Ten Of My Most Anticipated Releases From June To December 2015

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke & The Bookish in which we can spotlight our favourite books according to the topic of the week. If you want a full list of upcoming topics, check out this page.

This week's topic is our most anticipated releases for the rest of the year. I don't really pay much attention to new releases, as I generally only read them after they've been out a while and there are plenty of people selling their used copies off for cheap. However, I've been scouring the internet in search of books being released in the next 6 months, and I finally managed to come up with 10 that sound pretty intriguing.

1. THE STARS NEVER RISE BY RACHEL VINCENT

Sixteen-year-old Nina Kane should be worrying about her immortal soul, but she's too busy trying to actually survive. Her town's population has been decimated by soul-consuming demons, and souls are in short supply. Watching over her younger sister, Mellie, and scraping together food and money are all that matters. The two of them are a family. They gave up on their deadbeat mom a long time ago.

When Nina discovers that Mellie is keeping a secret that threatens their very existence, she'll do anything to protect her. Because in New Temperance, sins are prosecuted as crimes by the brutal Church and its army of black-robed exorcists. And Mellie's sin has put her in serious trouble.

To keep them both alive, Nina will need to trust Finn, a fugitive with deep green eyes who has already saved her life once and who might just be an exorcist. But what kind of exorcist wears a hoodie?

Wanted by the Church and hunted by dark forces, Nina knows she can't survive on her own. She needs Finn and his group of rogue friends just as much as they need her.

ADD TO GOODREADS.

Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers was one of the best YA series' I've ever read. Her Shifters series was one of the best adult series' I've ever read. You see where I'm going with this? Vincent is an absolutely fantastic author, and this book sounds kind of dark and interesting.

2. MINDWALKER BY A.J. STEIGER

At seventeen, Lain Fisher has already aced the Institute's elite training program for Mindwalkers, therapists who use a direct neural link to erase a patient's traumatic memories. A prodigy and the daughter of a renowned scientist-whose unexplained death left her alone in the world-Lain is driven by the need to save others.

When Steven, a troubled classmate, asks her to wipe a horrific childhood experience from his mind, Lain's superiors warn her to stay away. Steven's scars are too deep, they say; the risk too great. Yet the more time Lain spends with him, the more she begins to question everything about her society. As she defies the warnings and explores Steven's memories, it becomes clear that he's connected to something much bigger…something the Institute doesn't want the world to discover.

Lain never expected to be a rule breaker. She certainly didn't plan on falling in love with a boy she's been forbidden to help. But then, she never expected to stumble into a conspiracy that could ignite a revolution.

ADD TO GOODREADS.

I was initially drawn to this book because I find the cover kind of strange - I'm still not sure whether I like it or not. Anyway, this novel is about people who can use a direct neutral link to your mind to erase past traumatic memories and such. I've never heard a concept like this, so I'm excited to see what Steiger does.

3. THE LEVELLER BY JULIA DURANGO

Nixy Bauer is used to her classmates being very, very unhappy to see her. After all, she’s a bounty hunter in a virtual reality gaming world. Kids in the MEEP, as they call it, play entirely with their minds, while their bodies languish in a sleeplike state on the couch. Irritated parents, looking to wrench their kids back to reality, hire Nixy to jump into the game and retrieve them.

But when the game’s billionaire developer loses track of his own son in the MEEP, Nixy is in for the biggest challenge of her bounty-hunting career. Wyn Salvador isn’t some lazy kid looking to escape his homework: Wyn does not want to be found. And he’s left behind a suicide note. Nixy takes the job but quickly discovers that Wyn’s not hiding—he’s being held inside the game against his will. But who is holding him captive, and why?

Nixy and Wyn attempt to fight their way out of a mind game unlike any they’ve encountered, and the battle brings them closer than either could have imagined. But when the whole world is virtual, how can Nixy possibly know if her feelings are real?

ADD TO GOODREADS.

Confession: Virtual Reality scares me, but I don't know why. Nevertheless, this novel sounds like a pretty interesting read. I mean, the main character is a bounty hunter. Like Boba Fett. Okay, maybe not exactly like Boba Fett, but you know what I mean. I have a feeling this book is going to be filled with excitement and mystery, and I can't wait to see what happens. 

4. DREAMLAND BY ROBERT L. ANDERSON

Odea Donahue has been able to travel through people’s dreams since she was six years old. Her mother taught her the three rules of walking: Never interfere. Never be seen. Never walk the same person’s dream more than once. Dea has never questioned her mother, not about the rules, not about the clocks or the mirrors, not about moving from place to place to be one step ahead of the unseen monsters that Dea’s mother is certain are right behind them.

Then a mysterious new boy, Connor, comes to town and Dea finally starts to feel normal. As Connor breaks down the walls that she’s had up for so long, he gets closer to learning her secret. For the first time she wonders if that’s so bad. But when Dea breaks the rules, the boundary between worlds begins to deteriorate. How can she know what’s real and what’s not?

ADD TO GOODREADS.

Traveling through dreams sounds like a pretty interesting experience and it's so rare for the main character's parents to know anything about the supernatural. The fact that Dea's mother not only knows but actually helps her control her abilities means that there's something dark lurking between the pages. I can't wait to find out what it is.

5. ASH & BRAMBLE BY SARAH PRINEAS

Pin has no recollection of who she is or how she got to the Godmother’s fortress. She only knows that she is a Seamstress, working day in and out to make ball gowns fit for fairy tales. But she longs to forsake her backbreaking servitude and dares to escape with the brave young Shoemaker.

Pin isn’t free for long before she’s captured again and forced to live the new life the Godmother chooses for her — a fairy tale story, complete with a charming prince — instead of finding her own happily ever after.

ADD TO GOODREADS.

I've read a Cinderella retelling before in the way of Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I absolutely loved the steampunk aspects of Cinder, but I'm definitely eager to explore more retellings. This sounds like a pretty different version of Cinderella than we're all used to, but I have a feeling it's going to be a good one.

6. BETWEEN THE NOTES BY SHARON HUSS ROAT 

When Ivy Emerson’s family loses their house — complete with her beloved piano — the fear of what’s to come seizes her like a bad case of stage fright. Only this isn’t one of her single, terrifying performances. It’s her life.

And it isn’t pretty.

Ivy is forced to move with her family out of their affluent neighborhood to Lakeside, also known as “the wrong side of the tracks.” Hiding the truth from her friends — and the cute new guy in school, who may have secrets of his own — seems like a good idea at first. But when a bad boy next door threatens to ruin everything, Ivy’s carefully crafted lies begin to unravel... and there is no way to stop them.

As things get to the breaking point, Ivy turns to her music, some unlikely new friends, and the trusting heart of her disabled little brother. She may be surprised that not everyone is who she thought they were... including herself.

ADD TO GOODREADS.

I absolutely love books about a girl or guy from "the wrong side of the tracks" but I'm not sure I've actually read a novel about a girl or guy who actually moves to that area of their neighborhood. This book sounds like a great addition to the genre, and I can't wait to see how the author manages to define her novel.

7. INK & BONE BY RACHEL CAINE 

Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.

Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.

When he inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life — and soon both heretics and books will burn...

ADD TO GOODREADS.

Okay, a book about books? Yes please. I absolutely love Rachel Caine. Her Morganville Vampires series is one of my all time favourites, and I can't wait to explore her new world. The premise for this novel sounds intriguing and I can't wait to discover more.

8. PAPERWEIGHT BY MEG HASTON 

Seventeen-year-old Stevie is trapped. In her life. In her body. And now in an eating-disorder treatment center on the dusty outskirts of the New Mexico desert. Life in the center is regimented and intrusive, a nightmare come true. Nurses and therapists watch Stevie at mealtime, accompany her to the bathroom, and challenge her to eat the foods she’s worked so hard to avoid.

Her dad has signed her up for sixty days of treatment. But what no one knows is that Stevie doesn't plan to stay that long. There are only twenty-seven days until the anniversary of her brother Josh’s death — the death she caused. And if Stevie gets her way, there are only twenty-seven days until she too will end her life.

ADD TO GOODREADS.

I've read a few issue books in my time, though I can honestly say that I've never actually read one about eating disorders. The only thing that I ask of this book is for it to be realistic. If the author doesn't manage to make her character's depression feel real, I won't be finishing the book. I guess only time will tell.

9. THE FIXER BY JENNIFER LYNN BARNES 

When sixteen-year-old Tess Kendrick is sent to live with her older sister, Ivy, she has no idea that the infamous Ivy Kendrick is Washington D.C.'s #1 “fixer,” known for making politicians' scandals go away for a price. No sooner does Tess enroll at Hardwicke Academy than she unwittingly follows in her sister's footsteps and becomes D.C.'s premier high school fixer, solving problems for elite teens.

Secrets pile up as each sister lives a double life... until their worlds come crashing together and Tess finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy with one of her classmates and a client of Ivy's. Suddenly, there is much more on the line than good grades, money, or politics, and the price for this fix might be more than Tess is willing to pay.

ADD TO GOODREADS.

Though I didn't particularly like Jennifer Lynn Barnes's Raised By Wolves series, I've heard some awesome things about her other works. Given that this is a realistic fiction novel, I have high hopes that I will enjoy it more than her paranormal series.

10. REBEL MECHANICS BY SHANNA SWENDSON 

It’s 1888, and sixteen-year-old Verity Newton lands a job in New York as a governess to a wealthy leading family — but she quickly learns that the family has big secrets. Magisters have always ruled the colonies, but now an underground society of mechanics and engineers are developing non-magical sources of power via steam engines that they hope will help them gain freedom from British rule. The family Verity works for is magister — it seems like the children's young guardian uncle is sympathetic to the rebel cause.

As Verity falls for a charming rebel inventor and agrees to become a spy, she also becomes more and more enmeshed in the magister family’s life. She soon realizes she’s uniquely positioned to advance the cause—but to do so, she’ll have to reveal her own dangerous secret.

ADD TO GOODREADS.

I need to read more steampunk novels and this one sounds kind of intriguing. I like rebels, and I like spies, so I'm hoping this book doesn't let me down. I mean, it has magic in it, so it can't be all bad, right?

Anyway, that's all for this week, folks! What books made it onto your list this week? Leave me the link to your post/video and I'll be sure to check it out.