenge, making for 10 of a potential 12 bingos so far! 🎊 And the things that I’ve read have mostly been pretty great, too. 😊 That said, though, here are some of the highs and lows of this strange year so far, in handy tag form:

1) What’s the best book you’ve read so far in 2020?

Much to my surprise, it was I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman! Though I had very high expectations for this book when I bought it, I’ve had such terrible luck with contemporaries since then that I was very nervous about picking it up… but it turned out really great! 😁 The writing was noticeably improved from Oseman’s last book, the characters and relationships were all beautiful, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. 💕 (I was also tempted to pick the illustrated edition of Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban for this, which I read for the first time earlier this year and loved, but it’s only kind of a new-to-me book, so I don’t really feel that it qualifies…)

2) What’s the best sequel you’ve read so far in 2020?

That would be Assassin’s Quest by Robin Hobb, which was the finale to the Farseer Trilogy; it kept me absolutely hooked the whole way through, and ended on such a perfect note! Royal Assassin, the second book in the series, was also a contender, but although the highs of that book were very high indeed, the lows were correspondingly low, and the middle section of the book dragged a lot…

3) What’s a new release that you haven’t read yet, but want to?

Loveless by Alice Oseman was just released a few days ago, and I’m eager to get my hands on it! My experience with I Was Born for This has set my expectations sky-high, so hopefully I won’t be disappointed. 🤞

4) What’s your most anticipated release for the second half of the year?

If I’d tried to do this tag a few days earlier I’d have had no idea how to answer this question, as, to be honest, I haven’t really been keeping track of new releases this year, but luckily Serpentine by Philip Pullman just got announced! And while it’s not the next volume of The Book of Dust, I’ve loved all of the His Dark Materials short stories so far, and am very much hyped. 😁

5) What’s your biggest disappointment of the year?

Probably The Princess & the Captain by Anne-Laure Bondoux, which I had had a really good feeling about for a really long time (and for no real reason whatsoever). It isn’t the worst book I’ve read this year by a long shot, but none of the other books I’ve rated low this year – most recently The King’s General and Rainforest – were ones that I had any real expectations for, so “disappointment” isn’t really the right word for them… 😑

6) And the biggest surprise?

This one’s a repeat: I Was Born for This! And I’ve already mentioned the reason why, as well, but in case you skipped it, I’ve been slowly going off contemporary novels for a while now – and it might just be that I’m picking the wrong ones, but I have a feeling otherwise. ☹️ It’s good to know, however, that there are still exceptions to my general reading taste! 👍

7) Do you have a new favourite author?

I wouldn’t call her a favourite exactly, but I finally decided to pick up a Georgette Heyer book a little while ago, and have purchased a couple more since. While her books aren’t something I’d want to be reading all the time, Arabella was the perfect pick for the moment in which I read it, and I’m hoping that I’ll feel similarly about the other ones I’ve bought… For those unfamiliar with her work, Heyer wrote regency romances (and detective novels, which I’m less interested in) in the 60s and 70s.

8) Or a new fictional crush?

I’ve got nothing for you here, I’m afraid.

9) Who’s your newest favourite character?

This was a tricky one, too, as most of the characters I’ve come across this year that I loved were ones that I loved already (for instance Fitz from the Farseer trilogy, or Nick and Lirael from the Old Kingdom series), but I decided to go for Cassandra Cain from Sarah Kuhn’s Shadow of the Batgirl (illustrated by Nicole Goux). While I first read about Cass years ago in the 2000-2009 runs of Batgirl, Kuhn’s interpretation of her is quite different, and utterly endearing. 💕

10) What book made you cry?

No book has made me properly cry in a very long time, but Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb was an incredibly emotional journey.

11) What book made you happy?

I debated a few books for this question (& Arabella and An Enchantment of Ravens were the closest competitors), but in the end I just had to pick Goldenhand by Garth Nix, which is nowhere near as good as the previous books in this series story-wise, but had so many great character moments – and made my favourite ship canon! ⚓️

12) What’s the most beautiful book you’ve bought (or been given) this year?

That would be Glass Town by Isabel Greenberg, which I bought as a present for myself not long before lockdown started. Greenberg is probably my favourite comic book author/artist, and this story, inspired by the early writings of the Brontës, is absolutely gorgeous – and a great read, too!

13) What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

Well, I’ve been pretty pro-active with my 2020 bucket list (especially when compared to the ones I made for the last couple of years), but the two on it that I have yet to read are A Closed & Common Orbit by Becky Chambers – the second book in the Wayfarers series – and The Nightjar by Deborah Hewitt, which I put on the list for very predictable reasons. 😅 But other than that, I’d like to continue on with Robin Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings series, the next of which is Ship of Magic, and it’d be nice to finish up The Books of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin this year as well – and since I only have a few short stories left of it, that shouldn’t be too much of a struggle. 😊

[Tag’s original creators: Earl Grey Books & ReadLikeWildfire.]

Upcoming Releases: Summer 2019

As far as I’m concerned, most of 2019’s most exciting releases were stacked near the beginning of the year (not that I’ve had a chance to read many of them yet), but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still things to look forward to! Most of these aren’t things I’ll be rushing to buy as soon as they come out, but here’s what I’ll be looking out for in June, July & August this year:

[All dates are taken from Amazon UK unless stated otherwise, and are correct as of 31/5/2019.]

The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen (4th June)

A contemporary about a teenager called Emma who’s spending the summer reconnecting with her mother’s estranged family. I’m expecting self-discovery, a cute romance with childhood-friend Roo, and a heartwarming (or heartbreaking, or maybe even both) storyline… Contemporaries (and YA contemporaries in particular) have become less and less my thing over the last couple of years, but Sarah Dessen (almost) always manages to get to me, so I’m looking forward to reading this sometime this summer. 💕 Excitement level: 7/10

Blastaway by Melissa Landers (11th July)

A sci-fi adventure featuring an accidental runaway, a girl who blows up asteroids for a living, and trouble with space pirates! I was burned by Landers’ last sci-fi novel (Starfall, sequel to the amazing Starflight), so I’m feeling a little cautious about this one, but it sounds like a lot of fun regardless. Excitement level: 5/10

To Be Taught, if Fortunate by Becky Chambers (8th August)

A standalone novella from the author of The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet set in a future where humans have developed the technology to adjust their bodies to survive in deep space, and main character Ariadne is on a mission to investigate distant planets for signs of life… From the sounds of it, this is going to be a pretty introspective story, exploring the isolation of space travel, and, of course, space itself – all of which were things I loved about The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. So I’m feeling pretty hopeful! 😊 Excitement level: 7/10

Honourable Mentions:

Upcoming Releases: Spring 2019

While the winter months provided a veritable feast of books that I wanted very much to get my hands on, there weren’t many obvious choices for my spring list. On the other hand, there are quite a few books coming out in the next few months that bear looking out for, for one reason or another. So, here are my most anticipated releases of March, April & May:

[All dates are taken from Amazon UK unless stated otherwise, and are correct as of 24/2/2019.]

World Book Day books! (7th March)

World Book Day this year will be on 7th March, and, as usual, ten short stories will be released to coincide with it – though, from the website, it looks as though they’ll actually be available a little in advance, from 28th February. Check out the link above for an overview of all ten books, but the ones I’ll be picking up will be Percy Jackson and the Singer of Apollo by Rick Riordan, Everdark by Abi Elphinstone, Snap by Patrice Lawrence, and Nought Forever by Malorie Blackman. Excitement level: 6/10

The Near Witch by V.E. Schwab (12th March)

The story of a girl called Lexi, and a strange boy who comes to her town just as children begin to go missing in the night. This was actually Victoria Schwab’s debut novel, but it’s being re-released since it’s been out of print for quite a while (and undoubtedly due to the huge success of her more recent Villains and Shades of Magic series). It looks like it’s going to be a spooky, atmospheric read, so I may well try picking it up a little later in the year (perhaps around October! 😉). Excitement level: 6/10

Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan (18th April)

I’ve been wanting to read something by Ian McEwan for a while now, but in a very remote, non-urgent way, and have always assumed that Atonement would be the one I’d gravitate towards… until I stumbled across this book, and realised that it would be focusing on (amongst other things, I’m sure) the question of what makes humans human and artificial intelligence not, which fascinates me. Story-wise, what I know is that it’s set in an alternative 1980s London, and tells the story of a couple that purchase one of the first synthetic humans and program his personality, leading to an ethically-questionable love triangle. Excitement level: 8/10

Honourable Mentions:

  • Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers (in paperback; 7th March) – the third book in the Wayfarers series*
  • Season of Storms by Andrzej Sapkowski (in English; 7th March) – a prequel to the Witcher series**
  • The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang (2nd May) – the sequel to The Poppy War
  • Queenslayer by Sebastien de Castell (2nd May) – the fifth book in the Spellslinger series

*I talked about Record of a Spaceborn Few in my Summer 2018 post, when it had its original hardback release.
**I also talked about Season of Storms in my Spring 2018 post, but it was either delayed, or I managed to misread the date… 😓

Upcoming Releases: Summer 2018

Let me tell you, this list was a hard one to put together. When I started writing, I had no idea how I was going to write a whole post about just two books, but the more I looked into what was actually coming out this summer, the more I realised that the actual problem was how to narrow the list down to a manageable length… 😓 The next few months are going to be crazy for new releases, and I’ve barely scratched the surface here (in particular, there were a tonne of sequels that I left off because I’m not caught up on their series, and I had to draw the line somewhere). And of the ones I have mentioned, two are going to be released on my birthday! (No prizes for guessing which, because it’s obvious.) So without further ado, here are the most exciting things coming out in June, July & August.

[All dates are taken from Amazon UK unless stated otherwise, and are correct as of 06/06/2018.]

Night Flights by Philip Reeve (5th July)

A set of three short stories set in the Hungry City Chronicles universe, focusing on Anna Fang, an interesting side character from the original trilogy. To be honest, it’s been so long since I read any of the Hungry City books that I don’t remember all that much about Anna, but I’d be excited to read anything he deemed to write for this universe… 😅 I’m so glad that the world in general seems to be realising how amazing this series is – and if you haven’t seen either of these amazing trailers for Mortal Engines, then what are you waiting for?! Excitement level: 7/10

Bright We Burn by Kiersten White (5th July)

The third and final book in The Conqueror’s Saga, which explores the life of Vlad the Impaler, had he been born a girl. Starting this series is one of the best book-related decisions I’ve made in the last few years, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how it’s all going to wrap up (though it’s also sad to think that it’ll soon be over). Lada is such an excellent, bloodthirsty anti-heroine, and her brother Radu (the story’s second protagonist) pulls at all my heartstrings (I just want him to be happy! Is that too much to hope for? 😭)… Whatever direction this conclusion takes, I anticipate epicness, and a lot of feelings. Excitement level: 10/10

Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers (24th July)

The third book in the Wayfarers series, which follows an entirely new cast, though one of the new protagonists is related to Ashby, a character from the first book. I haven’t read A Closed & Common Orbit yet, so this book almost got cut from the list (or relegated to the honourable mentions section), but I’m just so thrilled to see that Chambers is writing more for this series – and also they’re companion novels, so I don’t imagine it’ll matter all that much if I end up reading this one before AC&CO… 😓 I’m expecting interesting space adventures, and lots of really complex new characters! Excitement level: 7/10

Hard in Hightown by Mary Kirby (2nd August)

A detective novel set in Dragon Age‘s Kirkwall, the city of chains! 😆 The observant among you may have noticed the name Varric Tethras on the cover, rather than Mary Kirby – because this is a book that exists within the DA universe, and Varric (an important character in both Dragon Age 2 and Dragon Age: Inquisition) is it’s in-universe author. I don’t usually read crime novels, but I think I can make an exception for this one; I’ve already read bits and pieces of it in the in-game codex, and I’m looking forward to seeing it all put together (and illustrated!). 😁 Excitement level: 9/10

Honourable Mentions: (With links this time!)

Upcoming Releases: Summer 2017

In a miraculous turn of events, it’s actually been sunny here for the last few days – which is wonderful when you have the day off, but not so wonderful when you’re trapped inside all day… 😓 I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the good weather will stick around for a few more days, but if it doesn’t, then at least I’ve got some exciting new books to look forward to! Here are just a sample of the new releases I’m most eager to see in June, July & August:

[All dates are taken from Amazon UK unless stated otherwise, and are correct as of 27/05/2017.]

   

Harry Potter & the Philosopher’s Stone, House editions by J.K. Rowling (1st June)

It feels like Harry Potter has been a part of my life for way more than 20 years, but the 20th anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter & the Philosopher’s Stone is imminent, and to celebrate, Bloomsbury are releasing brand-new editions of the first book in all four house colours! I’m not entirely certain if I’ll be picking one of these up (my heart is saying yes, but my self-control is saying no; I’m not yet sure which will win out), but don’t they look amazing? And they’re doing paperbacks, too! You can find the full range here.
Excitement level: 10/10

Never Say Die by Anthony Horowitz (1st June)

A follow-up to the Alex Rider series, in which Alex moves to San Francisco to recover from the loss of his best friend and guardian at the end of Scorpia Rising, only to come across a suspicious email that seems to indicate that she may be alive after all. A co-worker of mine mentioned to me last week that this book was a thing, and it was a huge bombshell! I never expected to have more Alex Rider in my life, but it’s a welcome surprise! 😆 Excitement level: 9/10

The Rise & Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neal Stephenson & Nicole Galland (15th June)

A time-travel adventure set in both 19th century London and 21st century America, and involving a group of agents who are tasked with travelling back in time in order to prevent the disappearance of magic. I’ve never read anything by Neal Stephenson before (or even heard of Nicole Galland), but I’ve heard really amazing things about his work, and this story looks like a super-fun place to start. 😊 Excitement level: 7/10

Now I Rise by Kiersten White (6th July)

The sequel to And I Darken, which retells the life of Vlad the Impaler and his brother Radu, had Vlad been born a girl – Lada – instead… And I Darken was an unexpected favourite of mine last year, and I’ve been eagerly anticipating Now I Rise ever since I finished its predecessor. It hasn’t been too long a wait, but it certainly felt like one. Excitement level: 9/10

Also out soon in paperback:

  • A Closed & Common Orbit by Becky Chambers (15th July)
    Excitement level: 8/10
  • Black Light Express by Philip Reeve (1st August)
    Excitement level: 8/10

T5W: LGBTQ+

This is a day late, I know, so it’s more like a Top 5 Thursday than a Top 5 Wednesday, but I’ve been meaning to do a post of my favourite LGBTQ+ books for a while, so I wasn’t going to let this excuse pass me by. 😉

5) The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

A story about the crew of a spaceship, who’ve signed on to create a wormhole between two distant planets, a task that involves a long journey through deep space, and a lot of time with only each other for company. This book is, naturally, heavily character-driven, and the thing I like most about it is the sheer diversity of it, both in terms of race/species and relationships (and the “plus” part of LGBTQ+ plays a prominent role here). My favourite relationship in the book is between one of the crewmembers and the ship’s A.I., which is incredibly sweet, but the book also does a really great job of portraying same-sex relationships, inter-species relationships, and even polyamory.

4) The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan

The gay character (who I won’t name here for the benefit of the one person in the world who hasn’t read this series yet, a.k.a. Chloë) in this series is actually closeted for the majority of it (as well as the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, in which he also plays a fairly prominent role), but his forced coming-out scene in The House of Hades is one of my favourite moments in any of Riordan’s books, ever. So many feelings! 😥 I’m not a huge fan of the eventual pairing that Riordan seemingly picked out of a hat for him (something that I’ve been forced to confront more and more recently, as I’ve just started reading The Trials of Apollo series, which is set not long after Heroes of Olympus), but he himself is a really wonderful, well-rounded character, and I love how the (quite sudden) revelation of his sexuality didn’t change his role in the books in the slightest.

3) The Boy Who Wept Blood by Den Patrick

The second book in the Erebus Sequence (though the first one reads very much like a prequel, so I think that The Boy Who Wept Blood might actually be a better starting point for this series), which follows a group of Orfani – people who are all remarkably talented and highly educated, but horrifically deformed – in a gothic fantasy setting. The main character in this book (who is also present in The Boy with the Porcelain Blade, but only as a small child) struggles a lot with his sexuality, as his world is about as accepting of homosexuality as our own, over 100 years ago… so, not very much. :/

2) The Half Life trilogy by Sally Green

The main pairing in Sally Green’s Half Life trilogy – which follows a young man who’s half-Black Witch and half-White Witch, and persecuted by both societies – took me somewhat by surprise. It was a relationship I was rooting for from their very first meeting, and I was aware of comments that Green had made on social media that they were perfect for each other, but somehow it always seemed like Nathan would be running from his feelings until long after the series’ ending. (And also, he had a girlfriend, which didn’t bode hugely well.) Needless to say, I was overjoyed when it became canon. 😀 These were two amazing characters, and a beautiful, heartbreaking, and incredibly realistic love story, despite their fantastical circumstances.

1) Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Lastly, one of my favourite books of all time, Carry On, which tells the story of Simon and Baz at Watford School of Magicks, where a mysterious being known as the Insidious Humdrum is threatening magic’s very existence. It’s actually a spin-off of another of Rowell’s books, Fangirl, whose main character writes fanfiction of the mega-successful Simon Snow series (which is the Harry Potter of the Fangirl universe). It’s all very meta (and also fantastic)… So pretty much everyone knew from the time the book was announced that Simon and Baz were going to be a couple, and their relationship played a major part in the novel, without eclipsing the main storyline in the slightest. It was just there, slowly and wonderfully developing in the background, while all the drama and mysteries unfolded around it.

You might have noticed that none of the books on this list (except maybe Carry On) advertise themselves as LGBTQ+ stories (i.e. books that deliberately focus on sexuality, and how it influences the lives of their protagonists). This wasn’t exactly a deliberate choice, but although there are plenty of specifically-LGBTQ+ books that I really like (and when you’re writing a book specifically about LGBTQ+ issues, then the only way your readers won’t know about it going in is if they don’t bother to read the blurb), I really appreciate it when authors don’t feel the need to make a big deal out of their characters’ sexuality… and I feel that it goes a long way towards normalising diversity in literature, without trivialising the struggles that LGBTQ+ people face in society.

Also, an honourable mention for Quicksilver by R.J. Anderson, which has a special place in my heart as one of the few books out there (and the only one I’ve read so far) with an openly asexual lead character. It’s also a really good book, of course, just not quite as amazing as most of the books on this list. (It was such a difficult choice!)

[Top 5 Wednesday is run by Sam from ThoughtsOnTomes. To find out more or join in, check out the Goodreads group.]