Top 10 Books I’m Looking Forward to in 2015

2015 is an incredible year for books. My TBR list has all but exploded and every post like this one puts new amazing reads on my Goodreads’s shelf. 

There are a ridiculous amount of incredible books coming out this year that I'm looking forward to, but I've narrowed it down to my top ten. It wasn't easy. But here they are with their Goodreads summaries (in chronological order by release date):

Photo credit: Goodreads
  1. Trust the Focus by Megan Erickson (March 17)

    “With his college graduation gown expertly pitched into the trash, Justin Akron is ready for the road trip he planned with his best friend Landry— and ready for one last summer of escape from his mother’s controlling grip. Climbing into the Winnebago his father left him, they set out across America in search of the sites his father had captured through the lens of his Nikon.

    As an aspiring photographer, Justin can think of no better way to honor his father’s memory than to scatter his father’s ashes at the sites he held sacred. And there’s no one he’d rather share the experience with more than Landry.

    But Justin knows he can’t escape forever. Eventually he’ll have to return home and join his mother’s Senate campaign. Nor can he escape the truth of who he is, and fact that he’s in love with his out-and-proud travel companion.

    Admitting what he wants could hurt his mother’s conservative political career. But with every click of his shutter and every sprinkle of ash, Justin can’t resist Landry’s pull. And when the truth comes into focus, neither is prepared for the secrets the other is hiding.”

    Why I’m excited: Firstly, I love Megan because her voice is just so fun and so NA perfect. Secondly, m/m NA. Do I need to say more? (I don’t need to say more.)



  2. Photo credit: Goodreads



  3. Half Wild (Half Bad Trilogy, #2) by Sally Green (March 24)

    ‘You will have a powerful Gift, but it’s how you use it that will show you to be good or bad.’

    In a modern-day England where two warring factions of witches live amongst humans, seventeen-year-old Nathan is an abomination, the illegitimate son of the world's most powerful and violent witch. Nathan is hunted from all sides: nowhere is safe and no one can be trusted. Now, Nathan has come into his own unique magical Gift, and he's on the run--but the Hunters are close behind, and they will stop at nothing until they have captured Nathan and destroyed his father.”

    Why I’m excited: Half Bad, the first in the trilogy, was my favorite read of 2014 and my favorite book about wizards since Harry Potter. I’ve never loved a book as quickly as I did Half Bad and I can’t wait to see what happens in the sequel. Plus there’s a ship I really want to see sail…



  4. Photo credit: Goodreads



  5. Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (April 7)

    “Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

    With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.”

    Why I’m excited: I’ve been making a point to read more diverse books, and this one just sounds really excellent. Plus I keep hearing from people who have read it how amazing it is, which is a bonus.



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  7. The Death Code (The Murder Complex, #2) by Lindsay Cummings (April 21)

    “With short, fast-paced, alternating point-of-view chapters, The Death Code starts several weeks after The Murder Complex ended. Zephyr keeps the secret about Meadow close—that if she dies, The Murder Complex will be destroyed, too. Meadow, desperate to find her brother, father, and little sister, is determined to fearlessly fight to the end, even if it means sacrificing herself and her friends, new and old. The Death Code introduces a memorable cast of secondary characters and delivers a vivid and scary thrill ride read.”

    Why I’m excited: The Murder Complex was a really fast-paced, exciting, bloody read, and the cliffhanger definitely has me looking forward to this sequel.



  8. Photo credit: Goodreads



  9. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir (April 28)

    “LAIA is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution.

    ELIAS is the academy’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor.

    When Laia and Elias’s paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself.”

    Why I’m excited: Besides the stunning cover, this fantasy sounds super exciting and I have a sneaking suspicion the worldbuilding is going to be excellent.



  10. Photo credit: Goodreads



  11. Made You Up by Francesca Zappia (May 19)

    “Alex fights a daily battle to figure out the difference between reality and delusion. Armed with a take-no-prisoners attitude, her camera, a Magic 8-Ball, and her only ally (her little sister), Alex wages a war against her schizophrenia, determined to stay sane long enough to get into college. She’s pretty optimistic about her chances until classes begin, and she runs into Miles. Didn't she imagine him? Before she knows it, Alex is making friends, going to parties, falling in love, and experiencing all the usual rites of passage for teenagers. But Alex is used to being crazy. She’s not prepared for normal.”

    Why I’m excited: Basically I’ve wanted to read this since Chessie’s book sold forever ago, and since then I’ve had no less than a million people rave about its amazingness, and I really just need it in my hands right now okay? (Also: mental illness representation! In YA! GIVE IT TO ME.)



  12. Photo credit: Goodreads



  13. More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera (June 16)

    Happiness shouldn't be this hard…

    The Leteo Institute's revolutionary memory-relief procedure seems too good to be true to Aaron Soto -- miracle cure-alls don't tend to pop up in the Bronx projects. But Aaron can't forget how he's grown up poor or how his friends aren't always there for him. Like after his father committed suicide in their one bedroom apartment. Aaron has the support of his patient girlfriend, if not necessarily his distant brother and overworked mother, but it's not enough.

    Then Thomas shows up. He has a sweet movie-watching setup on his roof, and he doesn't mind Aaron's obsession with a popular fantasy series. There are nicknames, inside jokes. Most importantly, Thomas doesn't mind talking about Aaron's past. But Aaron's newfound happiness isn't welcome on his block. Since he's can't stay away from Thomas or suddenly stop being gay, Aaron must turn to Leteo to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he is.

    Adam Silvera's extraordinary debut novel offers a unique confrontation of race, class and sexuality during one charged near-future summer in the Bronx.”

    Why I’m excited: This is another one I’ve heard a lot of good things about, plus the premise sounds excellent, plus I’m always happy to diversify my bookshelf.




  14. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (October 6)

    (No cover yet.)

    “Simon Snow just wants to relax and savor his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him, his best friend is a pest, and his mentor keeps trying to hide him away in the mountains where maybe he’ll be safe. Simon can’t even enjoy the fact that his roommate and longtime nemesis is missing, because he can’t stop worrying about the evil git. Plus there are ghosts. And vampires. And actual evil things trying to shut Simon down. When you’re the most powerful magician the world has ever known, you never get to relax and savor anything.”

    Why I’m excited: Once upon a time I finished reading Fangirl and tweeted that if Rainbow Rowell ever wrote a gay vampire/wizard book, I would buy it in a heartbeat. Less than a month later, Carry On was announced and I nearly died of excitement.




  15. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (October 8)

    (No cover yet.)

    “Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

    A convict with a thirst for revenge.

    A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.

    A runaway with a privileged past.

    A spy known as the Wraith.

    A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

    A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

    Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.”

    Why I’m excited: More Bardugo + more Grisha = INSTAYES. (Also, this sounds pretty darn awesome.)




  16. Prom Bitch by Ami Allen-Vath (November)

    (No cover yet.)

    “A high school senior navigating prom season amidst panic attacks, a new boyfriend, & a suicide letter from the class outcast.”

    Why I’m excited:
    With a title like that, how could I not be excited? In all seriousness, this sounds great and I’m particularly curious about the mental illness representation.

Others (because the list was getting too long!): Heartsick by Caitlin Sinead, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas, None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio, Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, What We Left Behind by Robin Talley, and Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout.

What 2015 releases are you looking forward to? 

Twitter-sized bite: 
.@Ava_Jae shares ten books she's looking forward to in 2015. Are these excellent 2015 releases on your TBR list? (Click to tweet

11 comments:

Darth Lolita said...

Oh wow. It takes me forever to hear about new releases. I only ever seem to get to them once twenty people on Goodreads have reviewed the same book. I am so late with this kind of thing :P

The one I have heard of is Red Queen, which is one release I'm rather excited about. I think the last of the Lunar Chronicles books is coming out this year too, which means I gotta catch up quick!

This list is pretty great :D I'll add a couple of these to my TBR pile. I want to read as many new releases as possible.

Ava Jae said...

I don't know how many writers, book bloggers and publishing pros you follow on Twitter, but that's where I tend to hear about most of what will be releasing. :)


Red Queen sounds interesting (and that cover! love) and I haven't read any of the Lunar Chronicles books yet (I know, I know), but that's an excellent reason to catch up!

Fida Islaih said...

Made You Up and Carry On, YES!! Still getting used to/new to fantasy yet I'm also excited for An Ember in the Ashes and A Court of Thornes and Roses!!

And uh? The lunar chronicles, I can't wait for the rest!

Ava Jae said...

I really need to read the Lunar Chronicles. Everyone keeps telling me how much they love it...


But all the others, I totally agree! This year is going to be fabulous. :)

Heather said...

I'm really excited to read Leigh Bardugo's new book this year, like you. (I just finished Siege and Storm again the other day and I may or may not be in love with the Darkling and that may or may not be a kind of bad thing. Especially after I read the short story in the back. *flails*) Obviously, I can't wait for more from that lady.


I'm looking forward to Winter from Marissa Meyer, because I love that series. The characters, more specifically, and so much shipping happens in that series. AND A.C. Gaughen is releasing Lion Heart.


I don't hear a lot about new releases, actually, but I just realized I have a lot more to look forward to this year.

Briana Morgan said...

All of these look fantastic and have been added to my TBR list. :) I'd love to see you review these down the road!

Ava Jae said...

THE DARKLING! Yes, I'm a big Darkling fan. (Though my pre-ordered from B&N copy of Ruing & Rising DIDN'T have the short story! Grrr.)


There's tons to look forward to this year! I'm still going through posts like this one and finding new books to add to my list...

Ava Jae said...

I saw you add them on Goodreads and it made me extremely happy ha ha. I'll definitely review as I read (as long as I love them as much as I'm hoping I do!).

Heather said...

Find the short story! So many feels.

And perhaps I ought to read such posts as these more closely. XD We'll see what I find!

Caitlin Sinead Jennings said...

Thanks for including HEARTSICK! :)

Ava Jae said...

Happy to! :)

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