I'm back! At least, I hope I'm back because I love blogging about books too much to give up. π Since May just began and I wanted my comeback post to be something I could easily put together (there was nothing easy about putting this list together), here are all the May releases I can't wait to read. π Suprisingly, I've come across several contemporary novels that I wish to read -- you know I'm a fantasy reader who rarely crosses the fence to adventure into cute/heartbreaking contemporary romances.
Title: Black Water Sister [book depository]
Author: Zen Cho
Publisher: Ace Books
Published: 11th May 2021
Published: 11th May 2021
Why I Can't Wait: The truth is I have yet to read any book written by Zen Cho. Black Water Sister seems the perfect novel to begin exploring Cho's writing since I am always in for tales about ghosts and mediums. Moreover, the blurb has definitely caught my eye -- "A stressed zillennial lesbian fights gods, ghosts, gangsters & grandmas in 21st century Penang."
A reluctant medium
discovers the ties that bind can unleash a dangerous power in this
compelling Malaysian-set contemporary fantasy.
Jessamyn Teoh is closeted, broke and moving back to Malaysia, a country she left when she was a toddler. So when Jess starts hearing voices, she chalks it up to stress. But there's only one voice in her head, and it claims to be the ghost of her estranged grandmother, Ah Ma. In life Ah Ma was a spirit medium, the avatar of a mysterious deity called the Black Water Sister. Now she's determined to settle a score against a gang boss who has offended the god--and she's decided Jess is going to help her do it.
Drawn into a world of gods, ghosts, and family secrets, Jess finds that making deals with capricious spirits is a dangerous business. As Jess fights for retribution for Ah Ma, she'll also need to regain control of her body and destiny. If she fails, the Black Water Sister may finish her off for good.
Jessamyn Teoh is closeted, broke and moving back to Malaysia, a country she left when she was a toddler. So when Jess starts hearing voices, she chalks it up to stress. But there's only one voice in her head, and it claims to be the ghost of her estranged grandmother, Ah Ma. In life Ah Ma was a spirit medium, the avatar of a mysterious deity called the Black Water Sister. Now she's determined to settle a score against a gang boss who has offended the god--and she's decided Jess is going to help her do it.
Drawn into a world of gods, ghosts, and family secrets, Jess finds that making deals with capricious spirits is a dangerous business. As Jess fights for retribution for Ah Ma, she'll also need to regain control of her body and destiny. If she fails, the Black Water Sister may finish her off for good.
Title: Illusionary [book depository]
Author: Zoraida CΓ³rdova
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 11th May 2021
Published: 11th May 2021
Reeling from betrayal
at the hands of the Whispers, Renata Convida is a girl on the run. With
few options and fewer allies, she's reluctantly joined forces with none
other than Prince Castian, her most infuriating and intriguing enemy.
They're united by lofty goals: find the fabled Knife of Memory, kill the
ruthless King Fernando, and bring peace to the nation. Together, Ren
and Castian have a chance to save everything, if only they can set aside
their complex and intense feelings for each other.
With the king's forces on their heels at every turn, their quest across Puerto Leones and beyond leaves little room for mistakes. But the greatest danger is within Ren. The Gray, her fortress of stolen memories, has begun to crumble, threatening her grip on reality. She'll have to control her magics--and her mind--to unlock her power and protect the Moria people once and for all.
For years, she was wielded as weapon. Now it's her time to fight back.
With the king's forces on their heels at every turn, their quest across Puerto Leones and beyond leaves little room for mistakes. But the greatest danger is within Ren. The Gray, her fortress of stolen memories, has begun to crumble, threatening her grip on reality. She'll have to control her magics--and her mind--to unlock her power and protect the Moria people once and for all.
For years, she was wielded as weapon. Now it's her time to fight back.
Title: From Little Tokyo, With Love [book depository]
Author: Sarah Kuhn
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Published: 11th May 2021
Published: 11th May 2021
Celebrated author
Sarah Kuhn reinvents the modern fairy tale in this intensely personal
yet hilarious novel of a girl whose search for a storybook ending takes
her to unexpected places in both her beloved LA neighborhood and her own
guarded heart.
If Rika’s life seems like the beginning of a familiar fairy tale–being an orphan with two bossy cousins and working away in her aunts’ business–she would be the first to reject that foolish notion. After all, she loves her family (even if her cousins were named after Disney characters), and with her biracial background, amazing judo skills and red-hot temper, she doesn’t quite fit the princess mold.
All that changes the instant she locks eyes with Grace Kimura, America’s reigning rom-com sweetheart, during the Nikkei Week Festival. From there, Rika embarks on a madcap adventure of hope and happiness–searching for clues about her long-lost mother, exploring Little Tokyo’s hidden treasures with a cute actor, and maybe…finally finding a sense of belonging.
But fairy tales are fiction and the real world isn’t so kind. Rika knows she’s setting herself up for disappointment, because happy endings don’t happen to girls like her. Should she walk away before she gets in even deeper, or let herself be swept away?
If Rika’s life seems like the beginning of a familiar fairy tale–being an orphan with two bossy cousins and working away in her aunts’ business–she would be the first to reject that foolish notion. After all, she loves her family (even if her cousins were named after Disney characters), and with her biracial background, amazing judo skills and red-hot temper, she doesn’t quite fit the princess mold.
All that changes the instant she locks eyes with Grace Kimura, America’s reigning rom-com sweetheart, during the Nikkei Week Festival. From there, Rika embarks on a madcap adventure of hope and happiness–searching for clues about her long-lost mother, exploring Little Tokyo’s hidden treasures with a cute actor, and maybe…finally finding a sense of belonging.
But fairy tales are fiction and the real world isn’t so kind. Rika knows she’s setting herself up for disappointment, because happy endings don’t happen to girls like her. Should she walk away before she gets in even deeper, or let herself be swept away?
Title: Son of the Storm [book depository]
Author: Suyi Davies Okungbowa
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 11th May 2021
Published: 11th May 2021
From one of the most exciting new storytellers in epic fantasy, Son of the Storm is a sweeping tale of violent conquest and forgotten magic set in a world inspired by the pre-colonial empires of West Africa.
"Everything I love in a fantasy novel. Damn good stuff!" —Jenn Lyons, author of The Ruin of Kings
In the ancient city of Bassa, Danso is a clever scholar on the cusp of achieving greatness—only he doesn’t want it. Instead, he prefers to chase forbidden stories about what lies outside the city walls. The Bassai elite claim there is nothing of interest. The city’s immigrants are sworn to secrecy.
But when Danso stumbles across a warrior wielding magic that shouldn’t exist, he’s put on a collision course with Bassa’s darkest secrets. Drawn into the city’s hidden history, he sets out on a journey beyond its borders. And the chaos left in the wake of his discovery threatens to destroy the empire.
"Everything I love in a fantasy novel. Damn good stuff!" —Jenn Lyons, author of The Ruin of Kings
In the ancient city of Bassa, Danso is a clever scholar on the cusp of achieving greatness—only he doesn’t want it. Instead, he prefers to chase forbidden stories about what lies outside the city walls. The Bassai elite claim there is nothing of interest. The city’s immigrants are sworn to secrecy.
But when Danso stumbles across a warrior wielding magic that shouldn’t exist, he’s put on a collision course with Bassa’s darkest secrets. Drawn into the city’s hidden history, he sets out on a journey beyond its borders. And the chaos left in the wake of his discovery threatens to destroy the empire.
Title: The Marvelous Mirza Girls [book depository]
Author: Sheba Karim
Publisher: Quill Tree Books
Published: 18th May 2021
Published: 18th May 2021
To cure her post–senior
year slump, made worse by the loss of her aunt Sonia, Noreen is ready
to follow her mom on a gap year trip to New Delhi, hoping India can
lessen her grief and bring her voice back.
In the world’s most polluted city, Noreen soon meets kind, handsome Kabir, who introduces her to the wonders of this magical, complicated place. With Kabir’s help—plus Bollywood celebrities, fourteenth-century ruins, karaoke parties, and Sufi saints—Noreen begins to rediscover her joyful voice.
But when a family scandal erupts, Noreen and Kabir must face complicated questions in their own relationship: What does it mean to truly stand by someone—and what are the boundaries of love?
In the world’s most polluted city, Noreen soon meets kind, handsome Kabir, who introduces her to the wonders of this magical, complicated place. With Kabir’s help—plus Bollywood celebrities, fourteenth-century ruins, karaoke parties, and Sufi saints—Noreen begins to rediscover her joyful voice.
But when a family scandal erupts, Noreen and Kabir must face complicated questions in their own relationship: What does it mean to truly stand by someone—and what are the boundaries of love?
Title: Tokyo Ever After [book depository]
Author: Emiko Jean
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Published: 18th May 2021
Published: 18th May 2021
Izumi Tanaka has never
really felt like she fit in—it isn’t easy being Japanese American in her
small, mostly white, northern California town. Raised by a single
mother, it’s always been Izumi—or Izzy, because “It’s easier this
way”—and her mom against the world. But then Izzy discovers a clue to
her previously unknown father’s identity… and he’s none other than the
Crown Prince of Japan. Which means outspoken, irreverent Izzy is literally a princess.
In a whirlwind, Izzy travels to Japan to meet the father she never knew and discover the country she always dreamed of. But being a princess isn’t all ball gowns and tiaras. There are conniving cousins, a hungry press, a scowling but handsome bodyguard who just might be her soulmate, and thousands of years of tradition and customs to learn practically overnight.
Izzy soon finds herself caught between worlds, and between versions of herself—back home, she was never “American” enough, and in Japan, she must prove she’s “Japanese” enough. Will Izumi crumble under the weight of the crown, or will she live out her fairytale, happily ever after?
In a whirlwind, Izzy travels to Japan to meet the father she never knew and discover the country she always dreamed of. But being a princess isn’t all ball gowns and tiaras. There are conniving cousins, a hungry press, a scowling but handsome bodyguard who just might be her soulmate, and thousands of years of tradition and customs to learn practically overnight.
Izzy soon finds herself caught between worlds, and between versions of herself—back home, she was never “American” enough, and in Japan, she must prove she’s “Japanese” enough. Will Izumi crumble under the weight of the crown, or will she live out her fairytale, happily ever after?
Title: In the Ravenous Dark [book depository]
Author: A.M. Strickland
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Published: 18th May 2021
Published: 18th May 2021
A pansexual bloodmage reluctantly teams up with an undead spirit to start a rebellion among the living and the dead.
In Thanopolis, those gifted with magic are assigned undead spirits to guard them—and control them. Ever since Rovan’s father died trying to keep her from this fate, she’s hidden her magic. But when she accidentally reveals her powers, she’s bound to a spirit and thrust into a world of palace intrigue and deception.
Desperate to escape, Rovan finds herself falling for two people she can’t fully trust: Lydea, a beguiling, rebellious princess; and Ivrilos, the handsome spirit with the ability to control Rovan, body and soul.
Together, they uncover a secret that will destroy Thanopolis. To save them all, Rovan will have to start a rebellion in both the mortal world and the underworld, and find a way to trust the princess and spirit battling for her heart—if she doesn’t betray them first.
In Thanopolis, those gifted with magic are assigned undead spirits to guard them—and control them. Ever since Rovan’s father died trying to keep her from this fate, she’s hidden her magic. But when she accidentally reveals her powers, she’s bound to a spirit and thrust into a world of palace intrigue and deception.
Desperate to escape, Rovan finds herself falling for two people she can’t fully trust: Lydea, a beguiling, rebellious princess; and Ivrilos, the handsome spirit with the ability to control Rovan, body and soul.
Together, they uncover a secret that will destroy Thanopolis. To save them all, Rovan will have to start a rebellion in both the mortal world and the underworld, and find a way to trust the princess and spirit battling for her heart—if she doesn’t betray them first.
Title: Hani and Ishu's Guide fo Fake Dating [book depository]
Author: Adiba Jaigirdar
Publisher: Page Street Kids
Published: 25th May 2021
Published: 25th May 2021
Everyone likes Humaira
"Hani" Khan—she’s easy going and one of the most popular girls at
school. But when she comes out to her friends as bisexual, they
invalidate her identity, saying she can’t be bi if she’s only dated
guys. Panicked, Hani blurts out that she’s in a relationship…with a girl
her friends absolutely hate—Ishita "Ishu" Dey. Ishu is the complete
opposite of Hani. She’s an academic overachiever who hopes that becoming
head girl will set her on the right track for college. But Ishita
agrees to help Hani, if Hani will help her become more popular so that
she stands a chance of being elected head girl.
Despite their mutually beneficial pact, they start developing real feelings for each other. But relationships are complicated, and some people will do anything to stop two Bengali girls from achieving happily ever after.
Despite their mutually beneficial pact, they start developing real feelings for each other. But relationships are complicated, and some people will do anything to stop two Bengali girls from achieving happily ever after.
Title: Spells Trouble [book depository]
Author: P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Published: 25th May 2021
Published: 25th May 2021
Double double, twins spell trouble…
Hunter and Mercy Goode are twin witches, direct descendants of the founder of their town of Goodeville. As their ancestors have done before them, it is now time for the twins to learn what it means to be Gatekeepers–the protectors of the Gates to different underworlds, ancient portals between their world and realms where mythology rules and nightmares come to life.
When their mother becomes the first victim in a string of murders, the devastated sisters vow to avenge her death. But it will take more than magic to rein in the ancient mythological monsters who’ve infected their peaceful town.
Now Hunter and Mercy must come together and accept their destiny or risk being separated for good.
Hunter and Mercy Goode are twin witches, direct descendants of the founder of their town of Goodeville. As their ancestors have done before them, it is now time for the twins to learn what it means to be Gatekeepers–the protectors of the Gates to different underworlds, ancient portals between their world and realms where mythology rules and nightmares come to life.
When their mother becomes the first victim in a string of murders, the devastated sisters vow to avenge her death. But it will take more than magic to rein in the ancient mythological monsters who’ve infected their peaceful town.
Now Hunter and Mercy must come together and accept their destiny or risk being separated for good.
What are you can't wait books of May?
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This post just showed up in my feed, but glad to see you are blogger.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realise some of these books were out in May! Wow, I think I need to get back to blogging so i can caught up on new releases because I keep missing them. I'm excited to read Black Water Sister and From little Tokyo With love. I feel like there were other releases in May I was excited for but I haven't been keeping up with new releases as I try and catch up with the ones I missed from the start of the year.
ReplyDeleteMost of these look so good!!
ReplyDeleteI recently read Spells Trouble and DNFd it... π
Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? π¬
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