Let's be clear: reading books and collecting them are two entirely different hobbies.
They work in tandem, naturally, but the enjoyment I get from researching, hunting for, and organizing my books is completely separate from the enjoyment I get from reading them. So, yes, two days after I posted an endless list of mainstream media I've missed out on, I'm sharing another list of books that I really want to roll my eyeballs over eventually.
So here's the 20 books coming out this year that caught my eye (plus 2 honorable mentions because I couldn't help it.)
The Upside of Falling by Alex Light (Feb 18th)
YA Romance. High-schooler Becca gets teased for not having a boyfriend and decides to make up a fictitious relationship with one of the most popular guys in school. He gets wind of it, and decides to play along. The yummy fake relationship turned real trope (my fav) reeled me in on this one!
Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli & Aisha Saeed (Feb 4th)
YA Fiction. I saw a new book by Becky Albertalli and I threw it on my list before I even knew what it was about. I discovered later that the book centers around teens Maya and Jamie as they get involved in some political activism and end up exploring a multi-cultural romance. Sounds good to me!
The Mall by Megan McCafferty (June 9th)
YA Fiction. I loved the Jessica Darling series so I was intrigued by a new release by the same author, and even more excited to find out that it's set in the early '90s! We get to watch Cassie navigate the time between high school and college, as new plans replace the carefully laid ones she'd had before graduation.
If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane (March 24th)
Fiction/Romance. Ahh, another fake relationship turned reaaaal, yaaaas. This one centers around a law firm, though, where Laurie works with her now ex-boyfriend of over a decade. To get over the embarrassment of seeing him every day and hearing about the pregnancy with his brand new girlfriend, she plans a fake relationship with a man named Jamie to inspire jealousy and intrigue through the office. We allllll know it never ends there!
Moment of Truth by Kasie West (March 3rd)
YA Fiction. I don't even care what this is about - I will read anything Kasie West puts out there! I'll give you the gist, though - this one follows avid swimmer Hadley as she seeks to discover who is showing up to her swim meets dressed as a specific celebrity. I'm not sure how this one pans out, but I know it involves falling for someone unexpected and finding the identity of the incognito spectator. I'm into it.
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle (March 10th)
Fiction. Yay for magical realism! Dannie has a set five year plan, complete with a fiance and new job prospect, when she somehow wakes up five years in the future and nothing is as she planned - including the man lying next to her. She only lives in this alternate reality for an hour, waking back up in the current day, but she can't shake the memory of her other life. About four years later, she meets the man from her vision! Yep, gotta know what goes down.
Followers by Megan Angelo (Jan 14th)
Fiction. I'm not entirely sure of the details in this storyline, but I know that it involves two friends that get in too deep with social media and celebrity and they have to wade through secrets, lies, and the dark side of fame. I'm intrigued!
Chasing Lucky by Jenn Bennett (May 5th)
YA Romance. Okay, this one sounds yummy - I've liked Jenn Bennett's other books so I can't wait for this one! A childhood friendship between Josie and Lucky is begrudgingly rekindled when Josie and her mom move back to her hometown to help with the family's bookstore. There's some trouble and drama in here that lead the once friends on a journey through understanding how they've changed, and, ya know...how they are probably into each other.
More Than Maybe by Erin Hahn (May 12th)
YA Fiction. This one sounds like fun! It revolves around the theme of music in some unique ways - one character being the son of a famous musician, the other vying for success in musical journalism. The two cross paths, and clearly have a lot in common. I think we can all guess what happens!
All Adults Here by Emma Straub (May 5th)
Fiction. I was hesitant to put this one on my list because I tend to shy away from heavier themes. Most of my list is YA because I like the lighthearted nature of young love and early adulthood drama. This one gets deep as it discusses the way we mess up as parents and the way our parents have messed us up. In the end, I thought this one would be both thought-provoking and heartbreaking in all the right ways, and I'm looking forward to it.
Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth (April 7th)
Fiction. Okay, I'm so into this idea! This book follows a group of now 20-somethings that were once a band of heroes through dark times when they were teens. They're now dealing with life and all of the celebrity that came with their heroic actions a decade after the action. This reminds me of Harry Potter and what it would have been like to see Harry, Ron, Hermione, Luna, Neville, Ginny, etc. adjusting to life after Voldemort. I have a feeling this is one I won't want to put down!
You Were There Too by Colleen Oakley (Jan 7th)
Fiction. Gah - already requested this one from the library because yessss dream worlds, soul mates, what if's, I am here for all of it! Mia is living a cookie cutter happy life, but while she dreams at night, she spends her time with a man she doesn't know. After moving, she meets the man from her dreams, only to find out that he's been dreaming of her, too! Juicyyyy! I can't want to get into this one!
The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver (March 3rd)
Fiction. I just read One Day in December and thoroughly enjoyed it so I was really excited to see another book from Josie Silver being released so soon! In this one, Lydia is dealing with the death of her long term boyfriend. As she starts putting her life back together, she is inexplicably pulled to another reality where her boyfriend is still alive and life is as it used to be. She begins living two different lives along these separate realities, and has to make some tough decisions about where she belongs. This one is gonna hurt, but in the best way.
You Say It First by Katie Cotungo (June 16th)
YA Fiction. I know that this book centers around a relationship that gets it footing through texting between two people that initially dislike each other, and that Katie Cotungo wrote it, so I'm here for it. I don't know much more than that, but I'm thinking the couple's differences and conversations revolve around politics (based on the cover), so I'm really interested to see how their relationship unfolds.
The Switch by Beth O'Leary (March 19th)
Fiction. One of my favorite books last year was The Flatshare - it was one of two that I read obsessively. Like couldn't go to sleep obsessively. It was such a kitschy and unlikely scenario (two strangers sharing an apartment), and it sounds like Beth O'Leary is playing with unique living situations again in this book. Lena swaps homes with her Grandmother to give each of them some new opportunities, and I can't wait to see where this leads them!
Tweet Cute by Emma Lord (Jan 21st)
YA Fiction. This one sounds so cute. As kids of rival restaurant owners, the main characters engage in an epic twitter battle in support of their own family's establishments. It's just that they're also falling for people via a chat app and they have no idea that they're actually falling for EACH OTHER! The timeliness of electronic interactions and conflicting opinions through different internet avenues sounds like a really fun story and I can't wait to read it!
The Happily Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez (April 14th)
Fiction/Romance. Sloan finds a lost dog and takes him in - maybe to fill the void of her fiance, who she lost two years prior. Weeks later, the dog's owner makes contact and wants him back. The pair text and chat about their predicament - and, oh yeah, he's a famous musician, currently touring in Australia. The two have a lot to figure out, but I think we can all see where this is going...
Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon (Feb 18th)
YA Fiction. Yes yes, more magical realism, this one taking place in an elite boarding school. WHY is that such an attractive idea? haha So, our intended couple seem to be enemies at the onset (one of them carrying some sort of curse that's activated by turning 18), but things don't go quite as planned between them.
The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren (March 24th)
Romance. The other couldn't sleep due to obsessively reading book I read in 2019 was a Christina Lauren book, so, color me sold on everything they publish. This one seems to center around a Chip & Joanna type couple and the employees (Carey & James) that are holding them (and their growing empire) together. We get to watch Carey and James manage this hot mess and maybeeee find a little heat of their own. I mean, let's be real, I'd put money on it.
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd (April 21st)
Fiction. I am a liiiittle skeptical about this one, I'll be honest. Deep, tricky, sometimes dark adult fiction is not really my jam. BUT, I did love The Secret Life of Bees, and early reviews rave about the clear research and believability of this book which is intriguing. Because...it's about Jesus and a fictional tale of his marriage.
I chose these next two as honorable mentions because they are sequels to books that I have yet to read (but really want to!) I think I'm excited about these, but if I read their predecessors and find myself disappointed, then maybe not. I'm not expecting that to happen, though. ;)
Wild at Heart by K.A. Tucker (March 3rd)
YA Fiction. I've got The Simple Wild on my TBR list after hearing great things, and I don't want to spoil the plot for myself by digging into the synopsis of this one! It's the second installment in this series, and all I really know is that it takes place in Canada.
Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams (March 10th)
Fiction. Okay, same deal with this one - this is the book that comes after The Bromance Book Club and I don't want to spoil it! I know that the first book is about a group of guys that get together to read romance novels to enhance their marriages, which just sounds like so much fun!
Which one intrigues you most? I'm not sure what's at the top of my list, though I knooow I'm going to reach for those fake-relationship-turned-real ones first. I'm also a sucker for the subtly supernatural (like the dreams and flash-fowards and all that fun stuff). Did I miss anything good? Let me know!
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