Recently, on a lazy Saturday afternoon I decided to map every ice cream place within a 10 block radius of my job. There are at least 9 ice cream places, and no less than 15 shops that have ice cream as a menu item. Spring has officially arrived folks, dairy allergy or no I know exactly what I’ll be doing during my lunch break! 😉 Another favorite treat of mine? A decadently long list of new books to read, which I thought I’d share with you all. Here’s 10 exciting new reads to add to your Spring reading list!
1. A Court of Frost and Starlight
I hope this series never ends. Only because Feyre & co. are absolutely adorable, and there is so much more story left for this crew. Sarah J. Maas spoils followers of her hit series (which may be making its way to film!) with her latest installment of the A Court of Thorns & Roses series.
Feyre, Rhys and their companions are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it a hard-earned reprieve. Yet even the festive atmosphere can’t keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated – scars that will have a far-reaching impact on the future of their court.
2. True Storm
If you follow me on twitter, you probably know I’ve read this series a number of times, and I have been waiting for this book with a ridiculous amount of anticipation. The third and final book of the True Born trilogy, True Storm, packs in quite a lot. I love it so much, but also have so many feelings – I plan on an extensive review. If you haven’t read the first book, allow me to introduce you – but fair warning, Lucy, Jared, and Storm are addictive:
Lucy’s twin sister, Margot, may be safely back with her—but all is not well in Plague-ravaged Dominion City. The Watchers have come out of hiding, spreading chaos and death throughout the city, and suddenly Lucy finds herself under pressure to choose her future: does it lie with her handsome new friend, Alastair; her guardian, the enigmatic True Born leader Nolan Storm; or the man who makes her heart trip, her savage True Born bodyguard Jared Price?
But while Lucy ponders her path, fate has other plans. Betrayal is a cruel lesson, and the Fox sisters can hardly believe who is behind the plot against them. To survive this deadly game of politics, Lucy is forced to agree to a marriage of convenience. But is the DNA of her will stronger than the forces opposing her? Can she turn the tide against the oncoming storm??
As they say in Dominion, can rogue genes ever have a happy ending?
3. Sky in the Deep
I received this book as a galley from NetGalley and the publishers, and I have to say that it took me quite by surprise. I’ve been wanting a badass viking novel for a while and this was not at all what I was expecting. There is a lot of detail involved, it’s dark in the sense that the story is not a happy one – it’s harsh and cold, and the relationships are very complex. I think it’s definitely worth a read at the very least because it’s a compelling story that’s unique to much what I’ve found in the YA genre so far.
OND ELDR. BREATHE FIRE.
Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield — her brother, fighting with the enemy — the brother she watched die five years ago.
Faced with her brother’s betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered.
4. Surprise Me
I feel like all my reading round-ups should have a Sophie Kinsella novel! I once read an interview of Dominique Ansel, the creator of the Cronut, and he said something along the lines of “you always have to keep creating” and to not depend on that one famous thing to propel you and your business. I loved that interview, and I feel like Sophie is that sort of proactive creator. Shopaholic was this massive hit, but all of Sophie’s books are different and contribute something new to her brand/legacy as a writer. Surpise Me is her latest creation and one that deals with the challenges of marriage.
After being together for ten years, Sylvie and Dan have all the trimmings of a happy life and marriage; they have a comfortable home, fulfilling jobs, beautiful twin girls, and communicate so seamlessly, they finish each other’s sentences. However, a trip to the doctor projects they will live another 68 years together and panic sets in. They never expected “until death do us part” to mean seven decades.
In the name of marriage survival, they quickly concoct a plan to keep their relationship fresh and exciting: they will create little surprises for each other so that their (extended) years together will never become boring. But in their pursuit to execute Project Surprise Me, mishaps arise and secrets are uncovered that start to threaten the very foundation of their unshakable bond. When a scandal from the past is revealed that question some important untold truths, they begin to wonder if they ever really knew each other after all.
5. Stolen Enchantress
I picked up this book after spotting it on Charlie M. Holmberg’s (incidentally author of the next book in this list) instagram stories. I was kind of dubious because I thought it might be more of a middle grade novel, but it was so cheap that I could not not buy it (still only $0.99 on Amazon!). I bought it and read in in one night, it was so good. I’m now a firm believer in author recommendations – thanks Charlie! If you loved Naomi Novik’s Uprooted, you will love this novel – they are not the same (despite some what some reviews suggest), but there is a forest and plenty of magical realism.
Any girl who goes into the Forbidden Forest never comes out again. Except the one who did.
Larkin should have been watching her little sister, should have paid more attention to the trees looming over her family’s fields. Now Sela is gone. Knowing full well the danger of the forest and its beast, Larkin goes after her anyway. With her sister clutched in her arms, she manages to escape, but not before discovering the truth lurking beneath the wicked boughs.
She may have evaded the beast once, but with the full force of his magic now fixated on her, she isn’t sure how much longer she can resist.
6. The Plastic Magician
A spin off from the extremely popular Paper Magician series, The Plastic Magician promises to be just as thrilling – and likely to feature a cameo from our favorite TPM characters.
Alvie Brechenmacher has arrived in London to begin her training in Polymaking—the magical discipline of bespelling plastic. Polymaking is the newest form of magic, and in a field where there is so much left to learn, every Polymaker dreams of making the next big discovery.
Even though she is only an apprentice, Alvie is an inventor at heart, and she is determined to make as many discoveries—in as short a time frame—as she can. Luckily for her, she’s studying under the world-renowned magician Marion Praff, who is just as dedicated as Alvie is.
Alvie’s enthusiasm reinvigorates her mentor’s work, and together they create a device that could forever change Polymaking—and the world. But when a rival learns of their plans, he conspires to steal their invention and take the credit for it himself.
To thwart him, Alvie will need to think one step ahead. For in the high-stakes world of magical discovery, not everyone plays fair…
7. Restore Me
For years I thought that the Shatter Me series ended on book 3. It was bittersweet, because there was clearly so much story left to tell. Then Tahereh Mafi announced she would be publishing Restore Me, Shatter Me book 4! I haven’t read it yet, but if you’re a fan of the series you’ll definitely want to pick up this book for your spring reading.
Juliette Ferrars thought she’d won. She took over Sector 45, was named the new Supreme Commander, and now has Warner by her side. But she’s still the girl with the ability to kill with a single touch—and now she’s got the whole world in the palm of her hand. When tragedy hits, who will she become? Will she be able to control the power she wields and use it for good?
8. Smoke in the Sun
Another sequel (can you tell I love a good series?), Smoke in the Sun is the follow up to Flame in the Mist. Flame in the Mist was advertised as this Mulan retelling, but it was so much more different and darker than Mulan – and one of my favorite reads of 2017. The finale of this duology promises to be explosive.
After Okami is captured in the Jukai forest, Mariko has no choice—to rescue him, she must return to Inako and face the dangers that have been waiting for her in the Heian Castle. She tricks her brother, Kenshin, and betrothed, Raiden, into thinking she was being held by the Black Clan against her will, playing the part of the dutiful bride-to-be to infiltrate the emperor’s ranks and uncover the truth behind the betrayal that almost left her dead.
With the wedding plans already underway, Mariko pretends to be consumed with her upcoming nuptials, all the while using her royal standing to peel back the layers of lies and deception surrounding the imperial court. But each secret she unfurls gives way to the next, ensnaring Mariko and Okami in a political scheme that threatens their honor, their love and very the safety of the empire.
9. Legendary
I’m beginning to think I should have named this post “Sequels to Read this Spring”! It took me forever to get to Caraval, everyone was talking about it and the cover was so pretty that I figured it must be too good to be true. Fortunately it was a good as the reviews suggested, and I’m more than excited to read the sequel from point of view the other Dragna sister, Tella.
A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.
After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister Scarlett from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.
The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister’s. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice. But now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever.
Welcome, welcome to Caraval…the games have only just begun.
10. Save the Date
Morgan Matson, the darling of YA contemporary fiction, does it again – and right in time for wedding season – with Save the Date. Called Father of the Bride meets Sixteen Candles (incidentally two of my favorite movies), Save the Date is sure to set fans of contemporary fiction hearts a-flutter.
Charlie Grant’s older sister is getting married this weekend at their family home, and Charlie can’t wait—for the first time in years, all four of her older siblings will be under one roof. Charlie is desperate for one last perfect weekend, before the house is sold and everything changes. The house will be filled with jokes and games and laughs again. Making decisions about things like what college to attend and reuniting with longstanding crush Jesse Foster—all that can wait. She wants to focus on making the weekend perfect.
The only problem? The weekend is shaping up to be an absolute disaster.
There’s the unexpected dog with a penchant for howling, house alarm that won’t stop going off, and a papergirl with a grudge.
There are the relatives who aren’t speaking, the (awful) girl her favorite brother brought home unannounced, and a missing tuxedo.
Not to mention the neighbor who seems to be bent on sabotage and a storm that is bent on drenching everything. The justice of the peace is missing. The band will only play covers. The guests are all crazy. And the wedding planner’s nephew is unexpectedly, distractingly…cute.
Over the course of three ridiculously chaotic days, Charlie will learn more than she ever expected about the family she thought she knew by heart. And she’ll realize that sometimes, trying to keep everything like it was in the past means missing out on the future.
What books are on your Spring Reading List? Leave your recommendations below or connect with me on Goodreads!