Books I’m looking forward to reading - Fall 2020
Anticipated Fall Releases - 2020
The invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (release date October 8, 2020) - I am a longtime fan of V.E. Schwab and she is an author I always anticipate releases for. I have been very much enjoying her Middle Grade series following Cassidy Blake and her ghostly adventures but I can’t wait to dive back into her adult fantasy worlds. I’ve pre-ordered my copy from One More Page Books in Arlington, VA which includes entry to her virtual book tour stop October 9th. Here is the link if you are also interested in attending: https://www.onemorepagebooks.com/event/v-e-schwab-discusses-invisible-life-addie-larue.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue starts off in 18th century France and it is a story of a girl who makes a deal with the devil where she gets to live forever, but she will also be immediately forgotten by everyone she meets. Until one day, 300 years later, when she crosses paths with someone who remembers her name.
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik (release date September 29, 2020) - I read Spinning Silver when it was released and while it wasn’t a book that deeply resonated with me personally I recognize that the book itself was very good and Naomi Novik is a talented writer. Looking at the description for her new book it seems as if it’s more up my alley and I’m very intrigued and excited for it. My new copy arrives today and I hope to start it hopefully in the next week or two once I wrap up my current reads.
The magical school setting isn’t an insta-buy type book for me like it is for a lot of people, but I do enjoy it when done well and the Scholomance seems particularly interesting. The Scholomance is full of danger and monsters and absent of teachers. Students are not allowed to leave until they graduate, if they live long enough to do so. We follow El as she learns about the school, its secrets, and how she can potentially defeat its monsters using her powers.
Hollowpox by Jessica Townsend (release date possibly October 27, 2020) - I’m seeing conflicting dates between Goodreads, Amazon, and my local bookstore about when exactly this book is coming out so I split the difference with October 27th and maybe that’s the day it will arrive at my house. Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow is the 3rd book in the Nevermoor series, one of my all time favorite book series. The Nevermoor books are middle grade fantasy novels about a girl named Morrigan Crow. In the first book we find Morrigan in Eventide. She was born on the unluckiest day and is therefore blamed for all of the misfortune that happens to anyone in her town. She is doomed to die on her 11th birthday, but when that day comes she is instead whisked away by Jupiter North to the magical city of Nevermoor. While there she lives in a hotel full of a delightful group of characters including performers and giant cats and she is contending for a place in the Wonderous Society. Acceptance would grant her social status and the ability to learn about the powers that make her particularly special even in a magical town, but first she needs to learn what that power is and how to activate it.
There was quite a gap between the release of book 2 and the upcoming release of book 3 so I feel as if I’ve been waiting for this book for ages and I’m thrilled that I’ll finally be getting to read it soon. I felt that the second book in the series was just as good, if not better, than the first which is always a good sign so I have incredibly high expectations for this installment.
Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (release date October 6, 2020) - This is the 6th book of the The Queen’s Thief series. I marathoned books 1-5 last year and was surprised to find that there was another coming out. Book 5 was released more than 3 years ago and the series was started in 1996 so I assumed when I started it that it was a complete series. I love this series. I don’t think that a book/book series needs to have likable characters to make it a good book or worth reading, but I personally find books so much more enjoyable when I have someone to root for and there are so many people to root for in this series from the thief who can steal anything to the queen who must constantly fight to keep the respect and support of her subjects. This series has all the makings of great fantasy: love, war, deception, politics, and books that end leaving you satisfied but also wanting more. I would recommend it to any fantasy fans but also those looking to get into the genre. The books are rather short (300-350 ish pages) and the action and intrigue starts right away.
Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson (release date November 17th, 2020) - This is book 4 in the Stormlight Archive series, a collection of epic fantasy novels brimming with magical warriors, political intrigue, mythology, and a wide cast of characters. This series is not for everyone. The books are nearly at or well over 1,000 pages each and you have to spend a significant amount of time getting to know the world and the magic system and it will involves long waits between books, but if you’re into epic fantasy books I cannot recommend this series enough.
Most people looking to read Sanderson want to work up to this series, maybe starting with Mistborn and then jumping into the 1,200 page epics provided in the Stormlight Archive. Not me. My first Sanderson novel was The Way of Kings and I’ve been devouring this series ever since. I started this books a little late so this is the first time I’ve had to wait for a Stormlight Archive book to be released. I finished Oathbringer in early 2019 so I may need to do some reviewing of the characters and where we left off before starting this one, but I look forward to being back in that world and racing against my husband to see which of us can finish it first.
