Under The Book Cover: samantha downing

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Books Releasing During the Second Half of 2023

Hi hello and welcome to Top Ten Tuesday! This weekly post is hosted by the wonderful Jana from That Artsy Reader Girl so please be sure to go check out her post with all of the information about TTT. The topic this week is most anticipated releases for the second half of 2023, which seems fairly straightforward! I’ve been away due to a convention and then major spine surgery, so I’m really happy to be back and posting again. I’m always excited to talk about books I’m looking forward to, and there are quite a few releasing in the second half of 2023! Let’s get started!

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Just to note before I get started, these are not in order of how excited I am for them. I put them in order of release date because I like being organized. All books also have their Goodreads pages linked in case you’d like to check them out and add them to your TBR!

1. A Trial of Lace and Bone by Kalista Neith

Release Date: 11 July 2023

I read Invoking the Blood last year after a video of Kalista’s popped up on my FYP and I took a chance and signed up for an ARC. I’m so glad I did because I absolutely loved that book and now the sequel is so close to being out in the world!

2. A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing

Release Date: 18 July 2023

I’ve only read My Lovely Wife and I do believe that is a crime because that book was so fantastic and I still love it four years later. But I’m absolutely going to binge the other books she’s written and then fly through A Twisted Love Story!

3. The Last One by Will Dean

Release Date: 08 August 2023

I discovered this book from gabbyreads and she went off about how good this book was once she hit the 100 page mark which had me hooked. So, naturally, I added it to my TBR, went to see if there were eARCs on NetGalley, and even entered a Goodreads giveaway because I’m nothing if not obsessive and committed. Look, I trust her recommendations, okay? So not only did I get approved for the eARC, I also won my first Goodreads giveaway and am getting a physical copy! Bless you Gabby, may your crops thrive and your skin be blemish free always.

4. My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine

Release Date: 15 August 2023

I’m super excited about this one because I was invited to be on the blog tour for this book! Not only is the cover super cute (be honest, you still judge books by their covers occasionally) but the synopsis had me hooked immediately. I can’t wait to share my thoughts on this one so keep an eye out closer to the release date!

5. I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea

Release Date: 29 August 2023

I’m going to be honest, this one is pure vibes. The title? Creepy. The cover? Stunning. The synopsis? Absolutely. I need this sooner than August and I’ll feed myself to the beast if it means I can read this beauty sooner rather than later.

6. Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Release Date: 05 September 2023

If you haven’t seen Hannah’s TikTok video series about being an assistant to the morally gray villain, you are missing out. It’s so silly and so cute and she turned it into a book which like, hello goals. I’m so beyond excited for this one and I cannot wait to read it!

7. The Death I Gave Him by Em X. Liu

Release Date: 12 September 2023

This is one of the few books on this list that I actually have an ARC of and when I tell you I fell out of my chair and my jaw dropped when I got approved, I mean it. This book is going to be fantastic.

8. The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab

Release Date: 26 September 2023

You already know so do I really need to write a big long explanation about why I’m excited for this? It’s V.E. Schwab. That’s it, that’s the tweet.

9. A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand

Release Date: 03 October 2023

A book that is set in the world that Shirley Jackson created and is going back to the Hill House?! That’s all I needed to know and yes I will be losing my mind when this book comes out in October.

10. Iris Kelly Doesn't Date by Ashley Herring Blake

Release Date: 24 October 2023

The gays are winning once again with another book in the Bright Falls series! I may or may not be in the process of crying to the publisher requesting an ARC of this because my soul will not rest until I read the entirety of this book. Dramatic? Yes, but it’s necessary. It’s pride month and honestly it’s offensive that I was rejected on NetGalley for this ARC. But in all seriousness, I cannot wait to read about Iris!

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And that's it for this weeks Top Ten Tuesday! I'm so incredibly excited about all of these books, and I feel like I have a fairly wide variety of genres on here. I would love to know what some of your most anticipated books for the second half of the year are! Do you have any of these on your list? Was I able to introduce you to a new book that you haven't heard of yet? If you did the prompt this week, link me your post below so I can go check it out because I'd love to see what books you ended up picking out! Don't forget to visit That Artsy Reader Girl to see her post for the week and the books she chose. Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you in the next chapter!

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Most Anticipated Adult Books of 2020!

2020 12:00:00 PM

Hi hello and welcome to my most anticipated Adult book releases of 2020! I had so much fun putting together my YA list and I could not wait to compile my Adult list to share with everyone. I don't have a ton of Adult books to share, but these are some really special ones that I just cannot wait to read! Most of them are mystery/thriller but there are a few fantasy ones mixed in and my number one most anticipated release of 2020 is at the very end so be sure to read all the way through to find out what it is! Let's get started!

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Title: The Other People

Author: C.J. Tudor

Pages: 288

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Release Date: 28 January 2020

From Goodreads: "Three years ago, Gabe saw his daughter taken. In the back of a rusty old car, covered in bumper stickers. He was driving behind the car. He watched her disappear. But no one believes him. Most people believe that his daughter, and wife, are dead. For a while, people believed that Gabe was responsible. Three years later and Gabe cannot give up hope. Even though he has given up everything else. His home, his job, his old life. He spends his days and nights traveling up and down the motorway, sleeping in his camper van in service stations, searching for the car that took her. Searching for his daughter. Katie spends a lot of her life in service stations, working as a waitress. She often sees Gabriel, or 'the thin man' as she has nicknamed him. She knows his story. She feels for him because Katie understands what it's like to lose a loved one. Nine years ago, her father was murdered. It broke her family apart. She hasn't seen her oldest sister since the day of the funeral; the day she did something terrible. Fran and her daughter, Alice, put in a lot of miles on the motorway. Not searching. But running. Trying to keep one step ahead of the people that want to hurt them. Because Fran knows the truth. She knows what really happened to Gabe's daughter. She knows who is responsible. And she knows that if they ever find them, they're dead."

Title: The Only Child

Author: Mi-ae Seo

Pages: 304

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Release Date: 11 February 2020

From Goodreads: "Criminal psychologist Seonkyeong receives an unexpected call one day. Yi Byeongdo, a serial killer whose gruesome murders shook the world, wants to be interviewed. Yi Byeongdo, who has refused to speak to anyone until now, asks specifically for her. Seonkyeong agrees out of curiosity. That same day Hayeong, her husband’s eleven-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, shows up at their door after her grandparents, with whom she lived after her mother passed away, die in a sudden fire. Seonkyeong wants her to feel at home, but is gradually unnerved as the young girl says very little and acts strangely. At work and at home, Seonkyeong starts to unravel the pasts of the two new arrivals in her life and begins to see startling similarities. Hayeong looks at her the same way Yi Byeongdo does when he recounts the abuse he experienced as a child; Hayeong’s serene expression masks a temper that she can’t control. Plus, the story she tells about her grandparents’ death, and her mother’s before that, deeply troubles Seonkyeong. So much so that Yi Byeongdo picks up on it and starts giving her advice."

Title: The Other Mrs.

Author: Mary Kubica

Pages: 368

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Release Date: 18 February 2020

From Goodreads: "Sadie and Will Foust have only just moved their family from bustling Chicago to small-town Maine when their neighbor, Morgan Baines, is found dead in her home. The murder rocks their tiny coastal island, but no one is more shaken than Sadie, who is terrified by the thought of a killer in her very own backyard. But it’s not just Morgan’s death that has Sadie on edge. It’s their eerie old home, with its decrepit decor and creepy attic, which they inherited from Will’s sister after she died unexpectedly. It’s Will’s disturbed teenage niece Imogen, with her dark and threatening presence. And it’s the troubling past that continues to wear at the seams of their family. As the eyes of suspicion turn toward the new family in town, Sadie is drawn deeper into the mystery of Morgan’s death. But Sadie must be careful, for the more she discovers about Mrs. Baines, the more she begins to realize just how much she has to lose if the truth ever comes to light."

Title: You Are Not Alone

Author: Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

Pages: 352

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Release Date: 03 March 2020

From Goodreads: "You probably know someone like Shay Miller.

She wants to find love, but it eludes her.

She wants to be fulfilled, but her job is a dead end.

She wants to belong, but her life is so isolated.

You probably don’t know anyone like the Moore sisters.

They have an unbreakable circle of friends.

They live the most glamorous life.

They always get what they desire.

Shay thinks she wants their life.

But what they really want is hers."

Title: House of Earth and Blood

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Pages: 816

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: 03 March 2020

From Goodreads: "Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life—working hard all day and partying all night—until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths. Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose—to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach. As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion—one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it."

Title: The Return

Author: Rachel Harrison

Pages: 304

Genre: Horror/Thriller

Release Date: 24 March 2020

From Goodreads: "Julie is missing, and the missing don't often return. But Elise knows Julie better than anyone, and she feels in her bones that her best friend is out there, and that one day she'll come back. She's right. Two years to the day that Julie went missing, she reappears with no memory of where she's been or what happened to her."

Title: He Started It

Author: Samantha Downing

Pages: 384

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Release Date: 28 April 2020

From Goodreads: "Beth, Portia, and Eddie Morgan haven't all been together in years. And for very good reasons—we'll get to those later. But when their wealthy grandfather dies and leaves a cryptic final message in his wake, the siblings and their respective partners must come together for a cross-country road trip to fulfill his final wish and—more importantly—secure their inheritance. But time with your family can be tough. It is for everyone. It's even harder when you're all keeping secrets and trying to forget a memory—a missing person, an act of revenge, the man in the black truck who won't stop following your car—and especially when at least one of you is a killer and there's a body in the trunk. Just to name a few reasons. But money is a powerful motivator. It is for everyone."

Title: Harrow the Ninth

Author: Tamsyn Muir

Pages: 512

Genre: Science Fiction/ Fantasy

Release Date: 02 June 2020

From Goodreads: "Harrowhark Nonagesimus, last necromancer of the Ninth House, has been drafted by her Emperor to fight an unwinnable war. Side-by-side with a detested rival, Harrow must perfect her skills and become an angel of undeath — but her health is failing, her sword makes her nauseous, and even her mind is threatening to betray her. Sealed in the gothic gloom of the Emperor's Mithraeum with three unfriendly teachers, hunted by the mad ghost of a murdered planet, Harrow must confront two unwelcome questions: is somebody trying to kill her? And if they succeeded, would the universe be better off?"

Title: The Swap

Author: Robyn Harding

Pages: 336

Genre: Mystery/ Thriller

Release Date: 23 June 2020

From Goodreads: "Low Morrison is not your average teen. You could blame her hippie parents or her looming height or her dreary, isolated hometown on an island in the Pacific Northwest. But whatever the reason, Low just doesn’t fit in—and neither does Freya, an ethereal beauty and once-famous social media influencer who now owns the local pottery studio. After signing up for a class, Low quickly falls under Freya’s spell. And Freya, buoyed by Low’s adoration, is compelled to share her darkest secrets and deepest desires. Finally, both feel a sense of belonging...that is, until Jamie walks through the studio door. Desperate for a baby, she and her husband have moved to the island hoping that the healthy environment will result in a pregnancy. Freya and Jamie become fast friends, as do their husbands, leaving Low alone once again. Then one night, after a boozy dinner party, Freya suggests swapping partners. It should have been a harmless fling between consenting adults, one night of debauchery that they would put behind them, but instead, it upends their lives. And provides Low the perfect opportunity to unleash her growing resentment."

Title: The Girl From Widow Hills

Author: Megan Miranda

Pages: 336

Genre: Mystery/ Thriller

Release Date: 23 June 2020

From Goodreads: "Everyone knows the story of “the girl from Widow Hills." Arden Maynor was just a child when she was swept away while sleepwalking during a terrifying rainstorm and went missing for days. Strangers and friends, neighbors and rescue workers, set up search parties and held vigils, praying for her safe return. Against all odds, she was found, alive, clinging to a storm drain. The girl from Widow Hills was a living miracle. Arden’s mother wrote a book. Fame followed. Fans and fan letters, creeps, and stalkers. And every year, the anniversary. It all became too much. As soon as she was old enough, Arden changed her name and disappeared from the public eye. Now a young woman living hundreds of miles away, Arden goes by Olivia. She’s managed to stay off the radar for the last few years. But with the twentieth anniversary of her rescue approaching, the media will inevitably renew its interest in Arden. Where is she now? Soon Olivia feels like she’s being watched and begins sleepwalking again, like she did long ago, even waking outside her home. Until late one night she jolts awake in her yard. At her feet is the corpse of a man she knows—from her previous life, as Arden Maynor."

Title: Home Before Dark

Author: Riley Sager

Pages: 384

Genre: Mystery/ Thriller

Release Date: 07 July 2020

From Goodreads: ""What was it like? Living in that house."

Maggie Holt is used to such questions. Twenty-five years ago, she and her parents, Ewan and Jess, moved into Baneberry Hall, a rambling Victorian estate in the Vermont woods. They spent three weeks there before fleeing in the dead of night, an ordeal Ewan later recounted in a nonfiction book called House of Horrors. His tale of ghostly happenings and encounters with malevolent spirits became a worldwide phenomenon, rivaling The Amityville Horror in popularity—and skepticism. Today, Maggie is a restorer of old homes and too young to remember any of the events mentioned in her father's book. But she also doesn’t believe a word of it. Ghosts, after all, don’t exist. When Maggie inherits Baneberry Hall after her father's death, she returns to renovate the place to prepare it for sale. But her homecoming is anything but warm. People from the past, chronicled in House of Horrors, lurk in the shadows. And locals aren’t thrilled that their small town has been made infamous thanks to Maggie’s father. Even more unnerving is Baneberry Hall itself—a place filled with relics from another era that hint at a history of dark deeds. As Maggie experiences strange occurrences straight out of her father’s book, she starts to believe that what he wrote was more fact than fiction."

Title: Empire of the Vampire

Author: Jay Kristoff

Pages: 400

Genre: Fantasy/ Paranormal

Release Date: 03 September 2020

From Goodreads: "Twenty-seven years have passed since the last sunrise, and for almost three decades, the creatures of the night have walked the day without fear. Once, humanity fought bravely against the coldblood legions, but now, we exist only in a few scattered settlements—tiny sparks of light in a growing sea of darkness. Gabriel de León is the last of the Silversaints, a holy order dedicated to defending realm and church, now utterly destroyed. Imprisoned for the murder of the vampiric king, Gabriel is charged with telling the story of his life. His tale spans years, from his youth in the monastery of San Michel, to the forbidden love that spelled his undoing, and the betrayal that saw his order annihilated. Most importantly, Gabriel will tell of his discovery of the Grail—the legendary cup prophesied to bring an end to the eternal night. But the Grail was no simple chalice; it was a smart-mouthed teenage urchin named Dior. Their journey with a band of unlikely allies would see Dior and Gabriel forge an unbreakable bond, and set the broken paragon on a road to redemption. But now, the Grail is shattered. And with the cup of the Savior destroyed and the last Silversaint awaiting execution, what can bring an end to this unholy empire?"

Title: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Author: V.E. Schwab

Pages:

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: 06 October 2020

From Goodreads: "It’s about a love story between a French girl and the devil over 300 years. She sells her soul for the ability to live forever, and the devil curses her to be forgotten by everyone she meets."

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And there you have it, my most anticipated Adult releases for 2020! There aren't as many on this list as my YA list but I'm really excited for the ones that are on this list. My most anticipated book of the year is, no surprise, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and I would quite literally sell my soul to read this book. I would love to know what your most anticipated Adult book release of 2020 is! Are you interested in any of the books that I listed above? Did you find out about a book because of this list? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you in the next chapter!

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Blogtober Day 12: Nightmare Before Christmas Tag

blogtober 6:47:00 PM

Hi hello and welcome to day 12 of Blogtober 2019! If you don't know what Blogtober is or are curious as to what I'll be posting throughout the month, feel free to check out my Preparing for Blogtober 2019 post to find out what it's all about! Today, I'll be doing the Nightmare Before Christmas tag which was created by VivisBooks. Nightmare Before Christmas is my favorite film of all time so I was super excited to find this tag and make it a part of my Blogtober posts. Let's get spooky!
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Sally: A character who loves someone a lot and gets them in the end

Okay, it might not actually fit the prompt, but I thought I'd start off with a joke. But all jokes aside, this book is incredible and I love how unique it is with putting You as the subject and making the reader feel like Joe is the one talking to you and stalking you. It's just fabulously written and I highly recommend it!

Jack: A character that longs for more

Lila Bard from A Darker Shade of Magic. While she is set in her ways in Grey London, she can feel like she is destined to do more, to be more. And I love the journey that she goes through in this book and also in the sequel, which I am currently reading and loving.

Zero: A sidekick character

If Jacob ever actually was referred to as a sidekick, I think he would go nuclear. But Jacob is Cassidy's ghost best friend in City of Ghosts and he does the best job at helping her solve mysteries and keeping her safe and I just absolutely adore this cinnamon roll ghost boy!

Oogie Boogie: A book with a wicked villain

Not only does Vicious have one wicked villain, it has two. And yes, Victor is a villain, just not in the way that Eli is. They both have their own wicked qualities, and Eli may be more on the chaotic evil side, but don't forget that this series is called the Villains series, and that just because one may not appear evil, that doesn't mean that they're good.

Halloween Town: A book with a creepy theme

Riley Sager is a master at the thriller genre. I can't even begin to describe how much I love his writing and Lock Every Door is absolute perfection. The setting is a fancy apartment building and the main character is getting paid to house sit for the owner of one of the apartments. But the twist? She can't spend the night away, she can't have visitors, and she can't speak to the other tenants. And that's not even the worst of it. I highly recommend all three of his books and I am so excited for his new book, Home Before Dark!

Christmas Town: A book that left you feeling warm and fuzzy

If it's not already apparent by me creating a Kpop Book Tag, I am trash for kpop. And not just one group but like, a ton. So when I got an email that was a review request for a kpop book called Comeback, I jumped at the chance and I ended up loving this so much that I sat there and cried. I'm so hoping that this was the first of many books in this kpop series by Lyn Ashwood and Rachel Rose because I am soft for these boys and I want them to be real so bad!

What is this?: A book that took you by surprise

What the actual heck was this book. I got the recommendation from Books and Lala and once I started reading, I did not want to stop! This was such a wild ride and I was not expecting the twists it took nor the ending. If you're looking for a thriller that will leave you shook (that's what the kids say these days right?) then definitely pick up My Lovely Wife!
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And that's it for the Nightmare Before Christmas tag! I tried to stick to more thriller-y type books for this but I definitely noticed I put mostly V.E. Schwab books in there. Not really sorry for that as she's the author of my favorite book. But hopefully I was able to introduce you to a few new books that you might want to pick up at some point! I'd love to know what some of your answers for these questions would be so feel free to leave them in the comments! Thanks for stopping by and I'll scare ya later!

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Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Books Releasing During the Second Half of 2023

Most Anticipated Adult Books of 2020!

Blogtober Day 12: Nightmare Before Christmas Tag

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