We’re not halfway through the year, but to me, it honestly feels like we are. I personally believe the best way to get through the rest of the year is to read as many new books as you can! Luckily enough, there are a ton of authors who have books ready to come out and these are just some of them.
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
Published: February 5, 2019
Angie Thomas’s second novel, following Bri, who has dreams of being one of the greatest rappers of all time. But when her mom loses her job, bills begin to pile up and homelessness gets closer to being a reality rather than a distant nightmare. Now Bri no longer just has dreams of being a rapper, she has to for the sake of her family. Angie Thomas does an amazing job at promoting fighting for your dreams, even when the world seems to be fighting back and drawing focus to the realities of poor and working-class black families.
Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell
Release Date: September 24, 2019
Following the events of Carry On, Simon Snow finds himself in a rut. He may have beat the villain, won the war and done everything to deserve a happily ever after, but it isn’t all it seems to be. According to his best friend, all they need is a change of scenery, making this sequel the road trip novel we never knew we needed. With no chance of lacking the magic we got from Carry On, we will see Simon, Penny and Baz fight dragons, vampires and get terribly lost. If you ask me, Wayward Son has all the components to be an amazing sequel.
Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi
Release Date: December 3, 2019
Tomi Adeyemi, with the release of her first book, Children of Blood and Bone, was voted as the Best Debut Author for the Goodreads Choice Awards of 2018. In her debut novel, we meet Zélie Adebola who remembers when magic existed and when magic disappeared. With all the maji brutally murdered at the hands of a ruthless king, when Zélie gets the chance to bring back magic and she takes that chance with the help of a rogue princess. Tomi Adeyemi’s first book was no short of wonderful and I have no doubt that the sequel will be on everyone’s holiday list when December rolls around.
Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. Smith
Published March 5, 2019
Sometimes in life, all you need is a great romance to take up your time. Just dumped by his girlfriend, Hugo is still determined to take his “Last Hurrah Before College” train trip across the United States. The only issue is his companion ticket is registered under the name of his ex, Margaret Campbell. Enter the new Margaret C. (Mae for short), an aspiring filmmaker looking to expand her horizons. When the two meet, their attraction is undeniable. Mae pushes Hugo to explore his dreams for his future and Hugo, in turn, encourages her to channel a new side of her art. When life off the train threatens the bubble they’ve created for themselves, they have to find a way to keep their love on track.
The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe by Ally Condie
Release Date: March 26, 2019
What Poe Blythe, the 17-year-old captain of the Outpost’s last mining ship, wants more than gold is revenge. She has vowed to annihilate the river raiders who stole everything from her two years ago. But as she goes on this quest, she finds that there might be a traitor among her crew, forcing her to come to terms with who she is, who she wants to be, and how love can change and shape you, especially when one thinks all is lost.
Internment by Samira Ahmed
Release Date: March 19, 2019
Set in a near-future United States, 17-year-old Layla Amin and her parents are forced into an internment camp for Muslim American citizens. With the help of newly made friends also trapped in an internment camp, her boyfriend on the outside, Layla begins a journey to fight for freedom, leading a revolution against the internment camp’s director and his guards
Last of Her Name by Jessica Khoury
Published February 26, 2019
Sixteen years ago, rebellion swept the galaxy known as the Belt of Jewels. Every member of the royal family was murdered, down to the youngest, Princess Anya, the Union government rising in its place. But Stacia doesn’t think about this until a Union ship appears, claiming that Princess Anya is alive and that the whole village is a den of empire loyalists. When Stacia is identified as the lost princess, her hope explodes into a nightmare. One of her friends smuggles Stacia away to a hidden escape ship. With everything she once knew fading away, Stacia decides to take on one single mission: find and rescue her friend even with the whole galaxy on her trail.
We Hunt The Flame by Hafsah Faizal
Release Date: May 14, 2019
Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those who defy his autocratic father, the king. Both are legends in their kingdom, though neither wants to be. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her world, Nasir is sent by the king on a similar mission: to retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. As their journey unfolds, an ancient evil stirs and the artifact might pose a threat greater than either can imagine.