This week’s TTT topic is about the books on our winter TBRs. In mind it has been winter for awhile, but we did get our first snowfall in October! Winter definitely affects the kind of books I want to read, so you will see a lot of fantasy and mysteries on this list, which is unusual for me.
After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus.
A flying demon feeding on human energies.
A secret society of so called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down.
And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw.
The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates.
She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets—and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur’s knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down—or join the fight.
Legendborn is staring at me on my shelves, but I am saving it because I want it to be the first book I read in 2021. I am one of those people who believes that the first book you read can set the tone for the rest of the year! Legendborn has the potential to be one of my favourite books of all time and I don’t remember the last time I was this excited to read a book.
The Kaul family is one of two crime syndicates that control the island of Kekon. It’s the only place in the world that produces rare magical jade, which grants those with the right training and heritage superhuman abilities.
The Green Bone clans of honorable jade-wearing warriors once protected the island from foreign invasion–but nowadays, in a bustling post-war metropolis full of fast cars and foreign money, Green Bone families like the Kauls are primarily involved in commerce, construction, and the everyday upkeep of the districts under their protection.
When the simmering tension between the Kauls and their greatest rivals erupts into open violence in the streets, the outcome of this clan war will determine the fate of all Green Bones and the future of Kekon itself.
Jade City is another book that I think could be a new favourite. I don’t know what is going on with me, but I have really been into fantasy lately! I know that Jade City is being adapted, so I of course need to read the book first. It sounds so incredible and I am not going to left the page number intimidate me. That is one of my goals of 2021, but I will talk more about it in a future post.
Five New Yorkers must come together in order to defend their city in the first book of a stunning new series by Hugo award-winning and NYT bestselling author N. K. Jemisin.
Every city has a soul. Some are as ancient as myths, and others are as new and destructive as children. New York City? She’s got five.
But every city also has a dark side. A roiling, ancient evil stirs beneath the earth, threatening to destroy the city and her five protectors unless they can come together and stop it once and for all.
I am about halfway through the audiobook of The City We Became, and I am loving it, which is no surprise as N.K. Jemisin is brilliant. I stopped listening to it because I wanted to focus on holiday books, but it will definitely be the first audiobook I will finish in 2021. I want to read a lot of Jemisin’s books in 2021, so I love the idea of finishing one so early on.
A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.
Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.
When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.
But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.
I feel like I am the only person who didn’t read The House in the Cerulean Sea in 2020. Many people have described it as a warm hug, and I think we all need that right now. I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy and to see why this book is so beloved! I also have the audiobook for The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune, so would love to get to that soon as well.
A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together.
Deep in the stacks of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.
I am finally going to read A Discovery of Witches! So many people adore this series and I have been personally recommended it many times. I know I am not the only one who loves to read about witches, and this is one of the more popular ones. I have heard incredible things about the adaptation, so I want to read the whole series ASAP before I watch it!
Coming home dredges up deeply buried secrets…
Kieran Elliott’s life changed forever on the day a reckless mistake led to devastating consequences.
The guilt that still haunts him resurfaces during a visit with his young family to the small coastal community he once called home.
Kieran’s parents are struggling in a town where fortunes are forged by the sea. Between them all is his absent brother, Finn.
When a body is discovered on the beach, long-held secrets threaten to emerge. A sunken wreck, a missing girl, and questions that have never washed away…
Libro fm was kind enough to send me an ALC of The Survivors, which comes out in February. Of course, I want to listen to it before then so I can tell you all of my thoughts. This will be my first Jane Harper book, though many of them are on my TBR. I have a feeling I will want to read more from her once I read this one. It seems as though she writes the kind of mysteries that I am drawn to.
Meet Jane. Newly arrived to Birmingham, Alabama, Jane is a broke dog-walker in Thornfield Estates––a gated community full of McMansions, shiny SUVs, and bored housewives. The kind of place where no one will notice if Jane lifts the discarded tchotchkes and jewelry off the side tables of her well-heeled clients. Where no one will think to ask if Jane is her real name.
But her luck changes when she meets Eddie Rochester. Recently widowed, Eddie is Thornfield Estates’ most mysterious resident. His wife, Bea, drowned in a boating accident with her best friend, their bodies lost to the deep. Jane can’t help but see an opportunity in Eddie––not only is he rich, brooding, and handsome, he could also offer her the kind of protection she’s always yearned for.
Yet as Jane and Eddie fall for each other, Jane is increasingly haunted by the legend of Bea, an ambitious beauty with a rags-to-riches origin story, who launched a wildly successful southern lifestyle brand. How can she, plain Jane, ever measure up? And can she win Eddie’s heart before her past––or his––catches up to her?
I read Jane Eyre for the first time this year, so I am now even more intrigued by this modern retelling. Libro fm also sent me an ALC, which is amazing because I prefer my thrillers on audio. The early reviews are glowing and I can usually get through thrillers pretty quickly, so I hoping to listen to The Wife Upstairs in the period between Christmas and New Years, as it comes out January 5th.
In 2004, David Chang opened a noodle restaurant named Momofuku in Manhattan’s East Village, not expecting the business to survive its first year. In 2018, he was the owner and chef of his own restaurant empire, with 15 locations from New York to Australia, the star of his own hit Netflix show and podcast, was named one of the most influential people of the 21st century and had a following of over 1.2 million. In this inspiring, honest and heartfelt memoir, Chang shares the extraordinary story of his culinary coming-of-age.
Growing up in Virginia, the son of Korean immigrant parents, Chang struggled with feelings of abandonment, isolation and loneliness throughout his childhood. After failing to find a job after graduating, he convinced his father to loan him money to open a restaurant. Momofuku’s unpretentious air and great-tasting simple staples – ramen bowls and pork buns – earned it rave reviews, culinary awards and before long, Chang had a cult following.
Momofuku’s popularity continued to grow with Chang opening new locations across the U.S. and beyond. In 2009, his Ko restaurant received two Michelin stars and Chang went on to open Milk Bar, Momofuku’s bakery. By 2012, he had become a restaurant mogul with the opening of the Momofuku building in Toronto, encompassing three restaurants and a bar.
I love the idea of food memoirs, and I have quite a few on my TBR for 2021. The one that I am most interested in is Eat a Peach by David Chang. I also want to prioritize Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl. I have been following David Chang for awhile now, but I am curious to learn more about how he got to where he is. I also love reading about other peoples’ passions!
Choose your player.
The “ironborn” half-fae outcast of her royal fae family.
A tempestuous Fury, exiled to earth from the Immortal Realm and hellbent on revenge.
A dutiful fae prince, determined to earn his place on the throne.
The prince’s brooding guardian, burdened with a terrible secret.
For centuries, the Eight Courts of Folk have lived among us, concealed by magic and bound by law to do no harm to humans. This arrangement has long kept peace in the Courts—until a series of gruesome and ritualistic murders rocks the city of Toronto and threatens to expose faeries to the human world.
Four queer teens, each who hold a key piece of the truth behind these murders, must form a tenuous alliance in their effort to track down the mysterious killer behind these crimes. If they fail, they risk the destruction of the faerie and human worlds alike. If that’s not bad enough, there’s a war brewing between the Mortal and Immortal Realms, and one of these teens is destined to tip the scales. The only question is: which way?
Wish them luck. They’re going to need it.
A queer fantasy set in Toronto? I am sold! I cannot begin to tell you how excited I was when an ARC for A Dark and Hollow Star showed up on my doorstep from Simon and Schuster Canada. Look at that cover! It comes out in February, so I will be reading it in January and will definitely post a full review. I cannot wait for this one!
A missing God.
A library with the secrets to the universe.
A woman too busy to notice her heart slipping away.
Carolyn’s not so different from the other people around her. She likes guacamole and cigarettes and steak. She knows how to use a phone. Clothes are a bit tricky, but everyone says nice things about her outfit with the Christmas sweater over the gold bicycle shorts. After all, she was a normal American herself once.
That was a long time ago, of course. Before her parents died. Before she and the others were taken in by the man they called Father. In the years since then, Carolyn hasn’t had a chance to get out much. Instead, she and her adopted siblings have been raised according to Father’s ancient customs. They’ve studied the books in his Library and learned some of the secrets of his power. And sometimes, they’ve wondered if their cruel tutor might secretly be God. Now, Father is missing—perhaps even dead—and the Library that holds his secrets stands unguarded. And with it, control over all of creation.
As Carolyn gathers the tools she needs for the battle to come, fierce competitors for this prize align against her, all of them with powers that far exceed her own. But Carolyn has accounted for this. And Carolyn has a plan. The only trouble is that in the war to make a new God, she’s forgotten to protect the things that make her human.
I have been told that The Library at Mount Char is my kind of weird, and I am really in the mood for it. I have read some really stellar reviews and I have this feeling that I am going to love it even though I am not quite sure what it is about.
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Great list! I still need to read The House in the Cerulean Sea, too, and I’ve heard so many good things. I really want to read Legendborn and Jade City as well. Happy reading!
Thank you! I’m so excited for them all.
Ahh.. I want to read many of these books too. I’m so excited for Legendborn, Jade City (I definitely want to read it before the adaptation too), The City We Became, A Dark And Hollow Star and The Library at Mount Char !! I told you I wanted to read a lot of them 🤣
I hope you enjoy all the books on your TBR when you get to them. Happy reading!! 💕
Haha I will definitely post reviews for all of them as I read them!
Oh, I forgot about The Library at Mount Char. That’s one I want to read too!! I also want to read The House in the Cerulean Sea and Legendborn.
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
I’m so excited to see what The Library at Mount Char is all about!
So many great books on this list! I want to read them all….
I’ll definitely review them as I read them!
The All Souls Trilogy is amazing! I thought they did an excellent job with the adaptation. Happy Reading!
I’m so excited to finally read it!
I hope you manage to read all of these and enjoy them!
I really want to read Legendborn and the House in the Cerulean sea soon as well!
My post!
Thank you! I hope we love them both, and I have a feeling we will!
Great list! I really want to read Jade City! It looks really good.
I am so excited about it!
The All Souls Trilogy is one of my absolute favourites and I think they’ve done a great job with the adaptation. I can’t wait for the second season to be released in January!
I love hearing that! I have some serious reading to do so I can watch the show.
The House in the Cerulean Sea sounds so lovely (a warm hug!) and I hope to read it soon as well! Eat a Peach also sounds really good; food memoirs are always so interesting.
Happy TTT! <3
Right!? So excited for both of those. I am definitely into food memoirs lately.
Amazing list! I have pretty much all of these on my TBR too, but I read and Loved Legendborn. I hope you enjoy them all ☺️
I am so excited about Legendborn. I know I am going to love it!
I feel like there was soooo much hype surrounding The House in the Cerulean Sea that….it was a huge disappointment for me -hides- I feel like I’m the only one who didn’t enjoy it – I didn’t hate it by any means, it was ok, I just didn’t love it like everyone else did – but I really hope you do enjoy it 🙂
I’m also looking forward to reading Legendborn soon since I received it in my November Illumicrate box, and I love what you said – the first book of the year sets the tone for the year and I agree 🙂
Great list, so many good books and a bunch I’m hoping to read!
I am so glad you told me that! It is nice to go into a book that is so hyped hearing some more mixed opinions.
I hope we both love Legendborn!
I hate saying negative things about books but I just had to share that not everyone, aka me, loved the book, its hard with super hyped up books like that.
And I hope we both love Legendborn too 🙂
I’m glad you’re enjoying The City We Became so much! I need to read it sometime.
My post.
It’s incredible so far. I’ve never read anything else like it!
It’s rare for me not to read to the end, but I gave up on A Discovery of Witches after a third way through. I think it needs a good, ruthless editor because parts of it are great and parts are just tedious and unnecessary. I will be intrigued to know what you make of it.
Oh interesting! I will keep that in mind when I pick up. I will definitely post a review with all my thoughts!
These sound great Kristin! The only one I’ve read is Survivors.
Curious to see what I think of that one!
Jade City was amazing. I am so glad I got to it this year. Hope you enjoy!
I cannot wait!!
So many wonderful books that I also want to read. Jade City, The City we Became, & Legendborn are ones I’m hoping to read next year. House in the Cerulean Sea is AMAZING! I hope you love it. I’m reading The Wife Upstairs after I finish Addie. I got it as my Book of the Month pick!
Love it! So many books in common.
Cannot wait to see what you think of The Wife Upstairs!
Legendborn was such a great read! I recently bought A Discovery of Witches so need to read that too!
I’m so excited about both of those!
Just added The Library at Mount Char and Eat a Peach to my TBR. Great list!
Yes! That makes me happy.
Great list! Legendborn and House in the Cerulean Sea sound so good!!
Right?! Can’t wait to read them!
I enjoy foodie memoirs, too! Both Eat a Peach and Save Me the Plums are on my TBR.
Looking forward to both of them. I also really want to read The Cooking Gene!
I adored The House in the Cerulean Sea and Legendborn is on my TBR.
So excited for both!
The Harkness book is one I’ve been eyeing for a while. I love that premise. The Jemisin book sounds interesting too. Haven’t read any of her books yet. Great list.
It sounds great, doesn’t it?
N.K. Jemisin is one of the most brilliant authors I have ever read.
‘The House in the Cerulean Sea’ was definitely one of my favourites from this last year. I hope you get to read it soon! Great list!
Love hearing that!
I loved The Wife Upstairs! Here’s my post if you’re interested: https://www.howdidthatbookend.com/top-ten-tuesday-books-on-my-winter-tbr/
Love hearing that! Will definitely check it out.
Good luck with your TBR! ❄ I really want to read Legendborn, it sounds so good! I’m also highly anticipating A Dark and Hollow Star 😊
Thank you! So excited about both of those!
Ooh, so many great choices! I loved The House in the Cerulean Sea, and I’m a big fan of the Discovery of Witches books (and the TV adaptation, which is terrific). I’d really like to read the Jane Harper book. I’ve only read one of her books so far (The Dry), but I do want to read more. Hope you enjoy your winter reading!
My TTT
Love hearing that! I am so excited for the adaption of The Discovery of Witches!
Jade City is at the top of my list for sure! I need to get a copy asap.
I’m so excited about it!
Oh goooods, such amazing books here ! Literally all of them are on my wishlist, can’t wait to read youf reviews !
I will definitely share all my thoughts!
Aaaah can’t wait !
You sound so excited about Legendborn I’m getting excited now too and I’ve not heard of it before! But it does sound very good — one to add to my reading list I think!
Yay! I love that my excitement is contagious!
I really need to read The House in the Cerulean Sea, and The City We Became, and Jade City! (there are too many books, help) And I loved A Discovery of Witches so much, it’s one of my fav trilogies and I hope you’ll like it just as much!
I am excited about all of those! I am in such a fantasy mood, which is so strange for me!
Great list! I’ve been wanting to read Jade City and Library at Mount Char for awhile now. Happy reading! 🙂
Thank you. Looking forward to both of them!
I have Jade City all lined up too. Hope you’ll manage to get around to all these. Happy reading! https://readwithstefani.com/books-on-my-winter-tbr/
Thank you! I have a feeling Jade City us going to be incredible.
I also felt like the only person who hadn’t read The House In the Cerulean Sea, which is why I’m reading it right now! I LOVED Jade City, hope it goes well for you.