Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2023

A new year means more new exciting releases to look out for!

Top 10 Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish, but has now moved to That Artsy Reader Girl. If you’re interested in taking part click here.

Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson

I really enjoy Margaret Rogerson’s writing and Sorcery of Thorns was fantastic so I’m very happy that we get to see more from these characters.

In this sequel novella to Sorcery of Thorns, Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas must unravel the magical trap keeping them inside Thorn Manor in time for their Midwinter Ball!

Elisabeth Scrivener is finally settling into her new life with sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn. Now that their demon companion Silas has returned, so has scrutiny from nosy reporters hungry for gossip about the city’s most powerful sorcerer and the librarian who stole his heart. But something strange is afoot at Thorn Manor: the estate’s wards, which are meant to keep their home safe, are acting up and forcibly trapping the Manor’s occupants inside. Surely it must be a coincidence that this happened just as Nathaniel and Elisabeth started getting closer to one another…

With no access to the outside world, Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas – along with their new maid Mercy – will have to work together to discover the source of the magic behind the malfunctioning wards before they’re due to host the city’s Midwinter Ball. Not an easy task when the house is filled with unexpected secrets, and all Elisabeth can think about is kissing Nathaniel in peace. But when it becomes clear that the house, influenced by the magic of Nathaniel’s ancestors, requires a price for its obedience, Elisabeth and Nathaniel will have to lean on their connection like never before to set things right.

Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling by Elise Bryant

I don’t read a lot of contemporary YA these days but this sounds fun and it has migraine and dyslexia rep.

Delilah always keeps her messy, gooey insides hidden behind a wall of shrugs and yeah, whatevers. She goes with the flow—which is how she ends up singing in her friends’ punk band as a favor, even though she’d prefer to hide at the merch table.

Reggie is a D&D Dungeon Master and self-declared Blerd. He spends his free time leading quests and writing essays critiquing the game under a pseudonym, keeping it all under wraps from his disapproving family.

These two, who have practically nothing in common, meet for the first time on New Year’s Eve. And then again on Valentine’s Day. And then again on St. Patrick’s Day. It’s almost like the universe is pushing them together for a reason.

Delilah wishes she were more like Reggie—open about what she likes and who she is, even if it’s not cool. Except . . . it’s all a front. Reggie is just role-playing someone confident. The kind of guy who could be with a girl like Delilah.

As their holiday meetings continue, the two begin to fall for each other. But what happens once they realize they’ve each fallen for a version of the other that doesn’t really exist?

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon

The Priory of the Orange Tree is one of my favourite books and I’m so glad the author decided to write more books set in this world.

The stunning, standalone prequel to the New York Times bestselling The Priory of the Orange Tree.

Tunuva Melim is a sister of the Priory. For fifty years, she has trained to slay wyrms – but none have appeared since the Nameless One, and the younger generation is starting to question the Priory’s purpose.

To the north, in the Queendom of Inys, Sabran the Ambitious has married the new King of Hróth, narrowly saving both realms from ruin. Their daughter, Glorian, trails in their shadow – exactly where she wants to be.

The dragons of the East have slept for centuries. Dumai has spent her life in a Seiikinese mountain temple, trying to wake the gods from their long slumber. Now someone from her mother’s past is coming to upend her fate.

When the Dreadmount erupts, bringing with it an age of terror and violence, these women must find the strength to protect humankind from a devastating threat.

Intricate and epic, Samantha Shannon sweeps readers back to the world of A Priory of the Orange Tree, showing us a course of events that shaped it for generations to come.

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December 2022 Wrap Up

The last wrap up of 2022! In the last month of the year, I finished two books, both of which I loved, so it was a pretty good month.

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo (audiobook) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – I just loved being back in the world of the Grishaverse, and Leigh Bardugo always writes a great story.

Make You Mine This Christmas by Lizzie Huxley-Jones (audiobook) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – I rounded off the year with a Christmassy read! This book was super fun and entertaining, and hit the emotional beats really well too.

I got Master of Iron, the sequel to Blade of Secrets, for Christmas and I’m really excited to read this one.

I finally, finally, got back into writing in December. I’m working on a new version of an old project, and I’m 13,000 words in now, so slowly but surely making progress.

What books have you enjoyed this month? Chat with me in the comments!

Top Ten Tuesday: Favourite Books of 2022

It’s time to share my favourite books of 2022! From epic fantasies to romcoms, I read some excellent books this year.

Top 10 Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish, but has now moved to That Artsy Reader Girl. If you’re interested in taking part click here.

Breathe and Count Back From Ten by Natalia Sylvester – This is undoubtedly my favourite book of the year. It was also my only five star read (what happened, 2022?!). I really connected with this book as a chronically ill person and found it a very emotional read.

The Councillor by E. J. Beaton – I wish this book was more well known because it was just so good. It’s full of intrigue and the audiobook has a fantastic narrator. Highly recommended if you enjoy political fantasy!

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon – I loved Priory of the Orange Tree so decided to read Samantha Shannon’s other series and I’m so glad I did! I wasn’t sure about this one at first but it grew on me the more I read and I ended up loving it.

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