2016 has been a bit of a crap year for everyone, really, hasn't it? So much death, so much politics... more death... I think we're all hoping for 2017 to be at least slightly better. We might not be able to control which national treasures suddenly pass away (someone hide David Attenborough, PLEASE) or who ends up in charge of the country, or whether we remain part of the EU... but there is something we can do to make sure 2017 is good.
And that thing is: to read lots of good books.
Because when the world isn't so great, there are millions of other worlds for you to dive into whenever you like. And luckily, I am here to help you with that bookish decision. Here is a mixture of books I've either been lucky enough to read early and recommend before their 2017 release, or books that I haven't yet read but look forward to reading.
A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard | 12th January 2017
This wonderful book is about a girl called Steffi who has selective mutism, and a boy called Rhys who's deaf. You can read my review to find out more, but this book is so good that when I had a job interview a few months ago, I somehow ended up rambling about it. I think I was nervous, I don't know. But hey, maybe the interviewer ended up buying a copy after work, in which case I like to think of the interview as a success... So yeah, this is a book you'll end up telling everyone about. Literally.Unconventional by Maggie Harcourt | 1st February 2017
Lexi Angelo's dad is one of the most successful organisers of conventions, and Lexi helps out with each and every event despite coursework, exams, and family problems. She knows all there is to know about conventions, and they even have a 'Convention Family' consisting of the regular staff members. But then a certain nineteen-year-old debut superstar author attends one of the conventions, and things get shaken up... Unconventional even boasts cameos from real-life YA authors. Fans of Stephanie Perkins and Rainbow Rowell, say hello to your next favourite book!
The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr | 12th January 2017
Emily Barr branches out into YA with this incredible story of Flora Banks, a girl who can only remember things that happened before she turned eleven. Now seventeen, her life consists of writing everything down on sticky notes, and she will live in Penzance with her parents and no independence forever. But when Flora's brother in Paris becomes extremely ill, her parents need to stay with him. For once, Flora is on her own - and this is her story. Check out my full review here.
The State of Grace by Rachael Lucas | 6th April 2017
Songs About Us by Chris Russell | 13th July 2017
Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare | 23rd May 2017
Other books I haven't read but am looking forward to include Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton, the second book in The Graces series by Laure Eve, Holly Bourne's mysterious 2017 release hinted at in the back of ...And a Happy New Year? and a brand-new YA novel set in Italy from one of my favourite authors, Keris Stainton. Looks like 2017 is going to be a good year for reading - and hopefully just a good year in general...
Will you be reading any of these? What should I be looking forward to in the New Year?
