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A new year means so many new books! Here are 12 of my picks for the first half of 2017.

Scratch by Manjula Martin (January 3)

I am always fascinated about the lives of writers. Perhaps I think that the more I read about them, the more likely I’ll be to write my own book someday? Either way, I’m ready to dive into these author essays and interviews.

Letters to a Young Muslim by Omar Saif Ghobash (January 3)

America’s most misunderstood group of people today might be Muslims. I’d certainly like to learn more about life from this perspective. This short book of letters from a father to a son, reminiscent of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ National Book Award winner Between the World and Me, is expected to be eye-opening.

Six Four by Hideo Yokoyama (February 7)

Yokoyama’s novel has already blown up in Japan and the UK. Jonathan Lloyd-Davies brings us the English translation of this crime thriller about an unsolved case of a missing schoolgirl. The cover alone gives me chills, so I can only imagine how the story will unfold.

A Separation by Katie Kitamura (February 7)

Marriage stories intrigue me, and I am invested in this story from just reading its description. A marriage is coming to an end and it gets messy fast when the husband goes missing and secrets come to light. There’s so much more I need to know!

Portraits of Courage by George W. Bush (February 28)

I’ve been following some of Bush’s activities since his presidency ended, and the most interesting and unexpected of these has been his painting hobby. His portraits and stories about service members, with proceeds going to a center that serves veterans, should be a unique art book worth displaying on my coffee table.

Bless This Mother-effing Home by Katie Kutthroat (March 1)

I come from generations of cross stitchers and I just completed my first real cross stitch projects last month. I love the idea of taking a quaint tradition and turning it on its head for comedic effect. Katie Kutthroat’s book should be full of inspiration. And it has removable patterns!

The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel (March 7)

All of us wish we could escape sometimes, and that’s probably why stories about hermits are so interesting. Christopher Knight lived a completely secluded life in Maine for almost 30 years, and this is his story.

Big Mushy Happy Lump by Sarah Andersen (March 7)

If Sarah releases a book every year, I will probably include it on this list every time. Her first collection of comics was one of my favorites last year, and I’m super excited to read this new volume of comics PLUS essays.

You Are Here by Jenny Lawson (March 7)

Lawson takes a different approach with this book, a coloring book that features her drawings and captions that combine her signature humor and honesty about mental illness.

The Wanderers by Meg Howrey (March 14)

Andy Weir sucked me into space and onto Mars with The Martian. I’m hoping this book will pull me in even further with a fictional look at astronauts training for the first human mission to Mars.

It Won’t Be Easy by Tom Rademacher (April 25)

The lives of teachers interest me just as much as the lives of authors, and I’m totally here for this book by a recent Minnesota Teacher of the Year. I see teaching as a possible future career for me and, while I often hear educators talk about the rewarding parts of teaching, I also want to know what to expect on the difficult days. (P.S. Forward by Dave Eggers!)

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins (May 2)

Two years after The Girl on the Train took over bestseller lists, Hawkins will release a new novel. This story about mysterious deaths sounds like more of the same writing that brought her great success before. I look forward to seeing if this book can excite and succeed in the same way.

I hope that you’ve all recovered from turkey comas and Black Friday fatigue by now, because I’m ready to release my top gift picks for readers this holiday season (just in time for the much more relaxing Cyber Monday)! These are some of my favorite finds of the year, and I included many of these products on my own Christmas list.

Approximate prices marked as follows:
$ = $0-25
$$ = $26-50
$$$ = $51-75
$$$$ = $76-100

*Prices and availability are subject to change. Prices listed may not include shipping. I found all items below on my own and I am not affiliated with, or sponsored by, any of the sellers.

Shelving Solutions

Book Hook ($$$) – I fell in love with this simple design as soon as I saw it. It would fit perfectly on a nightstand and look so good while keeping your place in a book. You can even tuck a book light or another accessory in the hollow part! The only rub is that this product ships from Europe, which drives up the shipping by a lot.

Bookmount ($$$) – If you’re interested in displaying multiple books while keeping your place in your current book, this is the answer. It is a modern, cool design that comes in quite a few different colors and would look nice on any flat surface.

Birdhouse Bookshelf  ($$$$) – If you’re more interested in a display that hangs on the wall, here is another multi-use shelf. Store books and other trinkets inside and place your in-progress read on top. Additionally, there is a hole in the base that allows you to charge a device.

Ornaments

Willow Tree Love of Learning ornament ($) – People seem to love Willow Tree collectibles, and those same people are sure love this ornament of a girl clutching a book. It would be a great gift or addition to your own tree. There is also a similar Willow Tree figurine if that’s more your style.

Hello Kitty ornament ($) – Readers who are Hello Kitty enthusiasts will be excited about this one. The website says the ornament is dated for 2016, presumably on the back or bottom side of the product.

Reading ornament ($) – Every year (at least since I began following Hallmark ornament releases a couple of years ago), Hallmark has offered its own reader-specific ornament. Here is the 2016 version, which reads, “So many books, so little time!”

For Fun

I Love Books puzzle ($) – I’ve been going through a puzzle phase this year, and I hope to start working on this one soon. It’s 1,000 pieces that make up a beautiful book button collage.

Memo Notebook mug and Memo Notebook tray ($$) – These coordinating ceramic products are sold separately, but I cannot choose which one I like better. I’d give the stylish mug to a writer who needs help staying awake while writing the next bestseller. And I’d gift the tray to anyone who likes to entertain or wants to throw a party for their writer friends. Or I’d buy both because no one should have to pick favorites, am I right?

Point Tabs ($) – Choose your favorite color scheme in these point tabs. I have used rectangular tabs to mark passages in books before, but I like these because you can more accurately see what it was you wanted to remember.

Punctuation Cuff ($) – I really think this cuff works for both women and men. It is handmade and comes in a gift box, ready to give to any editor or grammar nerd!

Recipient’s Choice

Amazon Bookmark Gift Cards ($-$$$$) – You can obviously purchase a gift card from any book store or book retailer, but I was excited to find these Amazon gift cards that double as bookmarks. The giver can choose the denomination, and the recipient can choose the book(s) and forever remember your generosity while marking their page!

I didn’t read nearly as many new releases in September as I would have liked. For starters, I still need to dive into The Story of a Brief Marriage and (of course) J.K. Rowling’s Pottermore Presents trio of ebooks. But here’s a look at what I did read!

You Are Two by Sara O’Leary

 4/5 stars

I ended up buying You Are Two for my daughter’s birthday this year. It is a lovely hardcover with beautiful and vivid illustrations by Karen Klassen. Sara O’Leary touches on some milestones in a toddler’s second year that really pull on a mother’s heartstrings. Even though I may be a sucker for these sentimental sorts of books, this was also a hit for the little one in our home. She enjoyed me reading it aloud to her at bedtime, and it was a great way to close out her big day of celebrating. I’d like to buy a copy of You Are One and start collecting these books as long as they are released for each year.

Loner by Teddy Wayne

 3/5 stars

I’ve been binging the heck out of Gilmore Girls these days because people haven’t stopped talking about the new episodes coming out soon and I started getting major FOMO. It just so happens that a character in the show and the main character in Loner are both attending Ivy League schools – a fascinating world I knew nothing about until recently. But that’s where the similarities end between the two stories. Author Teddy Wayne introduces a freshman male who becomes obsessed with a female peer. In the beginning of the book, he seems like he could be anyone; I even see parts of him in me. But, over the course of one intense semester, David becomes delusional, dreaming up inappropriate fantasies and leaving readers feeling uneasy. I would definitely put a few trigger warnings on this one. It’s an unhappy read that makes you think about the people around you. While the conclusion was believable and wrapped up quickly like a present, I wouldn’t call this book a gift. I like dark stories and this was a decent one, but Loner didn’t shed much new light on humanity for me or leave me with much emotion after it was over.

You’re Saying It Wrong by Ross Petras and Kathryn Petras

 4/5 stars

How is it that I’ve been pronouncing so many words incorrectly? It reminds me of the anonymous quote I’ve seen floating around the bookish internet: “Never make fun of someone if they mispronounce a word. It means they learned it by reading.” I must have learned quite a few words in the pages of books, because You’re Saying It Wrong completely schooled me. If this title sounds dull, give it a chance anyway – especially if you love linguistics. I was amused to find out I’ve ordered my acai drink at Starbucks w-r-o-n-g WRONG for years. Some of the words that the Petras talk about are obscure terms that I will probably never speak aloud in my entire lifetime. And they sort of patchwork together several different guides and dictionaries to land on their recommendations, so it may seem kind of inconsistent at times. But it is still a quick read that gets you thinking about pronunciation and makes you want to carry a cheat sheet around in your pocket at all times.

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October is going to be hot for new releases. Below are my picks of books to watch out for this month. Side note: If you’re one of the few (like me) who didn’t already, now is the time to read The Girl on the Train before the movie adaptation comes out in theaters on October 7!

 

This year, the 15th anniversary year of the September 11 attacks, I noticed that a lot of 9/11 books were coming out for young audiences. You may sometimes be surprised to remember, like I am, that many high schoolers and all of those in younger grades were not alive to experience the tragedy firsthand. My daughter is one of those youths and I struggle with finding the right words to someday tell her about what happened and how it forever changed the world. I like to learn about the world around me through reading books, and maybe she will be that way too. Here are some 2016 releases about 9/11 that I would definitely share with her (listed in order of age-appropriateness):

This picture book describes a scene from 9/11 that you don’t hear much about – if at all. I did not realize that nearly 500,000 people evacuated the devastated NYC area by boat. I now know that the boat crews who transported and comforted these evacuees were heroes, like others first responders, because they moved toward the danger to help others instead of turning away. It’s great for children to learn about different parts of the days’ history and this book’s story is not to be missed. Late elementary students will quickly be drawn into Julie Gassman’s descriptions and Steve Moors’ illustrations.

 

Towers Falling tells of a fifth grader learning about September 11, 2001, in 2016. Unlike most of her peers, Deja doesn’t know anything about what happened on that particular day before she was born. She learns not only about 9/11 and the importance of history, but also about friendship and family. She makes friends with a boy and a girl who are both very different from her. And, at the same time, Deja is a homeless girl who wants desperately to understand her family and her situation. Learning about 9/11 helps her put the pieces of her life together and break out of her comfort zone. These lessons aren’t easy for her to learn and I teared up a few times during her journey, but I really appreciated this story.

This is another book with diverse characters, and it explores the lives of four middle schoolers in the days before, during, and after 9/11. I was also in middle school on that day in 2001, and this story took me right back to that moment and the feelings that followed. Navigating middle school and right versus wrong is tough enough without national catastrophe, but the students in Nine, Ten deal with it in the best way they know how. Nora Raleigh Baskin delivers a slower buildup to a big event that can be another good learning opportunity for young readers.

 

Gae Polisner offers a YA story that puts readers right into the thick of the action from the very first sentence. Kyle lives in Brooklyn and attends school not far from the site of the World Trade Center. All of the books in this post’s list include settings in the area of Ground Zero, but this one definitely gets closest to the fear and panic and death experienced by New Yorkers on 9/11. The effects of the incident (smoke and debris, transportation difficulty, school closures, and so much more) clearly lasted for more than one terrible day for local residents. Teenager Kyle deals with the aftermath over four days in The Memory of Things while growing up, falling in love, and finding hope in tragedy. It was a truly inventive story that I’m very glad to have read on this 15th anniversary.

I thought July was one of the best months of new releases in 2016 so far. Let’s dive right in!

Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters

 4/5 stars

Winters introduces a world where slavery presently exists in four American states. It’s a fascinating alternate history and, while we thankfully don’t have to deal with this particular scenario, I don’t think I need to tell you why a book like this might still be relevant today. The main character struggles with his racial identity, working undercover to capture runaway slaves. The action never stops and I didn’t want to put it down. It is a thriller that incorporates plenty of history, real and imagined, and creatively tackles modern issues of race. I’m guessing this will be one of my favorite books this year.

Married by Contract by Noelle Adams

 4/5 stars

A few months ago, I decided I wanted to try a romance read this year. The world of romance is HUGE and its followers are super passionate about the genre. I didn’t want to miss out anymore, so I borrowed a romance from the library. It was cheesy, unrealistic, had zero substance, and dragged on and on. I just couldn’t finish it. Then I picked up an ARC of Married by Contract, and this was the type of romance I didn’t know I was looking for. It was short and sweet, fast-paced, and included relatable characters and plenty of steamy moments. I enjoyed Adams’ style and I plan to check out more of her books. I am no longer a romance virgin, having been seduced by its promises of escape and happily ever after.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne

 4/5 stars

I waited in line at midnight for a Harry Potter book for what may have been the last time. How sad! I held this beautiful book in my hands and started reading as soon as I could. It was a much faster read than I expected, and I now realize it’s because of the script format. The storytelling felt familiar, even though it’s still not clear to me how much Rowling was involved in the actual writing. Here’s the bottom line: Was it necessary? No. Will I read anything J.K. Rowling writes (especially concerning Harry Potter)? Yes. I don’t feel like it added much to Harry’s story, except a bit of insight into his relationship with his son, Albus, who has major daddy issues. But I don’t think it took away from the original stories either, and I was still happy to immerse myself in the tricky world of magic again. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child revisits many Harry Potter moments from the past, forcing readers to remember the good times and relive heartbreaking moments. Even though we may not read about Harry Potter again, I look forward to the Fantastic Beasts movie coming out this fall. And I would love to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child performed live if I ever get the chance.

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Surprisingly, I can’t think of any books coming out in August on my must-read list. I plan to take this opportunity to read backlist books and also read ahead to September releases. Here are some of the possibilities I have in mind:

I hope you all enjoyed your Independence Day weekend! With the holiday behind us, I am back on the blog. Whew, that was quite a hiatus – and an unexpected one at that. Life forced me to reprioritize and give more focus to other areas for a while. But I’m here now and, though it may be a while before I post anywhere near as often as before, I will post as much as possible.

I read a few new releases in June, and I thought it’d be nice to highlight them here and also preview the month ahead. And by that I mean the month we are in, with it being July 5th already! Here is my June recap:

Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick

 5/5 stars

Okay, so this one was published on the last day of May. Close enough! Matthew Quick’s newest novel, his fourth Young Adult book, deals with so many familiar aspects of being a teenage girl on the cusp of adulthood: high expectations, resisting conformity, first love, and discovering the direction in which life is headed next. Almost every YA novel hits on one or more of these themes. What sets Quick’s writing apart is that he describes the feelings associated with these events in such a raw and honest way. It’s hard to believe these emotions are described by a 40-something-year-old male. He captures main character Nanette O’Hare’s overwhelm and disillusionment with thinking she knows people important to her but realizing she doesn’t really know them at all. We’ve all misunderstood, or been deeply misunderstood by, people in our lives who we thought we could trust. And we’ve all failed in one hundred different ways to meet others’ expectations for our lives. Matthew Quick is one of my favorite writers for this kind of relatability, and I will read anything he publishes. (Side note: Be sure to check out the book cover under the hardcover dust jacket. It’s as creative as the story Quick tells within.)

Release date: May 31 (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

The Girls by Emma Cline

 3/5 stars

How far are you willing to go to belong? In this book, a young teenager grabs onto the metaphorical apple offered by the serpent and takes a huge bite out of it. In this case, the serpent is a late 1960s cult that quickly escalates in its odd behaviors. With Evie, Emma Cline describes a girl who is desperate to be liked and to be loved. Eve becomes obsessed with a girl she meets by chance during a difficult time in her life. She follows this girl, Suzanne, into a cult and gets pulled into more than she’s ready for. But she cannot stop all that is happening. With this story, Cline summarizes how things may seem one way in the moment but, over time, the rear view mirror of our lives can reveal very different realities. I was interested in the time period Cline described and looked forward to the suspense of a cult story, but The Girls fell short for me. It didn’t really set itself apart from other cult stories, real or fictional, in a meaningful way or offer a narrative that elicited any sort of strong emotional response in me as a reader.

Release date: June 14 (Random House)

Grunt by Mary Roach

 4/5 stars

I am so curious about the complex beast that is the United States military, and I am so on board with Mary Roach’s approach to science. As a result, I was very excited about her take on military science. The inner workings of the armed forces organization might seem impenetrable, but Roach found her way in and provided insight on some of the craziest methods for keeping service members alive. This was my second Mary Roach read (following Gulp), and I am sure I will always appreciate her penchant for asking the questions that no one ever thinks of. Her books will always be on my radar.

Release date: June 7 (W.W. Norton & Company)

 

Below are some upcoming releases I’m hoping to read in July. Can you guess what new (to me) genre I’m planning to explore?

 2/5 stars

Thirst is a novel that dries up just as things start flowing (*ba-dum-CHING*). 

 

In Benjamin Warner’s Thirst, Eddie and his wife find themselves in a world where suddenly the water supply is no more. Ed is driving home from work when a traffic jam forces him to get out and jog home. When he passes the usual streams and waterways, he realizes they are dry and full of ash. This unexplained catastrophe reminded me a lot of the situation in The Road, but with extreme heat instead of cold. Power outages are fairly common, but loss of water for any extended period of time is something most of us aren’t prepared for. Even so, the scenarios felt all too likely and I could feel the thirst and desperation of the characters. I reached for my bedside water bottle more than once while I read.

Further on in Warner’s debut novel, characters started making one bad decision after another. I would hope that real-life communities would fare better than Ed’s, where everything fell apart rather quickly. I was frustrated with a lot of the conflicts in the book that seemed entirely avoidable, but I can deal with that frustration because it kept me interested. What really lost my interest was when things got weird once you couldn’t tell whether Ed’s narration was real or hallucination. He obviously starts going crazy due to the circumstances, but it made the reading far less enjoyable after that and I didn’t like the ending of the book.

The first half of Thirst was full of suspense. It made me reevaluate my survival plan and consider my neighborly relationships (i.e. what they would do for me and vice versa in desperate times). To be honest, between this book, The Walking Dead, and other apocalyptic narratives, I’m getting pretty paranoid and I might start building my underground shelter soon. But I won’t be taking any doomsday pointers from characters in this book.

Release Date: April 12 (Bloomsbury USA)

 5/5 stars

I’m surprised I haven’t heard more about this book yet. It deserves some 2016 nonfiction awards. 

Rape victims often don’t report their abusers. And I’d guess that most victims sure as heck don’t go looking for the rapist after the fact. Joanna Connors, a newspaper reporter who was attacked while on assignment at a college theater, did just that. After more than 20 years of internal suffering, she set out to locate the man who ended up haunting every part of her life. Before that, the last words he spoke to her were, “I will find you.” She decided to find him first.

Many would call Connors crazy for her obsession with finding her rapist and learning about his background before and since he assaulted her. However, she uses the journey as a sort of therapy and finds peace with her circumstances as many writers do: by gathering facts and writing about them. She learns almost right away that the man, a nearly lifelong criminal, has passed away years before. But she is able to sit down with several of his family members and acquaintances to put together the pieces leading up to the event that left her broken. Connors offers a rare look into the rape experience and approaches it in an interesting, journalistic way.

I was amazed by her compassion for the rapist’s family, whose history was full of severe abuse at the hands of parents and caregivers. She is careful not to excuse criminal behavior while pointing out that a dysfunctional upbringing can have disastrous and widespread affects. Her story is a personal one, but she mixes in some history about the criminal justice system and race relations in late twentieth-century America. Connors’ story is particularly timely given the recent attention to rape on college campuses. I’ll warn that the author doesn’t hold back on any details of the crime, so some readers may be triggered by her descriptions of the incident. But it’s this honesty that also allows readers to tap into her feelings of guilt and fear and better understand a very misunderstood topic.

Release date: April 5 (Atlantic Monthly Press)

 3/5 stars

Can a new family survive a cancer diagnosis that threatens to destroy everything? It’s a story worth telling, but I wish the telling had been a bit stronger at times.

This book was not at all what I expected. Previously, when I thought “cancer novel,” my mind sent forth fond memories of reading YA hit The Fault in Our Stars. Alice & Oliver, however, is a grown-up story that shows the harsh realities of the disease when marriage and children are involved. Alice is the wife of Oliver and the mother of Doe, and her family is sent on an emotional roller coaster after her diagnosis of AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia). While cancer tests Alice’s physical limits, it tests the emotional limits of her supporters – none more so than Oliver.

Much of Charles Bock’s novel should be familiar territory for anyone who has experienced cancer or another health crisis. Most of the book takes place in the 80s, but it makes clear that 30 years ago, the healthcare and insurance industries were just as frustrating as they are now. Furthermore, the author shows the unfairness of who illness chooses (new mothers, individuals at the apex of their careers, etc.) and how the patient isn’t necessarily the only victim of the situation.

Cancer comes through this story like a tornado, attempting to destroy everything in its path. Alice and Oliver’s marriage is tested in ways that are relatable, even for couples who haven’t fought AML. Many moments in the book really pulled at my heartstrings and I wasn’t really sure how it was going to end. Another thought I’ve always had about the so-called “cancer novel” is that the main character’s chances at survival aren’t great. I won’t tell you what happens to Alice, but I appreciated the ending – an epilogue written from the perspective of teenaged Doe. Alice & Oliver took a while to get going and Bock’s writing style was hard to follow at times, but it ended up being a fine story that took an honest look at a body and a marriage ravaged by an incurable disease.

Release Date: April 5, 2016 (Random House)

 4/5 stars

Give this book to a new parent with a hot meal, some Advil, a silent nod, and look of solidarity that says, “I get it.”

Brian Gordon launched the Fowl Language comic not even three years ago, but it has recently exploded. I’m not a religious follower of his pages, but I’ve seen his stuff everywhere on social media. In fact, I had already seen some of these specific comics online before hearing about the book, Gordon’s first published collection. Even so, I still really enjoyed the hour I spent checking out the funny illustrations included within. It also allowed me to check off the Read Harder Challenge task for a non-superhero comic!

Gordon’s comics find the humor in the exasperation and exhaustion of parenting small children. Why ducks? Who knows. But it works and all parents can surely relate. The book is not for those who are sensitive to swearing (in case you didn’t pick up on that from the punny title). And I probably wouldn’t give this one at a baby shower, unless you want to scare the new parents before they even get started. But once they enter into those early toddler years, I’d say gifting this book is fair game. I’m a sucker for a good webcomic and I plan to keep up with Fowl Language from now on.

Release Date: March 22, 2016 (Andrews McMeel Publishing)

Other books I considered for the non-superhero comic task: Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh

*You can find the editable form for the Read Harder Challenge (like the one I used above) at this link. I’ve also found good suggestions for each task on the Goodreads group for the challenge.