IT’S THAT TIME! We back with another anticipated book release. If you’re curious for whatever reason what I was looking forward to earlier this year, here you go. As before, these are listed in order of publication, and the way I do this list is with books I’ve already preordered, not just books I’m interested in.

Did I preorder The Faithless Hawk by Margaret Owen before I’d even finished the first 100 pages of The Merciful Crow? YOU BETCHA. The aesthetic of this universe is just 1000000% the aesthetic of my entire life, and I didn’t know I needed badass women in plague doctor masks and sweeping cloaks, but WOW HI OKAY. I’m so excited to see where this second book takes us because the first one was a wild ride, and it’s sure to get even more insane.

Gosh, I don’t even know how long I’ve had Court of Lions by Somaiya Daud preordered. It’s definitely the oldest one on this list, and I’m so hyped we’re finally getting it! I’m sad about the cover change because the original ones were so beautiful, but alas. This story of friendship and court politics and WOMEN SUPPORTING WOMEN is just everything I’ve ever needed in my life, and I’m so excited to see where this goes.

Another classic moment of Mary absolutely losing her shit in the middle of a 250-page binge read at midnight and blindly preordering Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin with one eye on B&N and the other on Serpent & Dove. I was excited about S&D before I even started because it was an enemies to friends to lovers romance between a witch and a witch hunter, and like? Yes, more please? And then it turned out to be AMAZING, so I’m going to devour B&H the second it arrives on my doorstep.

I don’t normally preorder debuts, but it’s worked out for me the very few times I’ve done it, so here I am with Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas! This was supposed to come out earlier this year, so I’m keeping all my fingers and toes crossed that it ends up actually releasing in September because I need this ghosts and brujas story so bad. Aiden Thomas has been one of my favorite Twitter follows in the last few months, and I just can’t wait to finally read his debut.

Okay, look, I’m excited about a lot of these books, but As the Shadows Rises by Katy Rose Pool might be up in there in the top three most anticipated. I AM SO READY. I am definitely going to reread There Will Come a Darkness before this releases because I was in a weird place when I first read it, and I need to remind myself how incredible it was. It’s like Katy Rose Pool reached into my head and looked at all of my psycho niche checkboxes–soft, sad boys + lots of religion + complex feelings about said religion + super dramatic prophecy plots. All of this was wonderful, and I may still be projecting Aang onto one of the MCs in this, but that just makes it even better.

Queen of Volts by Amanda Foody is, however, hands down, my most anticipated book for the second half of 2020. Like, y’all ain’t even ready for the nonsense of me absolutely dying over this. It’s the finale in the Shadow Game series, and I am Not Ready. I am going to cry. I am going to swoon. I am going to fall to floor and scream/flail. It’s going to be incredible, and nothing can convince me otherwise.

It is killing me inside that I’m not able to finish reading this series right this very second, so I can’t wait for The Fourth Suit by Neil Patrick Harris. It’s rare that I’m anticipating a middle grade quite like I am this one, so I’m even more hyped that this is coming out soon. NPH really delivered on one of the most wonderful middle grades ever, and I need everyone to read this series and fall hopelessly in love with it with me.

I AM SO READY FOR NEW ADVENTURES! We know so little about The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by VE Schwab other than it’s going to be amazing, duh. Schwab is one of my auto-buy authors, and while I’ve been vibing with her series for a while now, I’m really excited about a new adult novel. She’s talked about how much this has sat in her heart and soul for so long, too, and I can’t wait to see what that looks like on the page.

Lol @ me putting Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner on another anticipated releases list, that’s cute. Look, this is basically a GRRM ploy here where I think if I keep telling the world how excited I am about this new book in The Queen’s Thief series, maybe that means we’ll actually get it soon. I just want to see Eugenides again, guys. It’s been so long, and I love him so much.

Another debut! A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey has a Latinx MC, a British boy, and lots of tea, so duh? Look at that cover. That summary. ALL OF IT. This is right up my alley, and I really needed this in my hands in the summer, but I can’t until the fall, and I guess I’ll just have to pretend it’s summer when I finally get it. This looks absolutely adorable, and I can’t wait to fall in love with their love.

And rounding out this bizarre and motley crew is Oculta by Maya Motayne, sequel to Nocturna! I am so curious what this sequel is going to be about because I feel like the first one wrapped up so neatly, so I’m getting a Makiia Lucier vibe here where I feel like we’re going to follow a secondary character and only occasionally peek in on the MCs? Who knows! I probably could if I just read the summary or paid attention, but I like going in with maximum surprise, so here I am, knowing nothing, hahaha.

What is your most anticipated release
for the second half of this hell year?