In some brilliant marketing ploy to get us to buy all the books, the end of 2019 has a lot of must-read releases.
I mean, what gives? I’ve petitioned to my bosses that they should just give me all of November off paid leave so that I have the necessary time to read all these books, but they clearly aren’t bookish people and deem this an unreasonable request. Pffft. What do they know?
This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is books on my fall TBR, but I am monumentally bad at sticking to TBRs.
No, really. I keep trying, but it’s a no-go. So instead, I’m going to subject you to my totally biased opinions about what books you all should obviously read at the end of this year.
The Toll by Neal Shusterman
Release date: November 5, 2019
Brief summary: Everything went to crap, the Scythedom collapsed, Rowan and Citra are out of the picture, and Scythe Goddard is in charge, so … what could possibly be wrong? ROLL CREDITS!
Thoughts: You all saw this coming, right? Please tell me you saw this coming. I’ve only been waiting for more than a year desperate to find out what happens next. My goal in the meantime has been to get everyone to read Scythe and Thunderhead. My husband’s currently reading the series now, probably just to shut me up, but hey, I’ll take it. This has really been my most looked forward to book this year.
Steel Crow Saga by Paul Krueger
Release date: September 24, 2019
Brief summary: A group of people who own soul-pacted shades of animals that fight with them (read: Pokemon) has to protect the prince of a metalpacting nation (read: The Fire Nation) from … well, everyone, including himself.
Thoughts: I just finished this, and if you’re a fan of Pokemon and Avatar: The Last Airbender, you should totally read this one! The characters were great. The plot was fast-paced and full of battles and struggles. There’s an awesome power F/F couple, which I loved. It’s book one of a series, and I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am that there are more books.
The Deep by Rivers Solomon
Release date: November 5, 2019
Brief summary: In the immortal words of Daveed Diggs: “It’s black mermaids, yo.”
Thoughts: I’ve been meaning to read something by Rivers Solomon for a while and haven’t, but when I saw Daveed Diggs’ name on this, I knew I’d have to read it. I also learned about it right after reading Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant, and so I’m a bit into the whole mermaid thing right now.
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
Release date: October 15, 2019
Brief summary: A young black boy turns his love for boxing into a superpower and enlists the help of a pantheon of black gods to save the world.
Thoughts: I’ve been watching this book since I first learned about it last year, and its release date was actually moved up, and I couldn’t be more excited! I haven’t had a lot of luck with the Rick Riordan Presents books, but I have really high hopes for this one!
The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith
Release date: October 1, 2019
Brief summary: For anyone who’s ever said, “I’d go through hell to read that book …” well, this is that book. Except in reverse. A Hero escapes from his book, held in the library in Hell, in search of his author.
Thoughts: This feels a lot like a writer’s worst nightmare. I don’t want any of my characters looking for me, please and thank you. If they ask, you haven’t seen me. You’ve never heard of me. I don’t even exist. Honestly, anything with books, angels, demons, grand libraries, and a fight between Heaven and Hell … I’m there.
Call Down The Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater
Release date: November 5, 2019
Brief summary: Dreams hold incredible power, and dreamers can make their dreams come true. Probably a world where the phrase “in your dreams” doesn’t exist.
Thoughts: I’ve actually never read a Stiefvater book? I’m not sure how that happened, but it feels so wrong. This one sounds really good, because I can imagine all the things that can possibly go wrong.
Fate of the Fallen by Kel Kade
Release date: November 5, 2019
Brief summary: Do-gooder extrovert drags his introvert friend into an obviously dangerous, probably fatal plot to save the world, out of the goodness of his annoyingly marshmallow heart.
Thoughts: I just love the fact that I can so clearly relate to Aaslo already. I feel like as an introvert, we all have those super annoying friends that everyone loves who try to get you to do things. And saving the world sounds like a hassle. If I were him, I’d lose my minds, too.
The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
Release date: November 5, 2019
Brief Summary: Cardan done messed up and better sleep with one eye open, and Jude apparently never learns anything, despite her claim to the contrary.
Thoughts: Book three is finally about to arrive! I didn’t like book two as much as the first one, but I am 100% looking forward to more Cardan. Also still crossing my fingers and hoping Taryn dies. So, you know, something to maybe look forward to.
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
Release date: November 5, 2019
Brief summary: Guy discovers secret book that leads him to an ancient library hidden deep within the Earth (and clearly lives happily ever after, because who doesn’t dream of something like this?!).
Thoughts: I haven’t read The Night Circus yet, but lucky for me, I don’t have to in order to read this one! I mean, I do want to read it, and will eventually (probably before reading this one), but that summary most definitely stands on its own.
The Dead Girls Club by Damien Angelica Walters
Release date: December 10, 2019
Brief summary: Bloody Mary, move on over, because there’s a new spook in town, and she’s already got someone killed.
Thoughts: Notice something different about this one? If you said it’s not fantasy … DING DING DING! I’ve always been absolutely terrified of Bloody Mary thanks to my two older siblings whose favorite hobby was torturing me, since I was a big scaredy cat. Soon as I read the summary, it gave me the same sort of vibes, and I’m looking forward to a little bit of spooky and creepy.
Great list, Sammie! Obviously The Toll is also on my list for this week’s TTT! I’m excited for QoN of nothing too but I still need to read TWK 😅 But wow, The Library of the Unwritten looks and sounds so good!? Argh, so many books to add to my TBR that I’ve only just started culling yesterday… hahaha
My TTT post
Honestly, The Toll should be on everyone’s list, in my opinion. 😉
RIGHT?! I told you all the good books are coming out in these last months. xD It’s a conspiracy! I for sure don’t have time to read all of these. Maybe I should just stop sleeping lol.
So many of these are on my TBR too. I did manage to get to Steel Crow and The Toll and picked up The Starless Sea at Half Price during Black Friday shopping. Can’t wait to read it and what a great list!
I hope you enjoy them! I spent … way too much on books this Black Friday, also, but how can you resist with them basically throwing them at us with those prices?!
Great list, Sammie! I have a lot of these on my list to read as well. The Deep, Queen of Nothing and The Dead Girls Club are highly anticipated! And I love your idea of employers giving us the month of November off to read😁
This should be a thing. We should file a petition! I hope you get to read them all soon! I hope we all get to read them soon, despite unreasonable employers. xD
Great to see Erin Morgenstern’s book on so many people’s lists this week; honestly forgot it was coming out in a few months (thank goodness I wrote it down in my planner). Happy reading 🙂
My TTT
I’m loving these lists, because there’s an embarrassing amount of books coming out that I forgot about, too. Like my TBR needed more books?
Okay that little blurb about the Toll has me wondering what the heck happened to Rowan and Citra?!?!??!?!?!?!? Ugh that means I have to read Thunderhead, don’t I? and black mermaids yo always cracks me up haha.
READ THUNDERHEAD. Dude. Seriously. If you want, we’ll even make it a buddy read. I’ll re-read it just for you. See how much I love you? I’m willing to have my soul shattered again just so you can suffer as much as I have. Wait, I mean … umm …
I love Daveed Diggs, and let’s be honest, that’s the most accurate and concise summary ever. xD
LOL, I had the same reaction to all of the amazing books being released this autumn. Why must they do this to us? 😛
And Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky looks amazing.
My TTT.
It’s obviously a conspiracy. We have to rise up and overturn all these unreasonable, unbookish people! Although, an uprising would also cut into our reading time … hrm … that seems like a problem.
Well, I can promise I’ll read all of these (I need to read Scythe before I can read The Toll, and while The Deep sounds good it also might be too creepy for me…) but I will be reading The Starless Sea soon! I have that one pre-ordered from my local book store, so hopefully I’ll even get to it this year!
Oops, that should have been “can’t promise”. Silly typos.
You need to read Scythe AND Thunderhead. 😉 I highly recommend them, though! So worth it.
The Deep isn’t a horror book, just fantasy/sci-fi, so it shouldn’t be scary. 🙂 It’s based on the idea that pregnant women were thrown overboard on African slave ships, and their descendents became these mermaids, and Yetu is searching for the truth about her people’s history.
Oh, I guess the comparison to Into The Drowning Deep (which I also want to read) made me think The Deep was a horror book, or at least a creepy sci-fi. 🙂 I really do think the premise is neat, though. I’ll have to look into it more.
No, sorry. I just meant I’m feeling the mermaid vibe. Not the *killer* mermaid vibe in particular. xD Into the Drowning Deep would make an awesome October read, though. 😉
I’m leaning toward picking that one up between now and Halloween! Or at least the short prequel (Rolling in the Deep). I can’t quite bring myself to put it on the official TBR, but I think it’s time.
I didn’t actually read Rolling in the Deep, so you’ll have to tell me what you think. :3
Okay! I’ve been planning on reading Rolling in the Deep since it was released (quite some time ago now) but haven’t yet gotten up the nerve to try it. Within the month, hopefully! If I keep saying that, maybe I’ll stop procrastinating it. 😉
I dunno. If my “this month I’ll read Mistborn” is any indication, it’ll only take … oh … five years? xD I still haven’t read it. Because I’m a horrible person.
LOL! I’ll try to not let it take that long. XD
You really know how to make someone want to pick up a book! “Fan of Pokemon and Avatar: The Last Airbender”?!? I’m innnnn 🥳!! The Library of the Unwritten and Fate of the Fallen (love my introvert characters 😢) also sound so interesting!
I can’t recommend Steel Crow Saga highly enough! Such a fun ride. The author also described it as “Fullmetal Pokemist,” and I can see that comparison, as well. xD
I feel you on there being too many good books coming out this year. My owned TBR is huge though, so I’ve told myself no more books til I get through them all which is t r a g i c because I need Call Down the Hawk.
Steel Crow Saga sounds epic! I might need to add it to my endless TBR because Pokemon and Avatar are everything to me.
I also seriously need to read The Cruel Prince and Scythe because I’ve heard both series’ are incredible. And The Starless Sea sounds like it’s going to be gorgeous.
Great list!
I applaud your restraint, but I don’t think I could do it, personally. I’m apparently a very weak person. xD
Yeees, I so recommend Steel Crow Saga! Definitely worth adding to your infinity TBR.
Scythe is probably one of my most favorite series ever, so I will forever recommend everybody read that. xD But I’m totally biased.
Queen of Nothing of course! I can’t wait! I didn’t know about The Deep till I saw it on a couple lists this week and now I need that too LOL
Isn’t that both the good and back thing about these lists? Like our TBRs need the extra books. xD
I really enjoyed the dead girls club. it was dark and atmospheric and it’s perfect for a crisp night. the deep sounds great too. happy fall!!
Oh my gosh, I’m so excited to hear that! It sounds like the perfect read. :3 I want it now. xD
Such a great list! Queen of Nothing didn’t make it onto my Top Ten this week because I wrote my list way in advance, and I just started the series this month. But, yeah, I’m definitely waiting for it. Also got The Toll and Call Down the Hawk preordered. And Tristian String is on my TBR. And Library of the Unwritten. There are just so many awesome books coming out this fall! Happy reading!
You’re one of those magical people who manages to write posts ahead of time?! *sparkly eyes* Teach me your ways! xD There are. Too many. They need to spread out the awesome or else we might OD on it. 😛
For anyone who’s ever said, “I’d go through hell to read that book …” – I cackled!
I can’t wait to read Fate of the Fallen. Do I really need to state the obvious ones on this list?? Seriously. Just get the dragon in the moat, already. Now that I know The Toll is 640 pages (Not sure how I missed that) – I have a game plan for release day. I figure everyone has a game plan for Queen Of Nothing. I need one for October 8th just because I have Ninth House AND Kingdom of a Stage. But that’s just ME somehow, although not sure where that gap happened. For Muse of a Fire was so good but apparently no one knows that but me? lol
Bahaha we’ll have to go hunting for a dragon, at this rate!
Is it? Oh gosh. I didn’t realize it was that long. Mine will be a little extra long, because I ordered a B&N edition that is supposed to have author commentary, too, and that’s super exciting to me, as a writer. But I’d be lying if I pretended I wasn’t going to clear my schedule so that I can read it right away, regardless of how long it is. xD
Sounds like you’re going to be busy. I don’t have a whole lot right now that I really need to cram in except ARCs, and everything else can mostly wait. Like I want to read Queen of Nothing, but I didn’t totally love The Wicked King (I called everything that was going to happen ahead of time and then was just mad that Jude walked into EVERYTHING when I could see it from a mile away and I’m a squishy couch marshmallow and she’s a hardened combat warrior lol). So I’m happy to wait for my library to get that in, which is usually a couple weeks after it comes out. That buys me a teensy bit of time there, at least.
WAIT WHAT? BACK UP THE TRAIN! There is an annotated version of Toll…. oh FFS…. HOLD ON….
Ok. I’m breathing again. Thank you. Mercy. First I had to see that artwork for the target version of Ninth House yesterday and now this. They all need to stop with this mess or I’m not going to make it to Thanksgiving. Although I’m pretty sure Kiersten White and Leigh Bardugo’s artwork is going to end up framed on my walls lol.
You knew the end of Wicked King? That final twist smacked me in the head. I didnt see that last piece. There were other things I kinda saw. And I never trusted Cardan but I never think he should trust her either. I’m more like a sports fan watching a great game with no skin in it for either team… I’m just rooting for a great game lol. So I loved it.
I cant imagine you a squishy marshmallow though lol. That doesnt work in my head
It’s the B&N exclusive:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-toll-neal-shusterman/1130507661?ean=9781534463684#/
“This B&N limited edition of The Toll includes exclusive chapter-by-chapter commentary from Neal Shusterman, providing background for characters and scenes and explanations of why he made specific decisions in writing this novel.”
Same price as the normal hardback.
They do have some gorgeous artwork, right? You know what I want? I want book cover collector cards. You know, like baseball cards with gorgeous book covers. xD
I totally saw the last thing. =/ Like, pretty much every single big “twist” that happened to Jude, I called ahead of time. I loved her plotting, scheming, outmaneuvering everyone in the first book, so I think that’s why the second one disappointed me so much, because a strategist should have been able to see these things.
Whaaaat? I’m totally a marshmallow. xD
I did not call that last scene at all. That last piece? I was completely gobsmacked. You are super sleuth.
There Will Come A Darkness had cool cards like that but I didnt have the money to get in on that preorder. NH has awesome artwork and Guinevere Deception… wait is that what started this conversation? Lol…. ob wait saturdag Illuminae is putting like 500 more special edition boxes of Cruel Prince up because the first run of the. (They are doing one for each book) was sold out in literally minutes. That will have some amazing stuff in it.
Must be because you are a mamma that you are a marshmallow!
I mean, I just approached it kind of with logic. Cardan is clearly not to be trusted. He’s got a one-upmanship with Jude. I didn’t know the *exact* circumstances, but I knew it obviously wasn’t going to be what Jude expected and something major was going to happen. xD
It probably is. Having kids makes you melt just a little lol.
I keep forgetting Queen of Nothing is coming out in November! In my mind, it’s January.
Right? All these people upping their publication dates is exciting, but also super confusing. I keep thinking Tristan Strong comes out in 2020, too, because that’s when it was announced to be released.
*whispers* I am getting scythe and thunderhead for my birthday…
I cannot wait for Tristan Strong to come out next week <3
That is the best birthday present everrrrrr. And then you’ll be all ready for The Toll to release. 😉
Bahaha wow, I’ve missed reading your hilarious commentary. Omg, I love all of the brief summaries that you wrote, specifically the one for The Queen of Nothing.
AHHHH, IT’S NOW NOVEMBER AND WE HAVE LESS THAN 20 DAYS TILL QON RELEASES!!!
Ha, I’m so glad you enjoy it! I’m looking forward to that, but if I’m honest, I’ll probably just be waiting until my library gets it in (which now that I work there, I’ll be telling them to order it, so … convenient?)
I think I’m more excited for The Toll. xD Just a few days left!!!!
I pre-ordered The Queen of Nothing, but I’ll probably also be waiting until my semester ends to get around to it 🙁
And oooh, that’s so nice! Lol, demand that your library gets all the books that you want! Use that librarian power!
And oooh, I haven’t read the Scythe series yet–but I’ve seen a fair amount of hype for the books
Man, waiting is the worst.
Unfortunately, our YA is waaaay under-checked out, so it’s hard sometimes to convince them to buy it? But we’ve had a good number of patrons check out that series, so that won’t be a problem. It’s one of those where it’s like … is YA underutilized because no one cares about YA and therefore it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy, or is it really that teens aren’t interested in checking out books? I don’t know.
Oh my gosh! When you get some down time, read the series!
It is!
And awww, that’s so sad; it does sound like a bad cycle. Lol, just make all the YA book displays all around the library to get more teens/readers to check them out!?! 🤷