Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Top Ten Tuesday: What I’m Reading This Winter





Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is my winter reading plans. Here are ten books that I’ll (maybe, hopefully) be reading this winter.










What I’m Reading This Winter







1. If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo



Amanda Hardy is the new girl in school. Like anyone else, all she wants is to make friends and fit in. But Amanda is keeping a secret, and she's determined not to get too close to anyone.

But when she meets sweet, easygoing Grant, Amanda can't help but start to let him into her life. As they spend more time together, she realizes just how much she is losing by guarding her heart. She finds herself yearning to share with Grant everything about herself, including her past. But Amanda's terrified that once she tells him the truth, he won't be able to see past it.

Because the secret that Amanda's been keeping? It's that at her old school, she used to be Andrew.











2. Arcadia by Iain Pears



In Cold War England, Professor Henry Lytten, having renounced a career in espionage, is writing a fantasy novel that dares to imagine a world less fraught than his own. He finds an unlikely confidante in Rosie, an inquisitive young neighbor who, while chasing after Lytten's cat one day, stumbles through a doorway in his cellar and into a stunning and unfamiliar bucolic landscape—remarkably like the fantasy world Lytten is writing about. There she meets a young boy named Jay who is about to embark on a journey that will change both their lives. Elsewhere, in a distopian society where progress is controlled by a corrupt ruling elite, the brilliant scientist Angela Meerson has discovered the potential of a powerful new machine. When the authorities come knocking, she will make an important decision—one that will reverberate through all these different lives and worlds.












3. Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson



Mary B. Addison killed a baby.

Allegedly. She didn’t say much in that first interview with detectives, and the media filled in the only blanks that mattered: A white baby had died while under the care of a churchgoing black woman and her nine-year-old daughter. The public convicted Mary and the jury made it official. But did she do it? She wouldn’t say.

Mary survived six years in baby jail before being dumped in a group home. The house isn’t really “home”—no place where you fear for your life can be considered a home. Home is Ted, who she meets on assignment at a nursing home.

There wasn’t a point to setting the record straight before, but now she’s got Ted—and their unborn child—to think about. When the state threatens to take her baby, Mary must find the voice to fight her past. And her fate lies in the hands of the one person she distrusts the most: her Momma. No one knows the real Momma. But who really knows the real Mary?












4. The Blue Girl by Laurie Foos



In this small lakeside town, mothers bake their secrets into moon pies they feed to a silent blue girl. Their daughters have secrets too—that they can't sleep, that they might sleep with a neighbor boy, that they know more than they let on. But when the daughters find the blue girl, everyone's carefully held silences shake loose.



















5. In A Handful Of Dust by Mindy McGinnis (Not A Drop To Drink #2)



Lucy’s life by the pond has always been full. She has water and friends, laughter and the love of her adoptive mother, Lynn, who has made sure that Lucy’s childhood was very different from her own. Yet it seems Lucy’s future is settled already—a house, a man, children, and a water source—and anything beyond their life by the pond is beyond reach.

When disease burns through their community, the once life-saving water of the pond might be the source of what’s killing them now. Rumors of desalinization plants in California have lingered in Lynn’s mind, and the prospect of a “normal” life for Lucy sets the two of them on an epic journey west to face new dangers: hunger, mountains, deserts, betrayal, and the perils of a world so vast that Lucy fears she could be lost forever, only to disappear in a handful of dust.












6. Daughter Of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #1)



Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands," she speaks many languages—not all of them human—and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?












7. Annabel by Kathleen Winter



In 1968, into the devastating, spare atmosphere of Labrador, Canada, a child is born: a baby who appears to be neither fully boy nor fully girl, but both at once. Only three people are privy to the secret—the baby’s parents, Jacinta and Treadway, and their trusted neighbor and midwife, Thomasina. Though Treadway makes the difficult decision to raise the child as a boy named Wayne, the women continue to quietly nurture the boy’s female side. And as Wayne grows into adulthood within the hypermasculine hunting society of his father, his shadow-self, a girl he thinks of as “Annabel,” is never entirely extinguished. 

When Wayne finally escapes the confines of his hometown and settles in St. John’s, the anonymity of the city grants him the freedom to confront his dual identity. His ultimate choice will once again call into question the integrity and allegiance of those he loves most.












8. Vivian Apple At The End Of The World by Katie Coyle (Vivian Apple #1)



Seventeen-year-old Vivian Apple never believed in the evangelical Church of America, unlike her recently devout parents. But when Vivian returns home the night after the supposed "Rapture," all that’s left of her parents are two holes in the roof. Suddenly, she doesn't know who or what to believe. With her best friend Harp and a mysterious ally, Peter, Vivian embarks on a desperate cross-country road trip through a paranoid and panic-stricken America to find answers. Because at the end of the world, Vivian Apple isn't looking for a savior. She's looking for the truth.














9. The Visitation by Frank E. Peretti



The sleepy, eastern Washington wheat town of Antioch has become a gateway for the supernatural—from sightings of angels and a weeping crucifix to a self-proclaimed prophet with an astounding message.

The national media and the curious all flock to the little town—a great boon for local business but not for Travis Jordan. The burned-out former pastor has been trying to hide his past in Antioch. Now the whole world is headed to his backyard to find the Messiah, and in the process, every spiritual assumption he has ever held will be challenged. The startling secret behind this visitation ultimately pushes one man into a supernatural confrontation that has eternal consequences.













10. The Little Friend by Donna Tartt



Twelve-year-old Harriet is doing her best to grow up, which is not easy as her mother is permanently on medication, her father has silently moved to another city, and her serene sister rarely notices anything. All of them are still suffering from the shocking and mysterious death of her brother Robin twelve years earlier, and it seems to Harriet that the family may never recover. So, inspired by Captain Scott, Houdini, and Robert Louis Stevenson, she sets out with her only friend Hely to find Robin's murderer and punish him. But what starts out as a child's game soon becomes a dark and dangerous journey into the menacing underworld of a small Mississippi town.









Have you read any of these? What did you think?






63 comments:

  1. Wow these all look like such great reads, I will be adding a few of them to my list too!

    Lotte | www.lottelauv.blogspot.co.uk

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  2. I've always been curious about Peretti books so I'm anxious for your thoughts on that one. I LOVE the cover of Annabel and Allegedly sounds great as well.

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    1. I’m curious about his books, too. I’ve heard good things about them.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  3. I haven't read any of these and several caught my interest, especially Arcadia.

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    1. Arcadia sounds really weird. I hope it’s good because it’s a massive book.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  4. An interesting selection of books you have on the horizon... Happy reading this winter!

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  5. Annabel sounds amazing. It's one I've missed so thanks. For me, The Little Friend was probably Tartt's weakest book. If you haven't read The Secret History, I'd definitely go there first.

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    1. I loved The Secret History. The Little Friend is the only Tartt book I haven’t read.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  6. I've read Daughter of Smoke and Bone and loved it; I really love the whole trilogy.

    Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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  7. Great list! I really want to read The Little Friend as well! I loved The Secret History and The Goldfinch.
    I hope you'll enjoy all the books you picked out!

    Have a wonderful week and happy reading!

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    1. Me, too! The Little Friend is the only Tartt book I haven’t read.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  8. I really enjoyed Daughter of Smoke and Bone - they were good on audio. Happy reading! :)
    Dani @ The Restricted Section

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  9. Some of those are on my TBR. Can't wait to see what you think. Hope you enjoy them!!

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  10. Every time I see Allegedly it looks good. Arcadia looks good too. I hope to read Daughter of Smoke and Bone in 2019.

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    1. I hope they’re all good. I’m looking forward to everything on this list.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  11. If I Was Your Girl is #ownvoices and ya can't beat that! I liked it a lot, it's pretty nuanced. Don't skip the author's note, for sure.

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  12. I really like that cover for Arcadia. I've never heard of The Blue Girl, but it sounds really interesting! I love Laini Taylor, so I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on that, and The Little Friend is one I'm actually hoping to pick up in the near future as well! Hope you get to these and enjoy them!

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    1. I’ve never seen a review of The Blue Girl. I found it at a used book sale and thought it was too weird to pass up.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  13. I'm hoping to get the the DoSaB series next year!

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  14. Arcadia and The Visitation sound super good to me. I'm adding them to my list. :)

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  15. lots of dark books on your list, I don't think I'll be reading them but I did try reading 'daugther of smoke & bones' but I find it kind of boring, I don't know, I don't think Taylor's books are for me.

    have a lovely day.

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    1. Haha, “dark” pretty much sums up my reading tastes. Other people have said that Taylor’s books are boring. I’ll have to see what I think.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  16. I read Daughter of Smoke and Bone and really liked it, so I hope you do too!
    My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2018/12/18/top-ten-tuesday-190/

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  17. So many of these look great! I really want to read "If I Was Your Girl" myself. So, I hope you enjoy it (and the other books!) when you do! Can't wait to hear your thoughts.

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    1. I might read If I Was Your Girl after I finish my current read. It’s short, and I need to hit my reading goal.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  18. Allegedly was WHOA! Crazy! Loved it! It's on the darker side for me, but the story was so engrossing.

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    1. If it’s dark, I’ll probably adore it. I’m glad you liked it.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  19. Most of these are new to me, but Annabel sounds really interesting!

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  20. I've been wanting to read the Not A drop To Drink books for a few years now and just never have. Eventually I will I guess haha. And Vivian Apple- that was another one I was super curious about. I need to add that to my list for next year and make sure I get it.

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    1. I loved Not A Drop To Drink. It was one of my favorite books a few years ago.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  21. If I Was Your Girl is a great book. I want to read Allegedly but haven't gotten around to it yet. Happy Reading!

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  22. I really enjoyed If I Was Your Girl! I also read Daughter of Smoke and Bone and I think I'm just not going to be a fan of Laini Taylor. I really hope you love it as much as everyone else seems to!

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    1. Now I’m getting nervous. A few people have said that DoSaB is boring. I’ll have to see what I think.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  23. These books all sound amazing! I personally loved Daughter of Smoke and Bone, so I really hope you enjoy it too!

    Here's my TTT if you want to check it out!

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  24. These all sound wonderful! Ahhhhhhhhh... my TBR is going to implode. Ha ha. I have Annabel, so I was already going to be reading that one. Allegedly and Blue Girl sound stellar. Thanks for the heads up! 👍✨

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  25. You've reminded me about how much I wanted to read Allegedly! I forgot about that book entirely!

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    1. I hope you like it! I think the hype for that book has died. There was so much hype when I got it.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  26. I haven't read any of these other than DNFing Laini Taylor a few years back! Hope you enjoy your picks!

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    1. I’m scared of how many people have DNFed the Laini Taylor book. I hope I like it.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  27. Oh my, such intense and mind-boggling plots! I have If I Was Your Girl on my radar but am afraid it will be melancholy (as are several on your list). Good choices-- interesting, new to me, and emotional...

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    1. “Melancholy” is a good way to describe the books I read. I think I’m drawn to sad, atmospheric, and weird.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  28. Oh this is a great TBR! I can't wait to hear what you think of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I really enjoyed it :)

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  29. I've looked at Allegedly several times but have yet to actually pick it up. I'll be interested to see what you think of it.

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    1. I really hope I like it. The synopsis sounds like a book I’d love.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  30. The Smoke and Bone series is among my very favorites of all time. The other books look good also.

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    1. That’s good news! Hopefully it’ll become one of my favorite series, too.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  31. Allegedly and If I was Your Girl are both books on my wishlist, so I will look forward to knowing what you think of those ones at the end of winter! I just had a bookstagram friend finish Arcadia and really love it. A long one, but apparently it's worth it ;) And The Little Friend is the only Donna Tartt I have yet to read. Really need to get to that one DD:

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  32. IN A HANDFUL OF DUST. Why is everyone in the comments sleeping on this book!? It might even be better than NaDtD actually. Also, now I want to read Arcadia, so thanks for that 😂

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  33. Ooo... I do hope you enjoy Daughter of Smoke and Bone and delighted you're giving it a whirl. I have yet to have the pleasure of reading Donna Tartt, though I have several students who love her writing.

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  34. I'm going to have to catch up on McGinnis soon as well. Happy reading!

    Lauren @ Always Me

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  35. I really like most of the ones on here that I've read: Daughter of Smoke and Bone, If I Were Your Girl, and Handful of Dust. I was not as impressed by Allegedly as I wanted to be. The others all sound fascinating--you find such great books!

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  36. Yes ! Read Daughter of Smoke and Bone, it's one of my favorite books to recommend. Vivian Apple is also pretty good it was so unpredictable.

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