There are many many many books coming out next year that I am excited about. So, rather than list them all, I limited myself to 3 short lists. Most descriptions pulled from Goodreads.
-10 Standalones or Start of a New Series-
The Shadow Hero by Gene Luen Yang, Sonny Liew: A revival of the first Asian American superhero, the Green Turtle. July 15.
Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen: For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the ruins of Forsaken Mountain. Time enough for their dark and nefarious magic to fade from human memory and into myth. But a prophesy has been spoken of a union with the power to set the trolls free, and when Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she learns there is far more to the myth of the trolls than she could have imagined. April 1.
The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski: Seventeen-year-old Kestrel is an aristocratic citizen of Valoria, a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers. Here, a girl like Kestrel has two choices: join the military or get married. Despite her skills in military strategy, Kestrel’s real passion is music.Which is why she feels compelled to buy Arin, a slave with a talent for singing, at auction. It’s not long before she finds herself falling in love with Arin, and he seems to feel the same for her. But Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for Arin is much higher than she ever could have imagined. March 4.
Rules of Summer by Shaun Tan: Never be late for a parade. Never forget the password. Never ruin a perfect plan. It’s all about the rules. But what if the rules feel completely arbitrary? What if your older brother is the only one who gets to make them up all summer long? And what if he’s the only one who can save you when the darkness of winter comes rushing in? April 29.
Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige: My name is Amy Gumm—and I’m the other girl from Kansas. I’ve been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked. I’ve been trained to fight. And I have a mission: Remove the Tin Woodman’s heart. Steal the Scarecrow’s brain. Take the Lion’s courage. Then and only then—Dorothy must die! April 1.
The Girl in the Road by Monica Byrne: Meena, a young woman living in a futuristic Mumbai, wakes up with five snake bites on her chest. She doesn’t know how or why, but she must flee India and return to Ethiopia, the place of her birth. Having long heard about The Trail-an energy-harvesting bridge that spans the Arabian Sea-she embarks on foot on this forbidden bridge, with its own subculture and rules. What awaits her in Ethiopia is unclear; she’s hoping the journey will illuminate it for her. May 20.
The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone by Adele Griffin: Two-time National Book Award finalist Adele Griffin offers an ingenious fictional take on the “oral history” celebrity bio that defined a bestselling genre: Edie, American Girl by Jean Stein and George Plimpton. In presenting herself as interviewer and curator of memories, Adele paints the portrait of a tragic young celebrity who allegedly committed suicide-presented in a series of brief first-person recollections-that ultimately results in the solving of a murder. August 12.
She is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick: Laureth Peak’s father has taught her to look for recurring events, patterns, and numbers–a skill at which she’s remarkably talented. Her secret: She is blind. But when her father goes missing, Laureth and her 7-year-old brother Benjamin are thrust into a mystery that takes them to New York City where surviving will take all her skill at spotting the amazing, shocking, and sometimes dangerous connections in a world full of darkness. April 22.
Landline by Rainbow Rowell: When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything. That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts… Is that what she’s supposed to do? Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened? July 8.
The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters: At the turn of the 20th century, a seventeen-year-old is hypnotized into seeing people’s true selves. Illustrated with late-Victorian images. (No cover image). Fall.
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-10 Continuing Series-
Ruin and Rising (The Grisha #3) by Leigh Bardugo: Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova’s amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling’s secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for. (No cover image). June 3.
Five, Six, Seven, Nate! (Nate #2) by Tim Federle: Nate Foster’s Broadway dreams are finally coming true. Armed with a one-way ticket to New York City, small-town theater geek Nate is off to start rehearsals for E.T.: The Broadway Musical . It’s everything he ever practiced his autograph for! But as thrilling as Broadway is, rehearsals are nothing like Nate expects: full of intimidating child start, cutthroat understudies, and a director who can’t even remember Nate’s name. January 21.
Dearest (Woodcutter Sisters #3) by Alethea Kontis: “Friday’s Child is loving and giving.” And so Dearest is the story of Friday Woodcutter, apprentice seamstress, with her generous heart and her patchwork skirts. Friday loves and is loved by all. But is she up to the challenge of solving the mystery that is Tristan Swan? (No cover image). October.
Mortal Heart (His Fair Assassin #3) by R.L. LaFevers: Annith has watched her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent. Feeling sorely betrayed, Annith decides to strike out on her own. (No cover image). November.
Hilda and the Black Hound (Hilda) by Luke Pearson: In Hilda’s new adventure, she meets the Nisse: a mischievous but charismatic bunch of misfits who occupy a world beside—but also somehow within—our own, and where the rules of physics don’t quite match up. Meanwhile, on the streets of Trolberg, a dark specter looms. May 13.
Lair of Dreams (The Diviners #2) by Libba Bray: After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O’Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. Now that the world knows of her ability to “read” objects, and therefore, read the past, she has become a media darling, earning the title, “America’s Sweetheart Seer.” But not everyone is so accepting of the Diviners’ abilities. August 5.
Untitled (Cormoran Strike #2) by Robert Galbraith aka J.K. Rowling: Cormoran Strike once again traverses the social strata of British society in search of answers in a case presented to his PI agency, setting in motion an dangerous and thrilling cat-and-mouse game reminiscent of the mystery genre’s greatest, most influential writers. (No cover image). August 1.
Dreams of Gods & Monsters (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #3) by Laini Taylor: By way of a staggering deception, Karou has taken control of the chimaera rebellion and is intent on steering its course away from dead-end vengeance. The future rests on her, if there can even be a future for the chimaera in war-ravaged Eretz. April 8.
Waistcoats & Weaponry (Finishing School #3) by Gail Carriger: No description. (No cover image). Expected 2014.
The Shadow Throne (The Ascendance Trilogy #3) by Jennifer A. Nielsen: Jennifer A. Nielsen takes readers on an extraordinary journey in this final installment of the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling Ascendance Trilogy. War is coming… Join Jaron as he embarks on his final adventure! February 25.
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-5 Favorite Covers-
Pointe by Brandy Colbert: Theo is better now. She’s eating again, dating guys who are almost appropriate, and well on her way to becoming an elite ballet dancer. But when her oldest friend, Donovan, returns home after spending four long years with his kidnapper, Theo starts reliving memories about his abduction—and his abductor. April 10.
The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm: Eleven-year-old Ellie has never liked change. She misses fifth grade. She misses her old best friend. She even misses her dearly departed goldfish. Then one day a strange boy shows up. He’s bossy. He’s cranky. And weirdly enough… he looks a lot like Ellie’s grandfather, a scientist who’s always been slightly obsessed with immortality. Could this pimply boy really be Grandpa Melvin? Has he finally found the secret to eternal youth? August 26.
Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge: Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him. With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she’s ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people. January 28.
Illusive by Emily Lloyd-Jones: When the MK virus swept across the planet, a vaccine was created to stop the epidemic, but it came with some unexpected side effects. A small percentage of the population developed superhero-like powers. Seventeen-year-old Ciere Giba has the handy ability to change her appearance at will. She’s what’s known as an illusionist…She’s also a thief. July 15.
Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine: There are whispers of a ghost in the slaughterhouse where sixteen-year-old Wen assists her father in his medical clinic—a ghost who grants wishes to those who need them most. When one of the Noor, men hired as cheap factory labor, humiliates Wen, she makes an impulsive wish of her own, and the Ghost grants it. Brutally. August 5.
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Which book are you most excited to get your hands on?
Stories With Ms. Jenna 