Anticipated 2020 book releases on my list | a post after 27365535 years

Hi everyone! It does feel more than a million years since I last posted on here. I’ve been writing blog post ideas but never could I get my fingers to type up one. Will I do better at posting in 2020? Who knows..but I’ll try my hardest. While I was away from blogging, I was posting on Instagram so follow me, if you’re there!

I had a list of 2020 releases written up but I lost it, so I had to compile another one and uhh..this is not a Top Ten list as that is way too much pressure for me.. SO, here are some book releases I’m eagerly awaiting and this is only Part I!

Without any further ado, here are some Book Releases I’m Anticipating in 2020..

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Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar

Buy: Book Depository | Wordery 

Give me a combination of an own-voices Indian fantasy + knock-me-dead gorgeous cover and watch me how fast I add it to my tbr. It’s about the daughter of a star and a mortal. Sheetal, who needs the help of a full star like her mother to save her injured father.
“Neil Gaiman’s Stardust meets a rich landscape of Hindu mythology and celestial intrigue in this sparkling YA fantasy debut.”

A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore

Buy: Book Depository | Wordery 

Bringing Down the Duke‘s one of my favourite books of 2019 and when I read a sneak-peek of the next book in this extraordinary series, I had to have it(but of course, I have to wait until SEPTEMBER!!)

A Heart so Fierce and Broken (Cursebreakers #2) by Brigid Kemmerer

Buy: Book Depository | Wordery 

Since I loved A Curse so Dark and Lonely (where I think Grey should have totally ended up with Rhen), I didn’t think twice about adding AHSFAB to my tbr.

The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper

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This is a contemporary YA set around NASA’s first mission to Mars. Cal’s a a successful social media journalist who’s father is on the mission along with another “Astrokid” Leon’s parent.

Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibańez

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Gorgeous cover and an own voices Latinx fantasy described as, “A lush tapestry of magic, romance, and revolución, drawing inspiration from Bolivian politics and history.“? Count me in!

The Silence of Bones by June Hur

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A YA historical fiction set during the Joseon Dynasty in Korea? Say no more!

Of Curses and Kisses(St. Rosetta’s Academy #1) by Sandhya Menon

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“From the New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi comes the first novel in a brand-new series set at an elite international boarding school, that’s a contemporary spin on Beauty and the Beast.” Even though I haven’t read any of Sandhya Menon’s books yet, I’ve heard good things and the synopsis makes me hopeful that it’s going to really good!

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

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“A fresh, irresistible rom-com from debut author Emma Lord about the chances we take, the paths life can lead us on, and how love can be found in the opposite place you expected.“ I’ve heard a lot of chatter about this YA romance on Twitter(irony) and I’ve got an eARC too!

Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli, Aisha Saeed

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“New York Times bestselling authors Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed have crafted a resonant, funny, and memorable story about the power of love and resistance.“
I’m both excited and anxious about this book!

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Thank you for reading! What about you? Do you have any of these books in your TBR? If you have some other books on your anticipated lists, then let me know in the comments below!

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ARC Review: Scars like Wings, written by Erin Stewart

Scars like Wings by Erin Stewart

Publication date: October 1st, 2019 
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 368
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Buy: Book Depository | Wordery

Synopsis:

Everyone has scars. Some are just easier to see …

16-year-old Ava Gardener is heading back to school one year after a house fire left her severely disfigured. She’s used to the names, the stares, the discomfort, but there’s one name she hates most of all: Survivor. What do you call someone who didn’t mean to survive? Who sometimes wishes she hadn’t?

When she meets a fellow survivor named Piper at therapy, Ava begins to feel like she’s not facing the nightmare alone. Piper helps Ava reclaim the pieces of Ava Before the Fire, a normal girl who kissed boys and sang on stage. But Piper is fighting her own battle for survival, and when Ava almost loses her best friend, she must decide if the new normal she’s chasing has more to do with the girl in the glass—or the people by her side. 

The beautiful, life-affirming debut from Erin Stewart that’s being called the YA answer to Wonder. Perfect for fans of Jandy Nelson, Nicola Yoon and John Green. 

– My Thoughts –

There is always beauty in the ashes. Sometimes we just can’t see it yet.

Erin Stewart, Scars like wings

Scars like Wings is about sixteen year old Ava who’s severely scarred now after surviving a house fire which left her without parents and her cousin. She lives with her uncle and aunt in her dead cousin Sarah’s room. Her life has now two timelines: before the fire and after the fire; this is also how the book is written. Ava’s life after the fire is anything but normal and it certainly doesn’t help when her aunt Cora tells her that she has to go to school from now on. School meant interaction with people who’d either ridicule her or pity her, why must she suffer through all of that? While in support group for burn survivors, she meets a feisty girl called Piper who goes to her new school. After meeting with Piper, Ava agrees to go to school for 2 weeks and to her surprise, it turns out to be one of the best decisions she makes.

At first, high school turned to be the exactly the kind of nightmare she had envisioned but with her new friends Piper and Asad, Ava managed to survive and even joined the theatre club. I freaking loved Piper who didn’t coddle Ava but instead pushed her every time to enjoy life. Even though Piper seemed so vivid and full of life, she had her own secrets and problems but that didn’t stop her from supporting and encouraging Ava through everything.

The synopsis says that this book is the YA answer to Wonder and it is such a wonderful one at that! I loved all the characters; they were realistic and loveable. Cora and Glenn were wonderful guardians to Ava; even though their own daughter Sarah perished in the fire, they supported and cared for Ava exactly like their own daughter. There are some heartbreaking moments that’ll make you tear up specifically in the end when Ava goes on a roap trip with Dr. Layne. There are many moments when we see people trying to judge Ava because of her outward appearance from calling her names to “editing” her scars out in a yearbook photo. This book will make you angry, make you cry and in the end smile.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book If you want to read a brilliantly written emotional YA book about loving oneself scars and all. This is about finding love, hope and through friendship and family bonds. This is about how you can simply be there for someone and that’ll be more than enough.

Thanks to the publisher for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

– About the Author –

For more information about the author, please visit: Website | Goodreads |  Twitter

Thank you for reading! Have you read any book recently that made you emotional? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Book Releases I’m Anticipating in August 2019

I‘ve been ignoring my blog. I feel like I owe you guys some explanation and here it goes… Sometimes I can’t find the time to write and schedule posts, sometimes I’m too tired to but I’ve been posting daily on my Instagram. I’m not yet thinking about taking a permanent blog hiatus but I’ll definitely let you guys know if I do. I want to thank YOU so much for following me, liking and commenting on my posts! It means so much to me when I see people genuinely liking my content and makes me want to deliver more.

..And deliver I shall! For today, I’m bringing you my list of highly anticipated books of August. I have got thrillers, debut fantasies, romances and one YA recommendation for you! I will compile my list of literary fiction releases soon and will post it separately.

First up are some fantasy releases I’m highly anticipating and I’ve already devoured one of the four! Can you guess what is the lucky book?

The Dragon Republic by R. F. Kuang
Buy: Book Depository | Wordery

“The searing follow-up to 2018’s most celebrated fantasy debut – THE POPPY WAR.”

In the aftermath of the Third Poppy War, shaman and warrior Rin is on the run: haunted by the atrocity she committed to end the war, addicted to opium, and hiding from the murderous commands of her vengeful god, the fiery Phoenix. Her only reason for living is to get revenge on the traitorous Empress who sold out Nikan to their enemies.
With no other options, Rin joins forces with the powerful Dragon Warlord, who has a plan to conquer Nikan, unseat the Empress, and create a new Republic. Rin throws herself into his war. After all, making war is all she knows how to do.
But the Empress is a more powerful foe than she appears, and the Dragon Warlord’s motivations are not as democratic as they seem. The more Rin learns, the more she fears her love for Nikan will drive her away from every ally and lead her to rely more and more on the Phoenix’s deadly power. Because there is nothing she won’t sacrifice for her country and her vengeance.

Beasts of the Frozen Sun(Frozen Sun Saga #1)by Jill Criswell

Book Depository | Wordery

“Burn brightly. Love fiercely. For all else is dust.“

Every child of Glasnith learns the last words of Aillira, the god-gifted mortal whose doomed love affair sparked a war of gods and men, and Lira of clan Stone knows the story better than most. As a descendant of Aillira and god-gifted in her own right, she has the power to read people’s souls, to see someone’s true essence with only a touch of her hand.
When a golden-haired warrior washes up on the shores of her homeland–one of the fearful marauders from the land of the Frozen Sun–Lira helps the wounded man instead of turning him in. After reading his soul, she realizes Reyker is different than his brethren who attack the coasts of Glasnith. He confides in her that he’s been cursed with what his people call battle-madness, forced to fight for the warlord known as the Dragon, a powerful tyrant determined to reignite the ancient war that Aillira started.
As Lira and Reyker form a bond forbidden by both their clans, the wrath of the Dragon falls upon them and all of Glasnith, and Lira finds herself facing the same tragic fate as her ancestor. The battle for Lira’s life, for Reyker’s soul, and for their peoples’ freedom has only just begun.

The First Girl Child by Amy Harmon

Book Depository | Wordery

“From ​the New York Times bestselling author comes a breathtaking fantasy of a cursed kingdom, warring clans, and unexpected salvation.”

Bayr of Saylok, bastard son of a powerful and jealous chieftain, is haunted by the curse once leveled by his dying mother. Bartered, abandoned, and rarely loved, she plagued the land with her words: From this day forward, there will be no daughters in Saylok.
Raised among the Keepers at Temple Hill, Bayr is gifted with inhuman strength. But he’s also blessed with an all-too-human heart that beats with one purpose: to protect Alba, the first girl child born in nearly two decades and the salvation for a country at risk.
Now the fate of Saylok lies with Alba and Bayr, whose bond grows deeper with every whisper of coming chaos. Charged with battling the enemies of their people, both within and without, Bayr is fueled further by the love of a girl who has defied the scourge of Saylok.
What Bayr and Alba don’t know is that they each threaten the king, a greedy man who built his throne on lies, murder, and betrayal. There is only one way to defend their land from the corruption that has overtaken it. By breaking the curse, they could defeat the king…but they could also destroy themselves.

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

Book Depository | Wordery

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls’ lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.
Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn’t sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?
When Annaleigh’s involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it’s a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next.

Now, let’s talk about my highly anticipated romance releases of this month…

The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai

Book Depository | Wordery

Rhiannon Hunter may have revolutionized romance in the digital world, but in real life she only swipes right on her career—and the occasional hookup. The cynical dating app creator controls her love life with a few key rules:
– Nude pics are by invitation only
– If someone stands you up, block them with extreme prejudice
– Protect your heart
Only there aren’t any rules to govern her attraction to her newest match, former pro-football player Samson Lima. The sexy and seemingly sweet hunk woos her one magical night… and disappears.
Rhi thought she’d buried her hurt over Samson ghosting her, until he suddenly surfaces months later, still big, still beautiful—and in league with a business rival. He says he won’t fumble their second chance, but she’s wary. A temporary physical partnership is one thing, but a merger of hearts? Surely that’s too high a risk…

The Best Thing by Mariana Zapata

 Wordery

Some things are easily forgiven. Other things… not so much.

Lenny DeMaio made herself a promise: she was done.
Done thinking about him.
Done worrying about him.
Done reaching out to a man who clearly didn’t want to be found.

Too bad no one gave Jonah Collins the memo.

Ehh..I know it’s not much of a list but I’m also anticipating Brazen and the Beast by Sarah Maclean and The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare!! This list should also include The First Girl Child by Amy Harmon, which I’ve included in my Fantasy list.

This will be the last “category” and it will be a mashup of thrillers and Young Adult

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

Book Depository | Wordery

When she stumbles across the ad, she’s looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss—a live-in nannying post, with a staggeringly generous salary. And when Rowan Caine arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten—by the luxurious “smart” home fitted out with all modern conveniences, by the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and by this picture-perfect family.

What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare—one that will end with a child dead and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder.

Writing to her lawyer from prison, she struggles to explain the unravelling events that led to her incarceration. It wasn’t just the constant surveillance from the cameras installed around the house, or the malfunctioning technology that woke the household with booming music, or turned the lights off at the worst possible time. It wasn’t just the girls, who turned out to be a far cry from the immaculately behaved model children she met at her interview. It wasn’t even the way she was left alone for weeks at a time, with no adults around apart from the enigmatic handyman, Jack Grant.

The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee (Young Adult, historical)

Book Depository | Wordery

By day, seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan works as a lady’s maid for the cruel daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Atlanta. But by night, Jo moonlights as the pseudonymous author of a newspaper advice column for the genteel Southern lady, “Dear Miss Sweetie.” When her column becomes wildly popular, she uses the power of the pen to address some of society’s ills, but she’s not prepared for the backlash that follows when her column challenges fixed ideas about race and gender.

While her opponents clamor to uncover the secret identity of Miss Sweetie, a mysterious letter sets Jo off on a search for her own past and the parents who abandoned her as a baby. But when her efforts put her in the crosshairs of Atlanta’s most notorious criminal, Jo must decide whether she, a girl used to living in the shadows, is ready to step into the light.

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

Book Depository | Wordery

Gifted musician Clemency Thompson is playing for tourists on the streets of southern France when she receives an urgent text message. Her childhood friend, Lucy, is demanding her immediate return to London.

It’s happening, says the message. The baby is back.
Libby Jones was only six months old when she became an orphan. Now twenty-five, she’s astounded to learn of an inheritance that will change her life. A gorgeous, dilapidated townhouse in one of London’s poshest neighborhoods has been held in a trust for her all these years. Now it’s hers.

As Libby investigates the story of her birth parents and the dark legacy of her new home, Clemency and Lucy are headed her way to uncover, and possibly protect, secrets of their own. What really happened in that rambling Chelsea mansion when they were children? And are they still at risk?

Thank you for reading this far! If you have read any of the books on my list or are anticipating any, then let me know!

Top Ten Tuesday – Books On My Spring 2019 TBR

Hi everyone! I’m back with my fourth Top Ten Tuesday post and this week’s prompt is to list the Books On My Spring 2019 TBR. Thankfully, I have a big list and I’ve narrowed it down for you in here.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Most of the books listed are review copies gifted by their publishers and some aren’t. While Spring is not my favorite season but I love the books releasing this Spring and here they are:

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1.  The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley:  The Hunting Party is the author’s first crime novel and is described as combining elements of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None and The Secret History by Donna Tartt. I’m a huge sucker for thrillers so me being “excited” is an understatement.

 2. Finale(Caraval #3) by Stephanie Garber: I liked Caraval but not so much as I did Legendary and the ending made me thirsty for Finale, the third and final book in the trilogy.

3.  Small Town Hearts by Lillie Vale: I was provided a review copy for a blog tour and I’m so “hungry” to read it. Get it? Apparently, It has lots of mentions of food *salivating right now*

4.  The Winter of the Witch(Winternight Trilogy #3) by Katherine Arden: If you’ve been following my last posts, you might’ve noticed how much I loved Vasya and I’ve been holding back on reading the final book in the trilogy.

5.  Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid: I loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and I was so frickin’ happy to get a review copy of Daisy Jones & The Six !

6.  The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal: The Doll Factory is a debut novel by Elizabeth Macneal and is described as an intoxicating story of art, obsession and possession. Sign me up!

7.  The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins: This is giving me spooky vibes the likes of The Corset and The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell.

8.  A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer: Another underrated -but highly recommended by some bookstagrammers- series that I’ve added to my cart and on my Goodreads TBR but I’ve never checked it out.

9. The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty: The City of Brass has been on my TBR for a while now and this is the perfect time to read both the books in the Daevabad Trilogy.

10. In the Full Light of the Sun by Clare Clark: This is a historical fiction based on a true story and follows the fortunes of three Berliners caught up in an art scandal—involving newly discovered van Goghs—that rocks Germany amidst the Nazis’ rise to power.

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That’s a wrap on today’s Top Ten Tuesday post featuring Books On My Spring 2019 TBR.

What books are you looking forward to reading in the spring? Have you read of the books I’ve listed above ? If you have,then what’s your favourite among them all? If you haven’t, then are any of them on your TBR?  Let me know in the comments below!