YA Books to Keep on Your Radar in 2020

It was only very recently that I actually started keeping track of new book releases. Which was both a good thing and a bad thing, I guess. A good thing in that my TBR wasn't overflowing with new books, and a bad thing in that... I was never up to date with current releases. Ever. 

But I do try to keep up with current releases now, so fortunately (unfortunately?) I'm excited for some book releases this year. And mildly curious about others. 

So not all the books on this list are ones that I will 100% for sure will pick up, but they're ones that look interesting enough to me that I could see myself reading them. And of course, some are ones that I am desperately looking forward to and need to have in my hands right now --

Ahem. Sorry. Okay, let's just get into it. 

Unravel the Dusk [Blood of Stars, #2] by Elizabeth Lim

Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: July 7

I read and enjoyed Spin the Dawn last year, so I'm excited to pick up the sequel (and the conclusion to the duology!) this year. And just look at that gorgeous cover!

All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace

Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: February 4

I'm really excited to read this book, and I have no excuses since it released a month ago now! It's about a princess, pirates, and mermaids, and just sounds really fun. 
I really hope it's better than the last pirate/mermaid book I read!  

Incendary by Zoraida Cordova

Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: April 28

I've been interested in this book since before the cover was revealed. It looks interesting -- apparently, it's a fantasy loosely based on the Spanish Inquistition, and has something to do with a girl who can steal memories? It sounded cool, anyway, so it makes the list.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Genre: Contemporary
Release Date: May 5

This author is one I've heard a lot about, but I've never picked up one of her books before. I do think that this one looks interesting, though -- it's about two girls, who find out that they're half-sisters when their father dies in a plane crash. It's a novel in verse, which I've never read before, but I'm still really curious about this one. (The cover might have something to do with it.)

Harley in the Sky by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Genre: Contemporary
Release Date: March 10

This is a contemporary novel about a girl who runs away from her family's circus and joins a rival circus company. 
I want to read it just because of the circus aspect. I know, I'm so shallow.

Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Genre: Dystopian
Release Date: May 19 

I'm looking forward to this with a mixture of hope and trepidation. When I found out that this Hunger Games prequel was going to focus on President Snow, I was... very worried. I'm sure many of you feel the same way. Regardless, I'm going to read it. But I'm not going into it expecting I'll love it.

The Enigma Game by Elizabeth Wein

Genre: Historical fiction
Release Date: May 26

I don't know anything about this book. Except that it's by Elizabeth Wein, the author of Code Name Verity, which is a fantastic book. But let me find a description so I can tell you something about it.
Okay, so it centers around an enigma machine that is smuggled into a small town, and the people who end up finding it. And it's based during World War 2, like many of Wein's other books. It looks interesting, so I'll be keeping my eye on it.

The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu

Genre: Historical fantasy
Release Date: March 3

Historical fantasy is such an interesting genre, and when I found out about this book, I was instantly curious. It's about Nannerl Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's older sister.
I've heard mixed opinions about this book, but I'm still very interested in reading it at some point!

The Other Side of the Sky by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner

Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: September 8

I'm literally only interested in this book because Amie Kaufman (who co-authored The Illuminae Files) also co-authored this book. It seems to be about a forbidden romance between a goddess and human prince, and some politics thrown into the mix. 

The Silence of Bones by June Hur

Genre: Historical mystery/thriller
Release Date: April 21

This book looks so interesting! I do admit, I didn't really pay close attention to it when I was first looking at the releases scheduled for 2020, but once I read the description, I was intrigued. It's about a girl named Seol who is indentured to a police bureau, and has to help a young inspector with his investigation of a murder. It's a historical novel that takes place in Korea, which makes me really curious, as not much historical fiction seems to focus around Eastern countries and cultures. 

Thorn by Intisar Khanani

Genre: Fairy tale retelling
Release Date: March 24

This is a re-release of an older title, but it looks fun! I'm all here for fairy tale retellings, and a retelling of one of my favourite lesser known fairy tales -- The Goose Girl -- just intrigues me all the more. 

Fable by Adrienne Young

Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: September 1

I have not yet read any of Adrienne Young's books, but they all look so fascinating, so this one is going on the list! Fable is about a girl whose powerful father abandons her on a remote island, and her quest to regain her place at her father's side. It looks really cool, and I'm interested in reading it!

Night Spinner by Addie Thorley

Genre: Fantasy retelling
Release Date: February 11

Someone said 'literary retelling' so I'm here and present. This book is supposed to be a loose fantasy retelling of Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and even though I've never read the book (or watched the Disney movie) I'm still very curious!



And a few that don't have covers revealed yet:

Rhythm of War [The Stormlight Archive, #4] by Brandon Sanderson - not YA, but my most anticipated book for this year! I'm so excited to read this next installment in The Stormlight Archive series, and to get to revisit this world and characters again!

Untitled [Dreamer, #2] by Maggie Stiefvater - I haven't even read Call Down the Hawk yet, but I'm already hyped for this book. I'm weird, I know. But ever since I read The Raven Boys, I have become a die-hard fan.

And that about wraps it up! Are you interested in any of the books that are on this list? Do you have any anticipated books that are coming out in 2020? Let me know in the comments!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Enjoyed but Hardly Ever Talk About

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme originally created by The Broke and The Bookish and is currently run by That Artsy Reader Girl. 

It's Tuesday again! I want to apologize for how few posts I've managed to get up in the last little bit -- you'd think I'd have extra time for blogging now that I'm stuck indoors, but apparently not! :P Know that I am not wasting away the time on Pinterest -- I've been focusing intensely on my fiction writing in the last little while, juggling two WIP novels and a short story. It's been fun. :)

But on to this week's prompt! I honestly thought I was going to have trouble coming up with the books for this week -- books I enjoyed, but rarely talk about. I'm a very excitable reader, who loves shoving her latest fave onto anyone who will listen. 

But when I started making this list -- surprise, surprise -- I came up with ten books easily. Apparently I'm not quite as excitable as I thought. :P

1. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

My Rating: ★★★★★

One Sentence Description: A British operative in Nazi-occupied France is captured and forced to reveal Allied secrets. 

I don't know why I don't talk about this book more, since I genuinely did enjoy it. I guess it just doesn't fit with any of the topics I've really focused on here. Maybe I should do a historical recommendations post? (Let me know in the comments if you'd be interested in something like this!)

2. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

My Rating: ★★★★★

One Sentence Description: Six dangerous outcasts, an impossible heist, small chance of success. Or survival.

I was as surprised as anyone when I realized just how little I actually talk about this book. Because I did like it. A lot, actually. I have no idea why it doesn't come up in my conversation more often. 

3. Wild Bird by Wendelin Van Draanen

My Rating: ★★★★★

One Sentence Description: As Wren's behavior and addictions spiral out of control, her parents send her to a wilderness rehabilitation camp.

This is definitely an underrated book! It's not something I would immediately pick for myself to read, either, so I'm really glad my book club forced me to pick it up, because I adored it. I thought it handled its subject matter really well, and I loved the female friendships in it as well. 

4. Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

My Rating: ★★★★★

One Sentence Description: A strange new star rises in the sky, and normal people develop superpowers. But this isn't the beginning of a superhero story -- it's the beginning of the apocalypse.

I actually know why I don't talk about this one too much -- it's because Brandon Sanderson's other books are so much better. :P But Steelheart is actually really good, though it does have its flaws (and books 2 and 3 should not have been written, in my opinion). But a superhero dystopia is a really interesting concept, and the first book displayed this splendidly (along with some great plot twists).

5. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

My Rating: ★★★★

One Sentence Description: With twelve hours until her family is deported, Natasha isn't looking for friendship, and definitely not love. But then she meets Daniel, and everything changes. Can you fall in love in a single day?

I read most of this book in a single day (so the same amount of time the story takes place over!) and I loved it. The ending actually had me close to tears. Was it because I was feeling particularly emotional that day? Maybe. But I do think it's a great book, and I really should recommend it more often.

6. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

My Rating: ★★★★★

One Sentence Description: Meggie's father has the ability to read characters out of stories -- with dire consequences.

This is a childhood favourite that I'm pretty sure stands the test of time. Inkheart is a story about every book lover's dream -- what if fictional characters could come to life? And it's fabulous. The audiobook narrator also does an amazing job. :)

7. Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

My Rating: ★★★★

One Sentence Description: Online, Eliza Mirk is LadyConstellation -- the anonymous creator of the popular webcomic, Monstrous Sea. IRL, her life is falling apart.

I really enjoyed this book. It's another contemporary that I don't talk enough about. Eliza's passion for her story was really relateable for me, since I'm also a storyteller (though I don't think I'd have the patience to draw a webcomic!) I also really appreciated the anxiety rep in this story and thought it was very thoughtfully written.

8. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

My Rating: ★★★★★

One Sentence Description: A senior demon writes letters to his nephew instructing him how to capture the soul of a young man.

I know The Chronicles of Narnia is the series that makes C.S. Lewis's books famous, but honestly? I enjoyed The Screwtape Letters more. I think that the whole idea of it was superb, and Lewis is a genius storyteller -- using the most unreliable narrator possible in order to showcase so much truth. I thought it was a brilliant story, and I loved it a lot. 

9. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

My Rating: ★★★★★

One Sentence Description: The Dashwood sisters Marianne and Elinor are very different from each other, but draw closer together through the trials of love and heartbreak.

I think this was my favourite of Jane Austen's books. I loved Elinor and Marianne's relationship -- sisters in fiction so rarely have good relationships, so I enjoyed seeing theirs grow and develop. Plus, Captain Brandon was amazing. <3

10. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

My Rating: ★★★★★

One Sentence Description: Lina's family is forced into a Soviet work camp during a dark period of Lithuania's history.

This is another hard hitting book about World War 2. This book focuses on a dark period of World War 2 that not many people know about -- Stalin's concentration camps. It was a really impactful book, and I'm interested in picking up more of Sepetys's books. I guess that historical fiction must not be something I talk too much about. I should change that.



And that about wraps it up! Now it's your turn! What books did you enjoy but hardly ever talk about? Have you read any of the books on this list, and if so, what did you think of them? Let me know in the comments!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Bought/Borrowed Because of the Premise

Ten Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme originally created by The Broke and The Bookish and currently run by That Artsy Reader Girl.

Hello again, Tuesday! I must say, this week's prompt was pretty fun to put together. I decided to go with books I bought or borrowed because of the fantastic premise. Because, let's face it, sometimes an amazing premise can be the deciding factor in book buying.

1. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Bought or Borrowed? Borrowed

Status: Read, loved

Thoughts: I'm so glad that I borrowed Illuminae! All I really knew about it going in was that was a young adult science fiction novel, told in a multi-media format. And I loved it. In fact, I'm planning on buying the entire trilogy in the near future, because I can totally see myself reading these books again. They're also addictive to read, and while 600+ pages does seem like a lot, the pacing is so superb that it flies by almost without you noticing.

2. Fawkes by Nadine Brandes

Bought or Borrowed? Bought

Status: Read, enjoyed

Thoughts: I bought Fawkes for two reasons. One, I wanted to read a book by Nadine Brandes. And two, I thought the premise -- a historical fantasy reimagining of the Gunpowder Plot -- was fascinating. It didn't disappoint. While I do feel like the book has its problems, it's overall a fantastic, engaging story that definitely lives up to the premise.

3. This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

Bought or Borrowed? Bought

Status: Read, loved

Thoughts: All of Victoria Schwab's books have amazing premises, but this one especially intrigued me. Basically, I knew there were monsters, and two teenagers on opposite sides of a conflict -- one a human, the other, one of the monsters. And I knew there was something to do with music.
Imagine my utter joy when I found out that one of the main character's plays a violin -- a skill that is vitally important to the plot!
This is one of my all time favourite books, and I just want everyone to read it because it's fantastic.

4. Sky Without Stars by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell

Bought or Borrowed? Bought

Status: Read, okay

Thoughts: I bought this half because of the cover, and half because Les Miserables in outer space totally sounded like something I would love. While I didn't hate this book, it did leave a lot to be desired. Part of that might be because of my high expectations -- after all, Les Miserables is one of my favourite ever stories, and so I probably came to the book with unrealistic expectations for it.
But it did disappoint me, and that makes me sad, because I really did want to love this book.

5. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Bought or Borrowed? Bought

Status: Unread, better be amazing

Thoughts: What I know about it as of right now: there's a lost city, a librarian, and something about forgotten gods. And magic. Sign me up. 










6. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Bought or Borrowed? Bought

Status: Unread, please be worth my money

Thoughts: Another Laini Taylor book (why do so many of her books sound so amazing?) that I'm really hoping will be awesome. All I know about it right now is that there are angels and demons and an angel and a girl raised by demons fall in love... and I know there's more to it than that, but that's all I know.








7. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Bought or Borrowed? Borrowed, then bought

Status: Read, loved

Thoughts: I've read this series... close to three or four times? So that should give you some sense of how much I enjoyed it. This was one of the first YA books I ever read, and I borrowed it because of the fantastic premise -- what if Cinderella was a cyborg?
And from there, I was sucked down the rabbit hole of The Lunar Chronicles fandom, and then the wonderful world of YA.








8. Everless by Sara Holland

Bought or Borrowed? Borrowed

Status: Read, enjoyed

Thoughts: This book was great. Not the best, by any means, but genuinely enjoyable. The execution of the premise was by far the best part about it -- blood equals time equals money. The politics of how time is used in the world and the whole idea of being able to use your own time as currency was absolutely fascinating. I didn't enjoy the second book as much, but Everless was fully satisfying.






9. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Bought or Borrowed? Borrowed

Status: Read, hated

Thoughts: I don't want to sound mean, but I don't really know how else to say it... The Cruel Prince is one of the worst books I've ever read. I liked the premise a lot -- a human girl living in the faerie realm
-- but the execution was not my favourite. I never connected with any of the characters, and combined with a slow plot and some very sketchy morality (don't even get me started on the abusive relationships in this book), it just ended up not being a book I could enjoy at all.





10. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Bought or Borrowed? Bought

Status: Read, didn't like

Thoughts: I loved the idea of a superhero dystopia of the sort that The Darkest Minds' premise gave me. But the book never lived up to it, despite the cool idea. Instead of being an interesting dystopian, it ended up being one long superhero road trip. Which... wasn't what I was really hoping for. So while this wasn't the most awful book I've ever read, it definitely left much to be desired.








And that about wraps it up! Bookworms, now it's your turn! What are some books that you bought or borrowed for the premise? And what did you think of them? 
Let me know in the comments!

7 Things That Will Make Me Stop Reading Your Book Blog

I'll admit it -- I haven't been blogging for very long. I started Rambles from My Library in early 2019, and have only been seriously blogging since May of 2019. Since then, my blog and blogging style has gone through numerous changes, including a complete redesign and several different book review formats. I can't say I'm doing everything right. I can't say I'm an expert.

But I have noticed a few things during my time as a book blogger, working with my own blog and reading other book blogs across the internet. I've noticed several mistakes bloggers make in their blog design, writing, and quality that will make me, personally, stop reading. I'm sharing these mistakes, not to make anyone feel bad, but to help out new bloggers who may be making these mistakes (I know I made a few!)

But, just in case, a quick disclaimer: I am not trying to make any bloggers out there feel bad. I am not trying to call out any specific bloggers. I'm speaking about the book blogging community in general, not about any specific people or blogs. 
Okay! Without any further ado, let's get into it.

Blog headers are so important! When I first started my blog, I went for a very simple header, just my blog name typed in a plain font, with a description underneath. And while this header was fine, it wasn't attractive. And attractiveness is key when trying to stand out from the crowd. 

A simple line of text, or a small, easily overlooked header is not a good idea. Your header should reflect your brand, your niche, your unique style. 

On the other side of the spectrum are the blog headers that are just too much -- too many colours, too complicated a design, illegible fonts, or just too big. Try to strike a balance between plain and fancy. 

I used Canva, a free graphic design website, to create my blog header.

Yes, I know, we're all guilty of one or two typos. I know I am. But if your blog posts are riddled with glaring errors, or, worse, if your blog title or description have typos in them -- this is a huge turnoff for me. 

Remember, if you want to drive traffic to your blog, you have to treat it as a professional endeavor. Yes, one or two typos are fine on occasion, but please spell-and-grammar check your work before pressing "publish".

This goes right along with the blog header problem. No reader likes to try to decipher white text on a black background, or try to sort through a mess of colourful text in the post itself that clashes with the blog theme. 

Please, be nice to your readers and choose a few key, corresponding colours to use on your blog in your posts. Stick to the theme. Not only will it help to cement your brand, but it's much easier on the eyes. I went with an orange, white, and teal theme for my blog. 

And please, whatever you do, don't use a black background for your posts.

This is very book blog specific, but this always drives me crazy. I totally understand if you want to blog about your other interests -- by all means, go for it! But create a separate blog for those interests, and keep your book blog... book related.
I personally won't follow book blogs that have a lot of non-book related content, and I'm sure others who read book blogs are probably the same. It's nothing personal, I just don't want my Blogger reading list filled up with posts I have no personal interest in reading.

If the home page of a blog is cluttered with a million different posts, icons, and multiple sidebars, it's just too much for my eyes. I tend to prefer blogs with a single sidebar and a less jumbled home page. I also prefer if the graphics on the blog are clean and easy on the eyes, as opposed to dark, grainy, or cluttered graphics.

I totally get the fear that some bloggers get about using images (copyright law is a big deal). But there are loads of places to get free stock clip art and photos to spruce up your posts. And if you're making book lists or reviewing a book, please include images of the book(s) cover. It just makes the whole blog look more appealing.

This is probably one of the biggest turnoffs I have with book blogs and blogs in general. Yes, you can talk about your opinions. You don't have to sugarcoat your feelings. But at the same time, we don't need any more hate in the bookish community. We don't need bloggers who are very obviously rude or hateful towards a certain author or a certain group of readers (we're reviewing books, not people). While yes, we can be sarcastic, and yes, we don't have to like the same books, and yes, we can talk about our feelings about these books -- we can still be civil. After all, we are adults here, right?
Along the same lines, an excess of profanity will make me quit reading a blog. This might be just me, but profanity in blogs and reviews comes across as rude and angry. That may not be the tone the author of the blog is going for, but that's just how it comes off to me.

Well, I hope that this post was helpful and/or informative! Please comment down below with your thoughts (please keep it civil). And if you have any questions, feel free to ask! I'm not an expert by any means, but I'd love to be able to help if you need it! <3

March Wrap-Up + April TBR

Well. 

This month was wild. 

I can't believe how much the world has changed in such a short amount of time. In my province, everything non-essential has been shut down. Schools are closed. And most of us are now trapped at home, with nothing to do. 

Well.

Except us readers. We have the advantage of being able to go places without leaving the comfort of our living room couch. Or our beds.

I hope you all have been staying safe and practicing social distancing! And washing your hands. *shakes finger* That is very important.

Photo by BENCE BOROS on Unsplash

Alright, but enough about that. I'm sure you've heard more than enough on the news and social media to keep you occupied and anxious for a good long while. So instead, let's talk about books! Get our minds off of the craziness of the world right now for a minute. 

~ Read of the Month ~

Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer 

★★★★★

I have so many feelings about this book. It's a beautiful, heartbreaking, and hopeful book that deals with grief, guilt, and not judging people by their appearances. I highly, highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great read!

~ Other March Reads ~

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson 

★★★

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro 

★★★★

Because You Love to Hate Me by Various Authors, edited by Amerie 

★★★

The Best of March Discussions

🕮 Unpopular Opinions [Book Tag]

🕮 Fantasy Books That Will Give You All the Feels

🕮 Books I Bought for the Cover

🕮 The Rapid Fire Book Tag

🕮 Books That are 200% Worth the Hype

🕮 Best Books with One Word Titles

April TBR

I only managed to read two of my five March TBR books. I am disappointed in myself. I'm currently reading both Throne of Glass and Thirteen Reasons Why (both on my March TBR) but I highly doubt I'll be able to finish them before the end of the month, and so they'll be included in next month's wrap-up.

What am I planning to read this April? Let's get into it.

The Archived by Victoria Schwab

I'm so excited to read this book. Partially because it's written by Victoria Schwab, and partly because it looks so delightfully creepy.
I don't know a lot about it, but I do know that it has something to do with a library... where human bodies are cataloged and stored on shelves. So yeah. Very creepy, but I have a feeling it's going to be good!

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

I've been meaning to read this book for a while, and I'm putting it on my TBR to give me a much needed prod to actually get around to it.
This is the first in a YA fantasy series that I believe is loosely based on the Roman Empire. 

There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool

I totally cover bought this one. It's beautiful, and I really hope that the inside lives up to the outside. It's another YA fantasy series (a duology, I believe?) that has something to do with the end of the world.

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Jodie Meadows, and Brodi Ashton

This book looks funny, and funny is what I need right now. Though since this is a reimagining of the history of Lady Jane Grey, maybe it won't be quite as funny as I was anticipating.

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier

A creepy looking book by one of my favourite middle grade authors! Jonathan Auxier has a way with words, and I'm looking forward to reading another one of his books. 

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

If you've been following my blog for a while, it's probably pretty obvious why I have this book on my list. I'm a huge fan of Brandon Sanderson's work, especially the Cosmere, and so I'm trying to read every Cosmere book that is currently released. Elantris is next on my list!

And that about wraps it up! What have you read this March? Any recommendations? And what are you planning to read in April? Let me know in the comments!

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