A mouthful, if I’ve ever written one. Sorry about that! This was going to be a “most anticipated” for the whole year, but I decided to split it up instead! This list will hit the novels that most excite me between now and June. 😉

Gwendy’s Final Task by Richard Chizmar and Stephen King

I think I’ve made my feelings on Stephen King’s work pretty clear by this point: the shorter, the better. Gwendy’s Button Box is no different. While not truly terrifying, I thoroughly enjoy the story in these books and the deep moral dilemma that goes along with the responsibility of the button box. I read Gwendy’s Magic Feather as well, which King didn’t work on, and found that I thoroughly enjoyed Chizmar’s writing on its own as well. I’m excited to see the duo back together on this final installment, set to release February 15th (update: publication date has been pushed out to May 31st. So sad!!). Preorder your copy here.

One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle

Technically, I have the advance readers copy for this one, so maybe it’s not so much most anticipated release as it is “I can’t wait to read this!”. So why I’ve waited to read it, I have no idea. I absolutely adored In Five Years when I read it maybe two years ago now? Definitely quarantine times. It was so unexpected and heavy, but I thought the story was just lovely and packed with raw emotion, so I’m excited to see what Serle does next. Maybe that heaviness is the reason I haven’t been able to pick it up yet. Look for my review in the coming weeks! One Italian Summer releases March 1st, and you can pre-order a copy here.

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James

I had no idea St. James had another novel coming out, but this one sounds right up my alley! I loved Broken Girls years ago. I thought it was positively eerie, if a little predictable. The book was not only an incredible yarn but it gave me goosebumps while I read. I skipped Sun Down Motel, but this new novel gives me a Riley Sager-like vibe from the description. I’m interested to see how she does with it, given that most of what I remember about Broken Girls was that sweaty and uncomfortable feeling it left on my skin – this seems like her territory. The Book of Cold Cases will be released March 15, and you can pre-order a copy here.

The Wedding Crasher by Mia Sosa

What would my list be without a good romance. I didn’t actually love Sosa’s The Worst Best Man, but The Wedding Crasher sounds like so much fun, I’m willing to give her another go. I like a good fake-dating trope, and seem to be drawn to it as of late. I also really love the cover of this one, even more than The Worst Best Man. We’ll see how it goes! The Wedding Crasher will release April 5, and you can pre-order it here.

Fangirl: the Manga: Vol. 2 by Rainbow Rowell and Sam Maggs

It’s no secret that I love Fangirl. Rainbow Rowell’s masterpiece and its scenes resonated with fourteen year old me so hard, it just echoes through my head and my life, and sets a vibe and tone to my holidays. For real. This is what love for a book looks like. It’s just one of my absolute favorites, and I loved seeing it adapted into a manga version in 2020. It was tons of fun and captured that *feeling* just perfectly. If it only it had been released in a complete form!! I’ve been dying for this second installment for approximately a year and a half, and I’ll finally get it on May 10. Pre-order yours here!

…and oh my gosh, so so many more.

I took what I knew was coming out and tried to add to it by using my Goodreads recommendations for new releases, but I ended up with a new tbr about a thousand miles long. I almost immediately hit NetGalley to try and get some ARCs. Prepare yourselves for a lot of reviews, people – it’s going to be a great year for reading!

Another reminder that I don’t get paid for these links – just trying to make it easier for you to grab a copy! I love Gibson’s Bookstore, but if you don’t want to shop with them, buy with your own indie bookstore and shop local. ❤ Maybe one day, with all our support, we can send our local bookseller to space.

Happy Friday and have a great weekend, peeps!