Summer TBR (+ Spring TBR Update!)

June 17, 2020

summer tbr

If you’ve been around a while, you know that ya girl is all about some seasonal TBRs. I love making them, and I’m usually pretty good at following them — hell, I had a 100% success rate with my winter TBR earlier this year! That said, I tried something new with my spring TBR back in March and didn’t allow myself to put any review copies on it, and then I ended up basically ditching the whole list pretty shortly in when I decided, “Hey, maybe I wanna focus on ARCs again!” So, I’ve decided this time around that I’ll pick 10 books: 5 backlist titles I already own, and 5 overdue review copies. It feels like a nice balance, right?

SPRING TBR: 20% success!

  1. Children of the Dark ❌
  2. The Switch House ❌
  3. The Whites of Their Eyes ✅⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  4. Dead as a Doornail ✅⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  5. Hunting Ground ❌
  6. Shiver ❌
  7. Always Never Yours ❌
  8. Long Shot ❌
  9. Beyond Shame ❌
  10. This is How You Lose the Time War ❌

Now, for my SUMMER TBR:

 

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✊? riot baby

REVIEW COPY

Ella and Kev are brother and sister, both gifted with extraordinary power. Their childhoods are defined and destroyed by structural racism and brutality. Their futures might alter the world. When Kev is incarcerated for the crime of being a young Black man in America, Ella—through visits both mundane and supernatural—tries to show him the way to a revolution that could burn it all down.

I’ve been dying to read this since I got it and truly have no excuse not to have picked it up by now, but I keep coming back to it on my shelf lately because it feels so timely, so I want to read it ASAP.

? alice

BACKLIST

In a warren of crumbling buildings and desperate people called the Old City, there stands a hospital with cinderblock walls which echo the screams of the poor souls inside. In the hospital, there is a woman. Her hair, once blond, hangs in tangles down her back. She doesn’t remember why she’s in such a terrible place. Just a tea party long ago, and long ears, and blood…

Then, one night, a fire at the hospital gives the woman a chance to escape, tumbling out of the hole that imprisoned her, leaving her free to uncover the truth about what happened to her all those years ago. Only something else has escaped with her. Something dark. Something powerful. And to find the truth, she will have to track this beast to the very heart of the Old City, where the rabbit waits for his Alice.

This is just one of those books I want to read so badly but never make the time for it, probably because I’ll be crushed if I don’t adore it as much as I think I will. ? But I have the whole series, so I really want to binge it!

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? the return

REVIEW COPY

Julie is missing, and the missing don’t often return. But Elise knows Julie better than anyone, and she feels in her bones that her best friend is out there, and that one day she’ll come back. She’s right. Two years to the day that Julie went missing, she reappears with no memory of where she’s been or what happened to her.

I honestly have fairly low hopes for this book, because I’ve heard it’s not nearly as edgy and dark as the publishers hyped it up to be, but I’m still super drawn to it for some reason?

? on the come up

BACKLIST

Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least make it out of her neighborhood one day. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died before he hit big, Bri’s got big shoes to fill. But now that her mom has unexpectedly lost her job, food banks and shutoff notices are as much a part of Bri’s life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessness staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make it—she has to make it.

I have NO IDEA how I haven’t read this yet, but I’ve seen so many tweets about the upcoming movie that it’s got me REALLY hyped to finally pick it up!

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? echoes: the saga anthology of ghost stories

REVIEW COPY

These thirty stories, including all new works from New York Times bestselling authors Joyce Carol Oates, Alice Hoffman, Seanan McGuire, and Paul Tremblay, span from the traditional to the eclectic, from the mainstream to the literary, from pure fantasy to the bizarrely supernatural. Whether you’re reading alone under the covers with a flashlight, or around a campfire with a circle of friends, there’s something here to please—and spook—everyone.

With a lot of these, I’m always like, “I don’t know how I haven’t read this yet!”, but with Echoes, I know exactly why: it’s over 800 pages long. ? I dunno about you, but that’s REALLY LONG for an anthology to me! That said, I LOVE ghost stories and I have faith in Ellen Datlow, so I hope it’s going to be the best anthology ever.

? house of earth and blood

BACKLIST

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.

Aaaand now we’re back to me crying, “How have I not read this yet?!” lmao

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? the library of the unwritten

REVIEW COPY

Many years ago, Claire was named Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing– a neutral space in Hell where all the stories unfinished by their authors reside. Her job consists mainly of repairing and organizing books, but also of keeping an eye on restless stories that risk materializing as characters and escaping the library. When a Hero escapes from his book and goes in search of his author, Claire must track and capture him with the help of former muse and current assistant Brevity and nervous demon courier Leto.

But what should have been a simple retrieval goes horrifyingly wrong when the terrifyingly angelic Ramiel attacks them, convinced that they hold the Devil’s Bible. The text of the Devil’s Bible is a powerful weapon in the power struggle between Heaven and Hell, so it falls to the librarians to find a book with the power to reshape the boundaries between Heaven, Hell….and Earth.

This was an unsolicited ARC that I wasn’t totally sold on, so I set it aside for a while, and then everyone started raving about it and I’ve been suffering serious FOMO ever since. I’m glad I didn’t give away my copy! ?

? tunnel of bones

BACKLIST

Trouble is haunting Cassidy Blake . . . even more than usual. She (plus her ghost best friend, Jacob, of course) are in Paris, where Cass’s parents are filming their TV show about the world’s most haunted cities. Sure, it’s fun eating croissants and seeing the Eiffel Tower, but there’s true ghostly danger lurking beneath Paris, in the creepy underground Catacombs.

When Cass accidentally awakens a frighteningly strong spirit, she must rely on her still-growing skills as a ghosthunter — and turn to friends both old and new to help her unravel a mystery. But time is running out, and the spirit is only growing stronger. And if Cass fails, the force she’s unleashed could haunt the city forever.

I’m so excited to revisit this series ???

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? the wives

REVIEW COPY

Imagine that your husband has two other wives. You’ve never met the other wives. None of you know each other, and because of this unconventional arrangement, you can see your husband only one day a week. But you love him so much you don’t care. Or at least that’s what you’ve told yourself.

But one day, while you’re doing laundry, you find a scrap of paper in his pocket—an appointment reminder for a woman named Hannah, and you just know it’s another of the wives.

You thought you were fine with your arrangement, but you can’t help yourself: you track her down, and, under false pretenses, you strike up a friendship. Hannah has no idea who you really are. Then, Hannah starts showing up to your coffee dates with telltale bruises, and you realize she’s being abused by her husband. Who, of course, is also your husband. But you’ve never known him to be violent, ever.

Who exactly is your husband, and how far would you go to find the truth? Would you risk your own life? And who is his mysterious third wife?

I’ve only ever read one book by TF before, but it was phenomenal, and I’ve been craving more of her unique writing style!

? full tilt

BACKLIST

Kacey Dawson has always lived life on the edge–impulsively, sometimes recklessly. And now, as lead guitarist for a hot up-and-coming band, she is poised at the brink of fame and fortune. But she is torn between wanting to be a serious musician, and the demons that lure her down the glittering, but alcohol-soaked path of rock stardom. A wrecked concert in Las Vegas threatens to ruin her career entirely. She wakes up with the hangover from hell and no memory of the night before, or how she ended up on her limo driver’s couch…

Jonah Fletcher is running out of time. He knows his situation is hopeless, and he’s vowed to make the most of the handful of months he has left to him. His plans include seeing the opening of his glass installation at a prestigious art gallery…they do not include falling in love with a wild, tempestuous rock musician who wound up passed out on his couch.

Jonah sees that Kacey is on a path to self-destruction. He lets her crash with him for a few days to dry out and get her head on straight. But neither of them expected the deep connection they felt, or how that connection could grow so fast from friendship into something more. Something deep and pure and life-changing…something as fragile as glass, that they both know will shatter in the end no matter how hard they try to hold on to it.

I’ve had so many people recommend this author to me that I feel like I should finally give her writing a chance, and I got this as a freebie recently!

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What does YOUR summer TBR look like?
(And let me know if you want to buddy read any of these!)

destiny

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More about Destiny @ Howling Libraries

Just a horror aficionado/geek girl trying to juggle motherhood, reading, blogging, gaming, and everyday life.

18 Comments
    1. Destiny love this! I listened to Hunting Ground last year and enjoyed it. I see a couple reads that I need to get to: House of Earth and Blood, Library of the Unwritten, and The Wives! I’m tackling HoEaB next month for PopC, but if you want to buddy read for any of these, I’m down!

      1. I know I told you yes on twitter but I’m sorry I hadn’t replied to this yet! I napped for ages right after DMing you and then I was cranky and antisocial last night. ??? But YES PLEASE to any and all buddy reads with you! Would you want to buddy read HoEaB for the readathon? (And then we could totally buddy read the other 2 in August/September if you want ? no pressure lmao)

        1. I’m is next month ok? I’ve been fighting a slump this month and I’ve currently got 3 books on the go and I still need to start another buddy read book that I’m behind on.

    1. Haha I also managed 2/10 for my spring TBR!
      I really want to read Alice and The library of the unwritten!

      (www.evelynreads.com)

      1. Hahaha I’m so glad I’m not alone in my low percentage of spring TBR completion ? Ahhh I’m so excited for both of those. Would you want to buddy read Alice or is it something you weren’t planning on picking up for a bit longer?

        1. I’m always up for a buddy read! Not sure if I will manage this month, but maybe in July? 🙂

    1. I love this!! Maybe I should start doing seasonal TBRs…xD Alice sounds so freaking good -I’ve never heard of it but I love a good Alice in Wonderland retelling. House of Earth and Blood + On the Come Up were both amazing so I hope you really enjoy them!

      1. They’re so much fun! They’re definitely my favorite TBR lists to make. 😀 You totally should give it a try, even if just for one season! And yay, I’m glad you loved both of those because I really can’t wait to finally read them!!

    1. I’m super interested in Riot Baby, The Library of the Unwiritten, and The Wives. Here’s my summer TBR: White Fragility, The Hunger Games (Re-Read), The Great Gatsby (Re-Read), The Hate U Give, The Underground Railroad (Re-Read), The Nickel Boys, Rainbow High, Smashed (Re-Read), You Will Know Me, Educated.

      1. They all sound soooo good! I’m so excited. Oh, I love your summer TBR, those all sound awesome! Of course I love The Hunger Games and THUG, but I haven’t actually read any of the others! I hope you love them all 😀

    1. Ahh I’m sorry you didn’t get to read Always Never Yours this spring, I hope you can get to it soonish, I loved it so much <3
      This is a great summer TBR! The Library of the Unwritten has such an amazing concept, I love it!

    1. My spring tbr didn’t go to great either haha. Covid just shook everything up.
      The Library of the Unwritten is great. Please read it now 😀

      1. I feel you! I’m sorry you had the same issue. And I will be reading it ASAP, no worries! 😀 It’s going at the top of my August list if I don’t get to it this month, I believe.

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