Top 5 books I meant to read in 2020

Hello bookworms!! Welcome to this week’s Top 5 Tuesday… on Thursday… night. This week’s Top 5 Tuesday is top 5 books I meant to read in 2020.

Uhhh… yes… I am two days late (almost three) on my own hosting duties. For which I would very much like to apologise to everyone who did the prompts on time. Unfortunately this year hasn’t quite gone the way I had hoped. On Tuesday we had a plasterer come to fix the ceiling, and he drilled a hole into a water pipe by accident. Needless to say, we had a small amount of flooding in the apartment. And so I was very distracted mopping and drying carpets on Tuesday!!

If you missed the February topics post, please click here!! Top 5 Tuesday was created by Shanah @ Bionic Book Worm, and is now being hosted here.

Top 5 books I meant to read in 2020

I don’t know about you all, but I do have every intention of reading all the books that I own. I just… seem to own more than I can fit into my reading schedule!! Also, is it just me or could anyone else add another 25 books to this list??

Among the Beasts and Briars – Ashley Poston

I absolutely adore Ashley Poston’s Once Upon a Con series. So when I saw this book and read the blurb I had to have it immediately.

Blurb

Cerys is safe in the kingdom of Aloriya.

Here there are no droughts, disease, or famine, and peace is everlasting. It has been this way for hundreds of years, since the first king made a bargain with the Lady who ruled the forest that borders the kingdom. But as Aloriya prospered, the woods grew dark, cursed, and forbidden. Cerys knows this all too well: when she was young, she barely escaped as the woods killed her friends and her mother. Now Cerys carries a small bit of the curse—the magic—in her blood, a reminder of the day she lost everything. The most danger she faces now, as a gardener’s daughter, is the annoying fox who stalks the royal gardens and won’t leave her alone.

As a new queen is crowned, however, things long hidden in the woods descend on the kingdom itself. Cerys is forced on the run, her only companions the small fox from the garden, a strange and powerful bear, and the magic in her veins. It’s up to her to find the legendary Lady of the Wilds and beg for a way to save her home. But the road is darker and more dangerous than she knows, and as secrets from the past are uncovered amid the teeth and roots of the forest, it’s going to take everything she has just to survive.

Spellslinger – Sebastien de Castell

This series has been on my TBR for years. I bought Spellslinger in 2017 when we were on our honeymoon in Dublin. Then I discovered the series was going to be six books long. So I decided to wait to read them until all the books were out. Then I had to wait until they released the final book in a cover and size to match mine. Now I am out of excuses…

Blurb

There are three things that earn you a man’s name among the Jan’Tep. The first is to demonstrate the strength to defend your family. The second is to prove you can perform the high magic that defines our people. The third is simply to reach the age of sixteen. I was a few weeks shy of my birthday when I learned that I wouldn’t be doing any of those things.

Magic is a con game.

Kellen is moments away from facing his first mage’s duel and the start of four trials that will make him a spellcaster. There’s just one problem: his magic is gone. As his sixteenth birthday approaches, Kellen falls back on his cunning in a bid to avoid total disgrace. But when a daring stranger arrives in town, she challenges Kellen to take a different path. Ferius Parfax is one of the mysterious Argosi – a traveller who lives by her wits and the three decks of cards she carries. She’s difficult and unpredictable, but she may be Kellen’s only hope…

The House in the Cerulean Sea – TJ Klune

Ah yes, The House in the Cerulean Sea is one of my most anticipated books of 2020. Did I read it? No, I did not. Why? Ummm… So I don’t have an excuse for this!! Not even slightly. I even bought a super pretty hardcover for it.

Blurb

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

The Fascinators – Andrew Eliopulos

To be entirely honest, I wasn’t even really aware of this book. I saw that it was coming in a book box, and I often read the synopsis to see if it is something that I would like before choosing to skip. And this book sounds right up my alley, so I got it!! I mean, it literally says in the blurb “for fans of Maggie Stiefvater”. Which is all I need to read.

Blurb

Living in a small town where magic is frowned upon, Sam needs his friends James and Delia—and their time together in their school’s magic club—to see him through to graduation.

But as soon as senior year starts, little cracks in their group begin to show. Sam may or may not be in love with James. Delia is growing more frustrated with their amateur magic club. And James reveals that he got mixed up with some sketchy magickers over the summer, putting a target on all their backs.

With so many fault lines threatening to derail his hopes for the year, Sam is forced to face the fact that the very love of magic that brought his group together is now tearing them apart—and there are some problems that no amount of magic can fix.

You Should See Me in a Crown – Leah Johnson

Why, hello there! Queer contemporary novels are some of my absolute favourites. Throw in prom and reasons to give me feels (and likely make me cry), and I am ON BOARD. In fact, I’ll even sign up to be the Captain of the ship. Prepare your sea legs, friends, this one is gonna happen soon!!

Blurb

Liz Lighty has always believed she’s too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. But it’s okay — Liz has a plan that will get her out of Campbell, Indiana, forever: attend the uber-elite Pennington College, play in their world-famous orchestra, and become a doctor.

But when the financial aid she was counting on unexpectedly falls through, Liz’s plans come crashing down . . . until she’s reminded of her school’s scholarship for prom king and queen. There’s nothing Liz wants to do less than endure a gauntlet of social media trolls, catty competitors, and humiliating public events, but despite her devastating fear of the spotlight she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get to Pennington.

The only thing that makes it halfway bearable is the new girl in school, Mack. She’s smart, funny, and just as much of an outsider as Liz. But Mack is also in the running for queen. Will falling for the competition keep Liz from her dreams . . . or make them come true?

Once again, thanks to everyone who supports and joins Top 5 Tuesday. I’m somewhat of a mess, but I’m still so pleased to be here with you all, having fun each week!!

PARTICIPANTS

Happymess Happiness
The Punk Theory
A Fictional Bookworm
Fluffy Books
Hail and Well Read
DB’s Guide to the Galaxy
Simply Allana

What are your top 5 books you meant to read in 2020?