So, it’s February. Not much going on this month, am I right? Aside from Valentine’s Day (ugh), there isn’t anything that interesting about it…. unless you follow the book community or work in the publishing industry! January and February are notorious months for publishers and authors to release information surrounding their new releases, generating the much-awaited hype for lovers of these books/series! For anyone who is a self-proclaimed bookworm (AKA myself), January and February are a magical time of year. Already, 2018 is looking like an astounding year for young adult books, based on what I’ve seen so far. Keeping with the spirit of the season, here are my most anticipated releases set to be published in 2018! (Disclaimer: Sometimes, a book’s release date can be pushed back due to editing problems, publisher troubles, etc… Although the books listed below are intended to be published in 2018, they are all subject to change by volition of the author or publisher).
1. Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco (Expected Publication: September 18, 2018)
As much as I love reading these particular books in the fall, I wish I had a copy of this book right now! Anyone who knows me knows that I ADORE Kerri, her characters and her novels! Although there are only two books in the series right now, I can wholeheartedly admit they have skyrocketed to the top of my all-time favorites list. They’re just so interesting and bold and sexy and, overall, amazing. Of all the books this year, Escaping from Houdini is the highest on my most anticipated list (next to Legendary, of course. See #2 for more details!) Unfortunately, like a lot of books on this list, I can’t go in-depth with the details because of the massive spoilers it would reveal about the first two novels (and, yes, they are significant plot points. I’m not just saying they’re spoiler-y so I don’t have to spend time explaining EFH‘s plot. If shared, they will ruin the endings for SJTR and HPD). Most of these books are in the middle of their series, as EFH is. I promise, Kerri’s novels will haunt you as much as they’ll enchant you! Can’t wait for September!
2. Legendary by Stephanie Garber (Expected Publication: May 29, 2018)
This book has been a long. Time. Coming. When Caraval was released last year, I immediately hopped on the hype-wagon that was overtaking the book community. I couldn’t get enough of this story! I loved everything about it, from the writing to the setting to the characters. Between Kerri Maniscalco and Stephanie Garber, I’d say I’ve found my two favorite authors in recent memory. Unlike Escaping from Houdini, Legendary switches the main characters’ perspectives to tell its tale. The first book followed Scarlett Dragna and the second book follows her younger sister, Donatella Dragna. From the sample I’ve read already, this book screams “whimsical,” “enchanting” and “magical.” Judging from the mystery and adventure of the first book, I’m not expecting anything less from Ms. Garber this time around! Although this book will be released relatively soon, it still feels like it’s a million light years away! May can’t come soon enough!
3. Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody (Expected Publication: April 10, 2018)
Simply based on an analysis of the cover, I got MAJOR Caraval vibes when this first hit the book community stratosphere! Fortunately, I can go into some detail for this book, since it is the first in a new series. Based on the summary, this book follows a girl named Enne Salta as she navigates her world… a world that is literally Las Vegas on steroids. Just think about it: the entirety of planet Earth becomes a dark version of Las Vegas, hyper-focused on the seven deadly sins. Talk about interesting! Honestly, I didn’t know about Ace of Shades until late December of last year, when I saw an author I follow tweeting about it. Ever since then, I haven’t stopped yearning for this book! The author, Amanda Foody, published another book last year with a similar setting and atmosphere, but I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet. Who knows? Maybe when Ace of Shades comes out, I can have a Foody double marathon!
Unfortunately, that’s all the books I have for right now! I can’t wait to learn more about certain novels that haven’t released their details yet, much to my surprise. 2018, in the book world, is shaping up to be driven by contemporaries, fantasies and science fictions. It’s going to be a good reading year!