Tuesday 22 September 2015

Top Ten Books on my Autumn TBR Pile

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely people over at 'The Broke & The Bookish' - to join in simply follow the link.

How is it autumn already, when did that happen? It has been a year for awesome books, but it isn't over yet! So here are my top ten books that I want to pick up over the next few weeks. I've got a fantastic mix of bought books and ones I've managed to nab from Netgalley and I cannot wait to get stuck into them.

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson
Release Date: September 22nd
Source: Bought/To Buy

Lee Westfall has a secret. She can sense the presence of gold in the world around her. Veins deep beneath the earth, pebbles in the river, nuggets dug up from the forest floor. The buzz of gold means warmth and life and home—until everything is ripped away by a man who wants to control her. Left with nothing, Lee disguises herself as a boy and takes to the trail across the country. Gold was discovered in California, and where else could such a magical girl find herself, find safety?

This has been on my desperate to read list for ages, and with the release date being today I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy and curl up with this gorgeous sounding book.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Release Date: September
Source: Bought/To Buy

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...
A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.
A runaway with a privileged past.
A spy known as the Wraith.
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.
Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.
 


Confession, I haven't yet read any of the Grisha trilogy, but it's on my must read now list because 'Six of Crows' is one of my insanely anticipated reads of the year. I have a thing for heist stories, like a ridiculous thing for them and this blurb literally has me shrieking and doing the excited dance, so I need to get caught up asap!

The Anatomy of Curiosity by Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton, Brenna Yovanof
Release Date: October 1st
Source: Bought/To Buy

The follow-up to the acclaimed novel The Curiosities: A Collection of Stories by Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff. 
In an unassuming corner of Brooklyn, a young woman learns to be ladylike, to love context, and to speak her mind from a very curious sort of tutor. 
In a faraway land convulsed by war, a young soldier hears the desert’s curious hum as he disarms bombs with the person he doesn’t know how to love. 
In a place so shriveled by drought that any drowning is a curiosity, a young writer tries again and again to tread water beneath the surface of a vast and unusual sea. 
Three new stories—complete with commentary on the creative process—from three acclaimed young adult authors working at the height of their powers. 
Curious?


I adore these authors, so all three of them in one book is like Christmas and Birthday and some sort of exciting festival all at the same time. I have yet to catch up on the first volume (how I missed it when it first came out I have no idea) but I plan on bingeing on both books over the autumn, because what better time to read stories by these three than when the days are getting colder and night is coming in faster?

Some Like It Scot by Suzanne Enoch
Release Date: October 6th
Source: Netgalley

CAN A CLASH OF WILLS
Nineteenth-century, Scotland:
When a mad lass in trousers shoots at him, Munro "Bear" MacLawry isn't sure what impresses him more-the girl's sure aim or her irresistibly tempting curves. Catriona MacColl has fled to the Highlands with her half-sister to escape an unwanted wedding, and wants no part of him, nor any man. But he can't abandon the flame-haired, sharp-tongued wildcat now that he's discovered her-not when she fits so perfectly in his arms...
LEAD TO A LOVE FOR ALL TIME?
Munro has more than earned his nickname-he's a well-muscled, well-favored mountain of a man with an engaging bad-boy grin and a string of well-satisfied lasses behind him. Bringing Catriona food, blankets, candles, everything she needs to survive a winter in an abandoned abbey, Munro is an unexpected gift in her reckless bid for freedom-and an unexpected complication. Clan MacDonald has plans for her, and they don't include her falling for a MacLawry. But this man makes her feel like a woman-and he may be her one chance to live a life about which she's only dared dream...


There is always a need for romance, and romance set in Scotland? Yes please. I had a fantastic experience earlier this year with Tessa Dare's 'Some Like It Scot' which made me start hunting out ore Scottish romances, and I already know I love Enoch's writing so this should be a match made in heaven.

A Thousand Nights by E K Johnston
Release Date: October 22nd

Source: ARC from Publisher

Lo-Melkhiin killed three hundred girls before he came to her village, looking for a wife. When she sees the dust cloud on the horizon, she knows he has arrived. She knows he will want the loveliest girl: her sister. She vows she will not let her be next.
And so she is taken in her sister's place, and she believes death will soon follow. Lo-Melkhiin's court is a dangerous palace filled with pretty things: intricate statues with wretched eyes, exquisite threads to weave the most beautiful garments. She sees everything as if for the last time.But the first sun rises and sets, and she is not dead. Night after night, Lo-Melkhiin comes to her and listens to the stories she tells, and day after day she is awoken by the sunrise. Exploring the palace, she begins to unlock years of fear that have tormented and silenced a kingdom. Lo-Melkhiin was not always a cruel ruler. Something went wrong.
Far away, in their village, her sister is mourning. Through her pain, she calls upon the desert winds, conjuring a subtle unseen magic, and something besides death stirs the air.
Back at the palace, the words she speaks to Lo-Melkhiin every night are given a strange life of their own. Little things, at first: a dress from home, a vision of her sister. With each tale she spins, her power grows. Soon she dreams of bigger, more terrible magic: power enough to save a king, if she can put an end to the rule of a monster.


We're having a sudden flurry of a thousand and one nights re-tellings, something I am very excited about. After the brilliance of 'The Wrath & The Dawn' earlier this year I cannot wait to see another take on the story.

How To Be Brave by E Katherine Kottaras
Release Date: November 3rd
Source: Netgalley
Reeling from her mother's death, Georgia has a choice: become lost in her own pain, or enjoy life right now, while she still can. She decides to start really living for the first time and makes a list of fifteen ways to be brave - all the things she's wanted to do but never had the courage to try. As she begins doing the things she's always been afraid to do - including pursuing her secret crush, she discovers that life doesn't always go according to plan. Sometimes friendships fall apart and love breaks your heart. But once in a while, the right person shows up just when you need them most - and you learn that you're stronger and braver than you ever imagined.


Every now and again a contemporary YA is precisely what I need, and the buzz around this one has me thoroughly interested. It has some big shoes to fill after some of the wonderful YA contemps I've read this year, but I have high hopes.

Dangerous Lies by Becca Fitzpatrick
Release Date: November 10th
Source: Netgalley

Stella Gordon's life is a lie.

She does not belong in Thunder Basin, Nebraska. As the key witness in a murder trial, Stella is under witness protection, living a life she doesn't want.
No one can know who she really is. Not even Chet Falconer, her hot, enigmatic neighbour. But against her better judgement, Stella finds herself falling under Chet's spell...
A storm is brewing. Is Stella really safe in Thunder Basin? And will Chet be her shelter, or her downfall...


I haven't read any of Becca Fitzpatrick's work before, but I've been meaning to, and with this blurb the time seems right round about now, so I'm taking the plunge. I have the 'Hush Hush' books on standby in case I am smitten.

Soundless by Richelle Mead
Release Date: November 10th
Source: Bought/To Buy
For as long as Fei can remember, there has been no sound in her village, where rocky terrain and frequent avalanches prevent residents from self-sustaining. Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom. 
When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink and many go hungry. Fei’s home, the people she loves, and her entire existence is plunged into crisis, under threat of darkness and starvation.
But soon Fei is awoken in the night by a searing noise, and sound becomes her weapon.
Richelle Mead takes readers on a triumphant journey from the peak of Fei’s jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiugo, where a startling truth and an unlikely romance will change her life forever...


Diversity! Chinese folklore! LOOK AT THAT COVER! Another book that has been on my radar since the start of the year, everything about this book appeals to me. My only worry is that I've spent so long getting excited about it, will it live up to the expectations? So far early reviews suggest it will...


The Light That Gets Lost by Natasha Carthew
Release Date: November 11th

Source: Netgalley
A small boy hiding in a cupboard witnesses something no child should ever see. He tries not to look but he still hears it. And when he comes out, there's no mistaking. His mum and dad have been killed. And though he's only small, he swears that he'll get revenge one day.
Years later, Trey goes to a strange camp that is meant to save troubled teenagers. It's packed with crazies, god-botherers, devoted felons and broken kids. Trey's been in and out of trouble ever since the day the bad thing happened, but he's not here for saving: this is where he'll find the man who did it. Revenge and healing, salvation and hell are a boiling, dangerous mix, and Trey finds himself drawn to a girl, a dream and the offer of friendship in the dark …


This isn't my usual must read, but I've been hearing quite a bit of buzz about this book already so when it popped up on Netgalley I couldn't wait to add it to my to read pile.

The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden
Release Date: November 17th

Source: Netgalley
In a post-storm New Orleans, Adele is haunted by myths, monsters, and her own family’s secrets.
After the storm of the century rips apart New Orleans, sixteen-year-old Adele Le Moyne and her father are among the first to return. Adele wants nothing more than to resume her normal life, but with the silent city resembling a war zone, a parish-wide curfew, and mysterious new faces lurking in the abandoned French Quarter, normal needs a new definition.
Strange events—even for New Orleans—lead Adele to an attic that has been sealed for three hundred years. The chaos she accidentally unleashes threatens not only her but also everyone she knows.
Caught in a hurricane of myths and monsters, Adele must untangle a web of magic that weaves the climbing murder rate back to her own ancestors. But who can you trust in a city where everyone has secrets and keeping them can mean life or death? Unless…you’re immortal.


Ever since 'The Originals' made an appearance on my TV, I've been hunting for books set in New Orleans, so combine that blurb and that title with that cover and I am more than a little intrigued.

So those are ten of the books on my autumn to read pile. Now it's over to you! Are there any that have piqued your interest? Any that we share? Let me know and link me to your own lists in the comments below!

16 comments:

  1. The Casquette Girls made my list as well and like you, I love books set in New Orleans. Great list!

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    1. Ooo! Excellent taste! :) I really hope you enjoy it too!

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  2. Dangerous Lies...I forgot about that one! Added to my giant tbr! A few of those are on my list. Good luck getting to them all!

    Michelle @ Michelle's Minions

    My TTT

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    1. Love adding to your giant TBR pile, it's basically my new mission in life :D Really hope you enjoy it too!

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  3. Yay for CASQUETTE GIRLS! I've got it in my list as well! I've got the Becca Fitzpatrick and A THOUSAND NIGHTS in my TBR right now for review. I quite enjoyed Fitzpatrick's last book and I love Thousand and One Nights trend right now.

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    1. We're basically on the same bookish wave length! :D Best place to be! Very excited about A Thousand Nights, although the bar was set so high by 'The Wrath and the Dawn' I'm kinda nervous too... I really hope you enjoy all of these!

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  4. I can't wait to read Six of Crows! Soundless and Casquette Girls both sound really great so now I have two books to look forward to in November. I love interesting settings and so I can definitely get excited about a book set in China and one in post-Katrina New Orleans.

    My ttt

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    1. Gah! My Six of Crows yearning is SO STRONG NOW! November was quite a quiet month so glad I could help add to your excitements pile! I really hope you enjoy them!

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  5. I've been hearing really good things about Suzanne Enoch, and definitely want to check out her historicals. What other Enoch books have you read? I love romance set in Scotland/highlands too! I love Julie Garwood!

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    1. I LOVE Suzanne Enoch books! She's up there with Julia Quinn and Eloisa James for historical romances. I've read quite a few of hers, The Lessons in Love series are fantastic, so much swooning over those. My favourite of the series is 'England's Perfect Hero' but to be honest they are all fab. If you're after more Scotland/Highlands romance, the Enoch one is fourth in a series (I'm now gonna go back and read the first three because this one was fab) and Tessa Dare's 'When a Scot Ties the Knot' was also awesome. Would love to know which ones your try and what you think of them!

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  6. Great list! I don't know most of these but they all sound very interesting, and I really like the cover for The Light That Gets Lost. Happy reading :)

    My TTT

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    1. We're being so spoiled for pretty covers at the moment! I hope you enjoy any that you pick up! :)

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  7. Walk on Earth a Stranger is on my list too, in fact I'm expecting it to come in the mail today. Yay! I don't know how long I'll be able to resist before I pick it up. I read Six of Crows and it was fantastic. Nice list!
    My TTT

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    1. Gah so jealous! I hope it has arrived and you're devouring it already! I cannot wait to pick up a copy. So glad you enjoyed Six of Crows, I cannot wait to get into it, I've heard nothing but good things about it!

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  8. Oooh, I would like to read SO MANY of these. But particularly The Anatomy of Curiosity because HELLO MAGGIE STIEFVATER? YES PLEASE AND THANK You. Also Walk on Earth. I absolutely need that in my life. *happy sigh* I've read Dangerous Lies and I really liked it!! It's my favourite Becca Fitzpatrick novel so far (I've read 4 and I was not happy with the Hush Hush series...like the concept was awesome? But the characters didn't click with me >_<) and Black Ice was kinda scary. BUT YEAH. Dangerous Lies has an adorable romance. :')

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    1. Eeee! If you liked it then I am SOLD. ALSO YES HI WELCOME TO THE MAGGIC STIEFVATER FANCLUB THERE ARE TSHIRTS AND BOOKS AND COOKIES. I cannot WAIT to get my mitts on it, and I shall most likely shriek at you once I do, because Evil Overlord must bear witness to shrieking over Stiefvater books.

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