Happy almost-spring, bookworms! Here in Hawaii it's perpetual summer, so it doesn't mean much to me (other than the time change adding an extra hour between me and my family in Colorado), but last year at this time we were still in Ohio, working on selling our house, preparing for our move and enjoying watching stuff pop up in our garden for the last time. In a crazy coincidence, the crocus picture above was actually taken exactly a year ago today, March 14!
I'm linking up with The Broke and the Bookish to share my list. What will you be reading this spring?
1. The Dry by Jane Harper: I'm looking forward to this mystery set in Australia. Apparently it was a big hit in its home country! I've hardly read any books set there, and I'm looking forward to it since we'll be going on a trip there sometime in the next two years before we leave Hawaii.
2. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid: Magical realism + secret romance + Middle East country in shambles = totally intriguing!
3. Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders: Historical fiction + Abe Lincoln + ghosts = also totally intriguing!
4. This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel: I try to be open-minded, but I don't really know a whole lot about the transgendered community. This recent novel centers on 5-year-old Claude, who wants to be a girl when he grows up, and his family. It's written by the mother of a transgendered child, and it's well-reviewed so far.
5. The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers: A friend at work recommended this time travel novel (to 1800s London!) to me and I'm anxious to give it a try.
6. Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney: I won this book, which came out in January, in a Goodreads Giveaway. Since it arrived after the release date, I didn't feel like I had to read it immediately, but I'm definitely looking forward to it.
7. Saga, volume 7 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples: If you haven't gotten into the "Saga" graphic novel series yet, check it out!!! Volume 7 comes out in a couple weeks.
8. The Mother's Promise by Sally Hepworth: Another Goodreads Giveaway win that came after the release date (which was in February). I really enjoyed "The Things We Keep" and I'm expecting to like Hepworth's new book just as well.
9. A Terrible Beauty by Tasha Alexander: Alexander's Lady Emily historical mystery series is one of my favorites, and somehow I still have not read the latest installment, which came out back in October! Oh well, it just means I don't have to wait as long for the next one!
10. A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab: I've thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in the Shades of Magic fantasy series and I'm excited for the conclusion (though a little sad that it's ending!). One of these days I'll get around to reading the rest of Schwab's work.
11. Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel: The second book in the Themis Files series comes out next month. I loved the readability of the epistolary format the first time around, and I'm excited to learn more about those aliens...
12. Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage and Manners by Therese O'Neill: I've had this one on hold at the library for-ev-er. I think there's only one copy in the entire library district. One day it'll come in for me, right?!
The Anubis Gates sounds interesting and I really like the cover. I'm going to have to check out A Terrible Beauty. I saw it at the library the other day and am glad I didn't grab it because I didn't know it was part of a series.
ReplyDelete"A Terrible Beauty" is actually part of one of my most favorite series! I don't think you'd be completely lost if you started with a later book (I actually started with book 3, I think, and then went back and read 1 and 2), but you might enjoy the whole series! :)
DeleteThis Is How It Always Is is on my list, too. I'm hoping I get to the top of my library's wait list soon!
ReplyDeleteGreat list! I'm excited to read Lincoln in the Bardo and Exit West too.
ReplyDeleteThe Mother's Promise looks good. I still need to read her last book though. Hope you enjoy all of these!
ReplyDeleteYou should definitely check out "The Things We Keep" -- I really enjoyed it! Even though it dealt with a serious topic, it was overall a really pleasant read.
DeleteI heard like nothing but good things about Exit West so I am super excited about this one. some of the others look really good as well!
ReplyDeleteI've got some criticisms of Unmentionable, but I won't deny that it's enjoyable to read. However, if you want to learn more about Victorian life when you're done, I highly recommend How To Be a Victorian by Ruth Goodman.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if you want to learn more about transgender people, I highly recommend Becoming Nicole by Amy Ellis Nutt. It's my library's community read right now and Nicole actually came and spoke and I hear that she was awesome (I was working so I missed it.) Anyhow, it's a great introduction because it's the story of Nicole and her family learning all about what it means to be transgender so the reader can learn along with them. The dad was pretty conservative and narrow-minded to begin with, but in the course of the book turned into her biggest champion. It's a pretty quick, easy read but very good!
Thank you for the recommendations! I've already got "Becoming Nicole" on my maybe-to-read list, but I'll make a point to get to it. I actually added "How to Be a Victorian" (and "How to be a Tudor") to my TBR list after reading your review of "Unmentionable"!
DeleteI love the sound of Unmentionable, and have put it on my "for later" list at the library (because I've already got way too many books on the hold list, many of them paused so they don't all come in at once. Yes, I'm addicted to my library!) Lincoln in the Bardo sounds really interesting, and A Terrible Beauty was pretty good. Enjoy your spring reading!
ReplyDeleteOh, hear you about library holds. I've got a sort of addiction to putting books on hold, but then they all come in at once! I've made good friends with the "suspend" function.
DeleteI'm really intrigued by "Lincoln in the Bardo" -- the premise sounds fresh and unique. One of my friends at work has our copy out now, and then it'll be coming home with me!
Several of these are on my list too! But I totally forgot about Lincoln in the Bardo - how did that happen!? Hopefully I'll get my library copy soon, though I've heard the audio version is amazing! Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteI should be getting it soon too! I'm looking forward to it -- the premise sounds really unique.
DeleteDon't feel bad -- I forgot to put Paula Hawkins' upcoming book on my list and I will most definitely be reading it!
I literally just finished reading A Conjuring of Light. It was so so good!
ReplyDeleteMy TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/15/top-ten-tuesday-98/
Everybody's talking about spring and we are gearing up for autumn in the Southern hemisphere. Ay jay jay... Winter has got its perks - reading under a blanket and so forth.
ReplyDeleteLove your books! I've seen Lincoln in the Bardo around, yup - something that I will definitely read. Lilian Boxish takes a walk - what a great title! Hope you get to read it and then share it with us real soon. Love the cover for Unmentionable as well!
I LOVED The Dry! I hope you enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteWow- you have some very diverse books on that list!
ReplyDelete