Sunday By My Shelf: Series I Want To Start

I’ve been interested in this series for quite some time. I received the first in the series as a gift and ended up buying the second on a whim while shopping. Because that’s the type of person I am 😂 I’m excited to dive into The Children of Blood and Bone and discover the world that Tomi Adeyemi has crafted! And, besides all that, the cover is just iconic. We love to see a dark-skinned black girl front and center on a YA fantasy!

This is one of those books that I picked up simply because of internet hype. So many Booktubers love this series! Of course, it also sounds incredibly intriguing: a world where no one dies, so a whole organization forms to cull the population. I can only image the moral dilemmas that will arise! I picked the first book up at a Barnes & Noble some time ago and now it just sits… patiently waiting for its time.

I remember buying the first book in this series. I was visiting my best friend in Boston (before we moved here) and we were at this cute, independent bookstore. I randomly picked up Illuminae because the bright orange cover caught my eye. Then I flipped through and was instantly intrigued by the mixed media format, so I bought it. That was years ago and I still haven’t read this poor book… I really want to, though! I keep adding it to my TBR, then bumping it back for ARCs or newer books. I will read it one day because it sounds like a book I would absolutely love! Space and AI and exes having to work together to save humanity? Sign me up!

Funny story about this book: my husband randomly bought it around when the paperback first released and stuck it on a shelf where he quickly forgot about it. Months later, I was watching a Booktuber gush about the series and mentioned I wouldn’t mind reading it. My husband looked at the screen and said “Oh… we have that book.” So Nevernight was actually on my shelves before I even knew I wanted it 😂 Now I just need to give this story of a girl training to be an assassin to seek murderous revenge a chance.

This is another book I bought solely because of internet hype, lol. One particular Booktuber, to be exact. Sam @ Sassenach the Book Wizard would not stop raving about this book! It also sounded dark and stabby, so right up my alley. I got it from Book of the Month club when they were first starting to add YA books. I kind of wish I had gotten a non-BotM copy because the hardcover is freakin’ gorgeous! Either way, I’m excited to get into this story featuring a girl who can speak to gods.

Another BotM purchase that I have yet to read! I’ll be honest, I read the first chapter of this around when I first got it, but I put it down to read an ARC, I think. And then I never picked it back up 😬 I was really enjoying the writing and the story, so I’m excited to continue! Zafira was already so nuanced in just the little bit I read and I love a complex main character. And the sequel comes out really soon, so I want to get to this one in the near future!

This was another BotM purchase. Honestly, my unread BotM books take up most of my physical TBR bookshelf, heh. But how could I not buy it? The cover is gorgeous, it’s got an ensemble cast, and it sounds like it’s gonna be thrilling! I’ve been wanting to read it for ages now and the sequel is either out already or coming out soon. Maybe I’m waiting until the series is complete? Hahaha, no, I’m just bad about buying books and then never reading them.

This book was a complete cover buy. I mean, look at it! Beyond the gorgeous cover, the synopsis sounded intriguing, as well. A gumiho girl who saves a boy and loses a part of herself in the process. I’ve always been interested in gumiho legends, so of course I had to snag a YA fantasy centered around the legendary creature! And, again, the sequel is coming out soon, so I really need to pick this one up.

I just recently purchased this one when I had a moment of weakness and broke my book buying ban, lol. I bought a lot more than just this book, but let’s not talk about that… I’ve been wanting to read this for awhile, though, because it sounds incredible! It has Russian folklore and mythology, which is not something I read a lot. I want to lose myself in this series, so I need to make room in my reading schedule for it. I feel like it’s going to blow me away!

This was another book I bought in my random binge and I’m really excited to read it! Alice in Wonderland is not my favorite story, but this looks like it’s going to put a wonderfully dark twist on it. Also, gotta support POC fantasy authors! This looks like it’s gonna be kickass and a wild ride. And the second book is already out so, if I love this, I can immediately continue.