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 Sixteen 2016 Reads

Time for another check-in! I'm gonna do the same list format that I did for the check-in back in June, and I'll include my average rating for my Sixteen 2016 Reads.

READ AND LOVED/LIKED

The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love by Sarvenaz Tash

Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

Saving Hamlet by Molly Booth

Tumbling by Caela Carter

Wanderlost by Jen Malone

A Week of Mondays by Jessica Brody

READ AND WAS NEUTRAL ABOUT

Chloe in India by Kate Darnton

Shuffle, Repeat by Jen Klein

Vicarious by Paula Stokes

READ AND DISLIKED

Diplomatic Immunity by Brodi Ashton

Look Both Ways by Alison Cherry

Peas and Carrots by Tanita S. Davis

Perfect Liars by Kimberly Reid

Smash & Grab by Amy Christine Parker

Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige

STILL NEED TO READ

Nemesis by Anna Banks

PUSHED TO A 2017/UNKNOWN RELEASE DATE

Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves

Factory Girl by Josanne La Valley

The Gatlon School for Vigilantes by Marissa Meyer

South by Southeast by Gail Shepherd

Stef Soto, Taco Queen by Jennifer Torres

Stolen Crowns #1 by Jessica Day George

To Catch a Killer by Sheryl Scarborough

Weaving a Net Is Better Than Praying for Fish by Ki-Wing Merlin

So my average rating for the Sixteen 2016 Reads I have read is... 3.1 stars. Which is much lower than last year (3.7 stars, in case you were wondering). 2016 has been a rough year, book-wise, for me. I've found a great crop of new favorites, as evidenced by my Top Ten Tuesday post a couple days ago, but overall, I haven't liked a lot of books. 

Well, here's hoping my Seventeen 2017 Reads will end up being better.

Sixteen 2016 Reads Check-In

I did one of these posts on a whim last year for my Fifteen 2015 Reads, but I now feel like it's a necessary staple. After all, I listed 64 books I was dying to read - you might be wondering if I liked them or not.

READ AND LOVED/LIKED

Bookishly Ever After by Isabel Bandeira (4 stars) (Brief review here.)
Break Me Like a Promise by Tiffany Schmidt (4 stars) (Review here.)
The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye (4.5 stars)

Double Down by Gwenda Bond (4 stars) (Review here.)

The Forbidden Orchid by Sharon Biggs Waller (4 stars)

The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig (4 stars) (Review here.)

Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse (4 stars) (Review here.)

In Real Life by Jessica Love (4 stars) Review here.)

The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry (3.5 stars) (Review here.)

Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee (4 stars) (Review here.)
The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh (5 stars)
Ruined by Amy Tintera (4 stars)
The Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters (4 stars) (Brief review here.)

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro (3.5 stars) (Review here.)

Traitor Angels by Anne Blankman (4 stars)

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson (5 stars)

What You Always Wanted by Kristin Rae (4 stars) (Review here.)

When We Collided by Emery Lord (4 stars) (Review here.)

READ AND WAS NEUTRAL ABOUT

And I Darken by Kiersten White (3 stars) (Review to come.)

Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman (3.5 stars)

Crossing the Line by Meghan Rogers (3 stars) (Review here.)

Future Shock by Elizabeth Briggs (3 stars) (Brief review here.)

Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor (3 stars)
Isabel Feeny, Star Reporter by Beth Fantaskey (3.5 stars)
The Land of 10,000 Madonnas by Kate Hattemer (3.5 stars)

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys (3 stars)
Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here by Anna Breslaw (3 stars)

Summer Days & Summer Nights by various authors (3 stars) (Review here.)

Up to This Pointe by Jennifer Longo (3 stars) (Review here.)

READ AND DISLIKED

Breaker by Kat Ellis (DNF)

Escaping Perfect by Emma Harrison (2 stars)
It Wasn't Always Like This by Joy Preble (DNF)

Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky (removed from TBR list because reviews were largely negative about the treatment of a fat female character)

The Mystery of Hollow Places by Rebecca Podos (2 stars)
The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine (DNF)

STILL NEED TO READ

Chloe in India by Kate Darnton

The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love by Sarvenaz Tash

Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes

Look Both Ways by Alison Cherry

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

Peas and Carrots by Tanita S. Davis

Perfect Liars by Kimberly Reid

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

Shuffle, Repeat by Jen Klein

Tumbling by Caela Carter

Wanderlost by Jen Malone

YET TO RELEASE IN 2016

Diplomatic Immunity by Brodi Ashton

Nemesis by Anna Banks

The Reader by Traci Chee

Saving Hamlet by Molly Booth

Smash & Grab by Amy Christine Parker

South by Southeast by Gail Shepherd

Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige

Stolen Crowns #1 by Jessica Day George

Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter

Vicarious by Paula Stokes

A Week of Mondays by Jessica Brody

PUSHED TO A 2017 RELEASE DATE

The Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves

Factory Girl by Josanne La Valley
The Gatlon School for Vigilantes by Marissa Meyer

Stef Soto, Taco Queen by Jennifer Torres

To Catch a Killer by Sheryl Scarborough

Weaving a Net is Better Than Praying for Fish by Ki-Wing Merlin

Have you read any of my Sixteen 2016 Reads? What did you think of them? What other 2016 releases are you anticipating?

The Final Sixteen 2016 Reads

Is anyone else finding it hard to believe that 2016 is just four months away? 2015 has flown by. As such, this will be the final sixteen 2016 reads post (as the title says) which means I'll be starting seventeen 2017 reads soon... *gulp* But anyways, my expectations for this last post are high. This is the last one! I've gotta make it epic! So these are the sixteen books I can't believe I didn't include until now.

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

Dear Morgan Matson, you are one of my favorites. Can I have your next title now, please?

Bookishly Ever After by Isabel Bandeira

This one has a cover (which is rare for the books on these lists)! And it's about a bookworm.

Chloe in India by Kate Darnton

I am all for books set in different countries.

The Forbidden Orchid by Sharon Biggs Waller

All the historical fiction with all the pretty covers.

It Wasn't Always Like This by Joy Preble

Tuck Everlasting + Veronica Mars=catnip for Emma

What You Always Wanted by Kristin Rae

I adored Kristin's debut, and I'm so excited she's writing another If Only title! *jazz hands*

Smash & Grab by Amy Christine Parker

Heist books are always so fun! 

The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry

IT'S SET IN KENTUCKY. Ahem. But it also sounds pretty darn cool. You know. Besides being set in one of my favorite states.

Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter

A retelling of a folktale I've never heard of before! This is very exciting.

Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here by Anna Breslaw

This sounds so fun, and I'm sure this fanfic-writing is going to get Scarlett into big trouble, and I can't wait to read all about it.

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

I love historical fic that's about events few people know of. 

C.S. High by Sheryl Scarborough

It's like everyone knows I just binged Veronica Mars this spring and am now addicted to it.

Newsgirl by Beth Fantaskey

I normally limit these lists to YA titles, but this one sounds so fantastic, I couldn't resist.

Double Down by Gwenda Bond

Let me just tell you, when that cover was revealed, I was screaming so loudly (inside my head) that I'm surprised I didn't explode. 

Traitor Angels by Anne Blankman

Break Me Like a Promise by Tiffany Schmidt

Tiffany is pretty snazzy, and putting her next book on my list gives me an excuse to use this gif...

Can't wait until 2016!

Another Sixteen 2016 Reads

Normally I put a little more time between my fifteen 2015 and sixteen 2016 reads posts. Last time, though, I realized I had so many books I wanted to share that this post needed to come much sooner (and trust me - there will probably be another in August, September, or October).

The topic for this time around? 

DIVERSE READS.

These are books with explicitly diverse protagonists, a diverse setting, or diverse authors.

The Factory Girl by Josanne La Valley
Muslim protagonist! The synopsis mentions she's a poet, so I'm hoping the book won't be in verse...

Justice High by Kimberly Reid
Not sure of the protagonist's racial background, but the author is a POC (person of color) so Justice High a diverse read!

Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige
Another diverse author! Plus it's a retelling of The Snow Queen, which could be super cool.

Unsinkable Mercy Wong by Stacey Lee
Not only does this one have a Chinese-American author, but the protagonist is Chinese-American. Bonus points since it's historical fiction set during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

Crossing the Line by Meghan Rogers
Sounds like it's going to be partially set in North Korea. I'm hoping the protagonist is North Korean as well, although that isn't explicit from the synopsis.

The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye
So I'm not just pimping this book since I'm a part of the Tsar's Guard *coughcough*. It falls into this Sixteen 2016 Reads post because the author is a POC. If that doesn't woo you, The Crown's Game is set in tsarist Russia.

Future Shock by Elizabeth Briggs
Sci-fi novel with a Latina protagonist! 

Vicarious by Paula Stokes
It's no secret that I've enjoyed Paula's previous books. So of course this one is probably in the top ten of my most-anticipated list. It features a Korean stunt girl as the protagonist.

Weaving a Net is Better Than Praying for Fish by Ki-Wing Merlin
Crazy long title. But it's about a first-generation Chinese-American girl. Sounds like it could be pretty good.

South by Southeast by Gail Shepherd
Protagonist is part-Vietnamese. The blurb is pretty short, but this book has potential.

The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh
This is the sequel to The Wrath and the Dawn. 

Summer Days & Summer Nights by various authors
This is a YA short story collection like My True Love Gave to Me, except they're all summer love stories. I'm definitely seeing a couple diverse authors, so here's hoping there are diverse characters.

Peas & Carrots by Tanita S. Davis
POC author. Protagonist is white, but her foster family is black.

The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love by Sarvenaz Tash
Another diverse author!

The Reader by Traci Chee
Diverse author, and a possibility for a diverse protagonist (summary doesn't say one way or the other, but you never know!).

Stef Soto, Taco Queen by Jennifer Torres
Here's a secret: this one is MG, and all of my Fifteen 2015 and Sixteen 2016 lists have been YA. But this one sounds like it could be good and the protagonist is Mexican-American!

Hope y'all found some new books for your TBR list. Were there already any 2015 or 2016 diverse reads on your radar besides these (or including these)?

Sixteen More 2016 Reads

I'm so excited to share sixteen additional 2016 releases I'm anticipating! If this is your first time visiting my blog, last year, I had a three-part series about Fifteen 2015 Reads and each post featured...fifteen YA titles releasing in 2015. I knew I'd have to continue it, so back in February, the first Sixteen 2016 Reads post went live. 
This time, I tried to divide it by genre, but that was a bit tricky since many of the books don't have a genre on Goodreads yet and some of their blurbs may be a bit vague. So for this Sixteen 2016 Reads post, I'm going to do short little pitches (basically just the Goodreads blurbs, but still).



Diplomatic Immunity by Brodi Ashton
A standalone novel about a recent scholarship recipient who sets out to expose debauchery at her exclusive private school in Washington, D.C., only to find herself falling in love with the baddest boy of all.

Breaker by Kat Ellis
An executed serial killer's son enrolls in a new school and finds himself drawn to a girl in his class - only to discover she is the daughter of his father's last victim.

Into The Dim by Janet Taylor
Being “the home-schooled girl” in a small town, Hope Walton’s crippling phobias and photographic memory don’t endear her to her dad's perfectly blond, very Southern family. When her mother is killed in a natural disaster thousands of miles from home, Hope’s secluded world implodes. After being shipped off to an aunt she's never met, Hope learns there's more to her mother's "death" than she ever dreamed. At her aunt's manor, high in the Scottish Highlands, Hope begins to unravel the shocking truth about her family. Her mom isn't just a brilliant academic. She’s a member of a secret society of time travelers, and is currently trapped in the twelfth century in the age of King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. To stage a rescue, the sheltered teen must join the Indiana Jones-wannabe team of time-jumpers, before her mother is lost for good. In a brutal, medieval world, Hope will discover more family secrets, and a mysterious boy who could be vital to setting her mother free…or the very key to Hope’s undoing.

Nemesis by Anna Banks
"...a YA fantasy by Anna Banks...In the story, a princess who possesses the power to create energy escapes her father, who wishes to weaponize it, only to be captured by another kingdom where she discovers that her powers could be used to fight a terrible plague."

Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman
Inspired by the tale of Blackbeard, it's the story of a forbidden romance between a servant girl desperate for freedom and the master's son who dreams of a life at sea. But they are caught up in something bigger than their circumstances: a love that changes the course of history.

Saving Hamlet by Molly Booth
"...a debut YA novel by Molly Booth, featuring a 15-year-old stage manager running her high school's production of Hamlet, who falls through the stage trapdoor and lands in the basement of the Globe Theatre in 1601, during Shakespeare's original debut of the play."

Up To This Pointe by Jennifer Longo
In the novel, a girl who is the descendent of an explorer who died in a race to the South Pole knows that big dreams come with big risks. When her dream of becoming a star ballerina dies, she's willing to go to the ends of the earth (literally to the South Pole) to chart a new path. 

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
Set in a mystical desert nation called Mirahin, Rebel of the Sands follows a gun-slinging girl desperate to escape her past, and a handsome foreigner who harbors dangerous secrets.

The Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves
The romantic fantasy adventure set during the political unrest of 19th-century Europe follows a 16-year-old British socialite exiled to Hungary and swept up in a revolution to overturn world order.

The Gilded Cage by Melissa Albert
An American farm girl discovers that she's an English heiress . . . but claiming her fortune leads to danger and intrigue. 

Ruined by Amy Tintera
RUINED follows a princess out for revenge as she infiltrates the ruling kingdom's royal family by pretending to be the prince's fiancee.

My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows
"a comic, romantic and fantastical retelling of the story of the Lady Jane Grey, told in the vein of The Princess Bride."

Stolen Crowns #1 by Jessica Day George
"...in which the princesses of fairytales – grown up and living their Happily Ever After – disappear one day, leaving their daughters and sons to save them all."

Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky
Follows a group of girls who, “accidentally kidnap their least-favorite member of their most favorite boy band” and then have to deal with the aftermath when he winds up dead.

The Land of Ten Thousand Madonnas by Kate Hattemer
Three teen cousins embark on a backpacking trip to Europe at the mysterious behest of their fourth cousin, who recently passed away.

Escaping Perfect by Emma Harrison
In the story, a girl fakes her own death to escape from her high-pressure political family and moves to Tennessee where she starts a new life. 

So did you find some new books for your TBR? Did you have some of these on your TBR already? And stayed tuned for the next Sixteen 2016 Reads post! It's coming sooner than you think, and it features a very special topic.

Sixteen 2016 Reads

It's now 2015, which means I can start to feature 2016 releases without feeling guilty for bypassing all the 2015 books. And don't worry - books publishing this year will still get tons of focus, what with reviews, and Top Ten Tuesday and Random Friday posts, and maybe even some discussions. But I'm super excited about these books that are coming next year; I hope they're as good as their blurbs make them sound.

THE ONES FROM AUTHORS I'VE PREVIOUSLY READ

I'm always down for trying new authors, but I do have authors that are tried and true. There are some that have even made my auto-buy list.

Untitled by Marissa Meyer

The first in a superhero/super villain trilogy. Y'all know about my deep love for superheroes, so hopefully this will be a winner. *prays the pub date won't change*

Look Both Ways by Alison Cherry

I got to review Alison's book, For Real, back in December, and I added this one to my TBR list around the same time. It sounds like it'll be cute and fun.

Bad Luck Charm by Paula Stokes

So far, I've only read The Art of Lainey, but I thought it was cute so I hope this one is just as good.

Daughter of the Dragon by Kiersten White

Kiersten's books have been a bit hit-or-miss for me, but I have high hopes for this one! It sounds cool, as long as that love triangle doesn't cause too much drama.

A Week of Mondays by Jessica Brody

"...pitched as Groundhog Day meets..." Welp, they had me at Groundhog Day.

The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine

I see the word dragon...

When We Collided by Emery Lord

Hello, auto-buy author. If this book isn't as good as The Start of Me and You or Open Road Summer, I'll eat my hat.

(Disclaimer: I will not actually eat a hat.)

THE ONES FROM NEW-TO-ME AUTHORS

So some of these titles are debut novels, or they're just books from authors I've never read before. Here's hoping I'll enjoy them, and perhaps I'll want to read more of the author's work!

The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

TIME-TRAVELING. 

Shuffle, Repeat by Jen Klein

"...in the vein of When Harry Met Sally..." I don't think anything will ever top Better off Friends when it comes to YA When Harry Met Sally retellings, but this sounds very fun.

Tumbling by Caela Carter

Yes to books set at the Olympics or having to do with the Olympics.

Wanderlost by Jen Malone

This sounds super cute and loads of fun. Hopefully it'll be everything that Royally Lost was not.

In Real Life by Jessica Love

I'm a bit tentative about this one (because what the main character does is highly dangerous), but here's hoping it's good!

The Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters

It's apparently inspired by Hamlet, y'all. I'm sold. AND it's historical fiction.

The Mystery of Hollow Places by Rebecca Podos

Anyone looking for a mystery?

All the Hidden Places by Monica Hesse

More historical fiction, because why not?

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

Sherlock's and Watson's descendants teaming up, boarding school, and romance.

So that's the first Sixteen 2016 Reads! Hope you found some new books for your TBR list, and I can't wait to see if these titles live up to my expectations!