Top Ten Tuesday is an original weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.
This Week’s Theme:
2017 Debuts I’m Excited For
Initial Thoughts:
With 2016 being a great year of discovering debuts, I hope to carry this momentum forward to hearing new voices in 2017!
Allegedly (Jan 24, 2017)
I ate the last slice of pie. Allegedly. Jokes aside, this book sounds like a thinker of a book!
Mary B. Addison killed a baby.
Allegedly. She didn’t say much in that first interview with detectives, and the media filled in the only blanks that mattered: A white baby had died while under the care of a church-going black woman and her nine-year-old daughter. The public convicted Mary and the jury made it official. But did she do it? She wouldn’t say.
Caraval (Jan 31, 2017)
There are two ways I’m going to go about this book. 1) I will miss reading it due to the passage of time; or, 2) I will read it immediately upon release or hound a friend for an ARC. Either way: I hope this does not fail me.
Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.
The Edge of Everything (Jan 31, 2017)
Still on every one of my hyped lists yeeeeeeeeep.
…on a terrifying sub-zero, blizzardy night in Montana, she and her brother are brutally attacked in a cabin in the woods–only to be rescued by a mysterious bounty hunter they call X.
X is no ordinary bounty hunter. He is from a hell called the Lowlands, sent to claim the soul of Zoe’s evil attacker and others like him.
GIlded Cage (Feb 14, 2017)
People have been telling me this is Red Queen 2.0…
Our world belongs to the Equals — aristocrats with magical gifts — and all commoners must serve them for ten years. But behind the gates of England’s grandest estate lies a power that could break the world.
Abi is a servant to England’s most powerful family, but her spirit is free. So when she falls for one of the noble-born sons, Abi faces a terrible choice. Uncovering the family’s secrets might win her liberty, but will her heart pay the price?
You’re Welcome, Universe (March 7, 2017)
Did you know I favour sound over any other sense? This is why I need to read this book.
When Julia finds a slur about her best friend scrawled across the back of the Kingston School for the Deaf, she covers it up with a beautiful (albeit illegal) graffiti mural.
Her supposed best friend snitches, the principal expels her, and her two mothers set Julia up with a one-way ticket to a “mainstream” school in the suburbs, where she’s treated like an outcast as the only deaf student.
Out in the ’burbs, Julia paints anywhere she can, eager to claim some turf of her own. But Julia soon learns that she might not be the only vandal in town. Someone is adding to her tags, making them better, showing off—and showing Julia up in the process.
The Gauntlet (March 28, 2017)
I’ve screamed about this book before so I’m doing it again: Middle. Eastern. Jumanji. Fuck yeah.
When twelve-year-old Farah and her two best friends get sucked into a mechanical board game called The Gauntlet of Blood and Sand—a puzzle game akin to a large Rubik’s cube—they know it’s up to them to defeat the game’s diabolical architect in order to save themselves and those who are trapped inside, including her baby brother Ahmed. But first they have to figure out how.
Cold Summer (May 2, 2017)
IS THE COVER DESIGNER THE SAME ONE FROM A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU???
Today, he’s a high school dropout with no future.
Tomorrow, he’s a soldier in World War II.Kale Jackson has spent years trying to control his time-traveling ability but hasn’t had much luck. One day he lives in 1945, fighting in the war as a sharpshooter and helplessly watching soldiers—friends—die. Then the next day, he’s back in the present, where WWII has bled into his modern life in the form of PTSD, straining his relationship with his father and the few friends he has left. Every day it becomes harder to hide his battle wounds, both physical and mental, from the past.
The Love Interest (May 16, 2017)
Cale is a cool guy and his book is a book about tropes. Just the usual.
There is a secret organization that cultivates teenage spies. The agents are called Love Interests because getting close to people destined for great power means getting valuable secrets. Caden is a Nice: The boy next door, sculpted to physical perfection. Dylan is a Bad: The brooding, dark-souled guy, and dangerously handsome. The girl they are competing for is important to the organization, and each boy will pursue her. Will she choose a Nice or the Bad?
What the boys don’t expect are feelings that are outside of their training. Feelings that could kill them both.
One of Us Is Lying (May 30, 2017)
I’m a sucker for Breakfast Club-y casted mysteries damnit.
Pay close attention and you might solve this. On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom.
Romancing the Throne (May 30, 2017)
“…but it’s contemporary romance, Joey,” you say. Yes, it is. But I also watch trashy television and this sounds very similar to it (not saying this is trash).
For the first time ever, the Weston sisters are at the same boarding school. After an administration scandal at Libby’s all-girls school threatens her chances at a top university, she decides to join Charlotte at posh and picturesque Sussex Park. Social-climbing Charlotte considers it her sisterly duty to bring Libby into her circle: Britain’s young elites, glamorous teens who vacation in Hong Kong and the South of France and are just as comfortable at a polo match as they are at a party.
It’s a social circle that just so happens to include handsome 17-year-old Prince Edward, heir to Britain’s throne.
Royal Bastards (June 6, 2017)
Notwithstanding the long AF synopsis, this actually does sound a lot like YA Half a King by Joe Abercrombie…and I loved that book.
Being a bastard blows. Tilla would know. Her father, Lord Kent of the Western Province, loved her as a child, but cast her aside as soon as he had trueborn children.
…
Then, at a feast honoring the visiting princess Lyriana, the royal shocks everyone by choosing to sit at the Bastards’ Table. Before she knows it, Tilla is leading the sheltered princess on a late-night escapade. Along with Jax, Miles, and fellow bastard Zell, a Zitochi warrior from the north, they stumble upon a crime they were never meant to witness.
The Gravedigger’s Son (Spring 2017)
On my mission to discover more MG titles, Patrick Moody’s novel caught my eye. (Cover to be revealed). Surely giving me The Night Gardener and The Graveyard Book vibes.
The Gravedigger’s Son, in which an 11-year-old boy must reluctantly embrace his ability to speak to the dead after awakening the inhabitants of the graveyard his ancestors have spent centuries tending.
Dear Martin (Oct 17, 2017)
My dear bacon enthusiast of an Internet friend Nic is Dear Martin. So hyped. (Cover to be revealed).
Justyce McAllister is top of his class at Braselton Prep, captain of the debate team, and set for an Ivy League school next year—but, none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. He’s eventually released without charges (or an apology) but the incident rattles him. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood, he can’t seem to escape the scorn of his former peers or the attitude of his new classmates. The only exception: Sarah Jane, Justyce’s gorgeous—and white—debate partner he wishes he didn’t have a thing for.
The Temptation of Adam (Fall 2017)
Read the blurb for this book. IT SOUNDS HILARIOUS.
The novel is described as “Don Juan” meets “The Perks of Being Wallflower” and “Paper Towns.” In it, a 16-year-old boy struggles to beat an addiction to pornography with the help of his family, new friends and a fellow addict.
Afterthoughts:
But if you had to chose ONE top debut you’re excited for, what would it be? I think mine is The Gauntlet. I loved Jumanji as a child and when you game-ify anything, I love it even more.
Cheers,
Joey
connect:
afterthoughtAn // twitter
anotherafterthought // goodreads
picturevomit // instagram
Oh, Edge of Everything does look good. I missed that one somehow. Hmmmm.
My 2017 Debut List
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I am glad you have found a title that piques your interest and hope you enjoy it if/when you read it!
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My top ten tuesday list was so short today, and you’ve just expanded it so much, Joey! I’ve now added at least half of these books to my goodreads. Thanks!
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Though there are definitely a lot more titles that could have been added to this list, I tried to find a balance in genres — so I am happy to be of service to explode anyone and everyone’s TBR shelves!
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Thanks for making me want to buy books that aren’t even out yet ;P
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Perhaps they may not be out yet…but the power of pre-ordering is certainly available to you!
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My TTT today had 5 books. Thanks for making it explode with your list!
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Thank you for finding interest in some of these titles! I hope no one noticed that I totally put +4 titles too many but I could not help the grabby hands…
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We all noticed. 😂 the struggle is real! 😅
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Just added a few of these to my to-read list. My list of 2017 releases I’m watching out for is getting slightly out of hand!
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What’s a few more books to infinity anyways? Happy reading to you, Al!
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The Edge of Everything has me intrigued. Cold Summer on the other hand has me wishing I could make the book magically appear in my hand this very instant and I’m definitely getting a Half the King vibe from Royal Bastards. I also need to actually finish the Shattered Sea series haha.
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Intrigued is good enough for me! Full transparency: I didn’t even know of Cold Summer until less than 24 hours ago and I just melted into a puddle of cover lust because it’s extremely photogenic.
I too have not yet finished Shattered Sea (despite owning them all) but I am glad I am not the only one is getting Half a King vibes!
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Royal Bastards deffo would have made my list if I’d bothered to do one. I love the sound of You’re Welcome, Universe too. I’m adding that to my wishlist – thanks, and Happy New Year!
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Happy New Year to you as well Lipsyy! I hope you are well and that your holidays were restful.
I am ecstatic to hear more interest in You’re Welcome, Universe! I don’t even think I can recommend another title with a Deaf protagonist.
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No I don’t think I can either. Blind yes, deaf no. Look forward to it!!
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Oh actually that’s a lie. The Quality Silence was amazing! It’s all coming back to me… You should check it out. 😉
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I am dying to get my hands on Caraval and I really hope that it’s amazing, because I’ve been building this up in my head since I heard about it so long ago.
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Caraval is definitely a hit/miss with many. Many of my close friends have disliked it so though I am saddened by that, I am hoping it’s still passable to me and my obscure ratings haha.
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I loved CARAVAL soooo much. That means you’re probably going to despise it XD And I’m also super excited for Cold Summer! It sounds fantastic 🙂 Great picks!
Brittany @ Brittany’s Book Rambles
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Brittany, you and I both know that our love-to-hate ratio is only at a 1:4. It’s not so bad!
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So many cool debuts I don’t know if I’ll have the time… Do you think you will? I can’t wait to read what you thought of these 🙂
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As with most lists featuring new novels, I typically find myself reading 2-4 (out of 10) on a good year. Thankfully, a few of these I have as solicited review requests so they’re definitely on my tray to read.
I hope you are able to find the time and immerse yourself in some of these new and exciting titles!
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All these debuts sound soooo good, 2017 should be a good year 😀
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I discovered so many great new voices and personalities in 2016 that I’m finding it hard pressed to imagine I’ll find more in 2017…but I am hoping I will be able to! Debuts are some of my fave to read because of the lesser commitment in having to read all of the authors previous publications haha.
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YES I definitely agree, also if you find a debut you love you can look forward to the authors next books and that’s always fun 😀
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Great list I like the sound of several of these books. More books added to my TBR pile 😅
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I am ecstatic to hear that you found more books to add to your shelf. Good problems to have!
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When I saw Cold Summer that’s what I thought too – that cover is so similar, they’re practically the same series!
And I hope you like Caraval. It’s not my cup of tea as much as it is other people’s, as it seems, but I have faith. 😛
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To be fair, I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews for Caraval and I am saddened to hear that you didn’t like it. A major criticism is the deus ex machina shenanigans that happen in it that I’m sure I will red flag and complain about if/when I read it haha.
Cold Summer is basically my aesthetic in word form. No truer words spoken from a Canadian…
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Yeees, the deus ex machina is something that I mention in my review as well! I suppose for people who like… hmm, unexplained magic? It could work, but I myself prefer a more consistent/predictable/less “magical” magic, if that makes sense.
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Definitely makes sense. Magical “quick fixes” almost as bad and at the same tier of “romance fixing everything”….like, oh my, just stop…
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Nice list! You’ve got quite a few intriguing novels up there. I’m most looking forward to reading Caravel or One Of Us Is Lying.
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I can’t even tell you how/why I’m drawn to Breakfast Club-y ragtag group of friends story lines; especially if there’s murder involved. Oh my.
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These are great picks some I’ve seen and others I haven’t. I hope they are all as great as we hope! The Love Interest, Carnaval, and The Edge of Everything are ones I wanted to look for. My Top Ten
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Those three sound exception! And to think they’re only releases from the first half of the year too!
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That Jumanji kind of book : I NEED THIS IN MY LIFE.Thank you for mentioning it, now I’m running to add this to my TBR. Also,Romancing the Throne?! That sounds PERFECT for me haha. Thank you for this! 🙂
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Add EVERYTHING to your TBR, Marie!
I’m hoping for Romancing to be a good trashy read to cut through all of the SF-F I’m reading in Jan/Feb! Plus anything that’s grounded in British-ish court drama but also school setting is like…omg my childhood television growing up.
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YAY, I’ve got Edge of Everything as well on my shelf so I hope it’s good! Dying for Caraval. Uh, Red Queen 2.0? Avoid avoid. COLD SUMMER LOOKS EXACT. So many great new reads!
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I will run into the fire of Red Queen 2.0 for both of us — but perhaps you can ask Aila about that Gilded Cage comparison because it was her who told me about it (and we have similar reading tastes) so I won’t be surprised if I end up thinking the same.
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One of Us is Lying made my list, too. I love books with lying involved. It usually makes for a great story. Happy debut reading in 2017!
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Is this comment a lie in itself? ARE YOU THAT DIRECT AND GOOD OF A LIAR?
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LOL. This is not a lie. I am not a liar, but I have been known to make up some good lies for my friends to use…Probably because they were realistic and not crazy.
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I had the same reaction to The Gauntlet! 🙂
Check out my TTT.
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So much need, so much want!
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