October Book Releases that I’m Looking Forward to | October 2018

Hello friends! Another month approaches us, so here’s another one of my monthly posts where I talk about upcoming book releases that  I’m looking forward to! There are eleven books in the list this time around. If there are any books that you think I should read (that are being published in October,) let me know in the comments!

There are a lot of interesting titles this upcoming October, but these are the ones that I’m most looking forward to.

Enjoy!

October 1st

• What They Don’t Know by Nicole Maggi | Young Adult, Contemporary

(TRIGGER WARNING: According to a reviewer on Netgalley, there’s talk about Rape, Abortion, Bullying, and Verbal Abuse)

Three secrets. One decision. A friendship that will change everything.

Mellie has always been the reliable friend, the good student, the doting daughter. But when an unspeakable act leads her to withdraw from everyone she loves, she is faced with a life-altering choice—a choice she must face alone.

Lise stands up—and speaks out—for what she believes in. And when she notices Mellie acting strangely, she gets caught up in trying to save her…all while trying to protect her own secret. One that might be the key to helping Mellie.

Told through Mellie and Lise’s journal entries, this powerful, emotional novel chronicles Mellie’s struggle to decide what is right for her and the unbreakable bond formed by the two girls on their journey.

I’m interested in this novel because there are two way that this could go. I want to be wrong, but I genuinely don’t know for sure until I read the novel. Actually I just read some of the reviews of What They Don’t Know on Netgalley and I was right. There are some trigger warnings. Nevertheless, I’m curious to see how What They Don’t Know will play out.

• After Always by Barbara J. Hancock | Young Adult

Lydia Li’s life ended when Tristan died. At least, that’s how it felt. Sure, they had problems and he could be a little…intense…at times, but he’d loved her. He was the Romeo to her Juliet… And now he was gone.

When her parents get her to agree to a summer across the country with a music teacher who runs an inn, Lydia agrees. But it’s different than what she expected. There’s something else there. Something that feels a lot like Tristan. But that’s impossible, right?

Then there’s Michael Malone, the quiet guy who’s Tristan’s opposite in every way. And Lydia can’t help but be drawn to him…and whatever the house is hiding.

Aren’t you drawn into After Always by that cover? I know I am, and the synopsis has me feeling like that After Always is a Fantasy Romance. As I’m writing this post, there’s no talk of After Always on GoodReads at all. Which I don’t know how to feel about that honestly.

October 2nd

• Shadow of the Fox (Shadow of the Fox, #1) by Julie Kagawa | Young Adult, Fantasy

Once Every Thousand Years…

Every millennium, one age ends and another age dawns…and whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers holds the power to call the great Kami Dragon from the sea and ask for any one wish. The time is near…and the missing pieces of the scroll will be sought throughout the land of Iwagoto. The holder of the first piece is a humble, unknown peasant girl with a dangerous secret.

Demons have burned the temple Yumeko was raised in to the ground, killing everyone within, including the master who trained her to both use and hide her kitsune shapeshifting powers. Yumeko escapes with the temple’s greatest treasure—one part of the ancient scroll. Fate thrusts her into the path of a mysterious samurai, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan. Yumeko knows he seeks what she has…and is under orders to kill anything and anyone who stands between him and the scroll.

A WISH WILL BE GRANTED AND A NEW AGE WILL DAWN.

I have genuinely loved every book of Julie Kagawa’s that I’ve read (aside from her Talon series, because I haven’t read Talon yet). But I am so freaking excited to read a book about Kitsune! 

• My Whole Truth by Mischa Thrace | Young Adult, Mystery, Contemporary

(TRIGGER WARNING: Rape, Violence, Victim Blaming, and Bullying)

Seventeen-year-old Seelie Stanton never wanted to kill someone. She never wanted to be invisible in her own family, she never wanted to crush on her best friend Alyssa, and she definitely never wanted to know how effectively a mallet could destroy someone’s head. 

But the universe doesn’t care what she wants. Shane Mayfield doesn’t care what Seelie wants either. When the former high school basketball star attacks her, she has no choice but to defend herself. She saved her own life, but she can’t bring herself to talk about what happened that night. Not all of it. Not even when she’s arrested for murder.

I know that My Whole Truth is not a book for everyone. There are some things that should never happen to anyone, and they happen within this story. I’m interested in reading My Whole Truth because the main character will go through some major things. What I’m looking forward to is the emotional vulnerability that Seelie will go through.

• Me and Me by Alice Kuipers | Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary

It’s a perfect day for Lark’s dream date with Alec from school. Blue skies, clear water, a canoe on the lake. Alec even brought flowers for Lark’s birthday. Everything is just right … until they hear screams from the edge of the water. Annabelle, a little girl Lark used to babysit, is struggling in the reeds. When Lark and Alec dive in to help her, Alec hits his head on a rock. Now Annabelle and Alec are both in trouble, and Lark can only save one of them. With that split-second decision, Lark’s world is torn in two, leaving her to cope with the consequences of both choices. She lives two lives, two selves. But which is the right life, and which is the real Lark? Me and Me is about how it feels to be torn in pieces, and how to make two halves whole again. This mind-bending novel from Alice Kuipers, expert chronicler of the teenage heart, explores loss and love, music and parkour, all while navigating the narrow space between fantasy and reality.

Even though this is a reprinting of Me and Me, I’m still interested in reading the book. The new cover suits the book perfectly in my opinion. From the sounds of the synopsis for Me and Me, it seems obvious to me that Alec dies in this one.

• Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd | Young Adult, Fantasy

Seventeen-year-old Anouk envies the human world, where people known as Pretties lavish themselves in fast cars, high fashion, and have the freedom to fall in love. But Anouk can never have those things, because she is not really human. Enchanted from animal to human girl and forbidden to venture beyond her familiar Parisian prison, Anouk is a Beastie: destined for a life surrounded by dust bunnies and cinders serving Mada Vittora, the evil witch who spelled her into existence. That is, until one day she finds her mistress murdered in a pool of blood—and Anouk is accused of the crime.
 
Now, the world she always dreamed of is rife with danger. Pursued through Paris by the underground magical society known as the Haute, Anouk and her fellow Beasties only have three days to find the real killer before the spell keeping them human fades away. If they fail, they will lose the only lives they’ve ever known…but if they succeed, they could be more powerful than anyone ever bargained for.
 
From New York Times bestselling author Megan Shepherd, Grim Lovelies is an epic and glittering YA fantasy. Prepare to be spellbound by the world of Grim Lovelies, where secrets have been long buried, friends can become enemies, and everything—especially humanity—comes at a price.

Does anyone else find that the cover for Grim Lovelies is absolutely beautiful? I’ve been intrigued by Grim Lovelies for a few weeks now. I’m thrilled to read a book about a fantastical Paris. Yet, the fact that there’s mystery and a little thrill in this novel just adds to my excitement. I’m truly looking forward to reading Grim Lovelies, but I don’t want to end up not liking it because I held Grim Lovelies in too high of a regard.

October 9th

• Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore | Young Adult, Magical Realism, Retellings, LGBT+

The biggest lie of all is the story you think you already know.

The del Cisne girls have never just been sisters; they’re also rivals, Blanca as obedient and graceful as Roja is vicious and manipulative. They know that, because of a generations-old spell, their family is bound to a bevy of swans deep in the woods. They know that, one day, the swans will pull them into a dangerous game that will leave one of them a girl, and trap the other in the body of a swan.

But when two local boys become drawn into the game, the swans’ spell intertwines with the strange and unpredictable magic lacing the woods, and all four of their fates depend on facing truths that could either save or destroy them. Blanca & Roja is the captivating story of sisters, friendship, love, hatred, and the price we pay to protect our hearts.

If this book is a retelling of the Swan Princess, then I am all in. I mean, I’m going to read Blanca & Roja either way since the synopsis is too intriguing to not read it but still.

• Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria | Young Adult, Fantasy, LGBT+

In the city of Eldra, people are ruled by ancient prophecies. For centuries, the high council has stayed in power by virtue of the prophecies of the elder seers. After the last infallible prophecy came to pass, growing unrest led to murders and an eventual rebellion that raged for more than a decade.  In the present day, Cassa, the orphaned daughter of rebels, is determined to fight back against the high council, which governs Eldra from behind the walls of the citadel. Her only allies are no-nonsense Alys, easygoing Evander, and perpetually underestimated Newt. Cassa struggles to come to terms with the legacy of rebellion her dead parents have left her, and the fear that she may be inadequate to shoulder the burden. But by the time Cassa and her friends uncover the mystery of the final infallible prophecy, it may be too late to save the city—or themselves.

OK, the cover in my opinion is something to talk about because I have literally never seen a cover that looks like Beneath the CItadel’s does. The Black and gold is interesting, but the gold skull and the circular-spiral staircase is off-putting. I’m definitely going to suggest Beneath the Citadel as a purchase to my local library. …I don’t really know what to think of the synopsis. What I can tell from the synopsis though is that BtC is going to be one heck of an adventure.

October 16th

• Phantom Wheel by Tracy Deebs | Young Adult, Thriller, Suspense, Fiction

Believing they have been recruited by the CIA, six teen hackers arrive in LA for a hacking aptitude test with the promise of a college scholarship and a job with the CIA after graduation. But one of the teens, Owen, walks out, refusing to participate. The other five decide to stay and complete the tests. When they finish, they leave feeling equally accomplished and unnerved.
Then silence-until they receive a text from Owen: You’ve been played. He’s uncovered evidence that the hackers created “Phantom Wheel,” the most devastating virus ever made. Jacento, the corporation behind it all, plans to use this virus to gain unprecedented access to personal data. And that’s just the beginning of the devastation. Can the teen hackers stop Phantom Wheel-and protect their own secrets from being revealed-before it’s too late?

Phantom Wheel is a book to talk about because I feel like PW is a book that is incredibly relevant to today’s society. Both off the web, and on it. I truly don’t know what to make of Phantom Wheel because it just seems so out there but I don’t think that it is. There are definitely groups every now and then that do steal personal data off of the internet. I’m looking forward to the thrill and suspense of things though!

October 23rd

• Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, #7) by Sarah J. Maas | Young Adult, New Adult, Fantasy

So I’m not going to include the synopsis for Kingdom of Ash in this post because I myself am not caught up with the Throne of Glass series. I think I DNF’d the 5th book, Empire of Storms about half way through because I was done with all the multiple points of view.

However, I’ve been slowly making my way through the Throne of Glass series again, so I’m pretty excited about Kingdom of Ash.

• The Confectioner’s Guild (The Confectioner Chronicles Book One) by Claire Luana | Young Adult, Mystery, Fantasy, Romance

A magic cupcake. A culinary killer. The perfect recipe for murder.

Wren knew her sweet treats could work wonders, but she never knew they could work magic. She barely has time to wrap her head around the stunning revelation when the head of the prestigious Confectioner’s Guild falls down dead before her. Poisoned by her cupcake.

Now facing murder charges in a magical world she doesn’t understand, Wren must discover who framed her or face the headsman’s axe. With the help of a handsome inspector and several new friends, Wren just might manage to learn the ropes, master her new powers, and find out who framed her. But when their search for clues leads to a deep-rooted conspiracy that goes all the way to the top, she realizes that the guild master isn’t the only one at risk of death by chocolate.

If Wren can’t bring the powerful culprit to justice, she and her friends will meet a bittersweet end.

The Confectioner’s Guild is a delicious YA fantasy mystery. If you like spunky chefs and twisty mysteries with a drizzle of romance, then you’ll love Claire Luana’s scrumptious tale that’s sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.

“A magic cupcake. A culinary killer. The perfect recipe for murder.” is what made me decide to try and read The Confectioner’s Guild.

Other Mentionable Titles Include:

• The Geography of Lost Things by Jessica Brody / Oct 02/18.
• The Last Wish of Sasha Cade by Cheyanne Young / Oct 02/18.
• The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout / Oct 30/18.

Those are the books that I’m looking forward to reading once they’re published in October. What do you think? Will you give any of these books a go?

If you think I missed any books, let me know in the comments!

Thank you for stopping by!

Happy Reading!
— Adele