It may seem unusual to post something like this when the end of the year is right around the corner, but… I have originally planned to start a blog and a Youtube channel over a year ago when this post would have been more relevant, however, due to some things in my personal life that wasn’t possible. Still, having already filmed the corresponding video I didn’t want it to go to waste and thus I’m posting this now.
Another thing worth mentioning is that I like to go into my books without knowing too much about them. I have a vague understanding of what the book is about and why I picked it up, but as a result my descriptions of some of them might not be the best.
Without further ado here are 6 books I think I will fall in love with.
6. Shadow and Bone (the first book in the Grisha trilogy) – Leigh Bardugo
This book follows a girl who suddenly discovers magical powers which forces her to take part in a much bigger plot she initially wanted nothing to do with.
Apparently, this is a quintessential modern fantasy and one I have only heard good things about, especially now that it is being turned into a Netflix series. It contains some classic fantasy tropes I enjoy and it is not suppose to be too brutal, which is important as I don’t tend to handle darker content particularly well.
All in all, it seems like a book that will be right up my alley, almost like a fantasy novel written for me.
5. Piranesi – Susanna Clarke
A combination of fantasy and mystery, this book follows a boy named Piranesi who lives in a strange house as he slowly uncovers its secrets. It’s a pretty short book but everybody has high praise for it and as it combines two of my favourite genres I have very high expectations going into it.
4. The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency – Alexander McCall Smith
As I have said I love mystery. Though I constantly watch crime shows, so far I have only read a couple of books by Agatha Christie and would very much like to see what else that genre has to offer so this detective story set in Africa seems like a perfect fit. It is also an award-winning novel so I’m pretty excited.
3. The Bear and the Nightingale – Katherine Arden
This story is inspired by Russian folklore and it’s apparently very slow paced, focusing more on the atmosphere than on the plot. While not very many readers enjoy that, I personally do. Some of my favorite books are not action-heavy and feature only a few major events.
Can I also take a moment to say how happy I am to have finally found this book? For some reason every time I looked for it, only the sequels were available.
2. Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
This book is about 4 sisters growing up during the American Civil War and is more focused on their daily lives than on the war itself. It’s a very long novel, but also a classic and as it, too, seems to be more grounded, slow story I expect to like it a lot.
1. Venus and Aphrodite: a Biography of Desire – Bettany Hughes
Finally, a non-fiction book. Exploring the history of these two goddesses, it not only has a beautiful cover but also features different illustrations inside. I don’t pick up non-fiction all that often, however, I have always loved Greek mythology in general so I’m excited for this one.
That’s it – 6 books I was looking forward the most this year. I have already read 5 of them and I hope to read Piranesi by the end of December when I will be able to do a wrap-up of sort and discuss how good my predictions ended up being.