Earlier this year, when I posted my two blog posts (here and here) about my most anticipated new releases for the first half of 2019, I promised to later compile another post featuring the books I’m most excited about for July through December. And then I forgot about it until June, when I was planning to post it, but then somehow forgot about it again after finishing about half of it, because it’s been a really crazy summer. I thought about not posting this at all, considering it’s now September and this is a few months late (and many of the books on the list have already been released), but decided to go for it anyways. Personally, I love looking at lists of anticipated new releases and adding the intriguing ones to my TBR, and since we’re not all completely on top of our new release reading anyways (me especially!), I figured that this would still be somewhat relevant, and would, if nothing else, still help me to track the books I have an eye on for the fall and early winter.
So, here we go! There are a ton of books on this list; some are from authors I already know and love, but others are debuts or from new-to-me authors, and we’ve got a lot of different genres represented as well. Let’s jump in, from earliest release to latest…
Oval by Elvia Wilk (release date 6/4) – Near-future literary science fiction that I don’t know a ton about, but am nevertheless intrigued by. Goodreads says that “Oval is a fascinating portrait of the unbalanced relationships that shape our world, as well as a prescient warning of what the future may hold.”
Bunny by Mona Awad (release date 6/11) – This literary fiction release is set at an MFA program and deals with complex female friendships, so I’m in. I think there might be a magical realism element as well, but I can’t quite tell from the synopsis, so don’t take my word for it. Per Goodreads, “the spellbinding new novel from one of our most fearless chroniclers of the female experience, Bunny is a down-the-rabbit-hole tale of loneliness and belonging, friendship and desire, and the fantastic and terrible power of the imagination.”
Wilder Girls by Rory Power (release date 7/9) – A lot of people have been calling this a female version of Lord of the Flies; I’d say it’s much more of a YA take on Jeff Vandermeer’s Annihilation, since both involve an all-female cast, weird fiction focused on a very specific environment, and an overlying sense of unease and strangeness. I was able to read an eARC of this one from NetGalley and gave it 4 stars; my full review will be up shortly.
The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams (release date 7/9) – I’m normally not into World War II historical fiction (like Tudor-era historical fiction, I read tons of it when I was younger and got burnt out awhile back), but this book is about spies, there’s a strong romantic element, and it’s set in the Bahamas, so it feels like a new angle on the time period. I’m currently listening to this one on audiobook and enjoying it.
The Last Book Party by Karen Dukess (release date 7/9) – From Goodreads: “In the summer of 1987, 25-year-old Eve Rosen is an aspiring writer languishing in a low-level assistant job, unable to shake the shadow of growing up with her brilliant brother. With her professional ambitions floundering, Eve jumps at the chance to attend an early summer gathering at the Cape Cod home of famed New Yorker writer Henry Grey and his poet wife, Tillie. Dazzled by the guests and her burgeoning crush on the hosts’ artistic son, Eve lands a new job as Henry Grey’s research assistant and an invitation to Henry and Tillie’s exclusive and famed “Book Party”— where attendees dress as literary characters. But by the night of the party, Eve discovers uncomfortable truths about her summer entanglements and understands that the literary world she so desperately wanted to be a part of is not at all what it seems.” Sounds bookish and drama-filled, so I’m on board.
To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers (release date 8/8) – Somehow, I missed hearing about this new novella from Becky Chambers until just recently, and it’s currently on its way to me from Book Depository. Not a part of her Wayfarers series, Goodreads says that “in her new novella, Sunday Times best-selling author Becky Chambers imagines a future in which, instead of terraforming planets to sustain human life, explorers of the solar system instead transform themselves.”
Rage by Cora Carmack (release date 8/27) – You can check out my full review for Rage, sequel to romantic YA fantasy Roar, here; I really enjoyed this new installment in the Stormheart series, which for me is a very underrated YA saga.
Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews (release date 8/27) – Sapphire Flames is technically the fourth book in Andrews’ Hidden Legacy series, although it’s also technically the start of a new trilogy featuring the younger sister of books 1-3’s protagonist. I’ve actually just finished this one and LOVED it; I’m an Ilona Andrews superfan, but this was actually one of my favorites of hers. It’s set in a version of our world that features warring dynasties of magical families, and our main character Catalina has a very unique power; we follow her trying to solve a friend’s mother’s murder, protect her own family, and maybe connect with her crush, Alessandro, who has more than a few secrets up his sleeves. Honestly, this book is SO GOOD, and I think it’s also a great starting point for readers new to Ilona Andrews.
Whose Story is This? by Rebecca Solnit (release date 9/3) – Rebecca Solnit writes politically relevant, concise essays that make you think more deeply about issues you only think you understand; I’ve read three of her previous collections (Men Explain Things to Me, Call Them by Their True Names, and The Mother of All Questions), which were all excellent. This newest collection focuses on marginalized voices and who gets to tell the story of our politically divided present.
Well Met by Jen DeLuca (release date 9/3) – rom-com set at a Renaissance Faire. I think that’s all I need to say? I’ve been reading more and more contemporary romance lately, and this one sounds very cute.
After the Flood by Kassandra Montag (release date 9/3) – I’m still a sucker for any type of female-driven post-apocalyptic fiction, and this one focuses on a mother and daughter attempting to survive in a world overrun by flood waters.
Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin (release date 9/3) – Another weakness of mine is romantic YA fantasy, and this one’s getting comparisons to Sarah J. Maas (hopefully in the vein of ACOTAR rather than Throne of Glass, which I’m not a fan of). It involves witches and an arranged marriage between a witch and witch-hunter, which sounds very intriguing.
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (release date 9/10) – the unexpected sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale is on mine and everyone else’s TBR for the fall. I’m not sure what to expect, and haven’t read anything about the plot, nor do I want to, before diving in.
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (release date 9/10) – I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Gideon from the publisher at BookExpo, and it turned into my favorite book so far of 2019. It’s an awesome, twisty science fantasy read featuring necromancy, political intrigue, a competition between magical Houses, and humor. Check out my full review here.
Bloodlust and Bonnets by Emily McGovern (release date 9/17) – I absolutely LOVE McGovern’s webcomic My Life as a Background Slytherin (it’s seriously hilarious; check her out on Instagram @emilyintheweb), and I somehow missed hearing about her new graphic novel until recently. It sounds like tons of fun–a satirical historical fantasy featuring vampires and Lord Byron. I’m eyeing it as a potential read for Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon this fall.
The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz (release date 9/24) – I’m actually reading this one right now, and it’s got an awesome premise: feminist time-travelers from the near-future are trying to prevent the erasure of women’s contributions to society by an insidious MRA-type time-travel group, while we also get flashbacks to the Riot Grrl era of the early ’90s. I’m picky about time travel books, but this one really works for me.
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (release date 10/1) – this one has to be on pretty much everyone’s list of most anticipated books of the year. It’s the adult debut from previously-YA author Bardugo, whose Six of Crows duology I absolutely loved, focusing on secret societies at Yale, with fantastical elements. It sounds dark and twisty and like a perfect book to pick up in October.
Trinity Sight by Jennifer Givhan (release date 10/1) – I’m going to let Goodreads take this one (I picked up an ARC at BEA): “Anthropologist Calliope Santiago awakens to find herself in a strange and sinister wasteland, a shadow of the New Mexico she knew. Empty vehicles litter the road. Everyone has disappeared-or almost everyone. Calliope, heavy-bellied with the twins she carries inside her, must make her way across this dangerous landscape with a group of fellow survivors, confronting violent inhabitants, in search of answers. Long-dead volcanoes erupt, the ground rattles and splits, and monsters come to ominous life. The impossible suddenly real, Calliope will be forced to reconcile the geological record with the heritage she once denied if she wants to survive and deliver her unborn babies into this uncertain new world. Rooted in indigenous oral-history traditions and contemporary apocalypse fiction, Trinity Sight asks readers to consider science versus faith and personal identity versus ancestral connection. Lyrically written and utterly original, Trinity Sight brings readers to the precipice of the end-of-times and the hope for redemption.”
Aphrodite Made Me Do It by Trista Mateer (release date 10/1) (poetry collection) – I read Mateer’s poetry collection Honeybee and absolutely loved it after picking up a copy at BookCon this year, and it made me want to read a lot more from her. Based on the title, I assume that this collection also focuses on love and lost love.
The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake (release date 10/1) – I heard about this one at the YA Buzz panel at BookExpo, where it was pitched as being extremely unique and hard to describe–and even though that was pretty vague, I was still intrigued enough to pick up an ARC after the panel. Early reviews are very positive, and several mention that it’s either inspired by or a retelling of Twelfth Night.
Frankissstein by Jeanette Winterson (release date 10/1) – Winterson’s The Passion was one of my favorite reads a few years ago, and I’ve been wanting to pick up more from her ever since. Frankissstein is supposedly half historical fiction about a take on Mary Shelley and her inspiration for Frankenstein and half speculative literary fiction about AI, and I’m very intrigued.
Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell (release date 10/3) – The sequel to Carry On, which is probably one of my favorite YA books, has been on my radar for months. I read Carry On in one sitting during my first ever round of participating in Dewey’s 24-hour Readathon, and it fits into one of my absolute favorite niche genres: satires/homages to portal fantasy tropes and classics. I have no idea what to expect from Wayward Son, except that it’s set in the U.S., but I’m hoping to love it just as much as the original.
The Grace Year by Kim Liggett (release date 10/8) – Another ARC I picked up at BookExpo’s YA Buzz panel, this one is being called a YA version of The Handmaid’s Tale.
The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh (release date 10/8) – YA historical fantasy featuring New Orleans vampires, inspired by Anne Rice. There’s no way I’m not picking this one up, and I stood in line for a veryyy long time at BookExpo to pick up an ARC! To me, this is the epitome of a great-sounding October read, and I’m very much hoping to love it.
It Would Be Night in Caracas by Karina Sainz Borgo (release date 10/15) – I’m very interested in this new release from new imprint Harper Via, which focuses on translated, international fiction. From Goodreads: “Told with gripping intensity, It Would be Night in Caracas chronicles one woman’s desperate battle to survive amid the dangerous, sometimes deadly, turbulence of modern Venezuela and the lengths she must go to secure her future.”
The Deep by Rivers Solomon (release date 11/5) – this is a short novel based on a Hugo-nominated song and written by the author of An Unkindness of Ghosts, a science fiction work I read last year. It sounds like it will be an intense and moving read; Goodreads describes the premise thusly: “Yetu holds the memories for her people—water-dwelling descendants of pregnant African slave women thrown overboard by slave owners—who live idyllic lives in the deep. Their past, too traumatic to be remembered regularly, is forgotten by everyone, save one—the historian.”
The Witches Are Coming by Lindy West (release date 11/5) – I really enjoyed West’s previous essay collection Shrill, which talked a lot about feminism and body positivity; this one is supposed to be more of an examination of how Trump won the 2016 election and how pop culture trends contributed to current societal issues.
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado (release date 11/5) – Machado’s Her Body and Other Parties is one of my all-time favorite short story collections, so I’ll absolutely be looking to pick up her new book, which is a memoir about her experience in an abusive relationship.
Queen of the Conquered by Kacen Callender (release date 11/12) – The Goodreads blurb says it all for this one: “An ambitious young woman with the power to control minds seeks vengeance against the royals who murdered her family, in a Caribbean-inspired fantasy world embattled by colonial oppression.”
The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black (release date 11/19) – I’m cautiously looking forward to the third and final (I’m assuming?) book in Black’s Folk of the Air trilogy, considering that I did enjoy the first 2 books in the series, but they weren’t quite perfect. They’re definitely twisty books with memorable characters, but I’m hoping that book 3 will bring more depth and resolution to the series.
Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi (release date 12/3) – the anxiously awaited sequel to YA fantasy hit Children of Blood and Bone finally comes out in December, and I’m very excited to see where the story goes after Book 1’s twist ending. I really loved the characters and lush worldbuilding of the first book, and I have a feeling that Book 2 won’t disappoint.
Are you excited for any of these new releases? Do you know of any intriguing ones I’ve missed? Let me know in the comments!
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