It’s the second Wednesday of October. And you know what that means! That’s right, it’s time to ttake a look at the top 5 new books being released this month. The genre of the week is Young Adult. I really love reading Young Adult, even though technically I am no longer a Young Adult myself, I have fully passed on into the New Adult genre. I guess YA is like my guilty pleasure? Anyway, let’s get ready to dive in! Other new releases of October 2017 can be found by genre right here on Goodreads.
- Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
Publication date: October 10th, 2017
It all begins with a fugitive billionaire and the promise of a cash reward. Turtles All the Way Down is about lifelong friendship, the intimacy of an unexpected reunion, Star Wars fan fiction, and tuatara. But at its heart is Aza Holmes, a young woman navigating daily existence within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts. In his long-awaited return, John Green shares Aza’s story with shattering, unflinching clarity. - All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater
Publication date: October 10th, 2017
Here is a thing everyone wants: a miracle. Here is a thing everyone fears: what it takes to get one. Any visitor to Bicho Raro, Colorado is likely to find a landscape of dark saints, forbidden love, scientific dreams, miracle-mad owls, estranged affections, one or two orphans, and a sky full of watchful desert stars. At the heart of this place you will find the Soria family, who all have the ability to perform unusual miracles. And at the heart of this family are three cousins longing to change its future: Beatriz, the girl without feelings, who wants only to be free to examine her thoughts; Daniel, the Saint of Bicho Raro, who performs miracles for everyone but himself; and Joaquin, who spends his nights running a renegade radio station under the name Diablo Diablo. They are all looking for a miracle. But the miracles of Bicho Raro are never quite what you expect. - Dear Martin by Nic Stone
Publication date: October 17th, 2017
Raw, captivating, and undeniably real, Nic Stone joins industry giants Jason Reynolds and Walter Dean Myers as she boldly tackles American race relations in this stunning debut. Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can’t escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out. Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it’s Justyce who is under attack. - Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao (Rise of the Empress #1)
Publication date: October 10th, 2017
An East Asian fantasy reimagining of The Evil Queen legend about one peasant girl’s quest to become Empress–and the darkness she must unleash to achieve her destiny. Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be Empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her. Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village on the edge of the map, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng’s majestic future. But is the price of the throne too high? Because in order to achieve greatness, she must spurn the young man who loves her and exploit the callous magic that runs through her veins–sorcery fuelled by eating the hearts of the recently killed. For the god who has sent her on this journey will not be satisfied until his power is absolute. - La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman (The Book of Dust #1)
Publication date: October 19th, 2017
Eleven-year-old Malcolm Polstead and his dæmon, Asta, live with his parents at the Trout Inn near Oxford. Across the River Thames (which Malcolm navigates often using his beloved canoe, a boat by the name of La Belle Sauvage) is the Godstow Priory where the nuns live. Malcolm learns they have a guest with them, a baby by the name of Lyra Belacqua…
Lots of good stuff this month! John Green is of course on my to-read list, as you could have read here earlier! The second book does sounds interesting, but I’m not exactly sure what to expect. So I’ll wait for the first few reviews to decide whether to chuck it or keep it on the to-read list! Then we’ve got something typically American, which doesn’t really interest me that much: pass! Oeh, but the fourth book really sounds like something! I’ll wait for the entire series to be out, but I’ll be keeping my eye on this one for sure! I love retellings of fairy tales, I can’t wait! And then of course, there’s Philip Pullman. The blurb actually sounds like it might be a prologue to The Golden Compass trilogy, this one’s definitely on my list! I might even get to it before the rest of the series comes out… shocking, I know!
Anyway, what a month! With two heavy hitters like John Green and Philip Pullman – thank you publishing world!
Happy reading,
Loes M.