Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where you spotlight a highly anticipated book.
It’s my first Waiting On Wednesday post of the new year! Hooray! It’s been many months since my last one, so this is long overdue. This Wednesday I’m spotlighting Falling Shortby Ernesto Cisneros.
I discovered this book one day long ago while browsing NetGalley. I’m always on the lookout for new MG reads and this one really captured my attention. The idea of the story is interesting and realistic. I like that the two main characters in a way compliment each other in who they are and what they want most. Already, I’m rooting for them to succeed. I think the story will be entertaining and heartfelt.
ABOUT: Isaac and Marco already know sixth grade is going to change their lives. But it won’t change things at home–not without each other’s help.
This year, star basketball player Isaac plans on finally keeping up with his schoolwork. Better grades will surely stop Isaac’s parents from arguing all the time. Meanwhile, straight-A Marco vows on finally winning his father’s approval by earning a spot on the school’s basketball team.
But will their friendship and support for each other be enough to keep the two boys from falling short?
Which 2022 releases are you most looking forward to reading?
For today’s Top Ten Tuesday, I want to list my Top 10 for the whole year as I recently did a post about every new release I’m anticipating in the first half of it.
Some of these books I wish I had like yesterday but also I don’t think I’m emotionally ready for yet because the previous book was devastatingly good – so many feels! Others are by new-to-me authors I’m excited to try.
My Top 10 Most Anticipated 2022 Releases are (in A-Z order):
1. Amari and the Great Game by B.B. Alston (February 1)
2. Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn (November 8)
3. A Brush with Love by Mazey Eddings (March 1)
4. This Cursed Crown by Alexandra Overy (December 6)
5. Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan (January 11)
6. Falling Short by Ernesto Cisneros (March 15)
7. The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh (February 22)
8. The Heretic Royal by G.A. Aiken (October 25)
9. Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez (April 19)
10. Remarkable Ruby by Terri Libenson (May 3)
*No cover on Goodreads yet but you can see it on the author’s Instagram*
What new book releases are you most looking forward to in the first half of 2022?
There are an abundance of great new releases to look forward to this year. Even though I know it would be impossible to get to them all, it’s still fun to make such lists and keep an eye on books in case of sales or mood changes.
The number one read in each month I can’t wait to read are: Daughter of the Moon Goddess (January), The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea (February), A Brush with Love (March), Part of Your World (April), Remarkable Ruby (May), and The Silence That Binds Us (June).
Here’s the full mega list of anticipated 2022 releases:
JANUARY 1 –Digging Up Love by Chandra Blumberg 4 – Operation Sisterhood by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich (review coming soon) 11 –Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan 11 –The Family You Make by Jill Shalvis 11 –Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon 11 –The Shattered Skies by John Birmingham 14 –Snow White with the Red Hair (vol. 14) 18 –How to Love Your Neighbor by Sophie Sullivan (review) 18 –Operation Do-Over by Gordon Korman 18 –Joan Is Okay by Weike Wang 18 –Servant Mage by Kate Elliott 18 –Icebreaker by A. L. Graziadei 25 –Getting His Game Back by Gia de Cadenet (review) 25 –His Fresh Start Cowboy by A.M. Arthur 25 –The Map to You by Rachel Stockbridge
FEBRUARY 1? –Amari and the Great Game by B.B. Alston 1 –The Iron Sword by Julie Kagawa (review coming soon) 1 –Just Right Jillian by Nicole D. Collier (review coming soon) 1 –Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur 1 –Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms by Jamar J. Perry 1 –Ramón and Julieta by Alana Albertson 8 –Not the Witch You Wed by April Asher 11 –Playing for Love by Jeevani Charika 15 –Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Fergusan 22 –The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh 22 –I’m So (Not) Over You by Kosoko Jackson 22 –Only a Monster by Vanessa Len
MARCH 1 – Turning by Joy L. Smith (review coming soon) 1 – A Brush with Love by Mazey Eddings 1 – Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega 1 – Wingbearer by Marjorie M. Liu 1 –This Is Not Enough by Anna Kang, Illustrated by Christopher Weyant 8 – The Suite Spot by Trish Doller (review) 8 – Kamila Knows Best by Farah Heron 8 – One for All by Lillie Lainoff 15 – Falling Short by Ernesto Cisneros 15 – Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma 22 –The Garden We Share by Zoë Tucker, Illustrated by Swaney Julianna (review) 22 – Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell by Taj McCoy 22 – Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram 22 – A Million Quiet Revolutions by Robin Gow 29 – Summer Nights with a Cowboy by Caitlin Crews (review coming soon) 29 – Bharatanatyam in Ballet Shoes by Mahak Jain
APRIL 5 – Spy x Family (vol. 7) 5 – Positively Introverted by Maureen Marzi Wilson 5 – Alice Austen Lived Here by Alex Gino 5 – She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott & Alyson Derrick 5 – The Blood Trials by N.E. Davenport 5 – Love from Scratch by Kaitlyn Hill 5 – Business Not as Usual by Sharon C. Cooper 12 – No Rings Attached by Rachel Lacey 15 – Snow White with the Red Hair (vol. 18) 19 – Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez 26 – That Cowboy of Mine by Donna Grant 26 – The Damning Stone by TJ Klune 26 – Jagged Little Pill by Eric Smith 26 – In the Key of Us by Mariama J. Lockington 26 – Never Cross a Highlander by Lisa Rayne
MAY 3 –Remarkable Ruby by Terri Libenson 3 – Book Lovers by Emily Henry 3 – Chef’s Kiss by T.J. Alexander 10 – Set on You by Amy Lea 10 – Camp Famous by Jennifer Blecher 10 – Wildseed Witch by Marti Dumas 31 – Small Town Pride by Phil Stamper
JUNE 7 – Batter Royale by Leisl Adams 7 – Same Time, Same Place by David M. Barnett 14 – The Silence That Binds Us by Joanna Ho 14 – Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith 17 – Snow White with the Red Hair (vol. 19) 21 – On Rotation by Shirlene Obuobi 21 – Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley 28 – The Black Girls Left Standing by Juliana Goodman 28 – The Song That Moves the Sun by Anna Bright
November 2 You Can Go Your Own Way by Eric Smith (arc) Snow White with the Red Hair (Volume 16) The Fastest Way to Fall by Denise Williams Escape From Falaise by John Flanagan Dreams Lie Beneath by Rebecca Ross Another Beast’s Skin by Jessika Grewe Glover Tahira in Bloom by Farah Heron
November 9 You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao (arc) Just Haven’t Met You Yet by Sophie Cousens
November 16 The Singles Table by Sara Desai Graceling by Kristin Cashore, Adapted & Illustrated by Gareth Hinds
November 23 The Becoming by Nora Roberts
November 30 A Swift and Savage Tide by Chloe Neill (arc) Oddball by Sarah Andersen (arc review)
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
– L.M. Montgomery
OCTOBER 5 Love, Chai, and Other Four-Letter Words by Annika Sharma Spy x Family (vol. 6) Luminous by Mara Rutherford Dust & Grim by Chuck Wendig Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper (synopsis below) Susie B. Won’t Back Down by Margaret Finnegan
OCTOBER 11 Dark Alpha’s Need by Donna Grant (synopsis below)
There is no escaping a Reaper. I am an elite assassin, part of a brotherhood that only answers to Death. And when Death says your time is up, I’m coming for you…
The latest threat uncovered, it is my honor and duty to oust those responsible for the slaughter of so many and make the Fae Others pay for their crimes. However, nothing could have prepared me for the stunning and curious female that crosses my path. She’s an enigma: equal parts strength and vulnerability. She quiets the rage I’ve carried within me for so long and makes me question Death’s directives for the first time ever. Her tragic, emotional story touches something deep within me, and her bravery is awe-inspiring—which makes it doubly hard to let her return to the enemy and the dangers that await. I never expected her, but I need her. She is everything to me, and I will do whatever it takes to make sure she’s safe and by my side. Forever.
OCTOBER 12 The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy by Anne Ursu Always, in December by Emily Stone
OCTOBER 26 Home for a Cowboy Christmas by Donna Grant Trashlands by Alison Stine Duke, Actually by Jenny Holiday Sweet Talk by Cara Bastone The School Between Winter and Fairyland by Heather Fawcett (synopsis below)
Twelve-year-old Autumn Malog is a servant at the enchanting Inglenook School, where young magicians study to become the king’s future monster-hunters. Along with her Gran and three too many older brothers, she works as a beastkeeper, tending to Inglenook’s menagerie of terrifying monsters.
But when she isn’t mucking out the wyvern stalls or coaxing the resident boggart to behave, Autumn searches for clues about her twin brother’s mysterious disappearance. Everyone else thinks he was devoured by the feared Hollow Dragon, but Autumn is convinced she’s heard–and glimpsed–him calling to her from within the castle walls. But who will believe a lowly servant?
So when Cai Morrigan, the “Chosen One” prophesied to one day destroy the Hollow Dragon, comes to her for help, Autumn agrees on one condition: Together, they’ll search for her brother and uncover the dark truth at the heart of enchanting Inglenook School once and for all.
Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where you spotlight a highly anticipated book.
Happy Wednesday!
This Wednesday I’m anticipating the release of You’ve Reached Samby Dustin Thao.
I’m not sure which If I Stay book this one is being compared to but I’ve watched Your Name, which destroyed my heart with how good it was. You’ve Reached Sam reminds me of those same overwhelming feelings of joy and pain and romance, but distinct in a way that interests me. I think this will be a good, if not heartbreaking, story, so I’d like to give this one a try.
You’ve Reached Sam is set to be published November 9, 2021.
ABOUT:If I Stay meets Your Name in this heartfelt novel about love, loss, and what it means to say goodbye.
Seventeen-year-old Julie has her future all planned out—move out of her small town with her boyfriend Sam, attend college in the city, spend a summer in Japan. But then Sam dies. And everything changes.
Heartbroken, Julie skips his funeral, throws out his things, and tries everything to forget him and the tragic way he died. But a message Sam left behind in her yearbook forces back memories. Desperate to hear his voice one more time, Julie calls Sam’s cellphone just to listen to his voicemail.
And Sam picks up the phone.
In a miraculous turn of events, Julie’s been given a second chance at goodbye. The connection is temporary. But hearing Sam’s voice makes her fall for him all over again, and with each call it becomes harder to let him go. However, keeping her otherworldly calls with Sam a secret isn’t easy, especially when Julie witnesses the suffering Sam’s family is going through. Unable to stand by the sidelines and watch their shared loved ones in pain, Julie is torn between spilling the truth about her calls with Sam and risking their connection and losing him forever.
Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where you spotlight a highly anticipated book.
Happy Wednesday!
I hope everyone’s week has been going well. I’m back with another anticipated release to spotlight. This Wednesday’s pick is Well Matchedby Jen DeLuca.
A few things I like about this story already are that it’s a contemporary romance, fake dating, friends to lover tropes, and the Renaissance Faire. And the cover art is so cute!
Well Matched is set to be published October 19, 2021.
ABOUT: An accidentally in-love rom-com filled with Renaissance Faire flower crowns, kilts, corsets, and sword fights.
Single mother April Parker has lived in Willow Creek for twelve years with a wall around her heart. On the verge of being an empty nester, she’s decided to move on from her quaint little town, and asks her friend Mitch for his help with some home improvement projects to get her house ready to sell.
Mitch Malone is known for being the life of every party, but mostly for the attire he wears to the local Renaissance Faire–a kilt (and not much else) that shows off his muscled form to perfection. While he agrees to help April, he needs a favor too: she’ll pretend to be his girlfriend at an upcoming family dinner, so that he can avoid the lectures about settling down and having a more “serious” career than high school coach and gym teacher. April reluctantly agrees, but when dinner turns into a weekend trip, it becomes hard to tell what’s real and what’s been just for show. But when the weekend ends, so must their fake relationship.
As summer begins, Faire returns to Willow Creek, and April volunteers for the first time. When Mitch’s family shows up unexpectedly, April pretends to be Mitch’s girlfriend again…something that doesn’t feel so fake anymore. Despite their obvious connection, April insists they’ve just been putting on an act. But when there’s the chance for something real, she has to decide whether to change her plans–and open her heart–for the kilt-wearing hunk who might just be the love of her life.
SEPTEMBER 7 (SUPER TUESDAY) My City Speaks by Darren Lebeuf, Illustrated by Ashley Barron (arc review) Snow White with the Red Hair (Volume 15) Narwhal’s School of Awesomeness by Ben Clanton Partly Cloudy by Tanita S. Davis Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero by Saadia Faruqi The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore
SEPTEMBER 14 A Soft Place to Land by Janae Marks The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation (Vol. 4) Before We Were Blue by E.J. Schwartz Battle of the Bands edited by Lauren Gibaldi & Eric Smith (anthology)
SEPTEMBER 21 Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune (arc review) Maya and the Return of the Godlings by Rena Barron When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting Amira & Hamza: The War to Save the Worlds by Samira Ahmed
SEPTEMBER 28 (SUPER TUESDAY) Her Renegade Cowboy by Lora Leigh (arc review) Steelstriker by Marie Lu The Sweetest Remedy by Jane Igharo It Started with a Dog by Julia London Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales by Soman Chainani No Words by Meg Cabot Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis
Just Right Jillian is set to be published February 2, 2022.
ABOUT: Fifth-grader Jillian will do just about anything to blend in, including staying quiet even when she has the right answer. After she loses a classroom competition because she won’t speak up, she sets her mind on winning her school’s biggest competition. But breaking out of her shell is easier said than done, and Jillian has only a month to keep her promise to her grandmother and prove to herself that she can speak up and show everyone her true self.
A warm and relatable middle-grade debut novel about family, friendship, and finding the confidence to break free from the crowd and be who you truly are.
The Bookshelf Corner 