Top Ten Books at the TOP of My Spring TBR List

 
hosted by The Broke and Bookish

This is only for books that are coming out this spring (March, April, May) but are not yet out. If I don’t limit myself in some fashion, I’ll just end up spewing out the same books I’ve been rambling about needing to read for months now. These are some of the books on my radar that are coming out soon, but NOT SOON ENOUGH.

1.      Strands of Bronze and Gold  by Jane Nickerson. Release Date: March 12th

 When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world.

Glowing strands of romance, mystery, and suspense are woven into this breathtaking debut—a thrilling retelling of the “Bluebeard” fairy tale.

That is one crazy beautiful cover. Plus, it's a creeptastic, Antebellum retelling of Bluebeard! I am all OVER that.

Goodreads

2.      The Summer I Became a Nerd by  Leah Rae Miller. Release Date: May 7th

On the outside, seventeen-year-old Madelyne Summers looks like your typical blond cheerleader—perky, popular, and dating the star quarterback. But inside, Maddie spends more time agonizing over what will happen in the next issue of her favorite comic book than planning pep rallies with her squad. That she’s a nerd hiding in a popular girl's body isn’t just unknown, it's anti-known. And she needs to keep it that way.

Summer is the only time Maddie lets her real self out to play, but when she slips up and the adorkable guy behind the local comic shop’s counter uncovers her secret, she’s busted. Before she can shake a pom-pom, Maddie’s whisked into Logan’s world of comic conventions, live-action role-playing, and first-person-shooter video games. And she loves it. But the more she denies who she really is, the deeper her lies become…and the more she risks losing Logan forever

I actually HATE the font on this cover, but I just love the concept. As a fellow nerd masquerading as a normal person (admittedly, my masquerade sucks,  but you should see how SHOCKED new acquaintances are when I start listing all the professors in Harry Potter alphabetically by last name), I feel like this book would be a ton of fun.

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3.      In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters. Release Date: April 2nd

In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?

Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.

PRETTY PRETTY COVER. Historical + ghosts + tragic love + PRETTY PRETTY COVER = Gillian drooling (no, not actually *discreetly wipes mouth*).

Goodreads

4.      The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston. Release Date: May 14th

She’s been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky . . . But now that she’s been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last.

Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they’ve given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do – or see – that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all the Suits’ rules — and her dad’s silence. If he won’t help, it’s time she got some answers for herself.

But Meg isn’t counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who’s too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there’s only one rule that really matters — survival.

I used to looooove the show In Plain Sight, which was about a Witness Protection Marshall. I always thought someone should write a good YA book about Witness Protection from the point of view of one of the protected. And lo and behold, someone has! Re cover check: Splendid, though I can't help thinking she's going to hurt herself running barefoot like that.

Goodreads

5.      Going Vintage by Lindsay Leavitt. Release Date: March 26th

 

When Mallory’s boyfriend, Jeremy, cheats on her with an online girlfriend, Mallory decides the best way to de-Jeremy her life is to de-modernize things too. Inspired by a list of goals her grandmother made in1962, Mallory swears off technology and returns to a simpler time (when boyfriends couldn’t cheat with computer avatars). The List:

1. Run for pep club secretary
2. Host a fancy dinner party/soiree
3. Sew a dress for Homecoming
4. Find a steady
5. Do something dangerous

But simple proves to be crazy-complicated, and the details of the past begin to change Mallory’s present. Add in a too-busy grandmother, a sassy sister, and the cute pep-club president–who just happens to be her ex’s cousin–and soon Mallory begins to wonder if going vintage is going too far.

That cover is so cute! This sounds like heaps of fun and totally up my alley. I'm a vintage girl who often wishes she could go back in time, but I also am quite content with the advantages of modern life (desegregation, women's rights, toaster ovens).

Goodreads 

6.      Wentworth Hall by Abby Grahame. Release Date: May 1st



Eighteen-year-old Maggie Darlington has turned into an entirely different person. The once spirited teen is now passive and reserved. A change Lord and Lady Darlington can’t help but be grateful for.

 It’s 1912, and the Darlingtons of Wentworth Hall have more than just the extensive grounds to maintain. As one of Britain’s most elite families, they need to keep up appearances that things are as they have always been…even as their carefully constructed façade rapidly comes undone.

     Maggie has a secret. And she’s not the only one…the handsome groom Michael, the beautiful new French nanny Therese, the Darlingtons’ teenage houseguests Teddy and Jessica, and even Maggie’s younger sister Lila are all hiding something. Passion, betrayal, heartache, and whispered declarations of love take place under the Darlingtons’ massive roof. And one of these secrets has the power to ruin the Darlingtons forever.

     When scandalous satires start appearing in the newspaper with details that closely mirror the lives of the Darlingtons, everyone is looking over their shoulder, worrying their scandal will be next. Because at Wentworth Hall, nothing stays secret for long.

Does this book sort of seem like a marketing attempt to capitalize on the popularity of Downton Abbey? Yes. Do I care? NO. My favorite genre of things is British people suffering romantic difficulties in long ago times. Bonus points if there is a war either in the near future or the near past. Seriously. If there is a movie or book within those basic parameters, I HAVE READ/SEEN IT. (To prove my British history buff credentials, I can also name all the kings of England in order, but that's for another time). Therefore Wentworth Hall must be MINE. In the name of the Queen.

Goodreads

7.      Poison by Bridget Zinn. Release Date: March 12th (TODAY! Weee!)



Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart . . . misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

This one of those books I've been aching for for a long time. Sadly, the author passed away before her book was ever published, but every review I've read so far has been glowing, and it just sounds delightful. Also, there's a pig in this book. For obvious reasons, this has me greatly intrigued. Look at its cute little face peeking out on the cover!

Goodreads

8.     Arclight by Josin L. McQuein. Release Date: April 23rd

 

 No one crosses the wall of light . . . except for one girl who doesn’t remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. A harrowing, powerful debut thriller about finding yourself and protecting your future—no matter how short and uncertain it may be.

The Arclight is the last defense. The Fade can’t get in. Outside the Arclight’s border of high-powered beams is the Dark. And between the Light and the Dark is the Grey, a narrow, barren no-man’s-land. That’s where the rescue team finds Marina, a lone teenage girl with no memory of the horrors she faced or the family she lost. Marina is the only person who has ever survived an encounter with the Fade. She’s the first hope humanity has had in generations, but she could also be the catalyst for their final destruction. Because the Fade will stop at nothing to get her back. Marina knows it. Tobin, who’s determined to take his revenge on the Fade, knows it. Anne-Marie, who just wishes it were all over, knows it.

When one of the Fade infiltrates the Arclight and Marina recognizes it, she will begin to unlock secrets she didn’t even know she had. Who will Marina become? Who can she never be again?

I first became aware of McQuein after reading one of her RIDICULOUSLY AWESOME queries on Query Shark. The book whose query I read, Premeditated, is being published later this year. Serious, go read the synopsis. That is basically the query as it was when first posted. Because of that, I've been waiting excitedly to read her other book, which also has a highly intriguing synopsis!

Goodreads

9.  Reboot by Amy Tintera. Release Date: May 7th

Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation).

Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.

The perfect soldier is done taking orders.

That is one amazingly original concept. I've been in a sci-fi mood lately, and this just sounds tremendous. Must I really wait till May?

Goodreads 

10.  That Time I Joined the Circus by Release Date:




Lexi Ryan just ran away to join the circus, but not on purpose.

A music-obsessed, slightly snarky New York City girl, Lexi is on her own. After making a huge mistake--and facing a terrible tragedy--Lexi has no choice but to track down her long-absent mother. Rumor has it that Lexi's mom is somewhere in Florida with a traveling circus.

When Lexi arrives at her new, three-ring reality, her mom isn't there . . . but her destiny might be. Surrounded by tigers, elephants, and trapeze artists, Lexi finds some surprising friends and an even more surprising chance at true love. She even lucks into a spot as the circus's fortune teller, reading tarot cards and making predictions.

But then Lexi's ex-best friend from home shows up, and suddenly it's Lexi's own future that's thrown into question.

With humor, wisdom, and a dazzlingly fresh voice, this debut reminds us of the magic of circus tents, city lights, first kisses, and the importance of an excellent playlist.

Circus! True love! Long-absent relatives! A snarky city girl! Originality! Yes pleeeeease.

Goodreads 

 Now I'm going to go check out all the other TTT's and thoroughly ruin my current delicately balanced and pruned reading list. Leave me links if you've got them, please, so I can find even MORE titles to salivate over.