Which threads of fate will hold—and which will break?
Clever, bookish Fi and her brash, ax-wielding partner Shane are back in this action packed sequel to the bestselling THE BONE SPINDLE, the gender-flipped Sleeping Beauty retelling, perfect for fans of SORCERY OF THORNS and THE CRUEL PRINCE.
Fi has awakened the sleeping prince, but the battle for Andar is far from over. The Spindle Witch, the Witch Hunters, and Fi’s own Butterfly Curse all stand between them and happily ever after.
Shane has her partner’s back. But she’s in for the fight of her life against Red, the right hand of the Spindle Witch who she’s also, foolishly, hellbent on saving.
Briar Rose would do anything to restore his kingdom. But there’s a darkness creeping inside him—a sinister bond to the Spindle Witch he can’t escape.
All hopes of restoring Andar rest on deciphering a mysterious book code, finding the hidden city of the last Witches, and uncovering a secret lost for centuries—one that just might hold the key to the Spindle Witch’s defeat. If they can all survive that long…
Set in a world of twisted fairytales, THE SEVERED THREAD combines lost ruins, ride-or-die friendships, and heart-pounding romance.
My Review
Okay, this is easily one of my most-anticipated books coming out this year. I absolutely LOVED the first book in this series, THE BONE SPINDLE, and was counting the days until THE SEVERED THREAD came out.
The first couple chapters were a little rough for me. I don’t know if there were a lot of longer sentences (It felt like that reading it, but I haven’t gone back to look.) or if the writing just took a minute to really find a strong voice and get me back into the characters I know and love.
Once I was a few chapters in, though, I was just as hooked on this story as I was the last one. I didn’t think it was possible to love Shane and Fi even more, but I completely did. Red and Briar Rose both grew on me more, too. I totally missed the Red Hiding Hood references with Red in the first book, but at some point in this one, I was like OHHHH. I see it now. (Can we have a Red backstory novella somewhere in the future??? I’d be completely in for that.)
At any rate. I loved the places this story went. I loved the things we learned about the characters, and I loved the setup for the third book in the series. It is, I believe, a trilogy, so the third book should be the last. So now I’m counting down the days until that one comes out!
If you enjoy fairytale retellings or high fantasy, definitely put this series on your list. I can’t recommend it enough.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 12 up.
Representation Shane and Red, two women, are attracted to one another.
Profanity/Crude Language Content Mild profanity used infrequently.
Romance/Sexual Content Kissing between boy and girl. Kissing between two girls.
Spiritual Content Some characters have the ability to perform magic. Briar Rose has a magic that’s connected to the Spindle Witch, a powerful witch who cursed his kingdom more than a hundred years ago, and still seems bent on its destruction. Fi has a curse mark on her hand which means that if she stays in one place for more than three days, harm will befall the people and places she loves the most where she is.
Violent Content Situations of peril. Battle violence. References to torture.
Drug Content None.
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Here we are, at the end of another year. A lot has happened this year, and more than ever, I’ve found myself grateful for the opportunity to read and talk about so many great books. In my 2022 Reading Wrap-Up post, I’ll focus on some overall stats and list a few favorite books I read this year.
I discovered that I enjoy finding out reading stats of other bookish people and reviewers. Mara at Books Like Whoa on YouTube is probably my favorite for this. I love the way she breaks down and shares her reading stats. I’d like to work reading stats into my wrap-up posts. Not an overwhelming amount, just a few key things.
With all that in mind, let me share some of the high notes from this past year, including a breakdown of what I read, what I loved best, and what my faithful readers love best. Here’s my 2022 Reading Wrap-Up.
205 Books Read
That’s a lot of books. In 2021, I read 139 books, obviously I read a lot more than that this year. In fact, that’s the highest amount I’ve read since I’ve been tracking my reading habits on Goodreads. I made a few changes to my reading habits that I think contributed to me reading more. Here are the big ones:
I read more e-books on my phone. Sometimes it was just a page or two at a time while I waited in a parking lot. Those minutes added up.
I read more than one book at a time. This is tricky for me, but I can do it successfully if I’m reading different genres and/or age groups in different formats. For example, a nonfiction audiobook, a paperback middle grade historical, and an ebook young adult fantasy. Usually I only read two books at a time.
I take more breaks from reading. This sounds counter-intuitive, but it has really worked for me. I’ve given myself a lot more permission this year to spend evenings in other ways besides reading. Sometimes I chat on the phone. Sometimes I watch TV or play a video game. I thought taking time away would leave me running way behind on reviews and super stressed, but I’ve found it to be the opposite. (Thanks due to THE GIFTS OF IMPERFECTION by Brené Brown.)
So I read 205 books. What kinds of books were they?
Breaking Down the Books By Age Range
Middle Grade: 67
Young Adult: 131
Other – mainly adult crossover or nonfiction: 7
2022 Reading Wrap-Up: My Favorites
Now, the good part: my favorites! Every time I read an amazing book, I try to decide if I think it’s the one that will top my list for the year. This year, I read my favorite young adult book really early. Despite lots of incredible books that came later in the year, this one remained my top favorite all year long. Other books were late arrivals to my reading list and immediately topped my list.
I’m including a favorite from middle grade, young adult, nonfiction, and backlist plus some other categories with standout books.
Favorite Middle Grade Book I Read in 2022
Ravenfall Kalyn Josephson Delacorte Press Published September 6, 2022
How I acquired the book: Review request from the author. ARC on NetGalley.
This book took me completely by surprise in all the best ways. I loved the sentient hotel. The cat-who-is-not-a-cat. The unpredictable magic. And the friendship between Annabella and Colin. It’s perfect and amazing, and I can’t wait to read more by Kalyn Josephson– I’ve already purchased her YA duology. Super excited about that!
Favorite Young Adult Book I Read in 2022
The Bone Spindle Leslie Veddar Razorbill Published January 11, 2022
How I acquired the book: ARC on NetGalley (I purchased a finished copy later.)
THE BONE SPINDLE is also one of my favorite books of 2022. It’s a gender-flipped retelling of Sleeping Beauty, and I’m so hooked on the story and characters. You’ve got Fi, the treasure hunter who accidentally forged a magical connection with a sleeping prince; Shane, the mercenary who carries a battle axe– don’t mess with her! And Briar Rose, the prince under a sleeping curse who hopes his magic combined with Fi’s wits can break the curse that’s kept him asleep for one hundred years. I cannot wait for the sequel, THE SEVERED THREAD, which comes out in February 2023.
Favorite Nonfiction Title I Read in 2022
Pirate Queens Leigh Lewis Illustrated by Sara Gomez Woolley National Geographic Kids Published January 11, 2022
How I acquired the book: received a finished copy from the publisher.
I kept seeing this book all over Twitter, so I was super excited when a publicist offered me a review copy. Before reading this book, I had NO IDEA there were so many powerful pirate ladies. I loved the exploration of history surrounding each pirate leader and the context which allowed me to compare what they’d done to other pirate leaders of their time (or any time). Another great thing about the book is that it doesn’t glorify the pirate life. Many times the book calls attention to how these pirate fleets treated others and the harm they did.
Favorite Backlist Title I Read in 2022
Cattywampus Ash Van Otterloo Scholastic Press Published August 4, 2020 (PB February 1, 2022)
How I acquired the book: pre-ordered the paperback version.
CATTYWAMPUS was another book that I felt like I saw everywhere when it came out in 2021, but I hadn’t had a chance to read it until this year. I picked up a paperback copy in one of Barnes & Noble’s pre-order sales, and loved every single page. It’s a wild, fun story packed with magic, mayhem, and heart. A total must-read.
Favorite Novel in Verse I Read in 2022
The Ghosts of Rose Hill R. M. Romero Peachtree Teen Published May 10, 2022
How I acquired the book: received a finished copy from publisher.
THE GHOSTS OF ROSE HILL is a novel in verse about a biracial girl (Latine and Jewish) who meets a ghost boy in a graveyard in Prague. She vows to break the curse that holds him, though doing so may mean losing him forever. It’s haunting, romantic, and unforgettable. I love the writing. In fact, there’s currently a quote from the book on my fridge.
Favorite Graphic Novel I Read in 2022
The Legend of Brightblade Ethan M. Aldridge Quill Tree Books Published March 1, 2022
How I acquired the book: purchased. Ethan Aldridge is an auto-buy author for me.
I’ve been a fan of Ethan Aldridge since I read THE CHANGELING KING, and this book only further cemented my admiration for his work. His worldbuilding is fantastic. I love the expressions on his characters’ faces. While this color palette is a lot different than his other work, I loved the way the colors worked in support of the story. Also, a band of bards fighting with magical music?! YES. As soon as I saw that premise, I knew I had to have this book. It’s so much fun.
Favorite Book Outside My Comfort Zone
It Looks Like Us Alison Ames Page Street Press Published September 13, 2022
I don’t usually read horror, but this one had me completely hooked. It’s set in Antarctica in a research station, so kind of a closed environment. An alien or infection begins infiltrating the group of teens doing a volunteer project there. They have to stop it in order to survive. I loved the relationships between the characters and the way those relationships were challenged by the thing infiltrating their group. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.
2022 Reading Wrap-Up: Your Favorites
One of the most fascinating things about blogging this year has been watching my statistics and tracking what my readers are most interested in. Here is a sampling of some of the most interesting data.
Your Favorite Review
You’ve Reached Sam Dustin Thao Wednesday Books Published November 9, 2021
YOU’VE REACHED SAM is by far my most popular review with more than 6,500 views this year alone. I don’t quite know how that’s possible. It’s my top performing post almost every month, which is pretty wild. I enjoyed the book, but it wasn’t a favorite of mine, to be honest. I liked a lot of things about it, though, and I’m excited to see Dustin Thao’s next book. WHEN HARU WAS HERE is supposed to come out until December 2023.
Your Favorite List
26 Stories Inspired by Asian History, Folklore, or Mythology
Originally posted July 23, 2020
I’m a little bit embarrassed about this post? I wrote it before I learned of the controversy surrounding the filming of a live-action Disney movie, so my first version celebrated the movie coming out and offered a list of books by Asian authors, inspired by Asian history, folklore, or mythology to read while waiting for the movie’s release.
After learning more about the filming and some comments made by actors, I updated the post so that it focused on reading these books as perhaps an alternative to supporting the movie. I still think the original title is… weird? Awkward? It doesn’t quite say what the list truly is.
At any rate, it’s been a really popular post with more than 5K views since 2020, and about half of those from this year. I’ve started an updated list that includes more recent releases, but there are SO MANY BOOKS to include (yay!) that I haven’t finished it yet. Probably it’ll need to be a two-part list, too, with middle grade and young adult posted separately.
Most Discussed Post on The Story Sanctuary
Top Ten Tuesday My Summer Reading List
(of backlist book titles)
Since I posted my list of anticipated summer releases a few weeks before the Top Ten Tuesday meme topic, I made this list of backlist titles that I wanted to read. At 25 comments, it’s the post that had the most discussion on my blog. I loved that people stopped to comment. It’s always fun to talk books with visitors and to see which books people have read and what their feelings about them are.
Most Discussed Post on Twitter
Best Middle Grade Books I Read in 2021
Over 9K Twitter Impressions. 9 Comments. 8 Retweets. 41 Likes.
I’m not very engaged on social media these days. It’s so much just keeping up with my blog, reading, and making sure reviews get posted when they should be. So these stats probably aren’t very impressive to someone with a regular Twitter plan, but they kind of blew me away. I have Middle Grade Twitter (my favorite twitter!) to thank for the love on this post.
2022 Reading Wrap-Up: Overall Stats and Goals for the Year
This past year was the best my blog has ever had. I more than doubled my visits and page views over my totals for 2021 with about 202K page views and 131K visitors for the year.
One of my goals was to post seasonal reading lists, which I did pretty consistently. Sometimes I posted one list with both YA and MG titles, and sometimes I posted separate lists, depending on how many books there were between both categories. This summer, I began doing recap posts, tracking how many books I read from my anticipated list and which books turned out to be my favorite. I loved doing that, so I’m definitely planning to continue that.
I’ll talk about my goals for 2023 in a Top Ten Tuesday post after the New Year, so more on that in the other post!
What’s in your 2022 Reading Wrap-Up?
Let’s talk about your favorites. Favorite book you read this year? Favorite post you read or wrote for your own blog?
Or feel free to tell me about your favorite part of my 2022 Reading Wrap-Up, too! I’m very much still experimenting with my recap format, so I’d love to know what parts you find the most interesting or things you wanted to know that I didn’t share.
Best wishes to you all as we head into the new year. May your bookshelves be full of fantastic chapters yet to be read. May you find the right book at exactly the right time. And may your journey be filled with great friends, both on the page and in your life.
I didn’t realize until a few years ago how much the holiday season stirs up feelings of dread for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love some of the holiday events and celebrations. There are moments I look forward to. Christmas morning with my family. Quietly contemplating the long ago night that a tiny child who would change the world was born in a manger. Those are meaningful times for me.
But the hustle. The shopping. The decorating. All the pressure that comes with seeing all the people in a few short days. We have a big family and some relationships and events are, well… a bit challenging. It’s a lot.
At any rate, I didn’t realize how stressed I was about Christmas until the year that I lost a baby just a few days before the holiday. Somehow that terrible grief unmasked some of the other things I’d been feeling for a long time.
My family is great. My mom and my oldest daughter keep asking me how they can make the holiday season a little easier, and I really appreciate that. (For my teenage daughter, the number one answer is: GIVE ME A CHRISTMAS LIST!)
One of the funny things about being a bookish person is that people don’t generally give me books for Christmas. I suppose that’s partly because they don’t know which ones I’ve already read and what I might be looking forward to. It’s hard to keep track, I get it. (I’d be lost without my spreadsheet and Google calendar.)
But just in case anyone who loves me is checking out my blog posts and hasn’t finished their shopping yet, let me share a few of the bookish things I would love to find under the Christmas tree this year.
What you need to know: Two sisters who join the staff of a magical, traveling hotel and learn it hides dangerous secrets. I’ve heard so many great things about this book.
What you need to know: Described as a love letter to Syria and its people. Speculative and set during the Syrian revolution. A girl desperate to flee until a fateful encounter makes her consider what it would take to fight for Syria’s freedom instead. I’ve heard incredible things about this book.
What you need to know: A twin’s sister dies under horrific circumstances, and he will do whatever it takes to find out why. I’m not usually brave enough to read horror, but I’ve had really good experiences with the couple horror books I’ve read this year. And this is RYAN LASALA. I adored REVERIE. I’m all in.
What you need to know: A young Romanian writer forced to betray everything he believes in by informing on those he loves joins the revolution to fight for freedom. It’s Ruta Sepetys, y’all. I am really excited about reading this one.
Release Date: February 1, 2022
The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill
Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads
What you need to know: An ogress who secretly delivers gifts to the town. A missing orphan. A smooth-talking mayor who’s very good at pointing fingers. I loved THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON, and this story looks just as magical and wonderful. I’m all for a book about the power of generosity and love.
Release Date: March 8, 2022
Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads
What you need to know: A girl with powerful magic she must keep secret teams up with friends to preserve the balance of magic in her world. I remember people raving about this series, but I never read it. Now I’ve read and loved THE LUMINARIES and I need more Susan Dennard in my life, please, thanks.
What you need to know: A girl travels a war-torn country in search of her sister when she discovers her own magic and becomes swept up in the war. I really wanted to read this when it came out, and just wasn’t able to fit it into my calendar. I read a sample chapter and must have more.
What you need to know: Second book in the Bone Spindle series, a gender-flipped Sleeping Beauty retelling and my top favorite book of 2022. Yes, this is a pre-order. I can’t help myself. I want this one really, REALLY bad. It’s at the very top of my Bookish Holiday Wishlist!
I recently got pre-ordered a book and received this gorgeous metal peacock bookmark as a pre-order thank you. It’s absolutely beautiful. I love the idea of a metal bookmark. They’re a bit expensive, but so pretty.
I like bookish shirts, and I have a couple. This one made me laugh (only a tiny bit maniacally).
I was looking for a shirt that says “I’m with the Banned” but all the shirts that I saw included a certain boy wizard book that I’ve decided not to promote, so I feel a little weird about having it in a shirt.
This is a relatively new thing I’ve been trying out. I’ve been posting most-anticipated reading lists for the season, with my most looked-forward-to new young adult and middle grade releases and why I’m excited about them. Then at the end of the season, I post a look back at the list following up. How many books from the list did I actually read? Which were my favorites? So. Here we are with a list of the best books I read in fall 2022. Let’s get to it!
How many books from my Most-Anticipated Fall Reading List did I actually read?
I created two separate posts to talk about upcoming fall books, one for middle grade and one for young adult with 37 books total. This time, I managed to read all the books on my most-anticipated lists plus about 15 others that are a combination of last-minute requests or books from earlier in the year that I finally managed to read. Here are a few highlights from those 15.
Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith, Derrick Barnes, and Dawud Anyabwile
What you need to know: This graphic novel was longlisted for the National Book Award and tells the story of Olympic Medalist Tommie Smith as he lifted a black-gloved fist to protest the treatment of Black athletes in the United States.
What you need to know: I’m not usually a horror girl, but so many things about this book hooked me. The post-apocalyptic setting. The escape from a traumatic, abusive cult. Love in the midst of pandemic and disaster. I loved it. Though I was eagerly looking forward to this one, somehow it didn’t make it onto my most-anticipated list.
What you need to know: This has been a great year for me with reading novels in verse, but this one is my favorite of all. I loved the magical Prague setting. The sweet, slow burn romance. It was all beautiful and fantastic.
Best Books I Read in Fall 2022: Favorites by Familiar Authors
In the last few months, I read 15 books by authors I’d read before. Brigid Kemmerer (9 books) and Courtney Summers (6 books) are the authors I’ve read most. For most of the other authors on the list, I’ve only read one book by them before this fall.
Here are my favorite YA, MG, and nonfiction titles from all the books I read by familiar authors.
What you need to know: Honestly, I liked this one even more than THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END. I think it perfectly celebrated its predecessor and brought entirely new ideas and characters into the Death Cast world. This was a total win for me.
What you need to know: I really enjoyed Dobbs’ debut novel and the first book about Petra Luna, but this one is even better. I loved the community she weaves around her and the surprises those connections bring.
What you need to know: I think this is the only nonfiction title by a familiar author that I read this fall. I love that this book makes justice and activism accessible to kids. It was a very easy read and very encouraging.
Best Books I Read in Fall 2022: Favorites by a New Author or Author New to Me
The majority of the books that I read this fall were by authors who were new to me. Some of them were debut authors, which is always exciting. You never really know what you’re going to get with a debut, so I feel like when a debut is amazing, it’s all the more awesome to feel like you’ll get to follow that author’s writing right from the beginning.
Some of the authors who are new to me are authors I’ve really wanted to try for a long time. For the first time this fall, I read books by Crystal Maldonado, Justina Ireland, Dean Atta, and Susan Dennard. All of them are authors I’ve heard amazing things about and just hadn’t managed to read yet. My reading list only gets longer the more great authors I discover!
At any rate, here are my favorite books by authors I’d never read before this fall. I chose one each for YA, MG, nonfiction, and backlist books.
What you need to know: I don’t know what I expected going into this book, but I was completely blown away. The forest is creepy and the small community feels so real with its prejudices and complex connections. And… ugh Jay. (I loved Winnie and Jay!)
What you need to know: I adore this book with its cat-who-is-not-a-cat and its sentient inn filled with a magic-wielding family. And the boy on his own looking for answers. This was the book I didn’t know I needed.
Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults by Robin Wall Kimmerer
What you need to know: I had heard really great things about the adult version of this book, so when I saw that there was a young adult version, I jumped at the chance to read and review it here. I loved the introspective questions, the history and ecology lessons woven together in perfect harmony.
What you need to know: A beautifully written novel in verse following a biracial gay boy as he comes of age in London and discovers drag.
Book that Surprised Me the Most
Reading a lot of new authors gives me a LOT of room to be surprised by a book, and I love that. I do enjoy the security of reading a book by an author I’m familiar with and having a really high likelihood that I’ll enjoy the book. But I also like to gamble and see what other voices are bringing to the book world. This season, I’d say that gambling more than paid off because several books completely blew me away in ways I couldn’t have predicted.
What you need to know: Did I mention that I’m not usually into horror? I couldn’t get enough of the Antarctic setting. The tenuous friendships disrupted by an alien or infection. Also, there’s a wildly rich, rocket launching, electric car manufacturing guy named Anton Rusk. Lol.
Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution by Sherri Winston
What you need to know: Another title longlisted for the National Book Award– and so deservedly! Lotus is vibrant and talented. I loved the way she heard music in everything.
What you need to know: This one had been on my TBR for years. A journalist puts together a series of interviews and research on indirect aggression and bullying between girls. It’s a bit of a harrowing but necessary read.
What are the best books you read this past fall?
Now I’ve shared all the best books I read in fall 2022. What are your favorite books that you read this fall? Tell me about your favorites so I can check them out, too. Did you read any of the books on my lists? What did you think of them? Leave a comment and let me know what you thought.
For the last couple of years, I’ve been trying to post seasonal lists of the books I can’t wait to read. I love doing that, but I also want to post some kind of recap at the end of the season where I can talk about which books turned out to be my favorites that sort of thing. I’ve been struggling to find a format that feels satisfying to write up and read about, so here’s my first attempt: my 2022 Summer Reading Recap.
First, if you missed my most-anticipated summer release list, check it out to see what books started on my list. I also posted this Top Ten Tuesday list of backlist titles I hoped to read this summer, so I’ll include those in this check-in.
How many books did I read from my summer reading lists?
My most-anticipated summer reading list had 25 titles on it. Of those 25, I read 19 of them. I’ve started VALIANT LADIES by Melissa Grey as an audiobook but haven’t finished it yet. The other five–MASTER OF IRON by Tricia Levenseller, THE KING WILL KILL YOU by Sarah Henning, THE HONEYS by Ryan LaSala, MY IMAGINARY MARY by Hand, Meadows, and Ashton, and THE DRAGON’S PROMISE by Elizabeth Lim– are still on my TBR list for now.
I’ve read 8 out of 10 of the books on my backlist titles list. I still hope to get to ELATSOE by Darcie Little Badger and THE BLACK FLAMINGO by Dean Atta soon. I’ve heard amazing things about both.
So, in total, out of 35 books, I read 27. Not perfect, but not too shabby.
Favorite Summer Book by a Familiar Author
This one is easy, because there aren’t a whole lot of authors I’d read before on my reading lists for this season. My favorite book by an author I’d read before has to be THE STARS BETWEEN US by Cristin Terrill.
I love the description of the book as “Dickensian-inspired”, and it totally lives up to that, in my opinion. I also loved the characters and the sweet romance. It’s a book that still makes me smile when I think about it now.
What you need to know: A girl with an unexpected inheritance on a glittering planet. A mysterious young man who is always in her way. Secrets. Murder. An underground rebellion. A Dickensian-inspired space murder mystery romance.
This is trickier because I read so many amazing debuts or books by authors that I hadn’t read before. I’m going to say my top favorite is BAD THINGS HAPPEN HERE by Rebecca Barrow.
I’ve bought some of Rebecca Barrow’s other books, but this is the first one I actually read so far. The characters felt so real in their small town setting. The disappearing girls gave me chills– I have chills now, thinking about it, actually. It was wow.
What you need to know: An island with a history of unsolved murders. A girl whose best friend and sister were both murdered on the island will stop at nothing to find out why.
I’m a little torn about which book from my Top Ten Tuesday list of backlist titles that I’d call my favorite. I loved HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE by Diana Wynne Jones and THE POET X by Elizabeth Acevedo. I listened to both as audiobooks, and both were a great experience. THE POET X is read by the author, which I think makes a huge difference for a novel in verse. HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE was such a fun book to read. I loved the wacky things that happened and the way Sophie formed relationships with each of the characters.
What you need to know: This is one of those books I can’t believe I haven’t read. A young girl under a terrible curse. An oddball sorcerer with secrets. A magical castle.
What you need to know: From Goodreads: “An Afro-Latina heroine who tells her story with blazing words and powerful truth.”
Release Date: March 6, 2018
Book That Surprised Me the Most
I feel like this shouldn’t be true, because I probably would have said the same thing about the other book I read by this author, but I’m giving this one to BEFORE TAKEOFF by Adi Alsaid.
It’s strange. It juggles a lot of characters and elements that defy science or reason. There are so many reasons the book shouldn’t work, but it totally does! I remember being blown away at the moments the story changes point of view because it was so perfectly timed.
I got completely wrapped up in this story and each of the characters involved. I loved the social commentary. The bizarre-ness of the events unfolding at the airport. So good. I’m a huge fan of this book, and it only proves to me more that I need to catch up on Adi Alsaid’s backlist titles. I think I own all of them, so I have no excuse. Ha!
I probably should add a section like this to my Fall TBR post, but this whole idea is a work in progress. Anyway.
So. Goals for the fall. The truth is, I’ve WAYYYY overcommitted for my fall reading. I tried to be reasonable. I did. Really. I said no to a lot of titles. But there are SO MANY amazing books coming out in September especially, and some of the titles I requested earlier in the year only just now reached me, so it is kind of a perfect storm of too many books. (In case you missed them, here are my TBR lists for fall MG and YA releases.)
All that to say, I’ll probably increase to four reviews per week for the short term. It’s really too many. I can’t do that on an ongoing basis, but I want to clear my queue a bit before we get into the holiday season, and I get REALLY SWAMPED.
Four reviews per week means I would post somewhere around 48 reviews between mid-September and early December. That’s a lot of books, but my fall MG and YA reading lists are already a combined 37 books. Plus I’ve got some backlist titles and titles released earlier this year that I really want to get to, so those spots are already filled and then some.
I’m also hoping to continue seasonal reading lists plus jump into the Top Ten Tuesday meme now and then. I’ve marked a few topics on my calendar that I’m interested in. I will also be sharing a Spooky Season reading list. And I’m planning to do another seasonal recap at the end of the fall.
What are the highlights from your summer reading?
Did you find a new favorite book or author? Let me know in the comments so I can add more books to my reading list! If you’ve read any of the books I talked about here, let me know if you liked them, too.
Do you have reading goals for the fall? What are you most looking forward to reading?
Let me know if you enjoyed this recap and want to see more posts like this. If I left out something you want to know– stats about what format I read books in or other superlatives about the books I read– leave a comment! This is definitely still a work-in-progress post, so I would love to know what you want to see more or less of.
17 Most-Anticipated Middle Grade Books Coming Fall 2022
Some of my most-anticipated middle grade books coming out this fall are written by familiar authors like Tricia Springstubb and Arnée Flores. I’ve also got a bunch of new authors on my list. A few of these books are debuts, some by authors who’ve written YA and are branching out into middle grade fiction.
Since I’m a little late posting the list, you’ll see some review links already in the descriptions. I’ll update the post as I read and write more reviews, too, so bookmark it and check back if you want to see what I thought of a particular title.
I’m hoping to start doing a seasonal recap post where I talk about what I read and my favorites. That’s still a bit in the works, but hopefully I’ll have figured out a format that I like by the end of the fall.
For now, please enjoy this list of the 17 middle grade books I can’t wait to read this season.
17 Most-Anticipated Middle Grade Books Coming Fall 2022
What you need to know: From Goodreads: One magical inn, two kids with supernatural powers, and an ancient Celtic creature trying to destroy their world by Halloween night…
What you need to know: 1970s Atlantic City setting. A Jewish boy whose family hotel is in trouble becomes a favorite of a local mob boss. Loved the setting and Joey’s journey through the story.
What you need to know: A talented violinist with a gorgeous ‘fro she calls “the wooly mammoth” faces discrimination in her music program and finds a way to speak up about it. I loved the music references and relationships in this book.
What you need to know: Jewish folklore. Best friends. A real-live golem on the loose with instructions to save the world. What could possibly go wrong? Great fun!
What you need to know: The follow-up to THE BAREFOOT DREAMS OF PETRA LUNA. A young Mexican girl building a new life in America in the early 1900s. Beautifully written and engaging.
What you need to know: Inspired by BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and THE WATCHMEN. Vampires were supposed to be vanquished decades ago… but it looks like they’re back. Looks fantastic.
What you need to know: This looks a bit like a MG version of MY MECHANICAL ROMANCE (sans romance). Enemies must work together on a robot team. Friction abounds, pushing them to learn new ways of working together. This is a late add-on to my fall list. I can’t resist!
What you need to know: A kidnapped boy is forced to work in a power plant. Then he discovers a ghost who may be able to help him escape. Looks fresh and fun.
What you need to know:THE FIREBIRD SONG was one of my favorite books of last year. I can’t wait to read this follow-up about how joy emerges out of sorrow. A whole new adventure about Calliope and Prewitt. I’m so excited!
What you need to know: A novelized tale about the childhood of legendary architect Julia Morgan. I keep saying I need to read more historical fiction, and I couldn’t say no to this one.
What you need to know: The follow-up to FINALLY, SOMETHING MYSTERIOUS, which was laugh-out-loud funny. The One and Onlys return to solve another mystery involving mechanical crows, a poetry-slash-wrestling club, and a hamster infestation. Yes, please.
What you need to know: I loved THE MOST PERFECT THING IN THE UNIVERSE also by Tricia Springstubb for its heart and humor, so obviously I’m all in for this new story about friendship and saving a dog in trouble.
What you need to know: A girl tasked with changing the world. Her brother’s dream of being a YouTube fashion icon. Internet bullying. Daisy must face her fears and find her voice if she’s really going to make a difference. Looks heartwarming and beautiful.
What you need to know: Shows the emergence of Covid-19 and how a community came together. Contains delicious recipes to try at home. This looks like a fantastic read.
What you need to know: A boy on a quest to find nine pieces of a lost key to save a city of Elves. And himself. I read A CORNER OF WHITE by Jaclyn Moriarty, and I still remember being struck by the creativity and quirkiness of that story. I’m super excited to read this book from a new series of hers.
What are your most-anticipated middle grade books coming fall 2022?
What’s on your reading list for the fall this year? Are you looking forward to any of the titles on my list? Are there amazing titles I’ve missed that I simply must add to my TBR? Leave a comment and let me know! I’d love to add more books to my list– and my shelves.
