I am so excited about 2019 and the books being published for our reading experience. We’re getting so many fluffy novels??? I’ve sent precisely 10 thousand ARC requests & the publishers are now DONE with my long, ranting emails about how I’d die for their books.
The subtext of their replies always = some form of “malanie calm down.” BUT YOU KNOW WHAT. They’re probably right at this point but I can’t bring myself to care.
Here are some of the books I don’t think I talk about enough? And I don’t understand myself because I have no coping mechanisms for these books at all.
me @ me except I can’t eat bread bc it makes me physically sick. i’m living without life’s greatest joy: carbs. tbh what’s the point anymore?
1. Something Like Gravity by Amber Smith
This is going to be similar to Simon v. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, which is one of the cutest, most wholesome books in this world
And the main characters is a transgender boy! Falling in love for the very first time with his neighbor who has anger issues..
*sips a twisty straw delicately* This is my favorite tall glass of refreshing beverage.
2. Technically, You Started It by Lana Wood Johnson
I requested an ARC for this and they said, “you might get one in the future, if we have enough copies available, also you’re trash.” BUT THERE IS A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY I MAY GET AN ARC AFTER ALL???? !!!!!!!! I have a space on my shelf cleared for this book, just in case they decide that i’m a special buttercup and deserve love.
This book is about two teenagers who become obsessed with each other via text. I love texting romances at a soul-level. It’s part of my identity as a person.
(also, the girl on the cover is wearing the general attire I wear every day of my life)
3. Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
NetGalley graciously granted my wildest dreams with *pauses w emotion* an arc. and I’m indebted 4 life. It’s my most anticipated 2019 book??????
featuring royalty! gay love! pretending to be best friends??? That’s right, we’ve evolved from fake-relationships toooooooo fake-friendship and,,,,,,,,,,,,,it’s the best thing I’ve ever heard of.
Also, it’s a comedy. Since I’ve sworn to never read another tragic story again in my life, this book will be perfect.
(the cover, I want to wrap myself in this pink cover like it’s a giant cotton blanket)
4. No One Here is Lonely by Sarah Everett
I just realized this is a tragic story &&&&& wow I’m a weak-willed person.
But this is about a girl who programs a digital friend (which, ahh?????)!!!! this new friend may be a “just” program, but they help/her/deal with the all-consuming loneliness that’s her life now.
Her real friends died in an accident and because she’s incapable of inserting herself into new social circles, it’s Fake Friend Forever ™️ (but it’s okay because it’s unique and special)
5. The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
I loved The Kiss Quotient in 2018, but I didn’t dare to hope for a sequel. Miracles are the equivalent of Nora Sakavic writing another series before my 99th birthday. So, I quietly went about my life not once expecting Helen Hoang to bless us.
BUT LOOK WHAT HELEN HAS DONE!!!!! This time, we’re getting basically a genderbent Kiss Quotient, with the girl being the seduction expert & the boy being autistic and exceedingly sweet. The MC is from the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, and she has to seduce him in order to marry him and become an American citizen?
i’m energized about this entire thing
6. We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra
And finally the book being compared to one of my absolute favorites, Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of the Universe [insert beautiful rainbow]
I will do absolutely anything to read this book about pen pals who fall in love. Up to and including bargaining my soul. How dare the cover be this nice????? Does Sarah Henstra want me to break down into a permanent soft smile, because it appears she does.
What are you most excited to read in 2019? Which is your favorite book from this post?
Top Five Tuesday is hosted by Bionic Book Worm
-malanie
OH MY GOD, THIS LIST, THIS BLOG, YOU — FLAWLESS. ALL OF IT. *gestures wildly*
Seriously Malanie I’m just gonna go down a rabbithole of your blog for the rest of the night because I’ve been sitting here catching up on my emails (I get email updates for you and a few other bloggers, promise I’m not a creep or if I am, it’s only in the most loving way?? ♥♥) and you’re just giving me so many feels tonight I swear.
Also, “This book is about two teenagers who become obsessed with each other via text. I love texting romances at a soul-level. It’s part of my identity as a person.” HOLY WOW, IT ME. I hadn’t heard about this one and you would not believe how fast I ran to add it to my TBR!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
AHHH DESTINY THIS MAKES ME SO HAPPY AND YOU ARE JUST THE BEST PERSON?????????? ❤ ❤ *FEELS FRIENDSHIP AND HAPPINESS*
+ that's such a great idea, i need to sign up for emails from my favorites like youuuu, bc i'm following so many people that they get lost in the feed and I JUST VERY MUCH NEED NOTIFICATIONS sdkfjl
+ gosh texting romances are my new favorite and no one is more surprised than me, it's just so cute and intimate and BANTER-EY ❤ ❤ ❤ it's like pen pals but more directly given to us & WE NEED MORE
LikeLiked by 1 person
YES to the intimate pen pals, oh my gosh ♥♥ and just… yes to all of this and ilysm!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a great list of upcoming contemporary reads!💞 I’m looking forward to Helen Hoang’s next book, bc I don’t read much adult contemporary romance, but The Kiss Quotient was one I was really loving & want to get back to reading! The only one I hadn’t heard of was Something Like Gravity! Is it a debut novel? ^_^
LikeLiked by 1 person
ahhh thank youuuuu!!!! Kiss Quotient is just one of those gems that we cannot help but love, Michael and Stella are ridiculously adorable c: c: c:
also, Something Like Gravity is surprisingly not a debut, but i’ve never heard of her before this either????? i just need this book to be adorable, i need it w my entire heart slkdjf
LikeLiked by 1 person
omg i just added like ALL of these books to my tbr (except red, white, and royal blue – which was already on my tbr and is one of my most anticipated releases)…what sorcery is this, malanie??? how are you able to convince me to expand my already-endless tbr??? :’)
honestly though, you made all of these books sound SO good and i’m very excited to read them 😭😭💖💖 i can’t wait for all the wonderful books coming out this year, 2019 is blessing us
LikeLiked by 1 person
the truth is, i really am a sorcerer but nowadays i use my powers for good i.e. recommending gay love stories TO MY FRIENDDDDDS c: c: c: c: c: C:
+ i am right there w you when it comes to Red White and Royal Blue, it’s going to be so damn wholesome???? there has to be a wholesome limit at some point & this book is going to surpass it and be fined ten million dollars
+ tysm YOU ARE SO NICE
++ 2019 really is going to be an amazing year for books in general GOSH
LikeLike
Technically You Started It, The Bride Test, and Red, White, & Royal Blue are all on my TBR. I am really eager to get my hands on TBT. Helen Hoang outdid herself with her first book, and I just need more of that in my life.
LikeLiked by 1 person
ahhhh i am just so excited about Helen Hoang writing again!!!!!!
i was writing my review for TKQ on goodreads and I just happened to see TBT?????? it was the best day of my entire month & Helen Hoang is one of my very favorites sdlkfj
LikeLiked by 1 person
Omg Red White and Royal Blue seems so good why have I not heard of it adding to tbr immediately rn brb off to goodreads
LikeLiked by 1 person
gosh i am so excited about it??????? i love reading fake dating relationships but I never realized human beings were amazing enough, that we were COOL ENOUGH, to write,,,,,,,,,******fake best friendships******* and at this point, i’ll never doubt the world ever againnnnn
LikeLiked by 1 person
WTF? WHY are you ADDING BOOKS TO MY TBR?!?! Also, the outfit on Technically You Started It is MY everyday outfit, including to work (much to my boss’s chagrin). Shirt/dress, leggings, flats, shoulder bag, dyed hair? That’s me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
*laughs evilly as your tbr becomes tall & fluffy*
+ AHHH IF WE WORKED TOGETHER, WE WOULD MATCH! your boss would be exasperated with us both, meanwhile we would look cool af c: c: c: c:
LikeLiked by 1 person
YES!!!! All the matching outfits!! xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ooh a trans guy! That’s lovely! A match for Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe!!! 😁
Well, I ordered this book called Snowed In by Shawn Lane, which will be released sometime this month. I’m doing this reading challenge created by the Toronto Public Libraries, where you need to read a book in each of 14 categories (or 26, if you want to do the advanced challenge). One of the categories is to read a book by an author with your initials. Well little ol me ONLY wants to read LGBTQ+ books (this is only impossible for the categories where you have to choose from a list, and the list happens to have nothing queer in it unless I stretch my imagination.) So I browsed through 600+ LGBTQ books, and could not find a single S.Y. author. (My real last name is Yung.) So I’m using my pen name Sieran Lane instead, and found Shawn Lane, who writes gay romances. Sieran used to be my RPG/ pen name too, but it’s now my legal first name. 😄
LikeLiked by 1 person
i know, i was so excited to read the synopsis and see it featured a trans guy! AND it’s similar to ari and dante????? i didn’t stand a chance. + i’ve only read one other book ft. a trans character (Tea by Matthew J. Metzger, an asexual transgender author and i love him) and i want to read more this year sldkfjl
also what a cool challenge!!!! + i cannot believe the list is lacking LGBTQ+ books, i would not survive whatsoever gosh, we need to write them a new list! A QUALITY LIST c: c: c:
&&& WHAT! i’m so excited Sieran is now your legal first name, i remember when you mentioned you were trying to get it legally changed, AND NOW IT IS AND I’M SO HAPPY ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow I need to seek out Matthew Metzger. 8D
Wait, wait. The trans guy book was similar to Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, right? The We Contain Multitudes book is the one similar to Ari and Dante’s book?
Yeah I had to use some imagination for the lists that didn’t have explicitly LGBTQ characters. Okay, for one of the categories, I’m going to read a book where one of the MCs is transgender, but …eh… Not the best representation. 😦 But it is a classic, so I’m curious to read it.
Actually, I can just tell you what the categories are to make what I’m saying less confusing:
Basic Reading Challenge:
1. A book recommended to you by library staff (could be a book in one of their lists online They have an LGBT+ list! Thank goodness.)
2. A graphic novel
3. A book from a Canadian award-winning author
4. A book set in Toronto
5. A book by an author in a visible minority
6. A book by an LGBTQ+ author
7. A book about mental health
8. A non-prose book (e.g. a poetry book, a cook book, a book with only pictures, etc.)
9. A book in translation
10. A book on a topic you know nothing about
11. A book you’ve always meant to read
12. A book that has been banned or challenged
13. A book that has been adapted into a movie or show
14. A book by an author with the same initials as you
Advanced Reading Challenge:
1. A book by an author with a disability
2. A book about being a newcomer, refugee or immigrant
3. A book you should have read in school, but didn’t
(This can be at any level of schooling, kindergarten to PhD. Can be a book you believe should have been assigned to a class but wasn’t.)
4. A book you previously tried to read and gave up on
5. A book set in a country you’d like to visit
6. Two books with the same/very similar titles
7. A book from our First & Best lists*
These are children’s books, actually. I couldn’t find an openly LGBTQ book, so I’ll go with this book where this girl wears magical glasses that lets her view the world in rainbow colors.
8. A book by an eh List writer*
Nothing explicitly LGBT+ here either, so I’m going to interpret those same gender close friendships as potentially leading to something more. Lol!
9. A book from Read Indigenous*
10. A book from The List: Great Reads for Youth*
11. A book that’s related to the Periodic Table of Elements*
(Quoted from the library site: “2019 is the International Year of the Periodic Table, celebrating 150 years of the periodic system. A “related” book could have an element in the title or author’s name (like Iron John by Robert Bly, or Dark Embrace by Eve Silver) – or it could be related to chemistry (like The Periodic Table, by Primo Levi, or Cosmicomics, by Italo Calvino). Be creative!”)
Aw, thank you, Malanie!!! I received both my new health card and provincial ID card. Thank God my prescriptions don’t say the wrong gender anymore, lol. I need to get my passport changed next.
LikeLiked by 1 person
ahhh you’re right, I got them mixed up skgkgjgj, but I am so happy we’re getting new books that compare to both???????? how did this luck happen to us, DANTE AND SIMON ARE SO BOTH CUTE ❤️
+ this is such a cool challenge, I might do some of these, there are so many I could pick from the “books u were assigned in school but didn’t read” gosh c: c:
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dante and Simon!! 😁
Yeah for Spy Stuff, it’s kind of strange because the protagonist is a gay trans guy named Anton, and I know someone from my own life who is a gay trans guy named Anton. Lol!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Malanie, it’s me again. I realized I already bought a book by Matthew! It’s called Spy Stuff, also starring a trans guy. I have a thing for trans male, cis male romances. It’s almost like an interracial romance, if you get what I mean.
LikeLiked by 1 person
oh god I love those love stories toooooo + I need to read more from Matthew so I’m going to tbr Spy Stuff, it sounds cute and fun?????
LikeLiked by 1 person
AHH So lucky to have a copy of Red, White, and Royal Blue!! ❤ I think I'll wait for my approval ratio to be a little higher before I request it 🙈
LikeLiked by 1 person
oh god,, getting Red, White, and Royal Blue was such a journey??????? at first i was rejected bc my approval ratio is low for some reason? (((((maybe bc i dnf so many books *cough*))))
but then I emailed the publisher & begged them for a copy, & they said “fine, have a NetGalley arc, you loser”
i’m still feeling overwhelmed w happiness sldkjflksdjflkdsjflkj
LikeLiked by 2 people
LOLOL THE STORY OF RISING AGAIN FROM THE ASHES ❤ IM SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
omg malanie stop adding more books to my TBR list!! all of these sound so good and give me serious heart eyes, especially no one here is lonely!! That book sounds so friendshippy and tragic and great ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
I AM SO SORRY, BUT THEY ARE SO SOFT AND CUTE AND YOU NEED THEMMMMMMM
+ i’m so scared to combine friendship & tragedy????? why do i make these decisions, i’m going to cry and it won’t be pretty
LikeLiked by 1 person
You will be okay! It will all be worth it because all the books will be amazing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Bride Test is certainly one that I plan to read in 2019! Already pre ordered.
LikeLiked by 1 person
!!! i’m always so scared to preorder, bc both times I’ve ever preordered they ran out of stock and cancelled my order ;_;
but i won’t let this ruin my hopefulness sdkjf
LikeLike
This is a brilliant post Malanie, and there are some amazing sounding books here too. 🙂 I don’t have many of these on my TBR list but I will definitely be adding some. I’m always on the lookout for fluffy stories and well I need more contemporary books to explore that genre a little more. 😀
I do have We Contain Multitudes on my TBR list and oh it sounds amazing! I discovered it recently but I love Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of the Universe so the second I saw that book referenced in the blurb I was hooked and knew I needed to read this one! Hopefully we both love it.
Great post, and hopefully you’ll love all these books when you finally get your hands on them. 🙂 ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
ahhh tysm Beth!!! c: c: c: c: if a book even remotely resembles Ari + Dante I’m 100% going to sell my soul for it sdkfjlkds,,,,we don’t have enough pen pal stories??????? and Dante’s letters to Ari, when he moves to chicago, was one of my favorite parts of the entire book.
also, I just finished an ARC of The Fever King by Victoria Lee & it reminds me SO MUCH of aftg series. i feel like 2019 = so many of my favorite books being place in alternative universes
instances when i thought we were in the foxhole court, while reading The Fever King
1) there’s a rooftop where the two boys meet for emotional conversations
2) Noam resembles Neil, he’s v focused on social justice like Neil was focused on Exy, and is SASSY AF
3) Dara is like a more polite Andrew
4) basically the book is The Foxhole Court but science fiction/fantasy version and (sadly) less found family
5) i think you’ll love it v much ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Same here, I feel like Ari and Dante was one of the first character driven books I read and I fell in love with it. I need to re-read it and the fact that this one is described as similar to Ari and Dante means I need it in my life like air! 😀
I’ve been seeing a lot of people excited for The Fever King but hearing you compare it to The Foxhole Court means I know have to add it to my TBR list. I’m weak and I need more Neil and Andrew, even if it’s Neil and Andrew in another book! 😀 ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am so STOKED for The Bride Test! I cannot wait for it to be released
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Bride Test is going to be so good??????? i’m tempted to just reread The Kiss Quotient over and over until we get The Bride Test, just so i’m truly prepared
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yessssssss! I don’t usually reread books but I would break that habit for the Kiss Quotient
LikeLiked by 1 person
Red White and Royal Blue sounds like such a fun romp — and fake-relationship in any capacity is always going to be a rad time. I hope you’re frolicking with glee as you read that ARC!
Cheers,
joey via. thoughts and afterthoughts
LikeLiked by 1 person
oh god i agree so much, i don’t know why i love fake relationships????? bc they are EXASPERATING af???? but i would be 100% okay if every book book ever written was just a fluffy fake relationship story and that was literally humanity’s literature sldkf
LikeLike
Ahh, Malanie, I just added all the books you talked about here to my TBR!! And it’s growing exponentially due to all the other 2019 book releases posts I am reading!! But you know it’s okay, I am happy about this.😂Wonderful post, thank you for the recommendations!
LikeLiked by 1 person
ahhh THIS MAKES ME SO HAPPPPPPPPY, i’m just looking forward to our happy, fluffy future, sobbing over these SOFT ADORABLE CHARACTERS LKDFJ
LikeLiked by 1 person
Okay, first off, half the books you listed had me rushing to Goodreads to go, This is a thing? I MUST HAVE! Also, I’m 100% with you on the excitement for The Bride Test. I for some reason thought it was coming out in January, and every time I remember that it’s not, and I have many months to wait makes me collapse into a puddle of tears.
LikeLiked by 1 person
while reading these premises i felt so seen bc i’ve been hoping & dreaming about SOFT PASTEL STORIES and authors just? decided? to bestow them upon us??? and here we are???????
+ it’s completely unfair TBT isn’t coming out in January, it’s what we deserve
LikeLike
The Bride Test cannot be released soon enough!
LikeLiked by 1 person
agreed so much, January is a perfectly good month, why can’t we have The Bride Test in January? these are the questions we should be asking.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I missed The Bride Test!
LikeLiked by 1 person
HELEN HOANG IS SMILING UPON US c: c:
LikeLiked by 1 person
Somehow I completely missed hearing about Technically, You Started It until right now, but I need to read it asap!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
oh god it’s going to be so nice???? the cover itself is gorgeous and I could live solely on texting romances
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ugh, now I have to ADD books to my list of things to read.
LikeLiked by 1 person
i felt this in my soul bc i had serious plans to read backlist books this year?????? but my plans have been FOILED by adorable contemporary love stories
me @ 2019 authors: “now what do you have to say for yourselves?”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha very true
LikeLiked by 1 person
Okay, Mals, I’m suing you. I literally just added 14 new books to my tbr after reading Cait’s post and then I read yours and you’ve somehow grabbed these disgustingly brilliant books I’ve never heard of and now my tbr is threatening to crush me but it’s all good, everything is *smiles in the face of impending doom* FINE.
Ok for real, I’m so happy to have discovered Something Like Gravity because it sounds rom-comish and I am here for it??
Also. Oh my god. Technically, You Started It might just be Emergency Contact 2.0 and I am nOT OKAY I NEED THIS BOOK SO BAD YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW (since the past two minutes). I am absolute trash for texting trope and that cover looks so great, I can’t even.
Speaking of covers, I literally gasped when I saw We Contain Multitudes because beautiful cover is beautiful and I am awed.
I was so happy when I first found out about The Bride Test because look at Helen Hoang coming out with a gender bent version of her own book, I stan.
(also, I felt that Nora Sakavic drag deep inside, sis *wipes a single tear from my left eye as I stare out at the sunset*)
LikeLiked by 1 person
i felt this in my soul, IT’S LIKE AUTHORS WAITED UNTIL 2019 TO BECOME FLUFF LEADERS, & where have they been? what else have they been doing, when fake dating & soft texting & cute boys relaxing outdoors is clearly most important
+ i didn’t even realize until you pointed it out, but HELEN HOANG IS GIVING US HER OWN SACRED FAN FIC and it made me sit down and gasp w pure devotion, she’s being so nice to us???????<3
nora sakavic needs to follow Helen Hoang's example & give us a gender bent tfc, it's the right thing to do
LikeLiked by 1 person