Hyped 2021 Releases: will I read them? should I read them?

Hi everyone! I share a few posts liked this in 2020, I had so much fun putting them together and I’m not sure why I stopped, but now they are back. The idea is that I’ll tell you whether I’m planning to read the hyped releases on this list or if I’m not plannig to read them, and I’m hoping you’ll tell me if maybe there’s a book that I’m not planning to read but that you think I should. Also, I would love to know if you enjoyed or didn’t enjoy one of the book I’m planning to read.

The books I included on this post are books released between August and October 2021 that I haven’t read but that I have heard a lot of people talk about and that already have over 1000 ratings on Goodreads. Also, I only chose books that are not a sequels or companion novels to books that I read before because it’s very likely that I’ll read those books.

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

Release date: September 28, 2021

I’m on the fence about this one, I had never heard about this book until it came out and suddenly everyone was reading it. I immediately added it on goodreads because everyone was loving it but there’s something about it that makes me think I won’t like it. Mainly because I struggle with books about second-chance romances, I either love them or dislike them.

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

Release date: September 14th 2021

I’m for sure reading this, all the romance booktububers and bloggers that I trust have LOVED this, so I’m like 99.9% certain that I will enjoy it. Also, the whole grumpy/sunshine dynamic is one I love in books and I have heard this is really steamy, which is always a plus. I would be extremely shocked if I ended up not liking this.

Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune

Release date: September 21st 2021 

I’m nervious to read this, but I still think I’ll give it a chance. I LOVED The House in the Cerulean Sea, it was one of my favorite books of last year, so of course Under the Whispering Door was a highly anticipated release for me. Nonetheless, I haven’t heard the first person I follow and trust say they loved this, from what I have seen people either didn’t like it or thougth it was just ok.

Battle Royal by Lucy Parker

Release date:  August 17th 2021

I’ll definitely read it. Not only does this book sound incredible, but I also LOVED Headliners, which is another book by Lucy Parker. Besides that, this includes the grumpy meets sushine and rivals to lovers tropes, which are two of my favorites.

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova

Release date:  September 7th 2021 

I’m going to read it. I added this book to my tbr since it was announced because I have loved other books by Zoraida Córdova, but it didn’t sound like the type of book I enjoyed so it wasn’t high on my priority list. Nonetheless, so many people are reading this and loving it, so I’m excited to give it a chance. Also, I have found out more about this book now that it’s out and I’m really intrigued.

Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney

Release date:  September 7th 2021

I don’t think I’ll read this. I keep hearing about Sally Rooney’s books, people seem to either love them or hate them, and I have a feeling that I will be on the hate them camp based on what I have heard about them. I’m still a little tempted for the chance that I might end up loving them.

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

Release date: September 14th 2021

I don’t know if I’ll read this. It sounds really good but I don’t often read domestic thrillers, even if they sound interesting I never end up picking them up. But at the same time, when I do pick them up I usually end up enjoy them, which was the case with Big Little Lies. So I think I’d probably enjoy this book but I don’t think I’ll have the motivation to pick it up anytime soon.

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

Release date: August 31st 2021 

I don’t think I’ll read this. I thought this book sounded really good when I first heard about it and everyone seemed so excited for it that I was getting excited too. But after its release, most people are saying this book is really boring and it doens’t live up to its great concept and that is making me really scared of reading it. Especially since I read a Stephen Graham Jones novella and didn’t like it that much and I dfn’ed one of his books.

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

Release date: September 7th 2021

I’m nervous about this one, but I’m leaning towards reading it. As I said before, I don’t often read domestic thrillers, nonetheless, this sounds like an isolated mystery and those are my favorite kind of mystery, so I’m intrigued. Also, I have heard so many good things about it.

Out of the books I’m not planning to read, is there any that you think I should pick up?

Out of the books I’m planning to read, , is there any that I should prioritize or maybe one you wouldn’t recommend?

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Favorite Adult Books of 2020

Hi everyone! This is my last post of 2020 and that’s so wild! Blogging was such a refuge for me in 2020 and I fell even more in love with it, so I’m excited to keep sharing content with all of you in 2021.

In case you missed it, the last couple of days I posted my Favorite YA Books of 2020 and my Favorite Romance Books of 2020. Check them out if you want to see what other books I loved this year. Today, I want to talk about 10 adult books that I loved in 2020. These are all books that I read in 2020 even if they didn’t come out in 2020 and the only rule that I had was that I couldn’t have two books from the same series.

Without further ado, here are my top 10 adult books of 2020:

10. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

The world-building and magic system in this book are unique, captivating and devastating at the same time. The way the society in this book mirrors our society is smart and poignant. There are so many twists, some that I saw coming and some that I didn’t, but they all make sense to the story and make it more interesting. I loved Syenite and Alabaster and I’m heartbroken over everything they went through. What this book has to say and how it says it is so powerful and heartbreaking that it left me feeling hopeless and it took me a long time to recover but I think it was worth it.

9. Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-García

The writing in this book makes it feel like reading a myth or fairytale, it is so engaging. The Mayan mythology is captivating and lush, and since it’s a mythology that it’s not often used in fantasy books, this book is full of gods and mythical creatures that feel unique. This book is set in 1920’s Mexico and the mix of the mythological elements and the ‘modernity’ of the Jazz Age works well and gives this story an even more unique touch. Finally, the main characters, Casiopea and Hun-Kamé, who is the Mayan god of death, are both very engaging characters and their journeys and character development were fascinating.

8. To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers

This is a quick, fascinating, and thought-provoking read. It focuses a lot on the scientific and technical side of space travel but the truly interesting thing is that Becky Chambers doesn’t forget about the impact that the discoveries, the advancements, and the search for those things have on people and environments. Also, there are a lot of queer characters in this book, which I love.

7. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

This book was so powerful. I was captivated the entire time while reading, I was amazed by the way the author takes all of these different elements (a pandemic, a cult, a theater group, some graphic novels) and different timelines and ties them all together in a way it makes sense and it’s interesting and meaningful. I found all the characters and storylines incredibly fascinating. This book made me really sad while reading it, but it also made me feel thankful and, in the end, it gave me hope. 

6. The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang

This book is brilliant. I’m not the biggest fan of Military fantasy, but this series does it so well that I’m really invested in the story. The way this book talks about war and power is grim but fascinating. I think the main reason I enjoy this series and this book so much is that it has given me some characters that I adore. I still love Kitay as much as I did in book 1, this book made me fall in love with Venka and I love the angsty, complicated relationship between Rin and Nezha. Also, this book discusses colorism, colonialism, and the role of religion within colonialism in such a thought-provoking way.

5. Jade City by Fonda Lee

This book may have one of the coolest premises ever, it’s like the Godfather with martial arts and magic. It’s such a unique book! Fonda Lee does an amazing job of describing the action scenes in this book and the way she incorporates martial arts is incredible. The clan war element of the story is so interesting, this is a very intense book and I was completely invested in everything that was happening. I think I cared so much because I LOVED the main characters, who are siblings that are incredibly loyal to each other and they won my loyalty too. This book broke my heart at one point, I was devastated but it was SO GOOD.

4. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

This book is whimsical, nonsensical, and peculiar and the writing is absolutely beautiful. This book doesn’t have a defined plot; it’s full of metaphors and stories within stories, so it can be very confusing and, by the end, I felt like I only understood parts of it; and since it feels like you are reading a story, a myth, a fable, most of the characters feel like characters in that story and not like real people. But I didn’t dislike any of that. While I read this, I felt like I was lost in a strange and beautiful world. I loved and I was invested in all the stories within stories, I was intrigued by the mystery of this underground library, I was captivated by everything.

3. The Strange Case of The Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss

I love the characters in this book, monstrous women are my favorite thing in the world, and I love their relationship with each other and the found family aspect of the book. The premise of this is so unique, the daughters of famous scientists from classic gothic literature work together to solve a mystery that it’s linked to their lives. Also, I love the funny and unique structure in which this book is told, the fact that the characters interrupt the narrative to give their commentary on what’s happening. Basically, I love everything about this.

2. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

This is a hopeful and heartwarming book that explores the idea that prejudice keeps growing and wins when people stay silent in the face of it and live comfortably in their bubbles. The concept of this book is fascinating, well-executed and it mirrors a lot of real-life situations, this book is set in a world where magical beings exist and there’s a lot of prejudice against them. The main character in this book is so endearing and the children are cute, funny, lovable and so compelling. The sweet, loving relationship between the main character and the kids is my favorite part of the book. Also, there’s a very sweet m/m romance in this!

1. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-García

This creepy, atmospheric, and disturbing book. The writing is beautiful and captivating while being simple and unpretentious, and the main character is three-dimensional and flawed, while being charming and bewitching. This story is so effective in being scary because even when it’s not clear if there are ghosts, magic, or other supernatural things going on, the real villains of the story are manipulative, abusive, disgusting men that you could find anywhere in the world and anytime in history. This book is creepy from very early on, Moreno-García made my skin crawl with the simplest scenes, sometimes nothing too scary was happening but with one perfectly crafted phrase, I was spooked. Also, this includes important commentary on sexism, colonialism, and eugenics that gives depth to the story.

What are your favorite Adult books that you read in 2020?

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Favorite New-to-Me Authors of 2020 | Blogmas Day 21

Hi everyone! Today, I’m sharing my list of favorite new-to-me authors of 2020. This list doesn’t include romance authors because I wrote a separate list for my favorite new-to-me romance authors since I read so much romance.

These are all authors I can’t wait to read more from:

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Erin Morgenstern: For a while, I have been looking for fantasy books that were more whimsical and magical and less grim and sad and Erin Morgenstern gave me exactly what I wanted. The Starless Sea is so nonsensical and fairytale-esque and the writing is so beautiful.

T.J. Klune: The House in the Cerulean Sea is everything I didn’t know I wanted, T.J. Klune managed to write a story that was hopeful and heartwarming while still talking about serious topics like privilege, prejudice, and complacency.

Romina Garber: Romina Garber took me back in time, Lobizona made me feel so nostalgic, it’s the perfect YA fantasy. Garber does an amazing job of having a unique world and a really cool made-up sport, and at the same time, integrating so many elements from Argentinian culture and discussing difficult topics like immigration.

Amparo Ortiz: The award for the coolest concept ever goes to Amparo Ortiz, the idea of a made-up sport played by humans and dragons is incredible. The expansive world building, the complex history behind the made-up sport and the captivating writing style are some of the strengths of Blazewrath Games.

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Fonda Lee: Fonda Lee’s ability to write an intense, fast-paced story, with the coolest and most realistic combat scenes is outstanding. But the true strength of her writing is in her characters, I emotionally invested in all of their lives and suffer with them the entire book.

R.F. Kuang:  I’m not the biggest fan of Military fantasy, but it’s so well done in The Poppy War Series that R.F. Kuang has made me feel very captivated and engaged with the story. The way Kuang discusses war, colorism, colonialism, and the role of religion within colonialism is very powerful. But I think the main element I love from her books is the characters, which are very complex, interesting and morally gray.

N.K. Jemisin: N.K. Jemisin created a fascinating, unique and devastating world for her The Broken Earth Series. She made me feel invested in her characters and then she made me pay for it.  The way certain elements of the story mirror our society is smart and poignant.

Emily St. John Mandel: The way Emily St. John Mandel included so many different elements in Station Eleven is masterful. She manages to weave together storylines that seem completely unrelated, from a nomad theater group to a cult to a mysterious town in an airport. St John Mandel did an amazing job keeping her story intriguing and captivating.

What are some amazing authors you discovered in 2020?

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Books That Brought Me Comfort in 2020 | Blogmas Day 18

Hi everyone! Writing today’s post brought me so much joy, because I just remember how much I love all of these books and how heartwarming they are.

This was supposed to be a post about funny books or books that made me laugh in contrast to yesterday post of Books that Wrecked Me in 2020, but I didn’t read as many funny books and, I think with everything that happened this year, I really appreciated comforting books a lot, so I decided to share some books that brought me comfort in 2020:

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

Plot: This book is about a caseworker who is assigned to investigate an island orphanage for magical children deemed especially dangerous, and has to make a recommendation about the continuatuon or closing of it.

This book is really heartwarming. It has endearing characters, a fascinating concept, a story that will make you feel happy and hopeful while asking tough questions about privilege, prejudice, and complacency. The most comforting aspect of the book for me are the lovable characters, the relationships between them and the found family aspect.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Plot: When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo and ends up summoning the ghost of  the school’s resident bad boy.

This book manages to be sweet, hopeful, and fun, while still including difficult subjects like transphobia, homelessness, gang violence, and abusive parents. The main characters are adorable and the romance between Yadriel and Julian warmed my heart and made me so happy.

Miss Meteor by Anna-Marie McLemore

Plot: Lita Perez enters the Miss Meteor beauty pageant and asks her ex- best friend, Chicky Quintanilla, for help. To pull off the unlikeliest underdog story in pageant history, Lita and Chicky are going to have to forget the past and imagine a future where girls like them are more than enough—they are everything.

This book is fantastic, the friends to lovers romances are adorable, the friendships healed my soul, the siblings’ relationships are wonderfully complicated, the message is so powerful and the character development is great. I can’t think of a book that made me happier this year.

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Thompson

Plot: this is a story about  about Liz, a Black teenage girl living in a very white small town, who has to run for prom queen in order to get a scholarship so that she can attend her dream school.

This is a cute, fluffy, heartwarming YA contemporary with an incredible main character, an adorable romance and a hopeful message. It strikes a balance between the more comforting elements of the story and important discussions about homophobia, poverty and racisms.

The Dream Weaver by Reina Luz Alegre

Plot: This story is about Zoey, a twelve year old, who is trying to save her grandfather’s bowling alley while participating in bowling tournament with a group of friends.

A very sweet middle grade that deals with hard subjects like grief and complicated family dynamics. Despite all that, this book tells a hopeful and happy story about giving yourself time to figure out your dreams, fighting for them but also allowing them to change with time. It includes a bowling team, sleepovers, friendships, a strong sibling relationship, and a lovable grandfather. 

The Strange Case of the Alchemist Daughter by Theodora Goss

Plot: Mary Jekyll is looking for her father’s old partner, the murderous Edward Hyde. Instead she finds Hyde’s daughter, Diana, as well as the daughters of other famous scientists. With the help of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Mary and the others are going to solve the mysteries of their origins

This is a fun, captivating adventure story told in a unique and often hilarious structure where the characters from the book interrupt the story to add their own commentary. What made it so comforting for me is the found family at the heart of the story, a group of lovable monstrous girls supporting and protecting each others.

The Switch by Beth O’Leary

Plot: Leena is ordered to take a sabbatical from work, so she escapes to her grandmother house to rest. Eileen is newly single, about to turn eighty and she’d like a second chance at love but her tiny village doesn’t offer many options. Leena proposes a two-month swap, Eileen will live in London and Leena will stay in rural Yorkshire.

This is a very cute story and the reason it was so comforting for me is that Eileen as a characters was endering, caring, and comforting. I LOVED her storyline, the friendships she built, how much she helped others, her character development and even her love story.

What books brought you comfort in 2020? Have you read any of the books I mentioned?

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Standalone Fantasy Book Recommendations

Hi everyone! This is an exciting post for me, I tried to write this blog post in 2019 and I realized that I hadn’t read that many standalone fantasy books, so one of the things I tried to do in 2020 was reading more standalones and I had so much luck that a few books on this list are going to make it into my favorite books of the year.

Disclaimer: all the books in this list are standalones at the moment I’m writing this post, but that could change.

Without further ado, here are some standalone fantasy books that you should read:

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

If you want to rest from dark fantasy books and want a book that has endearing characters and a fascinating concept, a story that will make you feel happy and hopeful and that will ask tough questions about privilege, prejudice, and complacency, I totally recommend this book! (Full review)

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

This book is whimsical, nonsensical, and peculiar. It’s perfect for someone who wants to get lost in the magic and doesn’t care if everything gets explained. The writing is beautiful, there’s not a defined plot, it’s full of metaphors and stories within stories, and it feels like you are reading a myth or a fable.

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno- García

If you like books that revolve around mythology, this book is for you! The Mayan mythology in this book is captivating and lush and the mix of the mythological elements and the ‘modernity’ of the Jazz Age gave this story a unique touch. If you are looking for a fantasy story that’s different to anything you have read before, check out this one!

Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria

This is the perfect book for fans of fast-paced heist stories. This is an entertaining read, with a cast of amazing diverse characters, complex relationships between them and a plot full of twist and turns that will keep at the edge of your seat.

Each of Us a Desert by Mark Oshiro

This is a quiet, introspective fantasy book about the role of stories in our lives and in our communities and the link between the stories we are told and the things we believe in and have faith in. This is a character-driven book, set in a captivating and mysterious world, that has a very loose plot but strong thematic elements. If that sounds like something you would enjoy, give this book a chance! (Full review)

What are some of your favorite standalone fantasy books?

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