An Embarrassment of Riches: Even More 2015 Book Releases I'm Excited About

I feel like I should start this post with an apology to Stefanie, whose TBR shelf was recently creaking audibly under the weight of all the recent list-inspired additions. In light of that, it might seem cruel to come up with yet another list of anticipated 2015 releases; my excuse is mainly that there have been too many exciting announcements since I posted the first one. This includes two books by favourite authors I didn’t know about yet a few weeks ago. Plus I thought of a few titles I’d forgotten, and before I knew it I had a whole other list. If it’s any comfort, I’m doing this to myself too: I have a book buying ban planned for the first quarter of the year (on which more later) and all these lists are certainly not helping.

Anyway, here they are — again, all blurbs come from GoodReads unless otherwise noted:

The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge

When Faith's father is found dead under mysterious circumstances, she is determined to untangle the truth from the lies. Searching through his belongings for clues she discovers a strange tree. A tree that feeds off whispered lies and bears fruit that reveals hidden secrets. The bigger the lie, and the more people who believe it, the bigger the truth that is uncovered.

But as Faith's untruths spread like wildfire across her small island community, she discovers that sometimes a single lie is more potent than any truth.

EEEE! I confess this is the main reason why I needed another list — I couldn’t stand to have left out an excellent sounding book by one of my favourite authors.

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Simon Snow just wants to relax and savor his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him, his best friend is a pest, and his mentor keeps trying to hide him away in the mountains where maybe he’ll be safe. Simon can’t even enjoy the fact that his roommate and longtime nemesis is missing, because he can’t stop worrying about the evil git. Plus there are ghosts. And vampires. And actual evil things trying to shut Simon down. When you’re the most powerful magician the world has ever known, you never get to relax and savor anything.

...and this is reason number two. I’ve known Rainbow Rowell was planning to write about Baz and Simon from Fangirl since YALC, but I didn’t know the book would be out so soon. This is too exciting for words.

Ms Marvel Vol 2: Generation Why by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona

Who is the Inventor, and what does he want with the all-new Ms. Marvel and all her friends? Maybe Wolverine can help! Kamala may be fan-girling out when her favorite (okay maybe Top Five) super hero shows up, but that won't stop her from protecting her hometown. Then, Kamala crosses paths with Inhumanity for the first time - by meeting the royal dog, Lockjaw! Every girl wants a puppy, but this one may be too much of a handful, even for a super hero with embiggening powers. But why is Lockjaw really with Kamala? As Ms. Marvel discovers more about her past, the Inventor continues to threaten her future.

You all know how much I loved the first Ms Marvel; this one comes with the promise of giant puppy hugs, which means it could possibly be even better.

Persona by Genevieve Valentine

When Suyana, Face of the United Amazonia Rainforest Confederation, secretly meets Ethan of the United States for a date that can solidify a relationship for the struggling UARC, the last thing she expects is an assassination attempt. Daniel, a teen runaway-turned-paparazzi out for his big break, witnesses the first shot hit Suyana, and before he can think about it, he jumps into the fray, telling himself it's not altruism, it's the scoop. Just like that, Suyana and Daniel are now in the game of Faces. And if they lose, they'll die.

I don’t know how I could have left a new book by the author of one of my favourites of 2014 out of my original list.

Hold Me Closer: The Tiny Cooper Story by David Levithan

Jazz hands at the ready! Tiny Cooper (“the world’s largest person who is also really, really gay”) stole readers’ hearts when he was introduced to the world in the New York Times bestselling book Will Grayson, Will Grayson, co-authored by John Green and David Levithan. Now Tiny finally gets to tell his story—from his fabulous birth and childhood to his quest for true love and his infamous parade of ex-boyfriends—the way he always intended: as a musical! Filled with honesty, humor, and “big, lively, belty” musical numbers, the novel is told through the full script of the musical first introduced in Will Grayson, Will Grayson.

Although I had mixed feelings about some aspects of Will Grayson, Will Grayson, I love Tiny Cooper and I know I’ll be reading this as soon as I can.

Three Moments of an Explosion: Stories by China Miéville

China Miéville is best known for his compelling cross-genre novels such as The City & The City and Perdido Street Station. He's also a renowned for his short stories which have appeared in The Guardian and Granta. In this new collection, China pulls together incredibly powerful stories about social issues with his usual dazzling imagination, intelligence and energy.

CHINA MIÉVILLE SHORT STORY COLLECTION!

Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein

Rhoda and Delia are American stunt pilots who perform daring aerobatics to appreciative audiences. But while the sight of two girls wingwalking – one white, one black – is a welcome novelty in some parts of the USA, it’s an anathema in others. Rhoda and Delia dream of living in a world where neither gender nor ethnicity determines their life. When Delia is killed in a tragic accident, Rhoda is determined to make that dream come true. She moves to Ethiopia with her daughter, Em, and Delia’s son, Teo.

Em and Teo have adapted to scratching a living in a strange land, and feel at home here; but their parents’ legacy of flight and the ability to pilot a plane places them in an elite circle of people watched carefully by the Ethiopian emperor, Haile Selassie, who dreams of creating an air force for his fledgling nation. As Italy prepares for its invasion of Ethiopia, Em and Teo find themselves inextricably entangled in the crisis — and they are called on to help.

I confess the above blurb makes me a bit wary (there are so many ways this story could go wrong), but this is Elizabeth Wein we’re talking about, so I’m going to read it and hope for the best.

Arsenic for Tea by Robin Stevens

Schoolgirl detectives Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are at Daisy's home, Fallingford, for the holidays. Daisy's glamorous mother is throwing a tea party for Daisy's birthday, and the whole family is invited, from eccentric Aunt Saskia to dashing Uncle Felix. But it soon becomes clear that this party isn't really about Daisy at all. Naturally, Daisy is furious.

Then one of their party falls seriously, mysteriously ill - and everything points to poison.

With wild storms preventing anyone from leaving, or the police from arriving, Fallingford suddenly feels like a very dangerous place to be. Not a single person present is what they seem - and everyone has a secret or two. And when someone very close to Daisy looks suspicious, the Detective Society must do everything they can to reveal the truth . . . no matter the consequences.

I recently read and really enjoyed the first Wells & Wong mystery and I can’t wait for the second.

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

Everyone knows Bone Gap is full of gaps—gaps to trip you up, gaps to slide through so you can disappear forever. So when young, beautiful Roza went missing, the people of Bone Gap weren’t surprised. After all, it wasn’t the first time that someone had slipped away and left Finn and Sean O’Sullivan on their own. Just a few years before, their mother had high-tailed it to Oregon for a brand new guy, a brand new life. That’s just how things go, the people said. Who are you going to blame?

Finn knows that’s not what happened with Roza. He knows she was kidnapped, ripped from the cornfields by a dangerous man whose face he cannot remember. But the searches turned up nothing, and no one believes him anymore. Not even Sean, who has more reason to find Roza than anyone, and every reason to blame Finn for letting her go.

As we follow the stories of Finn, Roza, and the people of Bone Gap—their melancholy pasts, their terrifying presents, their uncertain futures—acclaimed author Laura Ruby weaves a heartbreaking tale of love and loss, magic and mystery, regret and forgiveness—a story about how the face the world sees is never the sum of who we are.

A great sounding title by a new-to-me author — I first became aware of Ruby thanks to this post, which made me think she’s someone I should be reading. The blurbs by favourite authors of mine for her upcoming novel don’t hurt either.

Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai

A California girl born and raised, Mai can't wait to spend her vacation at the beach. Instead, though, she has to travel to Vietnam with her grandmother, who is going back to find out what really happened to her husband during the Vietnam War. Mai's parents think this trip will be a great opportunity for their out-of-touch daughter to learn more about her culture. But to Mai, those are their roots, not her own. Vietnam is hot, smelly, and the last place she wants to be. Besides barely speaking the language, she doesn't know the geography, the local customs, or even her distant relatives. To survive her trip, Mai must find a balance between her two completely different worlds.

I really enjoyed Lai’s Inside Out and Back Again and really look forward to seeing what she’ll do next.

Space Hostages by Sophia McDougall

Not much is known about this one yet other than that it’s the sequel to Mars Evacuees, which I had a ton of fun with.