Top Ten Backlist Books I Need To Read ASAP

(This meme is actually hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl now, but I am far too lazy to make a new graphic)

I have been an advocate for reading backlist titles for a while now. But studying abroad has given me very limited access to new releases, so my reading endeavors are going to be largely focused on backlist books for the next few months. Here are the ones I really need to get to! 

1) Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas - Okay, I don't know that I actually have any interest in reading this novel or series at all, but it's so popular I feel like I at least need to give it a try? I have a weird, inexplicable aversion to Sarah J. Maas, though, so I'm not sure if this will happen or not.

2) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky - I think I might be the only person left on this planet who hasn't read this novel, but that will change soon enough!

3) Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry - I've been obsessed with Katie McGarry since I read an ARC of her debut years and years ago, and now that Scribd has given me access to her new series I am ABOUT IT.

4) The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski - I've been really interested in this series for a while and I've heard good things about it. It definitely sounds like the kind of fantasy book I would devour.

5) Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire - Everyone raves about this book! And it sounds so fascinating. I can't wait to see what all the hype is about.

6) The Distance Between Us by Kasie West - I've never read anything by Kasie West, which is absurd to me, considering she writes exactly the kind of books I live for. I'm not committed to this book being my first Kasie West book, so if you think I should read another one instead, lemme know.

7) The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - This is another novel I have heard everyone talk about for YEARS. I have no idea what it's about, really, or if it's even my kind of book, but I need to give it a shot!

8) Made You Up by Francesca Zappia - Zappia's newest release received a lot of love and attention, so I'm interested in giving her work a try. Also, this sounds like a heavier contemporary novel, which I always love.

9) Dumplin' by Julie Murphy - This novel sounds WONDERFUL and something that will inspire me and that I'll be able to relate to. Plus, with a film in the works, I neeeeed to read it.

10) Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo - I'm currently reading the first novel in the series, and I don't know if I'm going to jump into the sequel right away, but I definitely need to read the entire trilogy. I'm horrible at finishing series, but I can do this!

Top Ten Books I Hope Santa Brings Me

CHRISTMAS IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Okay, sorry, I just really love Christmas. I'm calm now.

That said, I present to you the books I wish Santa would bring me (but like prolly not because I never get books for Christmas, as sad as that is).

1) Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley - Crowley's Graffiti Moon is one of my all-time favorite books and so I was pumped as heck when I saw she was releasing this one. It was one of my most anticipated releases for the year. It sounds so cute and yeah I just really wanna read it.

2) There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins - Another one of my most anticipated releases.

3) The Magicians by Lev Grossman - I'm obsessed with the TV series and it doesn't feel right to love it so much without having read the series.

4) Saga, Vol. 6 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staple - This is the only book I actually asked for for Christmas because I am obsessed with this graphic novel series and graphic novels are v expensive.

5) Now I Rise by Kiersten White - Annnnd another of my most anticipated releases of the year (see a trend here?). I've made no secret of my love for And I Darken, the first book in the series and I cannot believe I haven't picked this one up yet.

6) Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli - I just finished Becky's most recent book and really enjoyed it, and with the movie coming out soon, I need to read this one!! (Plus, NICK ROBINSON my love)

7) Into the Black by Ava Jae - I adored the first book in the series and the sequel's release snuck up on me without me even realizing it.

8) The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee - I have heard nothing but fabulous things about this one! It seems like the kind of fun I've been craving since My Lady Jane.

9) Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire - Another book I've heard a ton of buzz about and it sounds incredibly interesting.

10) Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco - I'm going to be reading the first book in the series very soon so it would be nice to have the sequel on hand the moment I finish.

New To My Wishlist #4

Welcome to a new feature at The Left-Handed Book Lover! Basically, this feature is meant to showcase books I really want to read, whether they were released years ago or don't come out for another six months. Enjoy!

Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston

Published: February 13, 2018 by Balzer + Bray 

Summary from Goodreads: 
Ana is a scoundrel by nurture and an outlaw by nature. Found as a child drifting through space with a sentient android called D09, Ana was saved by a fearsome space captain and the grizzled crew she now calls family. But D09 — one of the last remaining illegal Metals — has been glitching, and Ana will stop at nothing to find a way to fix him.

Ana’s desperate effort to save D09 leads her on a quest to steal the coordinates to a lost ship that could offer all the answers. But at the last moment, a spoiled Ironblood boy beats Ana to her prize. He has his own reasons for taking the coordinates, and he doesn’t care what he’ll sacrifice to keep them.

When everything goes wrong, she and the Ironblood end up as fugitives on the run. Now their entire kingdom is after them — and the coordinates — and not everyone wants them captured alive.

First of all, I am Ashley Poston trash. I will read anything she writes. Also, this sounds friggin epic, my dudes. It's a space opera! And look at that cover. Massive heart eyes.

In a Perfect World by Trish Doller
Published: May 23, 2017 by Simon Pulse

Summary from Goodreads: 
Caroline Kelly is excited to be spending her summer vacation working at the local amusement park with her best friend, exploring weird Ohio with her boyfriend, and attending soccer camp with the hope she’ll be her team’s captain in the fall.

But when Caroline’s mother is hired to open an eye clinic in Cairo, Egypt, Caroline’s plans are upended. Caroline is now expected to spend her summer and her senior year in a foreign country, away from her friends, her home, and everything she’s ever known.

With this move, Caroline predicts she’ll spend her time navigating crowded streets, eating unfamiliar food, and having terrible bouts of homesickness. But when she finds instead is a culture that surprises her, a city that astounds her, and a charming, unpredictable boy who challenges everything she thought she knew about life, love, and privilege.

I read a really raving review for this book, which is what originally piqued my interest, but re-reading the summary got me intrigued all over again. I've never read anything set in Egypt, and I've also heard that this sheds a lot of light on privilege. I'm sure reading this will be both emotional and informative.

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanen McGuire
Published: April 5, 2016 by Tor

Summary from Goodreads: 

Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children
No Solicitations
No Visitors
No Quests

Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter.

No matter the cost.

A ton of people rave about this book, especially a ton of people whose opinions I trust. I never really paid much attention to what it was actually about, but the more I learned about it, the more I realized how up my alley it sounds!