Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Top Ten Tuesday: Killing Lions For Books?



Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is books I’d slay a lion to get early. First off, there will be no slaying of lions in this post. Lions are noble beasts, and we’re civilized souls. We will bravely endure the long, cold weeks between now and the release date of our much-anticipated reading material. Then we will procure said reading material from a friendly local tome merchant. No lion slaying necessary.


Slay, baby, slay!


Anyway, here are some intriguing books that are coming out in the next few months. 





Books I’ll Wait Patiently For






MAY








Only Human – Sylvain Neuvel (Themis Files #3)


In her childhood, Rose Franklin accidentally discovered a giant metal hand buried beneath the ground outside Deadwood, South Dakota. As an adult, Dr. Rose Franklin led the team that uncovered the rest of the body parts which together form Themis: a powerful robot of mysterious alien origin. She, along with linguist Vincent, pilot Kara, and the unnamed Interviewer, protected the Earth from geopolitical conflict and alien invasion alike. Now, after nearly ten years on another world, Rose returns to find her old alliances forfeit and the planet in shambles. And she must pick up the pieces of the Earth Defense Corps as her own friends turn against each other.






















JUNE








Us Against You – Fredrik Backman (Beartown #2)

After everything that the citizens of Beartown have gone through, they are struck yet another blow when they hear that their beloved local junior hockey team will soon be disbanded. What makes it worse is the obvious satisfaction that all the former Beartown players, who now play for a rival team in Hed, take in that fact. As the tension between the two towns simmers, a surprising newcomer is handpicked to try to save the Beartown club.

Soon a new team starts to take shape around Amat, the fastest player you’ll ever see; Benji, the intense lone wolf; and Vidar, a born-to-be-bad troublemaker. But bringing this team together proves to be a challenge as old bonds are broken, new ones are formed, and the enmity with Hed grows more and more heated.

As the big game between Beartown and Hed approaches, the not-so-innocent pranks and incidents between the communities pile up and their mutual contempt grows deeper. By the time the last game is finally played, a resident of Beartown will be dead, and the people of both towns will be forced to wonder if, after all they’ve been through, the game they love can ever return to something simple and innocent.

















July








Whistle In The Dark – Emma Healey


Jen and Hugh Maddox have just survived every parent’s worst nightmare.

Relieved, but still terrified, they sit by the hospital bedside of their fifteen-year-old daughter, Lana, who was found bloodied, bruised, and disoriented after going missing for four days during a mother-daughter vacation in the country. As Lana lies mute in the bed, unwilling or unable to articulate what happened to her during that period, the national media speculates wildly and Jen and Hugh try to answer many questions.

Where was Lana? How did she get hurt? Was the teenage boy who befriended her involved? How did she survive outside for all those days? Even when she returns to the family home and her school routine, Lana only provides the same frustrating answer over and over: “I can’t remember.”

For years, Jen had tried to soothe the depressive demons plaguing her younger child, and had always dreaded the worst. Now she has hope—the family has gone through hell and come out the other side. But Jen cannot let go of her need to find the truth. Without telling Hugh or their pregnant older daughter Meg, Jen sets off to retrace Lana’s steps, a journey that will lead her to a deeper understanding of her youngest daughter, her family, and herself.

















AUGUST








City of Ghosts – Victoria Schwab

Cassidy Blake's parents are The Inspectres, a (somewhat inept) ghost-hunting team. But Cass herself can REALLY see ghosts. In fact, her best friend, Jacob, just happens to be one.

When The Inspectres head to ultra-haunted Edinburgh, Scotland, for their new TV show, Cass—and Jacob—come along. In Scotland, Cass is surrounded by ghosts, not all of them friendly. Then she meets Lara, a girl who can also see the dead. But Lara tells Cassidy that as an In-betweener, their job is to send ghosts permanently beyond the Veil. Cass isn't sure about her new mission, but she does know the sinister Red Raven haunting the city doesn't belong in her world. Cassidy's powers will draw her into an epic fight that stretches through the worlds of the living and the dead, in order to save herself.

















SEPTEMBER








Vengeful – V.E. Schwab (Villains #2)


Sydney once had Serena—beloved sister, betrayed enemy, powerful ally. But now she is alone, except for her thrice-dead dog, Dol, and then there's Victor, who thinks Sydney doesn't know about his most recent act of vengeance.

Victor himself is under the radar these days—being buried and re-animated can strike concern even if one has superhuman powers. But despite his own worries, his anger remains. And Eli Ever still has yet to pay for the evil he has done.












An Absolutely Remarkable Thing – Hank Green

The Carls just appeared. Coming home from work at three a.m., twenty-three-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture. Delighted by its appearance and craftsmanship—like a ten-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armor—April and her friend Andy make a video with it, which Andy uploads to YouTube. The next day April wakes up to a viral video and a new life. News quickly spreads that there are Carls in dozens of cities around the world—everywhere from Beijing to Buenos Aires—and April, as their first documentarian, finds herself at the center of an intense international media spotlight. 

Now April has to deal with the pressure on her relationships, her identity, and her safety that this new position brings, all while being on the front lines of the quest to find out not just what the Carls are, but what they want from us.

















OCTOBER








The Lady’s Guide To Petticoats And Piracy – Mackenzi Lee (Guide #2)


Felicity Montague is through with pretending she prefers society parties to books about bone setting—or that she’s not smarter than most people she knows, or that she cares about anything more than her dream of becoming a doctor.

A year after an accidentally whirlwind tour of Europe, which she spent evading highwaymen and pirates with her brother Monty, Felicity has returned to England with two goals in mind—avoid the marriage proposal of Callum Doyle, a lovestruck suitor from Edinburgh; and enroll in medical school. However, her intellect and passion will never be enough in the eyes of the administrators, who see men as the sole guardians of science.

But then a small window of hope opens. Doctor Alexander Platt, an eccentric physician that Felicity idolizes, is looking for research assistants, and Felicity is sure that someone as forward thinking as her hero would be willing to take her on. However, Platt is in Germany, preparing to wed Felicity’s estranged childhood friend Johanna. Not only is Felicity reluctant to opening old wounds, she also has no money to make the trip.

Luckily, a mysterious young woman is willing to pay Felicity’s way, so long as she’s allowed to travel with Felicity disguised as her maid. In spite of her suspicions, Felicity agrees, but once the girl’s true motives are revealed, Felicity becomes part of a perilous quest that will lead her from the German countryside to the promenades of Zurich to secrets lurking beneath the Atlantic.









Bridge of Clay – Markus Zusak

Bridge of Clay is about a boy caught in the current, a boy intent on destroying everything he has in order to become everything he needs to be.

This is a young life in search of greatness, seeking the ultimate cure for his memory and tragedy.

Ahead of him lies the bridge, the vision that will save both his family and himself. It’s his attempt to transcend humanness, to make a single, glorious moment. It will be a miracle and nothing less.













What If It’s Us? – Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera

Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a show-stopping romance when you least expect it.

Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things.

But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them?











(Don’t) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation about Mental Health – Kelly Jenson (Editor)

In order to understand mental health, we need to talk openly about it. Because there’s no single definition of crazy, there’s no single experience that embodies it, and the word itself means different things—wild? Extreme? Disturbed? Passionate?—to different people.

(Don’t) Call Me Crazy is a conversation starter and guide to better understanding how our mental health affects us every day. Thirty-three writers, athletes, and artists offer essays, lists, comics, and illustrations that explore their personal experiences with mental illness, how we do and do not talk about mental health, help for better understanding how every person’s brain is wired differently, and what, exactly, might make someone crazy.









Which 2018 releases are you looking forward to?















39 comments:

  1. I much prefer your title rather than lion slaying which is a bit dumb. I'm curious about the Themis books but they are out of my comfort zone so I'm not quite sure yet.

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    1. Yeah, I’m really not into killing lions. I liked the first Themis book, but I haven’t continued with the series yet.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  2. I read the first Themis book and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it, even though I'm not a fan of interview-type books. I haven't loved Victoria Schwab's books but I have to admit, City of Ghosts looks really interesting!

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    1. I’m very excited for City of Ghosts. It’s middlegrade, so it’s different from the other Schwab books I’ve read.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  3. Great list! Really excited about Only Human, the V. E. Schwab books and The Lady’s Guide To Petticoats And Piracy!

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  4. OH! Thanks for the reminder! I still need to post my version of this. GREAT picks!!

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  5. Tome merchant sounds so much more interesting than bookstore. why does everything in our real life world have to be so boring lol? Anyways... Only Human makes me wonder if I should return to the Themis-verse, since I stopped after book one. I go back and forth. And that mental health conversations book looks promising.

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    1. I like Tome Merchant. It sounds fancy and dignified. I also stopped the Themis Files after book 1, but I’m curious about how it ends.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  6. I am really curious about the Hank Green book. He has a great onscreen personality, and I am interested in seeing if it carries through to his written work. I am hoping to read another Backman book too. I loved the one I read, but have yet to read more.

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    1. I’m very interested in what Hank Green does with fiction. I love his science stuff on YouTube.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  7. I need to read Vicious asap!!! I didn't know Hank Green was writing a book so thank you for sharing that. I am super curious about it :)

    Also, thank you for not slaying any lions for these books ;)

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    1. I usually stay far away from “celebrity” books, but I love Hank’s videos. I think he’ll do a good job with the book.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  8. Only Human!! I've actually had an ARC of that one and I've... had a hard time getting into it. I really need to pick it up again! I hope you love all of these if and when you get to them!

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    1. Thanks! I hope you’re able to get into Only Human. I still haven’t read the second one in that series.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  9. I can't wait to read both City of Ghosts and Vengeful! Vicious was such an amazing read; I'm sure Vengeful is going to be equally thrilling!

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    1. I love Vicious. I need to reread it before the next one comes out.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  10. Whistle in the Dark and City of Ghosts sound really good! And, of course, Bridge of Clay is a must!
    I doubted myself about making comments regarding lion slaying...but am snorting now bc many others did as well. I love your sassy lion!

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    1. Haha, yeah, turns out that book bloggers do not support lion slaying. Who knew?

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  11. That lion is quite fabulous, and I should really read Vicious one of these days!

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  12. City of Ghosts was on my list this week too!
    My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2018/05/01/top-ten-tuesday-157/

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    1. It was on a lot of lists. I guess people are excited about it.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  13. I'm very glad there will be no lion slaying here! I was very concerned for lions after seeing this topic! This looks like a great list and I'm copying down most of them. I'm terrible about keeping up with release schedules if it doesn't involve NetGalley or a publisher holding my hand so I depend on everyone in the blogosphere to help me!

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    1. This blog is a safe place for lions. I’m also terrible at keeping up with new releases. I had to do a lot of research for this post.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  14. These are awesome choices! And I seriously hope that we don't have to harm lions to get books- I mean, when I think of all the highly anticipated books are still sitting on my shelves... well, #SaveTheLions

    Only Human I thought was a pretty great conclusion, so I hope you like it! I don't know how I missed Bridge of Clay, but it's now on my TBR so thanks for that! What if It's Us and (Don't) Call Me Crazy also both look fabulous! Hope that you are able to read them soon, and in a civilized manner :D

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    1. LOL, there’s no need to kill a lion. I have 55 “very anticipated” books sitting on my shelf right now. I’m glad you liked Only Human. I’ve seen mixed reviews of it.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  15. Can't wait for Becky and Adam's book! So excited. :-)

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  16. Looking forward to Hank's debut too

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  17. I agree that we don't need to slay any lions :) Only Humans was a great book. I hope you love all fo these!

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  18. I can't wait for Only Human! Great picks!

    Lauren @ Always Me

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  19. I reeeeeeeeally need to finally check out V.E. Schwab books. I've been meaning to for forever ad hopefully I can squeeze one or two in this year. That City of Ghosts cover is fabulous!

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  20. You've reminded me once again that I need to finally read Sleeping Giants. Your lion pic with the hair is awesome!

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  21. Thank you so much for refusing to slay any lions. I don't think dead lions will give you books anyway, so...

    I'm really looking forward to What If It's Us!

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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  22. I seen SO MUCH HYPE for Victoria's books, and yet, I haven't read a single one. Perhaps someday I will. Hope you enjoy all of these, AJ - and thanks so much for visiting Finding Wonderland last week. :)

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  23. Oooh, new Markus Zusak! I'm terrible at keeping track of new books coming out by authors I like.

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