Technically Cold Spell, which comes out November 5th, is the fourth book in Jackson Pearce's Fairytale Retelling series. But as far as I can tell, while those books are connected in theme, they can each stand alone. Cold Spell is based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale The Snow Queen (Disney is releasing their adaptation of this story, Frozen, a few weeks after this books is released). One of the great things about the original fairy tale is that, unlike a lot of the most popular ones, it the female protagonist does most of the hero-ing. It's the story a girl rescuing her childhood friend, who has been taken by the titular Snow Queen. I'm very excited to see how this is adapted, because I can't recall coming across any other versions of it, despite my many ventures in the fractured fairy tale genre.
As I've previously mentioned, it doesn't make much for a book to turn me into a sobbing mess. And there are few themes that turn me into an emotional wreck as much as cancer stories. Therefore, I'll probable save The F- It List by Julie Halpern for a day when I don't have to worry about getting hysterical at my work desk. Coming out November 12th, it's the story of two estranged friends who, after one of them is diagnosed with cancer, come to together to complete her bucket list. I love stories that are mainly about friendship, so I might even risk the tears at work for this one.
Generally speaking, I'm not much of a science fiction reader. I've always stuck mostly to fantasy books, with a decent amount of realistic fiction as well. In the last couple of months, I've made it a goal of mine to broaden my reading horizons, both in terms of types of characters and genres. And science fiction seems like a promising way to do this (as opposed to the horror genre, which I will probably never be able to read. I'm a huge scaredy cat). December 10th is the release date for Amie Kaufman's These Broken Stars, which tells the story of two people from different walks of life who's spaceship crash lands on another planet. Together, they try to find a way off the planet but even if they do, they won't be the same people who landed there.
December 10th is also the release date for Tammer Stein's Spoils. Leni's family one the lottery when she was a child, and managed to go blow through all that money before she turned 18. Now all that remains in the large trust fund she'll inherit on her upcoming birthday. But before she can give that money to her parents, Leni's sister lets her in on a big secret that could destroy the whole family. Leni needs to fix things, but she's not sure how. I'm really excited for the family aspect of this book. A lot YA books downplay the importance of family, so I'm glad to see one where the major focus is on family.
Finally, December 31st sees the release of Taste of Darkness, the final book in Maria V. Snyder's Healer trilogy. In the few years since I started reading Snyder's books, she's become one of my favorite authors. She comes through on my favorite story elements of richly developed fantasy worlds and well-developed female characters. If you're a fan of Tamora Pierce, you should definitely check out her books. You won't be disappointed.
And that's it. Those are my most anticipated books for the rest of the year. I can't believe we're so close to the end of the year. I did not put a big enough dent in my reading list and there are so many exciting books coming out next year. I'm really looking forward to it. So tell me, what are you hoping to read between now and the end of the year?
