What's on My Holdlist?

ALL THE THINGS.So many things. Here are a few of them. I won't be putting in the full summaries for all of these, just a bit about why I'm excited to get my hands on them.

House of Ivy & Sorrow by Natalie Whipple

Witches. Curses. Secrets stretching back generations. Probably a shadowy and explorable rundown house. YES. Gothic witchy YA fiction (done right) is my jam. It's worked well for Unspoken, The Raven Boys, and Dark Companion, although I think it failed in The Madman's Daughter, and failed spectacularly in Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.

The Falconer by Elizabeth May

I'll admit it, I'm a little hesitant about this one. Can we even talk about it without touching on the extreme Merida vibes of this cover? Brave much? (I'm a child of the 90s, what do you want from me). This has some very cool elements- alternate19th century Edinburgh, a war between humans and fae, a potential kickass redheaded heroine... But I'm just not sure. We'll see.

Gilded by Christina Farley

Again, here is so much potential but also a lot of places it could stumble. I'm beyond tired of the "kid finds out they're related to deities" plotlines but this is a Korean American kid! And she'll get to explore a mythology that's been sadly absent from YA lit. But.... her love interest is described in the blurb as "irresistible and charming." To borrow another 90s catchphrase, gag me with a spoon. I'm holding out hope that it's just a marketing ploy. Ideally I'd like to come for the mythos and stay for the romance, but I'll settle for just not running screaming from the romance.

Unwrapped Sky by Rjurik Davidson

I've been lusting after this one since seeing a cover reveal on Tor, and I was lucky enough to win a galley from them. Unfortunately, it's been sitting on my bookshelf ever since. I really am interested to read it though, and I'm hoping it might fill some of the holes Daughter of Smoke and Bone and Catherynne M. Valente have left in my heart.

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

This one should be interesting. There's been a lot of buzz about it on Goodreads, and also a lot of 5 and 1 star reviews. Hm. The elevator pitch sounds like it's "The Hunger Games meets Game of Thrones," which could be awesome or just awesomely terrible. I think it'll hang on how the protagonist is written and how much (or if) she develops. Fantasy-meets-court intrigue is often a great genre, but it seems a little shaky in YA books sometimes, with the fabulous exception of Sherwood Smith's Crown & Court Duel duology.

Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper

Just look at this description and tell me it's not begging to be a windy beach read on an overcast day. Ideally in a ramshackle cottage/lighthouse:

Sixteen-year-old Avery Roe wants only to take her rightful place as the witch of Prince Island, making the charms that keep the island's whalers safe at sea, but her mother has forced her into a magic-free world of proper manners and respectability. When Avery dreams she's to be murdered, she knows time is running out to unlock her magic and save herself.

 Jackaby by William Ritter

I'm trying (and failing) not to be too excited about this book that seems to take all my favorite aspects of Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Who, and Supernatural, plus the odd gothic romance, and put them through a blender. Please be good pleasebegoodpleasebegoodpleasebegood.

“Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,” Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the illusion--and there are many illusions. All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.” PLEASE BE GOOD.

Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

Fabulous cover. Author whom I love dearly, except when I don't. (Actually, I seem to have liked that book more when I read it than I do now, so, take from that what you will.) Another island setting with dark magics and mysterious happenings and damn, I'm really kind of sad I'm not going to the beach this year. At least I'll be there in spirit.




And there you have it, folks. These are some of the books I'll be reading and reviewing in the next few weeks. What have you been reading?

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Anglophile Reads

To celebrate my upcoming trip to England, I thought I'd post a few of my favorite titles set across the pond.

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend

At thirteen years old, Adrian Mole has more than his fair share of problems - spots, ill-health, parents threatening to divorce, rejection of his poetry and much more - all recorded with brilliant humour in his diary.

I remember this being a bit grittier than the cover art implies, but maybe I just read it a bit young?

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Dodie Smith's first novel transcends the oft-stodgy definition of "a classic" by being as brightly witty and adventuresome as it was when published nearly fifty years ago.

Another diary novel, but this time one of my absolute favorites, and, as I recall, perfectly suited for a June read. PBS fans, this one's for you.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Let's be honest, this doesn't even need a caption ;-)

Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis

Katherine Ann Stephenson has just discovered that she's inherited her mother's magical talents, and despite Stepmama's stern objections, she's determined to learn how to use them.

But with her eldest sister Elissa's intended fiancé, the sinister Sir Neville, showing a dangerous interest in Kat's magical potential; her other sister, Angeline, wreaking romantic havoc with her own witchcraft; and a highwayman lurking in the forest, even Kat's reckless heroism will be tested to the upmost.  If she can learn to control her new powers, will Kat be able to rescue her family and win her sisters their true love?

Regency, magic, and spunky female lead? Oh, rather! I blogged about this one before, and am rereading it and its sequel before I go to Bath.

 The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

After the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own.

Who doesn't love a kid's story that kicks off with "the grisly murder" of the protagonists entire family? (If you are raising your hand, you can put it the heck back down unless you are willing to pretend you don't like Disney movies. I thought so.)

Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

Catherine, a spirited and inquisitive young woman of good family, narrates in diary form the story of her fourteenth year--the year 1290.

This book is probably 80% of why I love stories set in the Middle Ages, and features one of the earliest cranky, snarky heroines I remember loving.  

 The Chronicles of Chrestomanci by Diana Wynne Jones

In this multiple parallel universes of the Twelve Related Worlds, only an enchanter with nine lives is powerful enough to control the rampant misuse of magic--and to hold the title Chrestomanci... The Chants are a family strong in magic, but neither Christopher Chant nor Cat Chant can work even the simplest of spells. Who could have dreamed that both Christopher and Cat were born with nine lives--or that they could lose them so quickly?

Oh how I love this series. There are interesting characters and cool magic, but mostly I remember the sprawly house and grounds, lots of chapters where people eat lovely things like marmalade toast, and the eccentric wizard in garish dressing gowns. If you haven't read any Wynne Jones yet, you should fix that immediately by picking this one up today.

I'm realizing that these are mostly for the 10-14 set. For older readers there is The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson, and I'm sure there are hundreds more that I'm just not remembering at the moment. Oh, well there was The Wicked and the Just, set in Wales. Have there been any decent retellings of Shakespeare or Robin Hood? Any Jane Austen with a twist sorts of things? Please share your favorites in the comments!

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