[Top Ten Tuesday] Most Anticipated Books of the First Half of 2020

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Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish but is currently being run by That Artsy Reader Girl. A prompt is given each week, and I hope to do it every week so I always have something going up on Tuesdays. This week I am talking about the book that are being released in the first half of 2020 that I am most excited for. I doubt I will get to all of these in 2020 (but hey, who knows!) because my library only has so much, but these are definitely on my radar.

So, let's jump into the early 2020 releases that have caught my eye!

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Song of the Dead

Sarah Glenn Marsh

Release Date: January 7, 2020

Goodreads 

Now, some of you who recognize this title may be confused, because this book was actually released in early 2019! However, the paperback actually comes out today and I am beyond excited because there will be extra content. Sarah Glenn Marsh has included a prequel story in the paperback release and I am dying for it. It's one I have pre-ordered, so I am probably right at this moment impatiently waiting for my copy to arrive! If you haven't read this duology, I highly recommend it. I know some may say this is cheating, and yeah, it is probably cheating but this duology is by far one of my favorite and I will never stop talking about it! Because this is the sequel, I don't want to share the summary so I don't spoil the first book for anyone, so below I'll share the synopsis for the first book, Reign of the Fallen. 

Synopsis

Odessa is one of Karthia's master necromancers, catering to the kingdom's ruling Dead. Whenever a noble dies, it's Odessa's job to raise them by retrieving their souls from a dreamy and dangerous shadow world called the Deadlands. But there is a cost to being raised--the Dead must remain shrouded, or risk transforming into zombie-like monsters known as Shades. If even a hint of flesh is exposed, the grotesque transformation will begin.

A dramatic uptick in Shade attacks raises suspicions and fears among Odessa's necromancer community. Soon a crushing loss of one of their own reveals a disturbing conspiracy: someone is intentionally creating Shades by tearing shrouds from the Dead--and training them to attack. Odessa is faced with a terrifying question: What if her necromancer's magic is the weapon that brings Karthia to its knees?

Loveboat, Taipei

Abigail Hing Wen 

Release Date: January 7, 2020 

Goodreads

I am not fully sure what draws me to this one. The synopsis sounds so great. I think it's going to break my heart, but in the best way. I have heard high praise around this one so far, so I am pretty excited. 

Synopsis

When eighteen-year-old Ever Wong’s parents send her from Ohio to Taiwan to study Mandarin for the summer, she finds herself thrust among the very over-achieving kids her parents have always wanted her to be, including Rick Woo, the Yale-bound prodigy profiled in the Chinese newspapers since they were nine—and her parents’ yardstick for her never-measuring-up life.

Unbeknownst to her parents, however, the program is actually an infamous teen meet-market nicknamed Loveboat, where the kids are more into clubbing than calligraphy and drinking snake-blood sake than touring sacred shrines.

Free for the first time, Ever sets out to break all her parents’ uber-strict rules—but how far can she go before she breaks her own heart?

Infinity Son

Adam Silvera

Release Date: January 14, 2020

Goodreads

I have been a big Adam Silvera fan for a while. I think his stories are always incredibly touching and addicting. I have noticed it hasn't gotten the best reviews from readers who were lucky to get their hands on ARCs, so I am a little concerned. However, I am excited to give it a try, especially since this is Silvera's first fantasy novel. 

Synopsis

Growing up in New York, brothers Emil and Brighton always idolized the Spell Walkers—a vigilante group sworn to rid the world of specters. While the Spell Walkers and other celestials are born with powers, specters take them, violently stealing the essence of endangered magical creatures.

Brighton wishes he had a power so he could join the fray. Emil just wants the fighting to stop. The cycle of violence has taken a toll, making it harder for anyone with a power to live peacefully and openly. In this climate of fear, a gang of specters has been growing bolder by the day.

Then, in a brawl after a protest, Emil manifests a power of his own—one that puts him right at the heart of the conflict and sets him up to be the heroic Spell Walker Brighton always wanted to be.

Brotherhood, love, and loyalty will be put to the test, and no one will escape the fight unscathed.

Tweet Cute

Emma Lord

Release Date: January 21, 2020

Goodreads 

Honestly, not to sound cheesy, but this just sounds so damn cute. I don't read a lot of romance but I think I want to change that after loving some of the ones I read in 2019. I think my biggest concern is that I will pick up ones I don't like, but I am hoping this won't be the case with Tweet Cute. 

Synopsis

Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming ― mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger’s massive Twitter account.

Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper’s side. When he isn’t trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin’s shadow, he’s busy working in his family’s deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma’s iconic grilled cheese recipe, he’ll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time.

All’s fair in love and cheese ― that is, until Pepper and Jack’s spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they’re publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles, they’re also falling for each other in real life ― on an anonymous chat app Jack built.

As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate ― people on the internet are shipping them?? ― their battle gets more and more personal, until even these two rivals can’t ignore they were destined for the most unexpected, awkward, all-the-feels romance that neither of them expected.

All the Stars and Teeth

Adalyn Grace 

Release Date: February 4, 2020

Goodreads 

I didn't read as much fantasy in 2019 as I wanted to and I think that was a result of reading a lot of meh ones in 2018. I really want to read more of it (as you'll see from some of the books on this list) by picking up the ones I genuinely am interested in and not the ones that have a lot of hype. Hopefully this is one that I end up loving. 

Synopsis

Set in a kingdom where danger lurks beneath the sea, mermaids seek vengeance with song, and magic is a choice, Adalyn Grace’s All the Stars and Teeth is a thrilling fantasy for fans of Stephanie Garber’s Caraval and Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series.

She will reign.

As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer—the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it’s never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy’s dangerous soul magic.

When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he’ll help her prove she’s fit to rule, if she’ll help him reclaim his stolen magic.

But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder—and more peril—than Amora anticipated. A destructive new magic is on the rise, and if Amora is to conquer it, she’ll need to face legendary monsters, cross paths with vengeful mermaids, and deal with a stow-away she never expected… or risk the fate of Visidia and lose the crown forever.

I am the right choice. The only choice. And I will protect my kingdom.

The Gravity of Us

Phil Stamper

Release Date:  February 4, 2020

Goodreads 

The last year or so I have been trying to stay away from contemporary books that center around characters that are in high school. I have made exceptions of course, but I have noticed I don't relate to the experiences as much as I used to, which was bound to happen eventually. I'm 28 now and it's been ten years since I have been a high school student. However, sometimes it's a nice pallet cleanser to read books like this one in between high fantasy or books with a lot of heavy themes. The Gravity of Us has such a unique premise and I love reading books with LGBTQ+ characters, so I am excited to pick this one up. Plus, the cover is adorable. 

Synopsis

As a successful social media journalist with half a million followers, seventeen-year-old Cal is used to sharing his life online. But when his pilot father is selected for a highly publicized NASA mission to Mars, Cal and his family relocate from Brooklyn to Houston and are thrust into a media circus.

Amidst the chaos, Cal meets sensitive and mysterious Leon, another “Astrokid,” and finds himself falling head over heels—fast. As the frenzy around the mission grows, so does their connection. But when secrets about the program are uncovered, Cal must find a way to reveal the truth without hurting the people who have become most important to him.

Expertly capturing the thrill of first love and the self-doubt all teens feel, debut author Phil Stamper is a new talent to watch.

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City) 

Sarah J Maas

Release Date: March 3, 2020

Goodreads

I know I shouldn't even have this on my list because I haven't even finished the Throne of Glass series yet (this is the year I SWEAR!) but this one just sounds so good. And that cover?! How can I not show interest?! One thing I am apprehensive about is the sex scenes that are bound to be in this book. Honestly, Maas has some of my favorite writing, but she cannot write a sex scene that isn't laughable. It throws me out of the book, so I am hoping that those either have improved or do not come up as often. 

Synopsis

 Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life—working hard all day and partying all night—until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.

Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose—to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.

As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion—one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.

With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom—and the power of love.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Suzanne Collins

Release Date: May 19, 2020

Goodreads

Okay, I know this title is a rough one, and the cover is an eyesore, but I love The Hunger Games trilogy with my whole heart. It means so much to me, and to know there will be more makes me so excited. I am apprehensive, mostly because it's been so long since the original trilogy came out. Often when series get new content it's a disappointment, and I really hope this isn't the case with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. To be safe, I'll probably borrow this one from the library, especially since this one is coming out so soon and there isn't much of a synopsis.

Synopsis

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will revisit the world of Panem sixty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting on the morning of the reaping of the Tenth Hunger Games.

I Kissed Alice

Anna Birch

Release Date: May 26, 2020

Goodreads

Like The Gravity of Us, this book is a LGBTQ+ themed book that has themes revolving around the internet and social media. I love that this is becoming more and more popular in books because it makes the book's content more realistic and relatable. This one involves fanfiction, which is something a lot of readers have experience with. I cannot wait to pick this one up. 

Synopsis

Rhodes and Iliana couldn't be more different, but that's not why they hate each other.

Hyper-gifted artist Rhodes has always excelled at Alabama’s Conservatory of the Arts despite a secret bout of creator's block, while transfer student Iliana tries to outshine everyone with her intense, competitive work ethic. Since only one of them can get the coveted Capstone scholarship, the competition between them is fierce.

They both escape the pressure on a fanfic site where they are unknowingly collaborating on a graphic novel. And despite being worst enemies in real life, their anonymous online identities I-Kissed-Alice and Curious-in-Cheshire are starting to like each other...a lot. When the truth comes out, will they destroy each other's future?

The Gilded Ones

Namina Forna

Release Date: May 26, 2020

Goodreads 

First of all: LOOK AT THAT COVER!!! It's so gorgeous, oh my goodness. Second, this sounds so so good. I cannot wait to pick this one up. It is being promoted for fans of Children of Blood and Bone (I am currently reading book two, Children of Virtue and Vengeance) and Black Panther. I love both of those, so I am hoping this is one I love too!

Synopsis 

Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs.

But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity--and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.

Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki--near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire's greatest threat.

Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she's ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be--not even Deka herself.

That is only ten of the books I have my eyes on! If these books tell me anything, it's that 2020 is going to be a fantastic year for books and reading!

Thanks for reading!

Have I mentioned any books you have your eyes on? From the ones I am interested in, are there any I am totally missing out on? I'd love to know!