Top Ten Tuesday: Recent Book Releases I Desperately Want To Read

 

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Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday! This week’s topic is ten books I hope Santa brings me. There are already a few mysterious book-shaped objects under the tree, so I know I’ll be getting books for Christmas, but I don’t know which ones! I hope some of them are recent releases. I don’t get to read many brand new releases because I can’t afford them. New hardcovers are expensive! Whenever you see a recent release on this blog, it was either a gift from my bookish friends, sent to me from the publisher in exchange for a review, or it came from the library. (There’s a little peek behind the blogging curtain for you.)

Here are ten 2020 releases that I’m desperate to get on my shelf. I’ll read them eventually, even if I have to spend years prowling used book websites.

 

Recent Book Releases I Desperately Want To Read

 

 

 

 

THE ANIMALS AT LOCKWOOD MANOR BY JANE HEALEY

 

Adult Historical Fiction

Released March 10, 2020

 

August 1939.

Thirty-year-old Hetty Cartwright is tasked with the evacuation and safekeeping of the natural history museum’s collection of mammals. Once she and her exhibits arrive at Lockwood Manor, however, where they are to stay for the duration of the war, Hetty soon realizes that she’s taken on more than she’d bargained for.

Protecting her charges from the irascible Lord Lockwood and resentful servants is work enough, but when some of the animals go missing, and worse, Hetty begins to suspect someone—or something—is stalking her through the darkened corridors of the house.

As the disasters mount, Hetty finds herself falling under the spell of Lucy, Lord Lockwood’s beautiful but clearly haunted daughter. But why is Lucy so traumatized? Does she know something she’s not telling? And is there any truth to local rumors of ghosts and curses?

 

Why I’m excited to read it: I’m excited about a lot of 2020 releases, but this book is at the top of my must-read list. It promises history, animals, and a spooky house. It’s a “me” book for sure. The synopsis reminds me of All The Light We Cannot See, which is a stunning novel about a young woman who is trying to protect a jewel from the destruction of war. The Animals At Lockwood Manor won the debut section of the HWA Crown Awards in November 2020.

Buy it on Amazon

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BURN BY PATRICK NESS

 

Young Adult Fantasy

Released June 2, 2020

 

Sarah Dewhurst and her father, outcasts in their little town of Frome, Washington, are forced to hire a dragon to work their farm, something only the poorest of the poor ever have to resort to.

The dragon, Kazimir, has more to him than meets the eye, though. Sarah can’t help but be curious about him, an animal who supposedly doesn’t have a soul, but who is seemingly intent on keeping her safe.

Because the dragon knows something she doesn’t. He has arrived at the farm with a prophecy on his mind. A prophecy that involves a deadly assassin, a cult of dragon worshippers, two FBI agents in hot pursuit—and somehow, Sarah Dewhurst herself.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: I’ve heard that Burn involves parallel universes. So, the universe in the book is similar to ours, but there are dragons? Cool. Also, I want to know about the assassins, cults, and FBI agents. Everything about this book sounds spectacularly weird.

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MEXICAN GOTHIC BY SILVIA MORENO-GARCIA

 

Adult Historical Horror

Released June 30, 2020

 

After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.

Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemí’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.

Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.

And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: It’s been compared to Rebecca and Jane Eyre. If it lives up to those comparison titles, I’ll be a very happy bookworm. It won the horror category of the Goodreads Choice Awards in 2020. It even beat a Stephen King book! I never thought that would happen. Horror readers prefer this book to Stephen King? No way. I need to read it.

 

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RUNNING BY NATALIA SYLVESTER

 

Young Adult Contemporary

Released July 14, 2020

 

Senator Anthony Ruiz is running for president. Throughout his successful political career he has always had his daughter’s vote, but a presidential campaign brings a whole new level of scrutiny to sheltered fifteen-year-old Mariana and the rest of her Cuban American family, from a 60 Minutes–style tour of their house to tabloids doctoring photos and inventing scandals. As tensions rise within the Ruiz family, Mari begins to learn about the details of her father’s political positions, and she realizes that her father is not the man she thought he was.

But how do you find your voice when everyone’s watching? When it means disagreeing with your father—publicly? What do you do when your dad stops being your hero? Will Mari get a chance to confront her father? If she does, will she have the courage to seize it?

 

Why I’m excited to read it: Did you forget that 2020 was an election year in the US? If you did, a thousand political-themed books were published to remind you! This one sounds promising. As someone who has opposite political beliefs to my parents, I’m intrigued by the father/daughter conflict. I’m also interested in the behind-the-scenes stuff that goes on in political campaigns. This book seems like it features some of that drama.

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SIA MARTINEZ AND THE MOONLIT BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING BY RAQUEL VASQUEZ GILLILAND

 

Young Adult Science Fiction

Released August 11, 2020

 

It’s been three years since ICE raids and phone calls from Mexico and an ill-fated walk across the Sonoran. Three years since Sia Martinez’s mom disappeared. Sia wants to move on, but it’s hard in her tiny Arizona town where people refer to her mom’s deportation as “an unfortunate incident.”

Sia knows that her mom must be dead, but every new moon Sia drives into the desert and lights San Anthony and la Guadalupe candles to guide her mom home.

Then one night, under a million stars, Sia’s life and the world as we know it cracks wide open. Because a blue-lit spacecraft crashes in front of Sia’s car . . . and it’s carrying her mom, who’s very much alive.

As Sia races to save her mom from armed quite-possibly-alien soldiers, she uncovers secrets as profound as they are dangerous.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: Well, that synopsis took a turn for the weirdly awesome. I was expecting a contemporary, but aliens are excellent too. Actually, aliens are more than excellent. This is a must-read. I want to see how the author incorporates sci-fi elements into a real-life setting. This novel has been recommended for fans of Aristotle & Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe. That’s me! I love Ari & Dante.

 

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CEMETERY BOYS BY AIDEN THOMAS

 

Young Adult Fantasy

Released September 1, 2020

 

When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie up some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: The reviews are extremely positive. People are going nuts for this book. After listening to the author speak at BookCon, I can understand why. It sounds like a unique story that’s full of humor and love (and witches). This book was everywhere in 2020. Most recently, it was longlisted for the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards in two categories: debut and YA fantasy. I hope it lives up to the hype.

 

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ANXIOUS PEOPLE BY FREDRIK BACKMAN

 

Adult Mystery

Released September 8, 2020

 

A bank robber on the run locks himself in an apartment with an over-enthusiastic estate agent, two bitter IKEA-addicts, a pregnant woman, a suicidal multi-millionaire and a rabbit. In the end the robber gives up and lets everyone go, but when the police storm the apartment it is . . . empty.

In a series of dysfunctional testimonies after the event, the witnesses all tell their version of what really happened and it's clear we have a classic locked-room mystery on our hands: How did the robber manage to escape? Why is everyone so angry? And: What is WRONG with people these days?

 

Why I’m excited to read it: The title. I’m an “anxious people!” This book is for me; it says so right on the cover. I’ve read a few Backman books and enjoyed them all. They’re funny and sweet without being gag-inducing. His characters are usually quirky outcasts with memorable personalities. I’ve laughed out loud many times while reading Backman books. This one has been described as “poignant and charming.” Recently, it was longlisted for the Goodreads Choice Awards in the general fiction category.

 

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THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE BY V.E. SCHWAB

 

Adult Fantasy

Released October 6, 2020

France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: I’ll read anything V.E. Schwab writes. Her heroes are usually a little villainous. They’re the type of people you’d never want to meet in real life, but you can’t look away because you’re desperately curious about how far they’re willing to push the boundaries. They know what they want and aren’t afraid to go after it. This is another book that was longlisted for the Goodreads Choice Awards (fantasy category) in 2020.

 

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HOLLOWPOX: THE HUNT FOR MORRIGAN CROW BY JESSICA TOWNSEND

 

Middlegrade Fantasy

Released October 27, 2020

 

Morrigan Crow and her friends have survived their first year as proud scholars of the elite Wundrous Society, helped bring down the nefarious Ghastly Market, and proven themselves loyal to Unit 919. Now Morrigan faces a new, exciting challenge: to master the mysterious Wretched Arts of the Accomplished Wundersmith, and control the power that threatens to consume her.

Meanwhile, a strange and frightening illness has taken hold of Nevermoor, turning infected Wunimals into mindless, vicious Unnimals on the hunt. As victims of the Hollowpox multiply, panic spreads. There are whispers—growing louder every day—that this catastrophe can only be the work of the Wundersmith, Ezra Squall.

But inside the walls of Wunsoc, everyone knows there is a new Wundersmith—one who's much closer to home. With Nevermoor in a state of fear and the truth about Morrigan threatening to get out, the city she loves becomes the most perilous place in the world. Morrigan must try to find a cure for the Hollowpox, but it will put her—and everyone in Nevermoor—in more danger than she could have imagined.

Why I’m excited to read it: It’s my most-anticipated YA/MG release of 2020. This is the third book in a brilliant series. The Nevermoor novels are hilarious, creative, escapist, completely ridiculous. I have too much fun reading them. I want to know what Morrigan does next. If you (or your children) like the quirkiness of Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland, check out this series. Also, this book was recently longlisted for the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards in the children’s book category.

 

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THE DECAMERON PROJECT: 29 NEW STORIES FROM THE PANDEMIC BY THE NEW YORK TIMES (EDITOR)

 

Adult Short Story Anthology

Released November 10, 2020

 

When reality is surreal, only fiction can make sense of it.

In 1353, Giovanni Boccaccio wrote The Decameron: one hundred nested tales told by a group of young men and women passing the time at a villa outside Florence while waiting out the gruesome Black Death, a plague that killed more than 25 million people. Some of the stories are silly, some are bawdy, some are like fables.

In March of 2020, the editors of The New York Times Magazine created The Decameron Project, an anthology with a simple, time-spanning goal: to gather a collection of stories written as our current pandemic first swept the globe. How might new fiction from some of the finest writers working today help us memorialize and understand the unimaginable? And what could be learned about how this crisis will affect the art of fiction?

These twenty-nine new stories, from authors including Margaret Atwood, Tommy Orange, Edwidge Danticat, and David Mitchell vary widely in texture and tone. Their work will be remembered as a historical tribute to a time and place unlike any other in our lifetimes, and offer perspective and solace to the reader now and in a future where coronavirus is, hopefully, just a memory.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: Well, this anthology is quite timely, isn’t it? Some of my favorite writers have stories in this book. I’m especially looking forward to the work by Margaret Atwood, Kamila Shamsie, and Karen Russell. Maybe it will motivate me to read the original Decameron. Probably not. That thing is massive, and I’m lazy.

 

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Extra Bonus 2020 Book Recommendations

I recently discovered how to embed Tweets in blog posts. Of course I had to test this new skill immediately, so I asked people on Twitter to recommend 2020 books they loved. Let's see how embedding goes:

I think you might appreciate Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson or You Know I'm No Good by Jessie Ann Foley. These are grittier than my norm. Maybe Let's Call It a Doomsday by Katie Henry

— Sam@WLABB (@kozbisa) December 12, 2020

I loved A Sky Beyond the Storm... but I wouldn't recommend reading it unless you've read the first three books in the series.

— Brooke Lorren (@Brookelorren) December 12, 2020

My middle grade pick is Dusti Bowling's The Canyon's Edge

— danielle hammelef (@dhammelef) December 12, 2020

Either The Suicide House by Charlie Donlea or Thieves of Weirdwood (it’s an MG novel)

— Lauren 🏳️‍🌈 (@ShootingStarMag) December 11, 2020

The Cousins by @writerkmc !!!!!

— ❄️🌨Sarah🌨❄️ (@SarahsBookNook) December 11, 2020

Did it work? Do you see Tweets by fabulous people?

Which 2020 releases do you still need to read?