The Success of My Yearly Most Anticipated Lists

Since 2014, I've been doing post series about my most-anticipated releases of the next year. I've steadily seen a decline in how much I've loved the books, though, so I decided to do a round-up post to chart this and talk about each year's picks.

2015

This was the only year I did one of my posts based on awesome covers, which I should know by now is a terrible indicator of a book's quality. I actually left these out of my average rating just because I didn't think they should count. Well, now I'm going to include them.

Out of the forty-five books featured, I removed six from my TBR list. That's less than 15%, so I'd say that isn't too bad.

Rating-wise...I had an average of 3.5. Before I included the books I picked just for their covers, my average rating was 3.7, so yeah, choosing books based on covers is a terrible idea, haha. Still, I found some of my favorite books in 2015, like...

The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed

2016

Lolololol, I did four posts this year, so get ready for a heck ton of books.

I removed eight from my TBR list this time, out of sixty-four books, which is about the same ratio from 2015. 

However, my average rating was MUCH lower - only 3.1 stars, which is mostly due to how much more willing I was to DNF books (seven just from my Sixteen 2016 Reads, if you're wondering).

I didn't hate everything I read, though. My favorites included:

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee

The Rose & the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh

The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love by Sarvenaz Tash

I still love all of those books dearly, but 2016 was a sad year for books, in my opinion.

2017

I removed a grand total of ten titles from my TBR list from my fifty-one Seventeen 2017 Reads picks, and DNFed four. (I've gotten more comfortable with removing books from my list altogether if I don't like the first couple of chapters.)

My average rating held at 3.2 stars.

Another thing I noticed was that a bunch of my picks got pushed back to 2018 release dates, which is one of the perils of doing these lists so early in the year. Goodreads may say one thing, but publishers say another. I wish there were people at different houses who could at least make sure the pub years are kept accurate. I don't mind if we can't know the exact month and date for a while, but years are key.

Anyways, highlights of 2017 include...

Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore

The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord

Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee

Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

Even the Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett

2018

This year isn't quite over, but I've read most of my Eighteen 2018 Reads. Once again, though, a BUNCH got pushed back to 2019 pub dates, which was very frustrating.

I removed twelve of the fifty-four titles from my to-read list, which is consistent with last year at least.

So far, I've DNFed only one of the books, which is probably due to my willingness to remove them from my TBR instead.

A grand total of ten got pushed back to (at least) 2019, as opposed to eight of 2017's picks. I'm definitely terrified at this point what happens to my Nineteen 2019 Reads. With my luck, half of them will be published in 2020 instead.

My favorites, as of writing this post, have been...

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevado

The Length of a String by Elissa Brent Weissman

Love, Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed

The Light Between Worlds by Laura E. Weymouth

But interestingly, most of my actual favorites of 2018 haven't been my Eighteen 2018 Reads. Definitely surprising, since one of the main points of this post series is to identify the books I think will be my favorites.

I won't be giving an average rating for 2018, just because I still have some titles left to read, and I'd like it to be as accurate as possible.

I love doing most-anticipated lists, but they seem to be biting me in the butt most of the time. I can only do so many round-ups of my favorites, though, and talking about books I haven't read yet diversifies things. 

Do you have any tips for how I might make better choices for my lists? Should I maybe only do one post a year? I'm officially down to two a year (starting with my Nineteen 2019 Reads) since the individual posts are getting so long, but I feel like it's still hurting me. :/

Looking Back on my Fifteen 2015 Reads

So if you missed my Fifteen 2015 Reads post series in 2014, you can find them all under the 'fifteen 2015 reads' label. But after I did the series, I realized I couldn't just leave y'all hanging when it came to the books I was anticipating. So back in June, I checked in with the books. I'd read most of the original thirty to make the list by then and now I've read all but two (and you'll see why later in this post). I'm not going to recap my opinions of all the books - just those I've read since June. If you want to know what I thought of the rest, here's the link to the check-in post.

Overall, out of all the Fifteen 2015 Reads choices I read, my average rating was 3.7, which is higher than my average rating for the entire year. So, even though I didn't love all my Fifteen 2015 Reads, I'd say I picked some good ones.

READ AND LOVED/LIKED

All Fall Down by Ally Carter

Emerald & Ashes by Leila Rasheed

Ensnared by A.G. Howard

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West

The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough

Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout

My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

Rogue Wave by Jennifer Donnelly

We Can Work It Out by Elizabeth Eulberg

A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas

The Wrong Side of Right by Jenn Marie Thorne

A Million Miles Away by Lara Avery

Pretty good! (My review.)

The Trouble with Destiny by Lauren Morrill
Just as cute as Being Sloane Jacobs. (My review.)

Winter by Marissa Meyer
Liked but didn't love. I needed more of the reasoning behind the development in Thorne and Cress's relationship, and I thought the book was a bit long...

READ AND WAS NEUTRAL ABOUT

5 to 1 by Holly Bodger

Kissing in America by Margo Rabb

The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre

Lock & Mori by Heather W. Petty
Wasn't as great as I hoped. (My review.)

Court of Fives by Kate Elliott
I liked it for the most part. World-building was confusing at times, and I think parts could've been cut, but I liked this one.

The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi
Honestly, not as good as I hyped it up to be in my mind. And now I'm sad because I wanted to love this one.

Need by Joelle Charbonneau
First off, this one's cover has such a cool texture. But the content inside...there were a lot of POVs so I didn't get to know any of the characters as well as I wanted to, and I felt the plot was a little sparse in places.

READ AND DIDN'T LIKE

The Cage by Megan Shepherd

Love, Lucas by Chantele Sedgwick

Scarlett Undercover by Jennifer Latham

Very in Pieces by Megan Frazer Blakemore
Nopity-nope-nope.

STILL WAITING FOR

Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan

When I Wake by Elizabeth Norris (both of these got pushed back to 2016)


So those are the results for my Fifteen (well, thirty) 2015 Reads. I'm so glad I loved so many of them and I can't wait to see how I feel about all 64 of my Sixteen 2016 Reads!

Fifteen 2015 Reads Check-In

I shared 45 books last year in three Fifteen 2015 Reads posts. I realized I couldn't leave it at just those recommendations. I had to tell y'all what I thought of the books! I'm planning to do a final wrap-up at the end of the year, but I wanted to do a little check-in now since 2015 is almost halfway over. Both posts will only include the first 30 choices, solely because I chose the ones for the last post based on their covers.

READ AND LOVED/LIKED

All Fall Down by Ally Carter

I'm an Ally Ambassador so I got to review this one! Ally's latest series didn't disappoint.

Emeralds & Ashes by Leila Rasheed

Another one I got to review! (That's going to be a common theme for this post...) I love, love, love this YA Downton Abbey series and highly recommend it. I'm still sad this final installment is only available as an e-book. Its cover is stunning and deserves to be on a physical copy.

Ensnared by A.G. Howard

The only series with a love triangle I enjoy. As stated in my review, this final book in the Splintered trilogy was quite the adventure.

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

My review for this one is going up in just a few days, and I think it's quite possibly the best book I've read in 2015. It's been about a year and a half since Tamara's last book came out, and it was well worth the wait! 

The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West
Not quite as good as her prior contemporary romances. I shipped the ship, but wasn't feeling particularly swoony or excited about the rest of the book by the last page.

The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough
Historical fiction! Didn't always like the narration style, but it was a cool book. Plus, points for a rocking cover.

Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout

Fun, fun, fun and some nice much-needed diversity in the YA world. And say hello to my review.

My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga
This was the first Fifteen 2015 Reads book that I got to read and it didn't disappoint. To make my rec even stronger, I got to meet Jasmine in March and she is so kind and adorable and smart. (My review is here.)

 The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows
Holy whoa. That cliffhanger is definitely worth all the mention it gets.

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
Not quite as good as To All the Boys I've Loved Before, but still quite wonderful. Lara Jean isn't perfect, but she's very realistic and that's why I enjoy her as a protagonist.

Rogue Wave by Jennifer Donnelly
I read the first book in the Waterfire Saga series last year. It was good, but wasn't amazing. Let me just say that Rogue Wave is one of the best sequels I've ever read. As implied in my review, this could be the best mermaid series out there.

We Can Work It Out by Elizabeth Eulberg
Liked, but didn't love. Enjoyed Penny trying to balance her friends and boyfriend, which was incredibly realistic. (Seriously, I know college students who can't do that.)

A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas
I know so many bloggers didn't like this one, but I really did. Rhiannon Thomas really played with the idea of what happens to Aurora after she wakes from the curse and doesn't know the guy who supposedly gave her true love's kiss.

The Wrong Side of Right by Jenn Marie Thorne
Important questions raised, a coming-of-age story, and I really liked Kate.

READ AND WAS NEUTRAL ABOUT

5 to 1 by Holly Bodger
Great diversity and unique idea, but that open ending and the chapters in verse kept me from loving this one. (My review.)

Kissing in America by Margo Rabb
Less road-trippy than I was expecting and wanting. As I said in my review, it felt like too much of a stereotypical YA novel at times.

The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre
Liked it, but I doubt I'll reread it and I don't want it for my own library.

READ AND DIDN'T LIKE

The Cage by Megan Shepherd
The only DNF of my Fifteen 2015 Reads so far (thankfully, although I have DNFed other books).

Love, Lucas by Chantele Sedgwick
*sigh* See my review as to why I didn't like this one.

Scarlett Undercover by Jennifer Latham
This turned out to be way more paranormal than I expected. I was all for the diversity and since I recently binge-watched Veronica Mars, I was looking forward to those comparisons, but this just wasn't good enough.

STILL WAITING FOR

Court of Fives by Kate Elliott
Lock & Mori by Heather W. Petty
A Million Miles Away by Lara Avery (well, technically I've read this one but my review won't be up for another month, so I'm keeping my thoughts to myself)
NEED by Joelle Charbonneau
The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi
Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan (got pushed back to 2016)
The Trouble with Destiny by Lauren Morrill
Very in Pieces by Megan Frazer Blakemore
When I Wake by Elizabeth Norris
Winter by Marissa Meyer (800 glorious pages that I'm eagerly anticipating)

Have you read any of the books I made my Fifteen 2015 Reads? What did you think? Or will you add some of them to your TBR list now?

Another Fifteen 2015 Reads

When I did the first Fifteen 2015 Reads post, it was a one-time thing. I didn't even think about the fact that I'd have to do another because of so many great titles. This will likely be the last one, since 2015 is four months away. There are so many great 2015 titles I wish I could feature, but they'll definitely appear on my blog on TBR lists and Top Ten Tuesdays and in reviews, so never fear! And... y'all will get to start looking forward to Sixteen 2016 Reads. ;) So without further ado, here are my final fifteen 2015 reads that should be on your radar. Today's post is all about the beautiful covers.

The Boy Next Door by Katie Van Ark (Swoon Reads; February 3rd)


Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (Harper Teen; February 10th)


Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton (Delacorte; February 10th)


Inherit Midnight by Kate Kae Myers (Bloomsbury; February 10th)


I Remember You by Cathleen Davitt Bell (Knopf; February 10th)


Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed (Nancy Paulsen Books; March 24th)


Etherworld by Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam (Katherine Tegan Books; March 30th)


An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir (Razorbill; April 28th)


The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord (Bloomsbury; March 31st)


Fairy Tale Reform School: Flunked by Jen Calonita (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky; March 3rd)


When My Heart Was Wicked by Tricia Stirling (Scholastic; February 24th)


All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven (Knopf; January 6th)


The Memory Key by Liana Liu (HarperTeen; March 3rd)


The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige (HarperTeen; March 30th)


Love Fortunes and Other Disasters by Kimberly Karalius (Swoon Reads; June 9th)

So what do you think of these lovely covers? (This was basically a giant Cover Love post, haha.) I really wanted to sneak a few more in, but I'd previously featured them, so I didn't think that would be fair. I can't wait to see the rest of the 2015 covers!

Fifteen More 2015 Reads

So y'all remember my post from February, right?  The one where I listed fifteen 2015 reads I'm looking forward to?  Well, if you don't remember it, read it here.  Back then, my list already had more than 15 books so I knew I'd need to do another post (and I'm going to have to do yet another in the fall).  But here's this post's line-up of 2015 reads.

THE SEQUELS

Ensnared by A.G. Howard

This is the third and final (*sob*) book in the Splintered trilogy.  I'm super excited for this last adventure in Wonderland.

Winter by Marissa Meyer

This is going to be a spectacular series conclusion, I just know it.  Hopefully it'll live up to all the hype.

We Can Work It Out by Elizabeth Eulberg
The Lonely Hearts Club is going to have a sequel!  I can't wait for more Penny and more shenanigans.

Emeralds & Ashes by Leila Rasheed
Ever since I read Diamonds & Deceit, I've been crossing my fingers and hoping the series would continue.  Well, E&A is going to be the last book (which is a bummer), but at least there's going to be another one!

Rogue Wave by Jennifer Donnelly
Deep Blue just came out on May 6, and I'm already eager for the sequel.  I love that there's a group of heroines, and they're all different mer-races and personalities.

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
I absolutely loved To All the Boys I've Loved Before, and I can't wait to see what happens next for Lara Jean.



THE STANDALONES
(Note: I'm fairly certain most of these are standalones, but for many I couldn't find certain evidence.  So if they're the first in a series, my bad.)

The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West
I've found I love anything by Kasie, so this one is sure to impress.

The Trouble With Destiny by Lauren Morrill
This one was pitched as Pitch Perfect meets A Midsummer Night's Dream.  Most bloggers are excited about that first part, I'm sure; I'm more excited about the Shakespeare comparison.

When I Wake by Elizabeth Norris
Prohibition and gangsters in current day?  Count me in.

Bottle Cap by Megan Frazer Blakemore
I love the switch from a creative type in a strict family. *crosses fingers*

Court of Fives by Kate Elliott
We don't know much about this one yet, but it sounds really good!

Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan
You don't see too many Charles Dickens retellings, so this should be unique and exciting.

N.E.E.D. by Joelle Charbonneau
Joelle has another book coming out!  I loved hearing about this at her signing back in February, and I have high hopes that it'll be great.

Scarlett Undercover by Jennifer Latham
She's a self-proclaimed private eye, and there are family secrets.  Plus, yay for YA diversity!

The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi
This sounds like a very cute romance.

So that's it for this Fifteen 2015 Reads post.  Watch for the next to come in a few months because there are many 2015 books that I'm looking forward to!

Fifteen 2015 Reads

So, in a recent spell of boredom, I went on Goodreads and found a list with YA books coming out in 2015.  One thing I noticed was that 2015 seems to be the Year of Horror and Thriller.  Seriously, so many books seemed to be revolved around kidnappings, paranormal horror, horror movie-type things, etc.  But anyways, I already had some 2015 reads on my TBR list (Winter, the final Lunar Chronicles book; the third Princess Academy book by Shannon Hale; and The Lonely Hearts Club sequel by Elizabeth Eulberg), but my TBR unreleased list just gained about twenty new books.  And I want to share some of them with you.  So here are fifteen 2015 releases that you should have on your radar.

THE ONES THAT PLAY WITH THE ORIGINAL

(a.k.a., books that retell a classic or fairytale)

Lock & Mori by Heather Petty

For all you Sherlock fanatics out there, this book is one for you.  Teenage Sherlock, teenage female Moriarty, and a mystery.

(I'm sure that's all of you in the Sherlock fandom. What do you call yourselves?)

A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas

Sleeping Beauty retelling!

But it's after Aurora is awakened, and I think it's going to be very cool.

THE ONES WITH FUN AND DIFFERENT SETTINGS

5 to 1 by Holly Bodger

Futuristic India?  That could be - and hopefully will be - very interesting.

The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough

1920s Seattle!  I love historical fiction and the 1920s were a fascinating time period.  Plus, Seattle isn't the usual 1920s setting.

Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout

Boarding school in Korea?  K-pop fandom?  I don't think I've ever seen anything like this before, and I'm beyond excited.

THE ONES INVOLVING DEATH

Embassy Row book 1 by Ally Carter

Ally Carter is one of my top favorite authors, and the premise of her new series has me over-the-moon.  

My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

Physics geek?  Obsessed with planning her death?  I shouldn't be happy about that second item, but I am.

Love, Lucas by Chantele Sedgwick

What I like about this one is that it sounds slightly similar to Love Letters to the Dead, but also completely different.  It's mainly the older sibling dying that helps me make the comparison.

THE LOVE STORIES

The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre

Perfect girl, angsty guy.  A bit overdone, but I'm all for it in books that sounds as good as this one.

A Million Miles Away by Lara Avery

I don't really have any gif-worthy feelings for this one, but it sounds really good.  I can't wait until a longer synopsis is available.

Kissing in America by Margo Rabb

The main character is obsessed with romance novels.  There's a cross-country trip, which I assume is a road trip.  Both of those deserve a...

THE BOOKS I COULDN'T CATEGORIZE

(Not that they're too unique or weird, but just that I didn't feel like they fit into any of the above categories.)

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

Misfits, poetry club, a competitive swimmer with OCD?  I think Tamara's upcoming book is going to be refreshing and new.

The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows

It's part of a dualogy, and it's fantasy!

The Cage by Megan Shepherd

This book sounds creepy and awesome all at the same time.

Spin by Jenn Marie Thorne

Politics, romance, a newfound family... I'm in.

Seriously, y'all should add these to your TBR lists now.