Coming out of a very successful ‘ARC August’-themed reading month, I have decided to select a different theme for each month for the next year of reading!
My goal for each month is to read 10 books that fit within that theme. I generally read between 12 and 18 books a month, so that seems to be an attainable goal. The reason I am giving myself some wiggle room is because I will always have ARCs, readalongs, readathons, etc., that won’t quite fit in with the assigned theme.
My theme for this month is:
SCI-FI SEPTEMBER!!!!
Guys, I am so pumped for this. Sci-Fi is arguably my favorite genre and I haven’t been reading enough of it lately. I buy a ton of Sci-Fi books but then never seem to get around to them.
Within this I will be including a whole host of Sci-Fi subgenres, such as: apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic, anything involving alien life, time travel, multi-dimension or multi-universe, steampunk, techno-thriller, military, biohazard or anything related to pandemics, zombie, climate fiction, space colonization, space opera and dystopian.
I think I can definitely meet my goal of 10-books within this wide range of fascinating Sci-Fi subgenres. I have my eye on quite a few on my shelves that have been sitting around for WAY TOO LONG!
I have already started and am currently reading 3 Sci-Fi books:
- The Perfect Wife (ARC) by J.P. Delaney. This is an Adult Techno-Thriller with a sentient robot being created essentially to replace a man’s missing wife. I am really enjoying it and actually only have 10% left so may be finishing it tonight!
- Contagion by Erin Bowman is a YA Sci-Fi Thriller. I am listening to the audiobook for this one and also really enjoying it. It is quite intense. This follows a crew of people sent on a search and rescue mission into deep space when a mining crew puts out an S.O.S. What they find upon their arrival is nothing like what they would have imagined. Let’s just say, this one is quite aptly titled!
- Hyperion by Dan Simmons is a Hugo-Award winning, complex Adult Sci-Fi novel, written in 1989, that is structured much like Chaucer’s, Canterbury Tales. I am participating in a month-long readalong of this book with some book buddies over on Bookstagram. I just started it this morning and thus far, am confused, but I am sure I will ultimately enjoy the experience.
So, that’s it for now. I just wanted to write this quick update and let y’all know what I was up to. If you have any Sci-Fi recommendations, please feel free to leave them in the comments below or contact me through any of my social media links!
Until next time,
Cheers & Happy Reading!
Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West — This YA Contemporary was recommended to me by a friend on Goodreads who knew that I liked books that contained mixed media elements such as podcasts, newspaper articles and journal entries. This is a story following a girl who ends up becoming the host of a high school podcast. Kasie West is a beloved YA Contemporary Romance author. I have never read any of her books and looking forward to giving this one a shot. I will be listening to this in audiobook format.
Call It What Your Want by Brigid Kemmerer — This is a YA Contemporary that releases on June 25th. I actually requested a copy of this ARC directly from the publisher, Bloomsbury YA, as Brigid Kemmerer is one of my favorite authors. This story follows two teens, Maegan and Rob, who are both going through a lot when they get paired together for a calculus project. I am sure a friendship or romance of some sort will develop between them as they try to help each other with their problems. Kemmerer’s writing is beautiful and she examines difficult topics with such care. Rob’s father in this is a white collar criminal so I am also interested to see how that plays out.
If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kahn — I received this ARC through a Goodreads giveaway from the publisher, Swoon Reads. I was so happy to hear I would be getting an advanced copy of this but as with life, I didn’t actually get to it before release day. This came out on June 4th so you can pick it up now! This YA Contemporary follows Winnie, a high schooler who works at her Grandmother’s Southern diner. She has big dreams but needs money in order to make them happen. Her solution is to compete in a cooking competition for prize money. This just sounds like a fun summer read and I am really looking forward to picking this one up!
While You Sleep by Stephanie Merritt — This chilling psychological thriller follows Zoe Adams, who fresh from America, moves into the McBride house on a remote Scottish island. The house has a mysterious and disturbing past and it doesn’t take long before Zoe begins to suspect something is seriously wrong there. This has the hints of a ‘things that go bump in the night’ kind of story and I am so down for that. I received an ARC copy of this from the publisher, Pegasus Books, but unfortunately, again, did not get to it before its March 8, 2019, release date. I am most excited for the location of this one and am hoping for a super spooky atmospheric tale.
First up is The Lying Woods by Ashley Elston. This is an ARC (advanced reader’s copy) that I received from Disney Hyperion, so thank you so much to them! This is one of my most anticipated books of the year as I am a fan of Elston’s writing. It is a YA Thriller and set to release on November 13th. This story follows Owen Foster who is disgraced after his father, a successful business owner, steals millions from his company and flees, leaving Owen and his mother behind. Owen has to leave his posh boarding school, as they can no longer afford tuition, and return to the public school in his hometown. His father’s theft affected many people in the town and Owen’s presence is not received well. So far I am really enjoying it and am anxious to see where it is all going. I call it a Thriller but thus far it reads more like a Contemporary. One interesting aspect is there are flashbacks to when Owen’s parents first meet and start dating; I like this as it is a unique take for a YA story. I think it will provide a lot of information as to his father’s motivations regarding the current scandal.
Next up for ARCs will be, My Sister, the Serial Killer, by Oyinkan Braithwaite, described as “Satire meets slasher in this short, darkly funny hand grenade of a novel about a Nigerian woman whose younger sister has a very inconvenient habit of killing her boyfriends.” Thank you to Doubleday Books for providing me with early access to this one. This book is set to release on November 20th and should be good to keep those Spooktober vibes going! It is also fairly short, coming in at just 240-pages, so I anticipate being able to get through it quickly.
So, these are the three November ARCs that I need to read this month. Some other books that I have on my radar that may get picked up this month, in no particular order, are: Renegades by Marissa Meyer, Senile Squad by Chris Legrow, Song of Susannah, Book VI of The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King, Elevation by Stephen King, Beautiful Bad by Annie Ward and Furyborn by Claire Legrand.
Read a Thriller: For this I am choosing, Baby Teeth, by Zoje Stage. This is an Adult Thriller that was released in July and I believe it revolves around a woman who thinks her young daughter is possessed. Who doesn’t love a story with a creepy kid in it, am I right? I really don’t want to know too much about this going in but I have heard some pretty good feedback on it. I have the hardcover of this which is 304 pages.
Read a Book Not Set in Our Time Period: For this I am finally getting to a book that has been on my ‘to be read’ list since 2016 and that is, Stalking Jack the Ripper, by Kerri Maniscalco. This is the first book in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series. There are currently three books out in the series and I have all three so really would like to start this. This is a historical fiction YA story that follows a girl named, Audrey, who wants to study forensic medicine and I guess is apparently going to try to solve the Jack the Ripper case? I don’t know if that last bit is true or not but makes sense based on the title, I would say. I love forensic science and the Jack the Ripper case is one that I have had interest in for a number of years so this seems like it would be right up my alley. This is part of the James Patterson Imprint and will be my first book to read of their releases. I have the hardcover of this as well which comes in at 326 pages.
Read a Book with a Spooky Word in the Title: For this I have chosen, The Wicked Deep, by Shea Ernshaw. I bought this book when it was released in March and have been specifically saving it for this month. This is about a small town called, Sparrow, that is cursed since two centuries before they hanged three sisters for witchcraft. Apparently every summer these sisters return and lure boys of the town into the local harbor where they ultimately drown. You would think these parents would keep their boys locked up in summer but anyway, regardless of absentee parenting, I am really excited to FINALLY be getting to this. This gives me strong Hocus Pocus vibes and I live for that! I have the hardcover version for this book, which also happens to be my favorite book cover of the year, and it comes in at 308 pages.