It doesn't matter that my to-read list at Goodreads has 444 books on it; it doesn't matter that I literally have a bookcase at home that's completely full of books I haven't read yet; it doesn't matter that I just went to both the public libraries to which I have access and checked out a stack of books from each. None of those things matter, because when the following 10 books are released this year, I will pick them up as soon as possible! Some of these are books that I've been waiting on for quite some time. Others are from authors whom I've just discovered -- and isn't that a nice feeling, to know that your newest author crush is quite prolific, rather than being someone you have to wait years to get another novel from (hello, Patrick Rothfuss!)
1. The Woman Who Married a Cloud: Collected Stories by Johnathan Carroll (June 2012)
This is probably the release I'm most excited about this year, for several reasons. One, it feels like it has been FOREVER since Carroll released something new. Two, this is a signed limited edition, and I was lucky enough to place a preorder in time. It will take a place of honor among my other signed books (I'm beginning to amass quite a collection, which makes me all goopy-happy).
2. Hide Me Among the Graves by Tim Powers (March 13 2012)
Tim Powers is another novelist that I adore; every time I go to the bookstore, I make sure to check the section where his books are, in case he released something and I wasn't aware of it. This novel is a follow-up, though not necessarily a sequel, to The Stress of Her Regard, and I'm really looking forward to immersing myself in the product of his imagination, intelligence, and sheer genius.
3. Bitterblue by Kristen Cashore (May 1 2012)
I can't wait to step back into the world of The Seven Kingdoms; Cashore's writing is a real treat, and I love that these books really feel like intelligent fantasy written FOR women.
4. The Diviners by Libba Bray (November 6 2012)
Libba Bray makes my list of the best YA authors of all time; she's intelligent, screamingly funny, sarcastic, observant, talented. Her range is astounding, and I'm looking forward to getting into some well-written historical fiction with a supernatural slant again.
5. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness (July 10 2012)
I thought this first book in this series was a great combination of a number of different subgenres that I enjoy: novels featuring academic research, time travel, paranormal. Wrap all that up in one package and it definitely appeals to me. I'm excited to see what some of my favorite historical characters will look like in Harkness's able hands.
6. The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Cathrynne M. Valente (April ?? 2012)
I am not positive that the sequel to The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making will actually be released in April -- nothing seems as set in stone as these other releases are. However, this book definitely makes this list, because I have a massive crush on the first book and cannot wait to continue September's story.
7. The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King (April 24 2012)
The Dark Tower has always been one of my favorite book series, and when I thought that Stephen King might not live to finish the series, I was so distraught. I'm thrilled to see that he's revisiting Mid-world again.
8. The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan (September 11 2012)
This novel has already been released in Australia and (perhaps?) the UK, under the name Sea Hearts. I don't think I've ever come across an author whose work can move me like Lanagan -- her work is powerful, gut-wrenching, and hard to stomach, but it's also illuminating, lyrical, and eerily beautiful.
9. Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak (September 2012)
This is another book where the publication information is sketchy, but I'm hoping that the latest info I've seen is accurate. Zusak is another go-to YA author for me, and I wish he had a more extensive body of work, because it's hard to wait three or four years between books.
10. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (September 18 2012)
Another great new series in the works from Maggie Stiefvater. She's got loads of talent, and she writes the kind of fantasy that I love to read, so really, it's a match made in heaven.
In putting together this list, I came across lots of series that will be continuing with new releases this year. Come back next week for a glimpse at some of the YA and mid-grades series that I'm most excited about continuing this year.
